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I was an unemployed soon-to-be father when Mia came to my rescue. She was working at the Drug Enforcement Agency—DEA—and invited me for an interview. Working under her was a blast. She was focused, sharp, fun, and always quick on her feet. She wasn’t christened as The Bryant Prodigy for nothing, although she didn’t care for the nickname.
She was skyrocketing her career at the agency. Until she wasn’t. After being fired, she came up with the idea of starting a private investigation and security company. Once again, Andrea stopped me from doing what I so wanted, and I stayed put at the DEA.
Ben, Zach, and Mia went along with it, and Bryants & Walker Protection was born. They made a name for themselves and started sealing more and more government contracts, so I stood up for myself against Andrea’s demands and joined them. Best decision I’ve ever made.
But after everything we went through, Ben and I didn’t know how to run it as smoothly as before. We’d never realized how the Bryant siblings always managed to make things happen around us. Zach was a leader through and through, and Mia was the one who got things done. Without them, we seemed to be swimming around, with no direction.
“Why are you up so early,mi niño? Couldn’t sleep again?”
I looked at my mother walking into the kitchen and leaned down so she could kiss my cheek. “I wanted to get a head start on breakfast. Sofia will be up soon, and I want to enjoy my time with her before I go to work.”
She grabbed the spatula on the counter. “You’re such a sweet boy.” Then she hit my arm with it, startling me. “But if I’m around, I make breakfast. Now move.”
“Ouch. That hurt, Ma.” I rubbed my attacked arm but did as she instructed, smiling. She was tough—sometimes a little too much—but I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive mother.
“You know better than to get into my space. Now bring me the eggs.” I assisted her as she cooked, both of us working in sync, as we’d been doing since I was a little boy. “Have you heard from theDiabloagain?”
Even though her words were accurate, I didn’t want my baby to hear someone say that about her mother. “I hope you don’t say that to Sofia.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “She’ll learn eventually.” Before I could counter, she went on. “No, I don’t say those words to her. But I should. That woman was a nightmare.”
I couldn’t disagree. “She’s still calling.” She let out a chain of expletives in Spanish. “I hope you don’t saythatto Fee.”
She ignored my admonishment. “Thatwomanhas always been trouble. She was never good for my boy. I should’ve kicked her out when I had the chance. I knew she could ruin my life.” I raised a brow at her, suppressing a smile until she corrected her slip. “Your life.”
“She didn’t ruin it. Yeah, we’re off better without her, and I wish I’d never see her again. But she brought us Sofia. So, despite everything she did to hurt me, a part of me will always be grateful.”
She beamed at the mention of her only granddaughter. Sonia Delgado was nothing if not a momma—and a grandma—hen. “Your father would’vebeen so proud of the man you became, and of bringing Sofia to us. Thank God that precious little girl is nothing like her mother.” My mom caressed my cheek. “She’s all wonderful because of you.”
“And you’re not biased at all.”
She slapped my arm again with the damn spatula. “Don’t contradict your mother.” I chuckled, and we went back to our cooking until she broke the silence again. “When is that girl coming again to watch my Fee?”
At the mention of Lisa, my heart skipped a beat, and I tried my best to hide my reaction. I knew my mom better than to assume that was an innocent question. “She’s coming today. I wanted to give you some free room to rest, walk around, or even be with Fee if that’s what you want, but with help.”
She hummed. “She seems like a nice enough girl. And Sofia seems to like her.”
It bugged me that she kept saying “girl,” but even that couldn’t keep my smile from forming. “Sofia adores her. And Lisa’s also very accommodating. She’s been coming every day I’m working away from home, so I give her the days I’m off or when I’m working here. Whenever she comes, Fee can’t stop talking about her. She’s just so great.” Realizing my mistake, I added, “For Sofia. She’s great for Sofia.”
I was about to be grinded—and no one could withstand a third-degree from Sonia—when I heard my baby waking up.Thank God.
I hurried out of the kitchen, not without feeling my mother’s observant stare, and strode to Fee’s bedroom. I found her sitting up on her toddler bed, her hair sticking out in every direction, her pretty face creased from the pillow, and a drowsy look in her eyes. When she noticed my approach, her smile illuminated her precious face, and I knew it matched my own.
“Good morning, Princess.” I walked into her room and crumpled up on the side of her bed.
She crawled to me, sitting on my lap and leaning her head into my chest. “The sun is up?”
“He’s waking up right now, just like you.” I played with her soft bangs and relished those quiet moments with my baby girl.
“The moon went to sleep?” She cuddled even closer.
“She did. So, we should get up, eat, and play until the moon returns.” But none of us made any move to leave. Those sweet minutes with her charged me for the rest of the day. I was again grateful to my friends for helping me get custody of my baby.
My divorce and child custody procedures were already in motion when everything happened. After the explosion, I thought they wouldn’t be able to deal with yet another setback. It was wrong of me to assume that.
On the day of the hearing, Ben, Haley, Jackson, Rosie, and Aaron Scott—my former mentor at the DEA—were fundamental to my case. But my star witness was Mia. Even though she’d been released a few days earlier from the hospital, she made a point of showing up for me and Fee.
She arrived in a wheelchair, full of bruises, in a lot of pain, and drowning in grief. Even Andrea was surprised at seeing her there—surprised and afraid. Mia left nothing out. From Andrea’s affair with Matias, the member of a drug cartel—the affair Mia found out about—to how Matias, a drug dealer venturing into human trafficking and with access to my baby through my ex-wife, tried to kill Mia and Izzie mere days earlier.
