Holden. Delores Fossen

forehead. “I’d just figured out where he was when that thug showed up at my house. And then you showed up.”

      With everything else going on, Nicky had forgotten about the reason Holden had come. To warn her that she was on the verge of being arrested. “Is the FBI really involved in this?” she asked.

      He nodded. “Senator Minton’s family hired a team of PIs to help find him. I didn’t know what they found, but I got word that the FBI was looking at you as a person of interest.”

      Oh, mercy. She didn’t need this now. “They think I had something to do with his disappearance?”

      “I’m not sure. They’re keeping what they have close to the vest, but now that I know what went on, I can probably stop them from taking you into custody.”

      “I can’t go with them.” She got to her feet so she could look him straight in the eyes. “Whoever hired those kidnappers had plenty of money. No doubt resources, too, to pull off a scheme like the one at Conceptions. He or she could also have a dirty cop or two on the payroll.”

      Holden didn’t argue with that. Something that didn’t help steady her nerves one bit. Even though she’d been the one to point out that particular possible danger, she’d hoped that Holden could have assured her that it wasn’t likely. No way could he do that, though.

      “There’s one more thing,” she said. “The surrogate.” Nicky had to take a deep breath before she continued. “There are no surrogate names in the files, but I saw something, well, disturbing in our nephew’s folder.”

      That got Holden’s attention. He stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

      “There were two notes entered on the day the surrogate delivered him. One was the location where the baby was being taken. The other was...contract terminated.” Even though it’d been hours since Nicky had first seen those two words, it still gave her a jolt. “Do you think they killed her?”

      Holden opened his mouth, closed it and then scrubbed his hand over his face. “Yeah.”

      There it was again, another jolt. Of course, Nicky had already considered it, especially after what’d gone on at the inn, but she’d held out hope. Hope that was quickly fading because the surrogate would have been a loose end. No way would the person behind this want her around so she could tell anyone about the baby she’d delivered.

      Holden took out his phone again and fired off a text. “Since Grayson and the deputies are tied up here,” he told Nicky, “I’ll have someone in the marshals’ office check and see if there have been any reports of a dead or missing woman who recently gave birth.”

      Nicky nodded, and even though she dreaded hearing that a woman could be dead, a woman who’d given birth to their precious nephew, they had to find out the truth. And not just about the surrogate, either.

      “How will we handle the investigation into Conceptions?” she asked.

      “There is no we in this. You aren’t handling anything,” he snapped, but he quickly reined in his temper.

      “How are you handling it, then?” Nicky amended.

      He took a deep breath first. “The other lawmen and I will have to go at it head-on. After everything that just happened, they know we’re onto them so there’s no need to back off. Gage is already contacting San Antonio PD and the FBI.”

      That meant soon Conceptions Clinic would be swarming with cops and agents. Maybe there’d be something to find, including those other babies that were out there somewhere.

      She heard the footsteps in the hall, and Nicky’s heart went into overdrive again, her body preparing for another threat. But it was only Landon.

      “We have visitors,” Landon said, not sounding too pleased about that. “The doctor’s here to check the baby.” Then, his attention went to Nicky. “And your father just arrived.”

      Nicky’s stomach went to her knees. No. Not this. Not now. She was still reeling from the attack, but she also knew she had to confront him, to try to get those answers they so desperately needed.

      “Why is he here?” Nicky asked. “Why did he come?” She knew it wasn’t because he was worried about her, and there hadn’t been time for too many people to have heard news about the attack.

      Landon’s gaze dropped to the baby, but he didn’t have to verbally answer. That’s because Nicky heard her father’s voice booming through the squad room.

      “Nicky, I know you’re here,” her father shouted. “I want you to bring me my grandson now!”