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“Robert.” Her voice cracked. Picking up on her mother’s distress, Navy began to whine. “He sent me flowers.”

“Where are they?”

“In my office.”

“You’re sure they’re from him?”

Her blue eyes liquified. “He signed the card.”

A cold dread settled in his chest. “You didn’t get rid of them?”

She quickly shook her head. “I was too freaked out to think about tossing them in the trash. I didn’t touch anything after I read the note. I just came straight here.”

“And started packing. Fuck!”

The baby began to whimper now, her bright eyes darting between him and her mother, responding to the tension in the air.

“Let me take her.” He held out his arms, and Rhae passed the baby to him without hesitation.

He cradled Navy in one arm and wrapped the other around Rhae. His woman.

“I can’t stay here, Denver. He knows where I’m at!”

He cupped her face in one hand. “Rhae, look at me.”

She did, eyes wide and shiny with fear.

“You’re safe here. You and Navy both. I swear to you. You’re surrounded by a fortress full of men who know how to shoot to kill, who live for this kind of threat. I’m no slacker either. And believe me, no one will take you or Navy from me. Ever. ”

“But the card. He knows where I am!”

“And he made the mistake of revealing that.” He’d already guessed Ravencroft was a cocky motherfucker. Just going after the daughter of his former business colleague, one much, much younger than him, was enough of a sign. But now his inflated ego had put him in the line of fire.

“I’ll have my brothers run forensics on the flowers and the card. First, we’ll track the flowers to find out who delivered them and when. We’ll check the security cameras too. If there’s anything on the flowers or card—fingerprints, DNA—we’ll find it.”

She stared at him in silence. He saw the small glimmer of hope in her eyes, but she got up to pace, shoving her hands in her pockets. “You think that’s enough to stop him? I don’t.”

“No. But I don’t think he’s stupid enough to be in the area.” He’d seen men like this before—guys who hid behind the screen, tried to control people from afar.

Denver was here to tell the bastard that he was dead…fucking…wrong.

She shook her head. “Even if I stay…”

“You are staying, Rhae. You and Navy are in the safest place.” He had to prove to her she was safe. The best way to do that was to go ahead with their dinner plans.

Navy squirmed in his arms, and he bounced her against his chest. She let out a giggle that broke the pressure. Both of them looked at their daughter.

Rhae leaned forward, lowering her head into her trembling hands.

He dropped to his knees in front of her. Now that Navy was within reach of her momma, she tipped toward her.

Rhae took the baby into her lap and cuddled her close. Denver placed a hand on each of them—the most precious things in the world.

“We’re not letting him spoil your birthday. That’s why we’re sticking to the plan. We’re going out to dinner. Navy will stay with Auntie Willow. She spent ten minutes telling me all about the baby activities she has lined up for her.”

Rhae let out a watery laugh. “Besides block towers, movies and a dance party?”

“It’s changed to three Disney movies, coloring books and crayons and a bedtime routine tighter than most military ops.”

She laughed again, the sound snuffling. “Leave it to Willow.”

“I already have Carson running point, and now that we have a new development, I’ll make sure the rest of my family is on high alert.” He traced the curve of her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “We’ve got this, Rhae.”

“I don’t know…” She stared down at Navy in her lap.

He wrapped his arms around them both and pulled them close. “It’s going to be fine. You deserve a birthday dinner. A night off the ranch, just the two of us.”

She stayed pressed against his chest for a beat, fingers twisting in his shirt. Then she nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll go.”

He exhaled. “Good. Let’s get ready then and take Navy to the house.”

As she chose a dress to wear and slipped into the bathroom, he took Navy into the living room. While the baby crawled around, his mind returned to the damn flowers. A veiled threat.

And why hadn’t he thought to send her flowers for her birthday? The irritation in his chest was like a dozen sharp blades, slicing back and forth through the air.

Checking that the bathroom door was still closed, he placed a quick call to Carson. “Heads-up,” he said in a low voice the second the call connected. “We’ve got a situation. Flowers showed up at Rhae’s office from Ravencroft.”

“Shit. I’ll bump up patrol. Are you still headed to Prairie Ember for dinner?”

“It took some convincing on my part, but yes. She’s getting ready now, then we’ll bring the baby to the house. Keep extra eyes on Navy and Willow tonight.”

“On it. Don’t worry about a thing.”

“Send someone to get the flowers out of Rhae’s office and run forensics on them.”

“Got it.”

“Thank you.” His gaze fell on the baby, sitting on the floor innocently playing with a rubber cow.

“I got your six, bro.”

The words brought a lump to Denver’s throat.

“And Denver? You’re doing the right thing taking her out to dinner despite what happened. She can’t live in fear and hide.”

“I know.” He ended the call. At that moment, the bathroom door opened. Navy heard it and crawled at Mach speed across the floor, which made him laugh.

Rhae stepped out, and he sobered, his cock twitching at the sight of her dressed up in a fitted blue dress that enhanced the color of her eyes.

Her hair hung in loose waves just below her collarbones, shiny and soft, a beacon for him to touch it.

To thread his fingers into the locks and kiss her until she was shaking.

She came forward, smiling at the baby, and picked her up.

He sauntered over to her. “Your momma looks beautiful, doesn’t she, Navy?” he said.

Her eyes pooled with emotion. “And your daddy is the most handsome man on earth.”

He issued a soft noise in his throat and leaned in to brush a kiss over her temple, not wanting to mess up her lip gloss. “I’ve got my family on guard. Navy will be completely safe.”

Her lips compressed. He could see she had something to say. He just wasn’t ready for what it was.

“You don’t have to worry about Navy. Robert doesn’t want her.”

He stared down at her. “What do you mean?”

Her eyes were filled with shadows. “When I found out I was pregnant…he showed up at my OB appointment…”

“Go on.” He clenched his fists.

“He tried to convince me to terminate the pregnancy.” Her voice broke. “He said we could start a family together. That the baby was a mistake, and I’d thank him later.”

His entire body locked, every muscle tightened with fury. “He. Fucking. Said. That. To. You.” He could almost feel his blood boil.

“I thought he would back off after that. Then he showed up at the daycare, like I told you, and that’s when I disappeared. I cut off everyone and moved. I…” she nibbled her lip, “made efforts to hide myself.”

He was going to kill the bastard.

Rhae looked up at him with glassy eyes, watching his reaction like she expected him to run. To judge her. To back away.

But all Denver saw was strength. Resilience. The sheer force of will it must’ve taken to protect herself and Navy, to walk away from everything and rebuild her life, stunned the breath out of him.

She nodded, her breath hitching with emotion. “You’re right. I can’t let him scare me off. I’ve come this far.”

He stepped in close and cupped her cheek. “You’re so damn strong.”

A tear rolled down her cheek, and he caught it with his thumb.

“I mean it,” he whispered. “I’ve done some dangerous things. Seen people fall apart under far less pressure. But you? You’re a force of nature.”

She leaned into him, her hand planted on his chest.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He pitched his voice low. “You and Navy—you’re mine. And I’ll destroy anyone who tries to take you away from me.”

Her breath caught, and something shifted between them. More than just heat or need. Something deep. Something real.

It slammed into him like a freight train.

This wasn’t just attraction. This wasn’t just about Navy or the past they shared. He loved Rhae. Until now he never could admit he was in love with her, right down to his bones.

And he was ready to burn down the world if it meant keeping her safe.

She swallowed hard. “I was so scared.”

“I know.” He kissed her forehead. “But you don’t have to be anymore. I’ve got you.”