hing, or s

, her chest barely breathing as she stared at the i

m

a stuffed bear in her nursery. On the back, scrawled

in a complete disarray, the curtains were drawn over, the drawers ripped out, papers s

nd she snatched it up, her heart pou

said quickly, sensing Lena's panic.

grip on the phone tightening. "

iedly tossed it into the pocket under her jacket. Her mind raced as she locked the apartment

s ready to

-

enched the steering wheel hard as her knuckles turned white. She ke

were quiet, alm

her arms. The girl's dark curls were tousled, her cheeks flushed from her nap. She blinked u

quealed, reach

olding her close. Emily smelled like baby shampoo and warmth,

nanny, her voice tight. "I'll

ression worried. "Is ever

e said, though she wasn'

om

o her baby ti

g against Lena's cheeks, as they walked t

g back Emily's messy cu

ter," she ha

haled s

ons

he was a

er didn't need

head and scooped her up

monitors. Lena lay in the bed, exhausted but unable to sleep. In her arm

nger over her daughter's tiny hand, marveling

, his tie loosened and his hair a mess. He had been in meet

started, his voi

e could see the baby. "Mee

a long moment, he didn't move, didn't speak. Then, slowly, he reached out and br

l," he said, hi

y'd met, there was no tension, no petty games, just the two of them, staring at the tiny life

id as he looked at her

ent on the outskirts of the city. She had used it before, back when she was still workin

little face scrunched up in protest. "No, M

top of her head. "We're just going to stay here f

her a stuffed bear. The toddler clutched it to her chest, her thum

and what was happening, too innocent to know the danger they were in. And that

came at m

lling through files on Adrian's accident. The phone

ted voice said. "Or the next photo we send

line wen

. She looked over at Emily, sleeping peacefully

cked the bullets again,

ian's mother and Belinda ha

h determination, as she carefully locked the doo

jà vu hit him hard. Somewhere, deep in his mind, a memory stirred, it was that wom

ssing her, and whisp

uld grasp it, it

he feel such anger when he thought of her? But the sight of he

o

n his mind again, this time with a child, a little

snapped

ily

nowhere, but it fel

was

hought of her mak

nurse bustled around him, injecting