Page 165 of Ranger's Secret Baby

She smiles thinly. “You can’t protect them forever.”

“No,” I agree. “But I can make sure you never try.”

I walk out.

Behind me, the door closes.

And for the first time in my life…

My mother is just another defendant.

87

Saint

Idon’t celebrate arrests.

I count reactions.

The call comes at 09:41.

“She’s in custody,” Marco says. “Financial seizure is live. Properties are locked. She didn’t fight it.”

“Yet,” I say.

There’s a pause. He knows what I mean.

“Not over,” he agrees.

“No,” I say. “It’s just louder now.”

I hang up and look at the board.

Routes. Times. Faces. Layers.

Wolf is already adjusting rotations.

Havoc is on the phone, rerouting a delivery truck that doesn’t exist.

“Laney doesn’t know,” Wolf says.

“She will,” I reply. “Just not like this.”

We move as if the building were made of glass.

I go upstairs.

Laney is in the rocker with Emmy, humming something soft and off-key.

It hits me harder than any firefight ever did.

“Hey,” she says when she sees me. “Everything okay?”

“For now,” I say.

I sit on the edge of the bed. And reach my hand over and tickle the baby’s tummy.

Emmy grips my finger like she will never let go.