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She turned and faced hiht and chin up, her voice stayed calm "No, it scares the hell out of me, but anyone can learn this address; it’s public record The stupid press has told anyone ants to listen that I’ here" She lifted the box "What was in it? And how es or letters have come that I don’t know about?"

"It was a silver baby rattle--engraved"

"Where is it?"

"Clay bagged it He’s having it processed for fingerprints Hopefully, the asshole touched it"

"Engraved… what did it say?"

Tony seized her shoulders and pulled her close "Claire, let me handle this Show me you have faith in me"

Her face tilted upward "I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t" She kissed him "What did it say?"

"Baby Nichols-Rawls"

"That isn’t so bad, considering the way it was addressed Why didn’t you want e leather chair behind the desk It was his throne of control--in his office, his estate, his world Tony wanted Claire to know that he welco that power, but with the responsibility came the burden One that he feared would require her to sit Claire obediently bent her knees, and he said, "That wasn’t all Under the name it read RIP"

Her eyes misted in shock, and her hand protectively covered herbefore her, he tempered his tone "I told you once before, too ood for you Will you please learn to trustso hard to provide?"

"B-but… that has to be considered a threat Can’t you take it to the police?"

"We are, but ill they do that we aren’t already doing?"

E her shoulders, her body trembled as tears coated his jacket When a se to lie down Will you please cooing back to work?"

"No," he reassured "I’ here I’ll be there as soon as we’re done"