LOGINI went home and cleaned myself up. My new light gray Tom Ford looked sharp, but putting it on didn’t make me feel better. If anything, I felt more defeated than ever. I needed to clear my head, so I went to see Bernard. As soon as I walked into his apartment some of the burden lifted off my shoulders. This was how I usually felt when I was there, actually. I’d asked him who decorated his place, but he said he did it himself. He met me at the door with a drink in his hand. “Hey.” He raised his glass. “Want some? Four Roses Limited Edition.”I gazed longingly at the golden liquid, but even a whiff of the aroma made my stomach roil. “No, that’s okay,” I said. He raised his eyebrows. “You want a soda?” I must have turned green, because his next offer was, “Dry crust of bread?”I shook my head. “Well, come on in.” He waved me into his living room. “What’s up? You look like shit, by the way. I thought you’d be resting after all that brouhaha.”I skulked in after him and threw myself o
“Oh, little brother, you never change,” Laura said. She wiped tears of mirth out of her eyes. “Hey!” I poured myself another drink. “I have changed! A lot!” “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.” She sighed. “You need some solid food, and I’m hungry. I can’t believe I’m making you a sandwich.” She left the room and came back with a tray. “Eat something.” She stared at me until I picked up a sandwich and put it into my mouth. It actually wasn’t bad. “I feel bad because I can’t mock you as severely as you deserve.” She ate a sandwich in a few quick bites and dusted the crumbs off her hands. “But, baby bro, your timing sucks! Look at it from her point of view. You spend seven years treating her like a burden, and kick her to the curb the instant Savannah comes back. Then, after a literal hostage crisis where she witnesses a horrible tragedy, you walk up to her and go, ‘Hey, let’s get married again!’ You expected her to swoon into your arms?”She started to cackle again. “You did, didn’
“Why did I pick you?” I repeated the question to give myself the chance to think. What did she want me to say? I pulled in front of her house and parked. I decided to go with the truth. “Because I love you and couldn’t bear it if anything bad happened to you.” I remembered the moment when I got that phone call. The kidnapper’s pixelated face and deep, altered voice telling me I had to pick one of them. I’d gone cold all over, but I’d known my choice instantly. Claire was watching me, her eyes thoughtful. I did my best to put my feelings into words. “To start with… Savannah’s tough. Let’s be honest. Savannah’s a selfish bitch. I thought she’d be fine for a day or so while I got the ransom together. Even if she was pregnant with my baby.”“Yes, about that—” Claire said. “I never thought she’d have a miscarriage!” I said indignantly. “The pregnancy was healthy! It should have been—”“Derek! Listen to me—”“No! You listen to me! I loved that baby, even if I didn’t love Savannah anymo
I peered around the door into Savannah’s hospital room. She looked so tiny lying there, so sweet and vulnerable. I knew better than that. Now. She was sleeping quietly, her skin only a few shades darker than the white sheets. The doctor said it had been a near thing. She’d lost the baby, but with rest and proper nutrition she’d be all right. At least physically. It would be psychologically devastating for her, of course. I’d been in to see her earlier, but she told me to get out. She must have been delirious. My gut tightened as I thought about my son. He was gone. Dead. The boy I’d sworn to protect, even as my relationship with Savannah deteriorated. The one who would carry the family name and legacy. I thought about him growing up by my side. My own little mini-me. I’d teach him how to dress. How to find all the best restaurants in town. When he got older, I’d teach to run a multinational corporation and play the stock market. My eyes ached from holding back tears. I heard foo
When I woke up I knew he was gone. My baby. My hand moved to cradle my belly, the way I’d been doing for months now. But it was an empty gesture.“Hey,” Claire was sitting quietly beside my bed. “Want some water?” She held up a sippy cup. “Not thirsty,” I muttered. I closed my eyes, hoping she’d take the hint.“Okay.” There was a small thunk as she set the cup down. “You needed four units of blood, but they said you should be all right now. Just rest. Eat lots of liver.” I opened one eye. She was smiling. It was a sad smile, but it was there. “Hate liver,” I said. “Everybody hates liver,” she replied. “But if you cook it right it’s not that bad. I’ll make you some bacon-wrapped chicken livers. You’ll hardly know you’re eating it.” “What are you doing here anyway?” I snapped. “Hanging around bothering me, babbling about liver.” I wanted to turn over, turn my back on her, but I couldn’t even do that. I was too exhausted and hooked up to too many tubes and wires.“You saved me,” s
Warning: The following chapter contains a depiction of physical harm to a pregnant character and threatened pregnancy loss, which may be distressing for some readers. Please go right to the next chapter if this topic can upset you.“Oh no. No no no,” I moaned. I scrambled for the phone, my bound hands clumsy and shaking. I grabbed it and pawed at it. My fingers were slick with something wet and I frantically dried them on my shirt.No signal. “Savannah, look at me! Stay awake!”Her eyes were rolled back, showing only the whites, and she was shivering violently. “Hurts,” she whimpered, her voice barely audible.I swiped at the screen, searching for the emergency call button. I didn’t have the passcode, but 911 should still work. I pressed it and held the phone to my ear, praying for a connection.“Nine one one, what’s your emergency?” The dispatcher’s practiced calm seemed out of place in that stinking room. “We’ve been kidnapped!” I wailed. “My sister—she’s pregnant. She’s losing t
“And don’t think you’re off the hook,” I said. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew Ryan? You lied to me!” “I know,” he replied. “I’m sorry. I’d just started working with him, investigating Jessica’s death. I didn’t want to be all, ‘Yeah, I know him. He’s the guy who’s illegally obtaining police repor
I closed my eyes and stabbed at the keyboard. This was something I had grown to dread over the past few weeks. Every day had become a battlefield as I forced myself to go against my natural inclinations.I took a deep breath and opened one eye, praying it wouldn’t be too bad this morning. It was.
“Mister Arden.” Detective Lowinsky looked tired and depressed as usual. I’d expected him to look happier. After all, he’d caught the bad guy. “Please, call me Derek,” I said. “So did he tell you who hired him?”“Unfortunately not.” He beckoned me to follow and led me down a hallway. “You know,
I leaned against the wall, legs trembling with nervous reaction. Tonight was supposed to be my triumph. And indeed things were going well. Unfortunately, that had upset both my sister and my ex-husband, and they’d felt the need to make their feelings my problem. Now I was stressed out and exhausted







