I’ve been able to talk to my dad and Hazel over video calls. Santiago finally relented and gave me a cell phone. He has increased security at Hazel’s house as well. Seeing my nephew is still strange especially never having met him in person. But it’s not just that. It’s that I don’t know this person. I don’t know the first five years of his life and never will.

But Hazel seems all right. Not quite happy, but not unhappy either. I think once this is all said and done, she may come back home. Now that I am married to Santiago, now that we are family, I am sure he can help where IVI is concerned. In the past, I’ve heard of people returning. There’s usually some penance to be done, some payment in skin, but surely Santiago’s status will help her.

I’ve spoken with Colette over the phone, too. I know she’s still shaken up even though she tries to put a good face on it. What happened scared her. Just the thought of it terrifies me. And the fact that Abel was somehow involved makes me feel sick.

It’s the middle of the night when I knock on Santiago’s office door before opening it a little to poke my head inside. I heard him get home about fifteen minutes ago.

“Ivy,” he starts, not expecting me. He’s just taken off his jacket and tossed it over the back of a chair, and is undoing his tie. “Is everything all right?” I see and hear the anxiety that creeps into his voice.

“It’s fine. Everything is fine.”

I close the door behind me and walk toward him as he nods. Rolling his shirtsleeves up, he exposes strong, tattooed forearms that send a shiver through me. When I look up at him, I find him watching me, eyes moving over me to stop on my protruding belly. It’s popped straight out almost like I shoved a small basketball under my shirt.

“You’re so late,” I say.

“I needed to get some things sorted.”

“What things?”

“Work,” he says almost absently.

“This time of night?”

“I always work at night, Ivy. You know that. And now, with all that’s going on, well, I don’t sleep much anyway.”

He wraps one arm around my waist and sets his other hand over the bump before kissing my cheek. He then pulls me in for a hug, and there’s something strange about it. Something distant.

“Why are you still up?” he asks.

“I was worried about you.”

“I can more than take care of myself.”

“Did they find the men who took Colette and Ben?”

“What? Oh, no, not yet. I don’t want you worrying about them. I’m not going to let them hurt you.”

“I know. I just thought maybe you found something out.”