Nate(15)

I was a principal dancer in a ballet production.

I was there where I wanted to be.

Dancing was my life.

Then a text was sent, and an image was attached.

Valerie was pregnant, had already given birth, and Nova’s picture was next.

Everything stopped at that instant.

As I said, I loved Nova the second I saw her. She was my niece.

All those years, all the history where there’d been strained visits, and I regretted everything. Everything.

I needed to be in Nova’s life.

I began lessening my load.

Visits started slow.

I went to see what Valerie needed, if anything.

I found out about Nico by accident. Not about him. I knew Valerie got married because I was a bridesmaid, but family can be around each other for events and not know a damn thing going on in their world. Nico was one of those “things.” And I knew she was getting a divorce, but I didn’t know the reason until that day.

I’d been changing Nova’s diaper when the phone rang.

I didn’t think about it. Who would? It was a phone call.

But I was carrying Nova back when I heard the first shrieks.

Chills went down my spine.

“You stay away from me! Stay away from Nova—” A break. She was sobbing. “She’s not yours, Nico! She’s Nate’s.”

Nova started crying at that moment, so I cradled her head and walked out, starting to rock her at the same time.

Valerie looked like she had lost thirty pounds in that instant. She was haggard, and I saw all the pain, all the exhaustion. The fear, too.

The fear—it was choking her.

She ended the call with no goodbye, nothing.

Then she just stood there.

I crossed the room. “Give me the phone.”

Her fingers were limp when I took it, and I blocked his phone number.

I pulled up her lawyer and handed her the phone back. “You need to file an order of protection against him. Is his name on the birth certificate?”

She shook her head, everything in her sagging. “I already have one.”

I froze. “What?”

She took a deep breath, looking me fully in the eyes. “I already have an order of protection against him. It’s for Nova and me.”

That had been the start.

She whispered to me later, “I’m so tired, Quince. I don’t have any more fight in me.”

A need rose in me, swiftly and promptly. I hugged her tight and whispered back, “Well, I do. I’m here. I’m here, Val.”

Remembering all of that, a tear fell down my cheek as I drove the car to the Corebar Hotel. I flicked it away as the valet came over, waiting as I grabbed everything for Nova and then bent down to pick her up from the seat.

A guy came forward when we stepped inside. I recognized him from Carl’s folder and also from the social pages.

Logan Kade.

Man.

Good looks ran in Nate’s entire friend group. Brown eyes, brown hair, a lean frame, and a pretty face, but it was the charisma that rolled off him that got me the most. I could feel a literal zap in the air.

“I’m Logan.”

“Hi.” I nodded to his hand because my own were full. Including Nova, I had four bags hanging from my arm and another on my back. “She’s starting to wake up, but I’m hoping she holds off on the tears until we get to the room.”

“Sounds good.” He was staring at Nova before he nodded to some of my bags. “May I?”

I nodded as his eyes went back to Nova.

As he took them all from me, except the one on my back, I asked, “You’re the greeting team?”

A soft laugh as he began to lead the way to the elevators. “I am. You can’t get to Nate’s suite without a special card.” He hit the call button and smiled again, so polite. “We’re all trying to be civil here. There’s a child involved.”

Right.

Because I guess I hadn’t been.

I got the message. “Yes. I can see that.”

We got the elevator to ourselves, and Logan swiped the card before hitting the button for the top floor. He eased back as the doors closed. “You’re not close to Graham?”

“Uh.” He was going deep already, asking about my half-brother. I was noting that, too. I frowned. “You’re the lawyer, aren’t you?”

His eyes were steady on mine. “I am.”

Right. Again.

“I’m also like a brother to Nate, so take it as a good sign that they didn’t call me until after your meeting.”

“Yes.” I was realizing that, too.

“Nate’s loved by a lot of people.” He waited a beat. “A lot of people who have different connections and resources.”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

“You don’t.”

My head whipped to his.

I was getting a blank wall from him.

He added, “Your father’s casino has mob connections, but other than that, you have your father and your father’s money. You don’t have a large circle of people. Our search found one or two casual friends. No lovers. You’re not close to your brother or that side of your family.”

I felt slapped by that one, but he was right. I gritted my teeth.

I didn’t have anyone close to me except one friend.