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Liis and I traded glances but didn’t respond We understood her frustration, but more than just the director knew that Liis and I were responsible for bringing half of the Vegas organized crime families to justice Benny’s death had ents on the case with a baby on the way, and one of Benny’sThey had already targeted us twice, so the Bureau wasn’t taking any chances We’d had agents shadowing our every move as soon as Liis’s baby buet used to having two special agents for parents," I said, pushing off entlewith sleepy rhyth Travis when he was a toddler, still in diapers, cas, and the sticky ring around hisover five suckers in his pocket and always leave with one Children ate candy, and Dad was passed out drunk in the bedroo in traffic I’d stopped being a child when Mom died

The nurse nodded, but I could see by her expression she still didn’t understand Before leaving, she glanced at Stella with pity reflecting in her eyes I plantedthe chair Stella fussed, and I patted her back while deep in thought Stella was loved before she was even born, a shiny new nursery and a full bookshelf waiting for her at hohter had never crossedwhatever the Bureau put in our paths, but noondered hoould affect Stella

"Did you call your dad?" Liis asked

"Earlier"

"Everybody else?"

"I asked Dad to give it a day I don’t want to spend all day on the phone"

Liis sat back and closed her eyes "I guess as an only child, I don’t think about things like that," sheoff

I draped a thick cloth over my shoulder and then supported Stella’s head while I positioned her against ain, and the recliner swayed back and forth The rhythmore deeply

I touched my cheek to Stella’s soft hair She was so innocent and vulnerable, and Liis kneell as I did just how ht her in to It was our responsibility to keep her safe

I looked over at irlfriend and then over at my sports jacket that coveredSauer 9 I knew Liis had one tucked into Stella’s baby bag, too I swayed back and forth, resting ht muscles in my neck relax Even after Stella had settled down and I had lain her in the bassinet, I couldn’t stopevery sound from the hall--the sodaon patients in the other roo on Unlike Liis, even when I wanted to sleep, I couldn’t

I reached for Liis’s pitcher of water and poured myself a cup I would sleep when she woke Too ents outside would protect Stella as fiercely, so one of us had to be awake at all tiainst theas I triple checked the baby’s bag and readied the car seat while Liis signed the discharge papers The nurse watched us with careful curiosity, likely hearing gossip about the arht and the fresh pair of agents assigned to escort us honing the various docuht hours and was already an expert I smiled at her until shenot to show my excitement at my turn to hold the tiny, soft human we’d created