“Shush. Stand there and flex those dad muscles.” She laughs as she holds her phone out, framing the photo the way she wants. “Damn, you’re one fine looking man,” she mutters.

I never get tired of her saying that.

“Turn toward me a little,” she calls out.

I press my forehead against Chance’s hair. “You had to pick now to be all cute, didn’t you?” He drools on my shirt in answer.

“Perfect!” Lilly says. “One more.”

She uses the flash this time, nearly blinding me in the process.

Gravel crunches and engines roar into the parking lot. Again, I’m blinded, but this time by headlights.

Shielding my eyes and turning Chance away from the glare, I scowl at the intruders. “Who the fuck is that?” I growl.

Lilly’s relaxed, happy smile fades as she studies the cars. “Z?” Her feet move faster over the gravel. “What’s going on?”

I recognize the officer who steps out of the first car. One of the two who stopped by to hassle us after Malone’s burned down. “What can I do for you?” I call out, hoping this is nothing more than another annoying social call.

Something about their demeanor and the fact that two cars showed up sends dread spiraling into my gut.

“Angus Frazier?”

Fuck me.

“What’s going on?” Murphy calls from the front door. As soon as he realizes it’s the cops, he joins me. “What the fuck are they doing here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Sir, this doesn’t concern you, go back inside,” the first officer orders.

Not likely. Murphy crosses his arms over his chest and widens his stance, making it clear he’s not leaving.

Three other officers step out. All of them with their hands too close to their weapons for my taste. I curl my body around Chance and shift him away from the officers.

“Miss are you the child’s mother?” the officer asks.

Lilly glares at him defiantly. “What’s going on?” She doesn’t bother answering the question.

“Miss, I need you to take the child and step away.”

Lilly’s visibly trembling when she turns back to me, her scared eyes asking what she should do.

I have to get them out of here.

“Here, take him.” I hand Chance over. “I’ll handle this.”

As soon as Lilly steps away, three of the officers swarm on me. “Get down! Get on the fucking ground!”

When I don’t go down fast enough, one of them kicks the back of my right knee, sending me to the ground.

“What the fuck?” My jeans don’t do much to stop the gravel from digging into my knees.

“Down! Down on the ground!”

The commotion wakes Chance and it only takes him a few seconds to start screaming. “Daddy! No!”

Fuck, this isn’t what I ever wanted for my son.

Or Lilly.