Emilia’s breath seized. Her chest squeezed, and her throat closed around a scream that refused to escape. The image on the screen burned into her mind—Daniel’s bear, the one he refused to sleep without, swinging from a stranger’s hand like a taunt.
Her little boy was gone.
Alexander’s grip steadied her, but his hands were iron bands, too strong, too steady, while her world collapsed. She shoved him away, stumbling back, her voice breaking.
“This is your fault! They wouldn’t have touched him if not for you!”
He flinched as though she’d struck him. His jaw flexed, but he didn’t argue. He simply lowered his gaze, and his shoulders drooped as he stared at his hands.
“You’re right,” he said, his voice raw. “Emilia, I will get Daniel back, I vow on my life.”
Her nails dug into her palms un
