“They took the baby early and hid him in the clinic. They’re handing him to a buyer in the morning.”

The floor seemed to drop out of the world. His wife beaten into a coma for refusing to sign, and his newborn son taken and hidden to be sold. That night, before the sun could rise again, Hayden went to the Rosales ranch — not knowing whether he’d find a living child or the worst thing Abraham had ever done.

Chapter 6 — The Ranch

The ranch spread over hundreds of acres near Brainerd, ringed by stone walls, cameras, and iron gates. Hayden knew the layout — he’d been here twice since marrying Sabrina.

Once at a tense holiday dinner while her mother was still alive and trying to hold the family together. Once after the funeral, when Abraham cornered him in the study.

My daughter could have married a man of our standing instead of a penniless captain. Sabrina had squeezed Hayden’s hand under the table and looked her father in the eye.

That’s exactly why I married him. Remembering it steadied him now.