surgical lamp as it lowered toward the b

tes and suction tubes lined up on the stainless-steel tray.

and maternal instinct de

er birth parents were gone. The Brewer family had never been hers, not really. This child, this tiny impossible thing she hadn't asked

eir eyes. Of Devin's hand across her face when she was twelve and dropped a teacup. Of sleeping in the smallest room, of paying for her own school supplies, of hea

hey could trot out for the cameras. And now they wanted to

slowly and sat up straigh

t steady. "I'm not doing this. I'm not signin

yringe still in hand, and glan

y has already signed the

ing the hospital gown closed with one hand. "I'm refusing the procedure. That's my legal right, and i

t the syringe down on the tray and

rm yourself. And you'll need to leave the cli

he form,"

only slightly, then walked out of t

ridor, pacing. He rushed to h

happened? A

have to go back to the house. They'll send s

en nodded and pulled off his jacket

go back t

state in the Hamptons. Danika walked through the fro

rcelain teacup halfway to her mouth, while Alejandra l

cer, spilling English Breakfast te

done?" Devin's sharp eyes dropped

ka said, her voice steady. "And

ged across the rug and swung he

caught Devin's wrist mid-air,

and see what ha

against the sofa arm

rs! Are you trying to drag th

ed to her mother's side, and rubb

own eyes toward Danika. "Dani, since you insist on keeping this fatherless baby,

k toward Devin, her voi

don't we send Dani somewhere far away to hav

er eyes, conside

have acquaintances in ev

hed the corners o

or deep in the Swiss Alps? Nobody goes up th

ouse in the middle of the European mo

it up with cru

t like trash, you can rot in Europe a

fate across the room, the fear in Danika's

eavily of cigar smoke. Danika stood in front of the massive mahoga

, drumming his thick fingers agains

last time. Who is the bas