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He realized Bella and Gabby were staring at him. "What?"
Bella nudged Gabby. "He's freaking out about seeing your mom again."
Gabby frowned. "Really? Why?"
"He's been obsessed with her this whole time. My brother's been looking for since she left, but he never found her."
Gabby's face grew wary. "You've been looking for her?"
"I'm not a stalker. I wasn't looking. Brody was." He frowned at the sudden tension in Gabby's body. She'd been so relaxed since she'd been there, that the quick shift was noticeable. "What's wrong?"
Gabby paced restlessly away from them. "You guys have to promise you won't tell anyone about us. That you know who we are. That you found out. You can't tell the press. Promise not to tell the press?"
Bella and Keegan exchanged glances again, and the pieces began to come together in Keegan's mind. Sascha had faked her death with her daughter. Whether the accident was real and she decided afterwards to take advantage or whether the accident was a fake didn't matter. What mattered was that Sascha had gone deep underground for sixteen years, and her daughter had broken cover to come find him. Shit.
"Who's after you?" he asked softly. "Who are you guys hiding from?" Her ex-husband was his first guess.
Gabby stared at him, her lips pressed together.
Shit.
"We'll make sure you and your mom are safe," Keegan said. "Promise."
"What about the press? Promise you won't let them find out."
He glanced at Bella again. "I don't control the press, Gabby, but they won't hear it from us."
She still looked worried, and he met Bella's gaze. He knew his sister had picked up on all the same signals he had. Noticing threats and being aware when a kid was in danger was habit to them, given their history. Always hitting too close to home.
Bella inclined her chin once, then turned to Gabby. "Don't worry, Gabby. Now that Brody married Tatum, they are the big news. No one is paying attention to us out here. This is our neck of the woods. We're not interesting here."
Gabby nodded, then glanced at Keegan.
"We'll keep you safe, Gabby," he said softly. "It's what we do."
She raised her brows. "You're tech-geeks turned billionaires."
"We're street kids who never forgot how to protect our own." He kept his voice low and rough, letting her see the truth about who he was, who Bella was, and who they all were.
Her eyes widened, and then a grin lit up her face. "Cool."
* * *
Sofia wrapped her hands around the mug of hot chocolate, her knee bouncing restlessly. Christmas music enveloped her as she sat under strands of twinkling white lights. A Christmas tree sat in the corner, with lots of unwrapped presents beneath it for a local women's shelter. The tavern was charming and rustic, and the servers knew most of the patrons.
It felt like a home. Her waitress was named Becca, and she'd been so friendly and warm that Sofia had started to relax. She'd gotten a window seat, but she didn't look out. What was the point? Watch every truck?
"Mom!"
Sofia looked up, and relief rushed through her when she saw her daughter running toward her across the tavern. She jumped up and had barely made it to her feet before Gabby reached her and flung herself into her arms. "I'm so sorry I took the car, Mom. I'm sorry if I put us in danger."
All her tension dissolved, and she hugged Gabby tightly, tears rimming her eyes. "I'm just glad you're okay, baby. I was so worried."
Gabby pulled back, her eyes wide. "I just had to go. I had to know. And he's wonderful. And his sister Bella is amazing. They welcomed me, Mom. They didn't even question me at all. Who's like that? He doesn't want proof. He just said, okay."
Sofia's heart tightened. The papers always made the Harts sound like good people, but their welcoming Gabby so wholeheartedly was a gift Sofia would never forget. "I'm glad."
"Me, too." Gabby's face was troubled. "I told them not to tell the press about me. About us."
