"These records aren't our son's?" Julian asked. "What are you talking about, Eve?"

"These records note that our son had a serious birth defect, but that's impossible," Eve said, hope rising in her voice. "If he had been born with this condition, he would have been missing parts of his brain and his skull."

Behind Eve, Sheridan gasped and slipped into Luis's arms.

Tears forming in the corners of her eyes, Eve looked up at Sheridan. "I know that's terrifying, Sheridan, but this condition is very rare. It also would have shown up on an ultrasound by this point in your pregnancy—your doctor would have told you if anything was wrong."

Julian looked at his sister and then turned to Eve. "I . . . I hate to ask this, but how do you know the doctor didn't miss anything?"

Eve's eyes remained fixed on Sheridan. "These types of defects are pretty hard to miss."

Eve turned to Julian. "I also was able to hold our son for a few brief seconds after he was born, Julian—I know he didn't have a birth defect."

"Well, if he didn't die, then what happened to him?" Julian's eyes began to twitch.

Luis took the results from Eve and examined them. "That's the million-dollar question."


Sheridan clutched her belly and squeezed Luis's hand as they made their way up Route 95.

Luis looked at his wife. "I know today was terrifying, but everything's going to be okay, Sheridan. You heard what Eve said: Our daughter has already been tested for that birth defect. As for your father, I won't let him get near her—I won't let anything happen to her, Sher."

"But just look at the trouble he went to in order to make Eve think her son died," Sheridan insisted, her eyes swimming with tears. "He even cooked up a backup plan in case she asked the hospital for details—he thought of everything."

"Maybe," Luis conceded. "But things are going to be different for us, Sheridan. We're already armed with the knowledge of what your father's capable of—we know we have to protect ourselves."

"How are we going to do that, Luis?" Sheridan curled her fingers more tightly around her abdomen. "Hire guards to stand outside of my hospital room twenty-four hours a day?"

"If we think that's necessary, then, yes, we'll do that," Luis said. "There's nothing I won't do for you and our little girl."

Sheridan smiled sadly at him. "Do you really think Hal Freeman is going to be able to help Julian and Eve locate their son?"

"That's why I suggested it," Luis reassured her. "If anyone can handle this discreetly, it's Hal."

"You're probably right about that," Sheridan agreed. "I just hope he can do it quickly. I could tell from the way Julian's eyes were twitching during that entire conversation that the idea of involving even more people in this was making him very nervous."

"Yeah—I noticed that," Luis said. "I can't say I blame him. Even though your father is who knows where right now, we all know he's capable of anything."

"What if he finds out that Julian and Eve are looking for their son, Luis?" Sheridan whispered.

Luis cupped one hand over her belly and swallowed the lump lodged in his throat. "We are just going to have to pray that that doesn't happen, Sheridan."


Eve stared out the car's passenger window, watching the cars on Route 95 whiz by.

Her son was out there somewhere.

Her son was really alive.

Her son had probably spent his entire life thinking she'd abandoned him.

Her son had probably grown up feeling unloved.

If only she had kept him with her. If only she had kept him safe. If only she had been able to raise him and love him.

If only she knew he was safe.

"Eve, what did you think of Luis's suggestion?" Julian asked.

Eve's eyes snapped to Julian's. "I'm sorry—what did you say?"

"I just wanted to know what you thought about involving Hal Freeman," Julian said.

"I . . . I don't know," Eve stammered, her heart pounding. "It seems like your father has spies everywhere. I mean, I know we can trust Hal to keep this quiet . . ."

Julian let out an involuntary laugh. "You can say that again. He even managed to pull one over on my father when he faked Sheridan's death—he may be the perfect man for this job."

"What if we are putting our son in danger just by looking for him, though?" Eve fretted.

"What if we're putting him in danger by not looking for him?" Julian countered. His face dropping, his eyes began to twitch. "For all we know, my father is still keeping tabs on him, Eve."