Page 7 of Royal Bargain (Royals of the Underworld #3)

LIAM

A s the front door closes, I already feel my anxiety rising. The quiet stretches out before me and I rub my hands down my face, staring at the space Ana just left.

I have Shane with her, and yes, I trust him. He’s been with the family for years. Great under pressure, perfect aim, loyal, the whole shebang.

So why does it still feel like I’ve sent her out into a war zone wearing nothing but a paper bag?

At least I convinced her to wear a disguise. The dark wig covers her fiery red hair, and her sunglasses hide those big, green eyes that always give her away.

She even dressed in a more muted palate, cool tones of beige and gray that dulled her shine.

It should have made me relaxed, should have placated my fears.

Instead, I’m cursing myself for being a food, and watching her walk away with a pit in my stomach. I couldn’t even enjoy how sexy she looked in her disguise, like a supermodel about to conquer the runway.

I shake my head, trying to push the image out of my mind before it turns into a whole situation. “Focus,” I mutter to myself. “She’s safe. Shane’s with her. She’ll be fine.”

I pace a little, then glance over at the bassinet where Lily’s nestled in, blinking up at me with those big blue eyes that are way too much like mine. I freeze. She’s awake. Watching me. Judging me, maybe.

“Don’t look at me like that, sweetheart,” I mutter. “I didn’t want her to go either.”

She kicks her legs in response. Like she’s agreeing.

I grab my phone for the fifth time in two minutes and scroll to Ana’s contact. No new texts. No updates. I shove it into my pocket and turn back toward Lily.

“Well…” I say, rocking back on my heels. “Looks like it’s just us, tiny human.”

She makes a soft cooing noise that could be cute or a warning. Jury’s out.

Dammit. I reach out for her, trying to pick her up and support her head like in those YouTube videos but she’s definitely more wiggly than I expected, and somehow, terrifyingly fragile.

A huff escapes me as I stare down at her. “Now what?” I murmur.

It only takes a few minutes before she decides that Not Mom is a terrible replacement. Starting with a little whimper, she gets warmed up like a brass instrument before it’s a full blow wail, like something out of a horror movie.

I bounce her gently as I whisper to her, trying to comfort her. “I know I’m not Mama but can’t you give your dad a chance, a stór ? I’m doin’ the best I can.”

She looks up at me like she’s not buying what I’m selling, a dark, annoyed look on her tiny face. Her little body squirms and snuffles, making angry noises like I’ve personally offended her just by my existence.

I go through the checklist: she’s changed.

Fed. Burped. She even napped for a bit after Ana left.

But something’s clearly off, and none of the toys are doing a damn thing to help.

Stuffed bunny? Nope. Light-up music cube?

Immediate fury. I even try one of those crinkly books and get a high-pitched shriek in return.

“You don’t like literature?” I mutter, dragging a hand down my face. “Tough crowd.”

She’s still sniffling, but I notice it’s less of a scream now, more of a “I’m miserable and I want you to fix it” kind of cry. So I do the only thing I haven’t tried yet.

I start talking.

“So… did I ever tell you about the time Uncle Lucky and I tried to teach your Aunt Alannah how to drive? She was thirteen. Thirteen.”

I rock her gently as I speak, shifting her weight in my arms.

“We had this old junker stashed at the edge of town—totally not street legal, mind you—but we figured back roads were fair game. Lucky swore he’d adjusted the brakes. Spoiler: he had not.”

Lily hiccups, not quite a laugh, but not a cry either. Progress.

“She hit the gas, panicked, and we all ended up in a ditch. Lucky’s arm got scratched to hell, I lost a shoe, and Alannah got out of the car, looked at us both, and said, ‘I think I’m more of a passenger princess.’”

I snort. “She was right.”

I adjust my hold on Lily, sitting down now, easing her into the crook of my arm as her fussing slows.

“You wanna hear about my first real job?” I ask softly. “I was fifteen. Uncle Rory gave me this old phone and told me I had one job—just one. I was supposed to stand watch outside a poker game and text him if any cops came sniffing around.”

Lily blinks up at me, still and alert now.

“But I got bored. Started texting girls instead. Didn’t see the cruiser until it was already turning the corner. Rory had to flip a table to stall and pretend they were just playing Uno. I got banned from ‘serious work’ for six months.”

I shake my head. “Fair, honestly.”

Pausing for a moment, I watch her eyes flutter shut, sleep catching up to her. One tiny hand wraps around a finger and holds onto it, as though encouraging me to keep going.

“Okay, so, one time your Uncle Lucky and I tried to catch a racoon stealing from the storage shed. We made up this dumb trap, like just a cardboard box, and some string with bait. Totally thought we were geniuses for that one.

Grinning, I continue. “Except that the racoon got into the trap, stole the food and left us a note. I knew Rory and Kellan were messing with us but part of me is convinced that dang racoon was smarter than all of us combined.”

Lily’s breathing slows, soft and even now, the fight finally gone from her tiny frame.

“Y’know,” I whisper, brushing a hand over her fuzzy head, “I’ve done a lot of dumb stuff. But you? You’re the best thing I’ve ever had to figure out without instructions.”

She exhales a soft little sigh, sinking fully into sleep. I hold her a moment longer, just watching her. The quiet wraps around us now, and this time, I don’t hate it.

Placing her in her bassinet, I go back to checking my phone, hoping that Ana has finally sent me an update, or at least let me know she’s arrived safely at the meeting place.

Slamming my phone next to me on the couch, I throw my hands up in the air and shake them, shouting silently as my frustration bubbles over. I don’t want to wake Lily, but I can’t help the knotted feeling in my stomach.

Why can’t Ana just let me in a little more? Why does she have to be so damned independent all the time?

Before I can let myself sink deeper into those thoughts, there’s a buzz at the door.

Rushing over to answer it, I curse under my breath when I see who it is.

“I came over to discuss some of the new protocols with Blackthorn Security,” Lucky says, glancing over my shoulder to spy the new additions to my house. “Damn. I guess you truly did move your little Russian girlfriend and her kid in, didn’t you?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” I tell him, crossing my arms. “She’s my ex, and that’s our kid. And she’s here under my protection.”

Lucky pushes past me, stalking through the entryway to look at Lily in her cot. He whistles, a low sound that still makes me wince.

“Hey, careful. I just got her down for a nap,” I warn him.

“She’s cute,” Lucky says, a genuine smile on his face. “Looks just like the Brannagans. Guess there’s no doubt who her daddy is, hmm?”

His smile turns mischievous at the corners, a twinkle in his eye. “Daddy duty suits you, Bro.”

“Forget about Lily,” I snap, my voice barely above a whisper. “Let’s go over this shit so you can get out of here.”

Lucky rolls his shoulders, craning his neck to crack it once before sitting down on the couch. “I brought doughnuts too. Just as a bribe, in case you didn’t feel like my charming presence was enough.”

“Show me the security protocols,” I tell him, ignoring the way my stomach growls at the word “ doughnuts ”. I’m not about to give my little brother the satisfaction of knowing that he’s been successful in his attempt at bribery.

We sit together, going through a checklist of new protocols as Lucky makes sure I’m up-to-date, and by the end, the tension has disappeared from my spine and I’ve fully relaxed into the couch.

“You know, it seems like you’ve taken on a lot lately,” Lucky comments as I stuff my face with an Old-Fashioned.

“Between your job with Burns, working with me to keep things running while Rory is away, and now you’re taking on the whole fatherhood thing.

I can’t imagine how you’re doing it. Hell, I feel like I’m barely keeping it together. ”

I brush the doughnut crumbs off my shirt and take another, a blueberry sour cream this time. “I know. I don’t think I’ve slept properly in days. It’s only been a week with Annika and Lily living here, but it feels much longer.”

“I gotta be honest with you, Bro… I don’t envy Rory’s position. I thought being in charge would be so cool, and I could finally show them what I can do, but it’s…”

“Exhausting,” I supply, a wry smile on my face.

Lucky snaps his fingers. “Exactly. When Rory gets back, I’ll be glad to hand over some of the responsibility again.”

“I get why Kellan took a step back to spend more time with Darcy and the kids,” I admit. “Juggling fatherhood, plus everything else? It’s been a fuckin’ test of my willpower, let’s just say.”

Just as I’m reaching for another doughnut, something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye.

I turn my head a few degrees to see a car parked just outside my building, idling away. It’s unusual to see any cars parked on my street like this, so something about it sets alarm bells off in my head.

“Do you see that car?” I turn to Lucky, tilting my head toward the nondescript vehicle. It’s a Honda Civic, from the looks of it—maybe 2003 or 2004, and there’s a dent just below the right bumper. I study it for a moment, trying to ascertain whether the person inside looks familiar.

“The Civic?” Lucky asks, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “Yeah? What about it?”

I can’t tell since they’re facing away from me, but there’s a pit in my stomach that’s sending warning bells off. It could be a member of the Bratva in there or someone looking to hurt Lily.

Glancing at her, I breathe easy knowing she’s still asleep, still tucked safely away in her bassinet.

“Do you think maybe the person in there is a tail? Do you think they might be tailing Annika?” I ask, my words laced with the tension I feel inside.

Lucky glances at the car again, then back at me with an eyeroll. “I think that person is a delivery driver.”

“Why do you think that?” I demand, preparing to get up and check on the driver myself.

“Because they just got out of their car and they’re carrying a bag that says 'Pete’s Subs’ on the side,” Lucky informs me.

Feeling like an idiot, I sit back down, but at that exact moment, Lily chooses to start crying, her little whines growing louder and louder as she wakes herself up.

I rush over to her and pick her up, rubbing her back in a slow, soothing motion, but it doesn’t seem to help. “How about a fresh diaper? I bet you woke up because you were all cold and wet, huh?”

Changing her diaper doesn’t seem to diminish the tears, and even when I offer her a bottle, she turns her head away and sobs louder.

“Lucky, do you think…”

Before I can finish getting the words out, I notice that he’s edging toward the door.

“Sorry, Bro. I don’t think I can help with this one. I’m out of my depth. But you’ve got this! Good luck!”

Lucky leaves before I can throw a doughnut at him, though I wish I had. Bastard.

I rock Lily back and forth, whispering soothing noises to her, but her tears are starting to grate on the edge of my nerves.

Getting close to the breaking point, I sit down with her on the couch, leaning back as I try to get myself together.

Immediately, Lily stops crying and settles down, her tears coming to a halt, her eyes shutting as she starts to fall back asleep.

Shit. Was it truly that easy? Was that all it took?

I close my eyes, my earlier confidence in taking care of her thoroughly shaken.

The sound of an engine starting up rouses me, and I realize that the delivery driver has left, but my nerves are still on edge. Just because this car was nothing doesn’t mean things will stay that way.

I wish Annika would come home already.

Once I’m assured that Lily is fast asleep with no signs of waking up again, I lay her back down in her bassinet and run a hand through my hair, pulling my phone out of my pocket to text her, asking her for an update.

But I get no response.