“What?” Rina asked.

“Nothing.” Donatti took in a deep breath and let it out. “Nothing at all. Look, I’ve got to get back to Nevada. She disappeared over there, not here. I’ve got to figure this out, and I can’t do it while babysitting her kids. I can’t get a hold of Gabe and I can’t leave them alone at my place for obvious reasons.”

Again, he looked upward.

“I’m really sorry to do this to you two—again—but can you look after them until I can get some answers? I can’t search for her and be responsible for them at the same time.”

Decker and Rina stared at him.

He said, “I swear it’s only until I can figure out what’s going on. They have a father. Devek will come for them, but I don’t want to call him until I find out what happened to my wife. It’s only for a few days. Maybe a week at the most. Please!”

Rina said, “Of course.”

Decker said, “Excuse me?”

“Decker, I swear I’ll take them off your hands. Just give me a week. This isn’t a repeat of my son.”

Rina turned to her husband. “He was there when we needed him.”

“Yeah, because he owed us big time.”

“Please!” Donatti said. “I’m desperate.”

Rina said, “Peter, go back with him. It looks like he can use some help.”

“I don’t need help,” Donatti said.

“Yes, you do, Chris.”

Decker said, “Rina, I’m not leaving you alone with Terry’s children.”

“I think after all my family rearing, I can take care of them for a couple of weeks.”

“It’s not that,” Decker told her. “What if Terry was kidnapped and someone is coming back for the children to extort more money? There is no way I’m going to leave you alone with a target on their backs.”

“Then both of you stay here,” Donatti said. “I don’t need help.”

“Why don’t you both go with him and I’ll watch the kids?” The three of them turned to the source of the voice. Cindy shrugged. “I’ve got children and the house has plenty of room.”

Decker explained, “This is my daughter.”

Donatti said, “I figured that out in a glance.”

Decker said, “Cindy, I’m not involving you in his problem.”