Natalie couldn’t stop staring at the photograph. Her hand shook, and Ethan stirred in his sleep beside her. The little boy mumbled, “Mommy… scary?”
“Shh, baby,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead. But even as she tried to calm him, her mind raced. Who was the child in the picture? Why had someone sent it to Adrian?
Adrian’s storm-gray eyes were fixed on the photo, unreadable. His hand gripped hers tighter than necessary, a silent warning.
“Do you know this child?” Natalie asked, voice trembling.
He shook his head slowly. “No. But whoever sent this… they want something. And it’s not just information. It’s leverage.”
Her stomach churned. “Leverage against… us?”
“Yes.” His tone was low, dark. “Against me, against you, against him.” He jerked a thumb toward Ethan. “They want
