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have every right to my daughter.”
    Dee shook her head. “I didn’t mean like that. I meant legally at the moment. You couldn’t just snap her up and leave. And besides, you wouldn’t want to do that. It would scare Bridget.”
    He agreed, but it didn’t make him any happier with the situation. Truth was, he didn’t know much about little girls. Or little kids in general. What he did know he’d picked up in the last couple of years after spending time with Alana. He definitely wasn’t an expert. And, even though he was furious with Ali, she was the girl’s mother. He did not believe depriving Bridget of the one person she trusted in the world. That would make him a monster.
    “What’s your next move?” Micah asked.
    He shrugged. “I know that Alicia, or whatever she’s calling herself these days, isn’t going to keep me from my daughter. Or she seemed to agree to it right now.”
    “Why didn’t she contact you before?”
    “She thought Devon had something to do with her father’s death. We didn’t get the whole story. And let’s face it, Devon isn’t that easy to find.”
    “I was an assignment.”
    He spat out the words, irritated that more than his ego hurt over that. He had never forgotten her, dreamed about her most nights, and yearned to touch her again. He had been a job to her and now a man she feared. For him, it had been an experience that touched his soul. If she hadn’t ended up pregnant with their daughter, he wondered if she would have even remembered him.
    “Okay, I think we need to back up, because I’m confused.”
    “I can’t explain it all. She didn’t tell us the entire story. Her—our—daughter was there and I didn’t want to alarm her.”
    “So she’s in the business?”
    He nodded. “I should have known.”
    “How were you an assignment?”
    “She came looking for me because her father had been interested in me for some reason. He had been missing. That’s about all we got out of her before we left.”
    “Show him the picture.”
    Devon rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to show him the picture.”
    As usual, Dee ignored him. She sat down on the couch next to Micah.
    “It was so sweet. We were talking to Alicia and Bridget, that’s the girl’s name, went and drew him a picture. Then Devon took it and put it in his wallet.”
    Dammit. Dee fooled a lot of people with her sweet smile and big blue eyes. They always thought she was an empty headed idiot. She wasn’t.
    “How did you know?”
    “It wasn’t in the car when I got there and I knew you didn’t get rid of it.”
    Micah looked at him, then said to Dee. “Hey, babe, why don’t you go check on Alana?”
    Dee looked between them and nodded. She kissed Micah on the cheek and then rose to check on their daughter.
    Micah studied Devon for a long moment. “Listen, I don’t like to butt in—”
    “Bullshit.”
    Micah continued on as if Devon hadn’t said anything. “But you need to make sure you get your head screwed on straight. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have the first clue about this, but I do now, thanks to your sister. Once you know you have blood in this world, you don’t ever let them go. We can stay for a while since Evan has been running the club with the help of Danny.”
    “Thanks,” he said. “I thought about sending you back to Hawaii. Jay could return here and wait for me.”
    Micah leaned back on the couch. “Now, son, you should know better than that. Dee isn’t going to let me leave you here on your own. And whether you like it or not, we’re family and you’re stuck with me.”
    He gave him a smile. “You might not believe this, but I am pretty damned happy Dee married you.”
    “That makes two of us.”
    He stood and decided to grab something to eat before heading back over to her house.
    Micah didn’t ask where he was going. “Get some coffee so you don’t fall asleep.”
    Devon waved behind him as he walked out the door.
    * * * *
    “So, he’s going on a