Chapter 1 - THE BABY WHO REFUSED TO DIE
The gun clicked behind Hunter's head.
"Put my son down."
Hunter froze.
Little Leo Rossi was still pressed against her chest.
His tiny mouth moved weakly against her breast.
Suck.
Swallow.
Breathe.
Suck.
Swallow.
Breathe.
Hunter could hear every fragile sound.
So could the man holding the gun.
Lorenzo Rossi stood in the nursery doorway wearing a bloodstained white shirt and black trousers.
He hadn't slept.
His dark eyes looked almost hollow.
But the pistol in his hand was perfectly steady.
"I said put him down."
Hunter's throat tightened.
"If I move him, he might stop."
Lorenzo's expression changed.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Hunter Vance."
"I don't know you."
"I'm one of the housekeepers."
His eyes dropped to her uniform.
Then to Leo.
Then to the open buttons at Hunter's chest.
Rage exploded across his face.
"A housekeeper is breastfeeding my son?"
"I heard him crying."
"So you walked into a restricted nursery and touched him?"
"The nanny was asleep."
Lorenzo looked toward the chair.
The night nanny had awakened.
Her face was white.
"Mr. Rossi, I—"
"Get out."
"Sir, please—"
"GET OUT!"
She ran.
Hunter flinched.
Leo didn't.
The baby kept drinking.
That was when Lorenzo heard it.
Swallow.
He stopped breathing.
Swallow.
His gun lowered slightly.
Hunter looked at him.
"He was hungry."
Lorenzo didn't answer.
"He was starving."
"I know."
The words came out broken.
Hunter looked at the man everyone in New York supposedly feared.
For one second, he didn't look dangerous.
He looked like a father watching his child die.
Then Leo's fingers curled around Hunter's uniform.
The heart monitor changed.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The rhythm strengthened.
Lorenzo stared at the screen.
"How long has he been feeding?"
"Three or four minutes."
"He hasn't done that in two weeks."
"I didn't know."
"Everything comes back up."
"This hasn't."
Lorenzo stepped closer.
Hunter immediately tightened her arms around Leo.
"Don't."
Lorenzo stopped.
Hunter surprised herself.
She had just ordered Lorenzo Rossi not to approach his own son.
Yet something in her face made him listen.
"He's calm."
She whispered.
"Let him finish."
Lorenzo stared at her.
"Why are you producing milk?"
The question stabbed straight through her.
Hunter looked down.
"That's none of your business."
"You're feeding my child."
"It still isn't."
"Do you have a baby?"
Hunter's eyes filled.
"No."
Lorenzo saw the answer before she gave it.
His voice changed.
"When?"
Hunter closed her eyes.
"Three weeks ago."
"What happened?"
"I lost her."
The nursery went silent.
Lorenzo lowered the gun completely.
"I'm sorry."
Hunter almost laughed.
"I hate that sentence."
"So do I."
She looked at him.
Something passed between them.
Recognition.
Not attraction.
Not trust.
Something sadder.
They were two strangers who understood the same language.
Loss.
"What was her name?"
Lorenzo asked.
Hunter hesitated.
"Lily."
His face went strangely still.
Hunter noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
But it wasn't nothing.
Before she could ask, footsteps rushed down the hallway.
Dr. Julian Halloran entered.
He stopped so suddenly another nurse nearly collided with him.
"What the hell?"
Hunter looked at him.
Halloran stared at Leo.
"Is he..."
"Yes."
Lorenzo answered.
"He's eating."
Halloran rushed forward.
Hunter turned slightly away.
"Don't disturb him."
The famous doctor actually stopped.
"How much has he taken?"
"I don't know."
"Has he vomited?"
"No."
"Coughed?"
"No."
"Choked?"
"No."
Halloran looked at the monitor.
Then at Lorenzo.
"His oxygen saturation is rising."
Nobody spoke.
Halloran checked Leo's pulse.
His expression changed.
"That's impossible."
Hunter looked down at the baby.
"No."
She whispered.
"It's happening."
Leo drank for another six minutes.
Then he released her.
His eyes opened.
Gray-blue.
Weak.
But alive.
Hunter looked into them.
And suddenly she was back in the hospital.
A pink blanket.
A silent room.
A nurse asking if she wanted more time.
Lily lying motionless against her chest.
Hunter's breath broke.
She handed Leo to Halloran.
"I have to go."
Lorenzo blocked the doorway.
"No."
Hunter looked up.
"Move."
"We need to test you."
"You can test whatever you want tomorrow."
"Tonight."
"I said tomorrow."
Lorenzo's eyes hardened.
"People don't tell me no in my house."
Hunter stepped closer.
"Then tonight can be your first time."
Halloran looked away, perhaps hiding a smile.
Lorenzo stared at her.
Hunter walked past him.
She had almost reached the staircase when Lorenzo called after her.
"Hunter."
She turned.
"If he needs you again..."
His voice softened.
"...will you come?"
This time, it wasn't an order.
Hunter looked toward the nursery.
She could still hear Leo breathing.
"I don't know."
Then she walked downstairs.
Lorenzo remained in the hallway.
Halloran appeared beside him.
"You know what's strange?"
Lorenzo didn't look at him.
"Everything about tonight is strange."
"No."
Halloran held Leo's latest bloodwork.
"This."
Lorenzo took it.
"What am I looking at?"
"His toxin levels."
Lorenzo looked up.
"What toxin?"
Halloran's face had gone pale.
"We didn't detect it before because we weren't looking for it."
Lorenzo's voice became dangerously quiet.
"Julian."
The doctor swallowed.
"Someone may have been poisoning your son."
Lorenzo stared at him.
Then his eyes slowly moved toward the staircase Hunter had just descended.
Downstairs, Hunter entered the servants' corridor.
She didn't see the man standing in the darkness behind her.
She didn't see him take out his phone.
And she didn't hear him whisper:
"She got the baby to eat."
A pause.
Then:
"Yes."
Another pause.
May you like
His eyes followed Hunter.
"I'll take care of her."
