Page 26 of His Daughter

"Really, Nolan?" I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. "Did Julian put you up to this? Because the delivery is a little flat for his taste, but the material is — "

"You should know this is serious because I'm the one here."

The laugh died. Nolan didn't joke. Nolan didn't deliver news he wasn't certain about.

I sat up. The chair creaked. "I only have one reproductive organ, Nolan. Last I checked, that's not enough to produce a child on my own."

"You weren't on your own a year ago."

The room went cold. My hands found the edge of the desk and gripped. "Are you talking about Kira?"

He nodded.

“That's not… I was careful. We were…she said she was on the pill.” I shook my head. “It's not possible."

But even as I said it, and Nolan’s face remained frozen, I knew deep in my bones that he was telling the truth.

Was that why she walked away? No. That didn’t make sense. It would have prompted her to stay instead. Unless she found me so terrible that the thought of me as a father was repulsive.

I looked up. "Are you sure she's mine?"

Nolan nodded again. The gesture was beginning to annoy me. "Kira hasn't been seen with anyone since you."

Well, damn. I am a father. Me? The universe found a way to convince me to commit to something after all. She didn’t send a woman; she sent a child. How wonderful was that?

I rushed to my feet. "Graham!"

Nolan didn't move. He watched me cross the office and pull the door open.

"Graham!" My voice carried across the floor. Heads turned. I didn't care. Graham appeared from somewhere to the left, glasses glinting, already reading my face. "My office. Now!"

He followed me in. I closed the door. Nolan was still in the chair. Graham stood near the window, hands behind his back.

I paced behind my desk. "I need you to find Kira Solis. Word is, she had my child. I need you to find her."

Graham blinked ever so slightly. Then his face went back to the stony expression I knew best. “I’ll get to that immediately.” He turned to leave.

“Graham.” He stopped and turned. "Did she ever come looking for me?"

Graham’s eyes lowered for a beat. Then he met my gaze again. "No."

“Are you sure? Maybe you missed her. We can check the CCTV footage. See if she turned up,” Nolan said.

I waved it off. “That’s not necessary. She wouldn’t have come. I didn’t respond to any of her texts or calls.” Then to Graham: "Find her. Do anything you have to, but make sure you find her."

He nodded. "I'll make some calls." He turned and left.

“How did you find out about this?” I asked Nolan as soon as we were alone again.

“One of my people mentioned they saw her leaving the hospital with a baby about three months ago. I did some digging around and didn’t want to come to you until I had solid facts. Look…I know you trust Graham, but he’s one man. Reach out to Voss. He’s your best bet.”

My finger was already scrolling through my contacts to find the private investigator’s number. I dialed immediately.

"Mr. Hale, what can I do for you?"

"I need you to find someone. A woman. Kira Solis." I gave him everything — her full name, last known address, former employer, the timeline.

"Understood. I'll start with the address and employment records and work outward from there. Give me seventy-two hours."