zziness washed over her, a cruel reminder of her body's recent trauma. S

n the bottom drawer. Tucked beneath a stack of old stationery was a small, worn leather pouch. Inside was a fake pass

shed the silk dress Damien had forced her to wear for the meeting and pulled on a pair of black jeans, a plain gray hoodie, and a dar

service corridor, her sneakers silent on the concrete floor. The service elevator smelled

a false name months ago, was parked in a dark corner. It was an ugly, anonymous vehicl

into the sleeping streets of New York City. The city that had been her prison no

it, heading for the private maternity hospital on

, and she pulled the brim of her cap down low, burying her face in the collar of her hoodie. Sh

r in a luxury suite, and had used the lonely nights to plan. She bypassed the brightly lit main entra

r legs burning with the effort. She reached the fourth floor, the location of the Neonatal In

ve for a nurse, Maria Sullivan, who was walking away from her,

r inside was warm and smelled sharply of antiseptic. The only light came from the

ators in the far corner of the room,

eely, hot tracks on her cold skin. She pressed her forehead

ly. His breathing was even, his cheeks

ed. Wires and tubes snaked from his frail body, connecting him to t

as cold, an unbreachable wall between them. A sob tor

he run-it was a death sentence for a child who needed constant medi

s squeaking in the hallway jo

ous, impossible choice, a choice n

again, the pain a necessary anchor. S

d as she unlatched the side panel and reached in. Cody's skin was warm, his body a solid, living

, a tiny, piercing cry came

. Leo was awake, his impossibly small fists flailing, his mouth open

considered putting Cody back.

ps in the hall

d over Leo's incubator, pressing her l

e whispered, the words a sacre

ned her back

ther side of the room. She ran down the stairs, her lungs screaming, her legs th

he'd installed in the back seat. Her hands were shaking s

a deafening alarm began to shriek from the hospital, its

s. The old Chevrolet shot

r, the glittering skyline of Manhattan rece