Chapter 1



"Where goin', Mommy?" Amie asked. The two-year-old followed at Renee's heels as she took a suitcase out to the car.

"We're going to see you grandpa."

A look of confusion crossed the little girl's face. "But ganpa here."

Renee picked up her daughter and carried her back to the house. "That's your great-grandpa, your dad's grandpa. We're going to see my dad." She set Amie on the floor while she gathered up some of the twins' toys and their fold-up crib.

Gabriel walked into the room, picking up his daughter and swinging her to his shoulders. "We ready to go?"

Renee shook her head. "Almost. We just have to wait for Dakota and Jason to get here."

"I'm glad they said Meghan could ride with them so there's enough room for everyone."

Renee turned toward the window when she heard a car pulling into the driveway. She opened the door for her friend. "Need any help loading things into the car?" Dakota asked.

Renee shook her head. "We just about have everything. Just need to find Meghan." She called upstairs for her niece, and soon the young girl came running down the stairs, a book in hand.

While Gabriel loaded the remaining items into the trunk, Renee went out with Dakota to see her son.

"Hey, J.J.," she greeted the baby boy. He made cooing noises at her.

Renee looked at Meghan and said, "We'll see you when we stop to get dinner tonight."

She nodded then opened her book and started reading. Renee smiled to herself then turned to Dakota.

"You do have the twins in the car, right?" Dakota asked.

Renee slapped her forehead. "Dang it, knew I forgot something," she said, rolling her eyes. "Of course they're in there."

Dakota grinned at her friend. "Just making sure."

"See you in a couple hours."

When Renee slid into the car, Gabriel glanced at her then started the car. They pulled out of the driveway and led the way out of town.

*******

"Got another case." Sara looked up as Danny walked through the door.

"What is it this time?" She asked.

"Girl dead. Shot twice. Once through the stomach and once through the heart."

Sara looked at her partner's face. "What aren't you telling me?"

Danny hesitated before continuing. "Her feet were burnt, her hair singed, and-" He hesitated again.

"What is it, Danny?"

"Her eyes and tongue were removed."

Sara thought she was gonna be sick. She swallowed back the feeling and stood up from her desk. "We might as well get this over with."

*******

"Amie, you need to finish your food."

"No," she said, throwing her spoon to the table.

"Amie, you don't throw things," Renee reprimanded her daughter as she stood up from the table. Using the toddler's bib, she cleaned the food off of her face and fingers.

Gabriel left a tip for the waiter, then they made their way out of the restaurant. He held Amie's hand as they walked out to the car. Renee put the twins in their car seats before climbing into the front. She closed her eyes, trying to relax.

"You okay?" Gabriel's voice floated through to her. She just nodded her head. "Nervous?" Another nod. "It'll be fine." His reached over and squeezed hers. "I'll be right there with you. I promise I won't leave you to face him alone."

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "I know, Gabe."

*******

Sara could barely stand to look at the body. She turned away before she could get sick. "Have we found anything?" She asked Danny.

He shook his head sadly. "Nothing. Whoever did this didn't leave any clues."

"We have to find him, Danny."

"We will, Pez. We will. Maybe we should go back to the precinct for now."

She nodded and walked to the car with him. When they arrived back at the office, they started working through all the piled-up paperwork. Two hours later Sara let out a tired sigh. Danny looked up at her. "Why don't you take off, Pez? I can finish up here. Get some rest, and we'll continue trudging through this in the morning."

"Thanks, Danny," she said, grabbing her jacket from the back of the chair.

She was almost to her apartment when something urged her to keep going. She stopped in front of the mansion and walked up to the gate. Holding the stone of the bracelet up to the monitor, she waited for the gate to open. When it did, she made her way up to the large double doors. Just as Sara knocked on the door, a large dog came running around the corner of the house. "Aldrik," Ian commanded as he followed him. "Come here." The rottweiler loped back to him and sat in front of him. Ian dug a treat out of his pocket and handed it to the dog.

When the dog trotted back to the house, Sara said, "I need your help, Ian."

"We will go inside." Once they were seated in the library, she asked, "What do you need my help with?"

"This case." She spent the next fifteen minutes explaining the case to him.

When she finished, he shook his head. "I do not know if I am able to help you." At her look of disappointment, he added, "But I will try."

As Sara stood to leave, Darvi walked into the room with their two-month-old daughter. Ian Took his daughter from his wife. "My Corina," he murmured. Her hair was black and her eyes brown.

"I need to be going," Sara said. "Bye, Darvi. Ian, thanks." She walked out of the house, got on her bike, and returned to her apartment.

*******

Gabriel woke Renee, and she looked around to see where they were. "I think we're almost there. You'll need to tell me the rest of the way though."

"Take the road to the left. It's the third driveway of the left side of the road."

He found it and drove up the long, steep, winding driveway. When they stopped, a man stepped out onto the porch. Renee got the twins out of the car while Gabriel helped Amie out of her carseat. Jason pulled up beside them, and Dakota got her son out of the car. Meghan climbed out of the back seat, her book still open. They walked up to the porch.

"Hey, Uncle Mike," Dakota said, putting an arm around him. Even though he wasn't really her uncle, she had grown up calling him that.

"Who's this?" He asked, looking down at the baby carrier.

"Josiah John. We call him J.J."

Michael Mackenzie looked at his daughter. "And my grandchildren, what are their names?"

"This is Amie," Gabriel introduced the two-year-old who was hiding behind him. "And the twins are Aidan and Allanah."

"Well, come inside. It's cold out here."

Gabriel and Jason went down to the cars to get their things while Renee and Dakota took the kids inside. "Where'd they get the red hair?" Her father asked about the twins.

"Probably Gabriel's mother." She shrugged. "Remember Erin?"

"Would I forget about my own daughter?"

Renee bit back a sarcastic retort. "She had red hair. Neither you or mom did."

Gabriel walked through the door and put the last of their things on the floor. He came up behind Renee and wrapped his arms around her. Michael glared at him then said, "Your rooms are ready and so is dinner."

"We already ate, Dad."

"Fine. I'll show you to your rooms then."

"I know the way. Come on, Amie. Let's go upstairs." The little girl scampered up the steps in front of her mother. After Gabriel set up the twins' crib, he sat on the bed beside Renee. "You're not giving your dad much of a chance."

"Do you really think he deserves a chance?"

"Maybe not. But that is why we came here."

"Didn't you see the look he gave you? He hates you and has no reason to."

"To him, I stole away his little girl. In his mind, he probably has every reason to hate me."

"But you didn't steal me away. He never had me. He would like anyone Erin married. I was always the fool hearted one, the dreamer. She was always the smart one in everything."

"Renee, look at me," Gabriel said, reaching out to touch her chin. "You are the most wonderful person. A loyal friend, a great mother to our children, an extremely talented writer, and the only woman I could ever see myself with. It doesn't matter what your dad always thought you were like. I know who you really are."

He leaned down to kiss her just as a knock came on the door. When they looked up, Dakota was standing there. "Didn't mean to interrupt you. Just wanted to see if you were ready to go back down yet."

Renee shook her head. "Need to put the twins down, then we will be."

She took Allanah out of the baby carrier, changed her into pajamas, and laid her in the crib while Gabriel did the same with Aidan. Then, Gabriel picked up Amie and they walked back downstairs.

Once they were seated in the living room, Michael asked, "Renee, why did you stop calling me?"

She was astonished by this question. "What do you mean? I called you when I was pregnant with Amie. I called you when I got married. What kept you from picking up the phone. In fact, what kept you from it for the last fifteen years?"

"I was always busy."

"And you don't think I am? I do have a job, you know, Dad. Just because it's not what you think of as a 'real job' doesn't mean it isn't one. I have a family to take care of. Something you never did."

"I worked hard for you."

"No, you didn't. You worked hard for yourself. So you didn't have to be around us or mom."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is." She stood and took Amie from Gabriel. "I'm going to put my daughter to bed."

She laid Amie down in the middle of the bed in their room and pulled the covers up to the top of her chest. Tears were steaming down her face. "Mommy, why cry?" Amie asked, upset because her mom was.

Renee ran her fingers through her daughter's hair. "It's nothing, baby. Go to sleep." After the small girl closed her eyes, she whispered, "I hope you never do understand."