Page 18 of Burning Justice

“We’d like to speak with him,” Brett said in between the baby’s wails, which were growing louder by the second. “When do you expect him to come home?”

“Oh, I—” Sally Nash cupped the back of the baby’s head, making shushing sounds to calm the child. In between flicking her frightened gaze back and forth between Brett and her baby, Sally’s eyes glistened. “I’m sorry, I just can’t seem to get her to stop crying.”

“Your first?” Gemma asked, instantly feeling sorry for the woman, whose left hand was devoid of a wedding ring. Sally nodded. “You don’t have anyone to help you, do you?”

Sally shook her head. Tears spilled from her eyes.

“I’m guessing you haven’t gotten much sleep lately, either,” Brett said, taking his cue and stuffing his badge into his back pocket.

Again, Sally shook her head, looking even more wary as her gaze dipped to Brett’s gun.

“May we come in?” Gemma asked. “Maybe we can help.”

Hope flared in Sally’s eyes so easily, Gemma could only imagine it had been a long time since anyone had offered. The door closed, followed by the sound of the chain being slid open. The door opened again, and Sally stepped aside.

The apartment was surprisingly clean, but with baby clothes and towels draped over every piece of furniture. Unlike the hallway, the place smelled relatively decent.

“What’s her name?” Gemma asked, closing the door behind them. Based on the pink beanie, she assumed the baby was a girl.

“Paige.” Sally began pacing the living room, bouncing the baby gently. Still, the baby cried.

To Gemma’s shock, Brett held out his arms.

“May I?” he asked Sally. “You look like you could use a break.”

She turned slightly, covering the baby’s head protectively with her hand. “I don’t know.”

Gemma rolled her lips inward. “I promise he doesn’t bite. He’s a big, bad federal agent, but inside, he’s as warm and cuddly as a teddy bear.” Doubtful. Over his shoulder, Brett narrowed his eyes on Gemma. Okay, so maybe she’d overstated the cuddly thing. “It’ll give us a chance to talk.”

With a mixture of reluctance and gratitude on her face, Sally handed over the baby into Brett’s waiting arms. Gemma had thought she’d been in shock before. When Brett began crooning to the still-crying infant and whispering silly sayings as he rocked the baby gently back and forth in his muscular arms, she raised her brows, speechless. The infant’s cries weren’t quite as loud as before. Who’da thunk the hunk would be good with babies?

Gradually, the child quieted more, and Gemma’s heart squeezed. Just a tiny bit. There was nothing sexier than a big, strong guy holding a baby as if it was a delicate piece of crystal. Although when she’d watched her brothers do it with their newborns, she’d thought it was cute. When Brett did it, the word sexy had instantly popped into her head.

“Can we sit down?” Gemma indicated the sofa. Keeping one eye on Brett, whose long index finger was now firmly grasped by the baby, Sally sat. “We’re sorry to bother you. We were hoping to speak with your brother. We know he just got out of prison.”

Sally’s eyes flicked to the right as she twisted her hands together on her lap. “I haven’t seen him in, um…” Her hands twisted tighter. “About three weeks, right after he was released.”

Can anyone say lying? Gemma caught the subtle shake of Brett’s head. He’d picked up on it, too. Amazing—and unexpected—how in sync their minds were. And this hadn’t been the first time.

“Did he by any chance try to get his old job back with Frodo Building Supply?” Gemma asked, watching Brett gently bounce little Paige in his arms like she weighed no more than a marble.

She nodded. “Yes, but he said they wouldn’t hire him again because he was an ex-con.”

“Was he angry about that?”

“Very, but he said he knew someone in Denver who would hire him. He said he’d helped someone out with a problem last year before he went to prison, and now they owed him a favor.”

“Do you know who that was?”

“Um, no.” Sally shook her head, again looking down at her tightly clasped hands. “No. He didn’t say.”

“Do you know what ‘problem’ he was referring to?”

“No, I’m sorry.”

“Do you know where he’s staying or what he’s driving?” Brett whispered over the now-smiling baby.

Gemma had been about to ask those same questions.