Fitch had always been the kind of guy who could keep his cool, even Tyler had said so. It must be serious over there.n''s brow furrowed as he nced at Maja, still in bed, recovering.


    He couldn''t let her know what was happening; she''d just end up in tears again. Her body was still on the mend.


    He hastily set down the book he was reading, a dog-eared copy of a Rosemary Sanders novel, and bent to nt a kiss on Maja''s cheek. "There''s a bit of a situation at the office. I need to step out, but if you feel unwell, don''t hesitate to call me."


    "Is something wrong?"


    "Just a meeting, nothing major. I''ll be back before you know it."


    Maja nodded. The little boy snoozing beside her was named Craig, and the girl, Rosemary Sanders. In the end, one boren''s surname, while the other took on the Sanders family name.


    A weak smile curved her lips. Childbirth had taken a toll on her, but after a week of rest, she didn''t feel difort anywhere.


    For the past week,n had been on diaper duty and mixing form. When the babies fussed at night, as Maja stirred,n would gently press her back into bed. "Rest up. I''ll take the little ones next door to settle them down."


    Maja was indeed weary, drifting back to sleep before she knew it.


    A week of this routine had drawn dark circles undern''s eyes, yet he seemed to glow with a spirited light.


    She turned to gaze at the two sleeping children beside her and, filled with contentment, fell asleep too.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Downstairs,n revved the engine of his car to the max, heading for the address Tyler had sent. Fitch''s kid was in critical condition, with no guarantees of survival.


    The site of the ze was a disaster-a wildfire had consumed half the hillside. Firefighters were still battling the mes, preventing any ess by people or vehicles.


    Zoey''s safe house, where she was supposed to be resting, was a quaint bungalow nestled against the hills, staffed by Rachel''s people. Though Rachel had been demoted to go undercover, she had unexpectedly arranged everything perfectly for Zoey, secretly securing a safe spot away from prying eyes.


    How the child had been safely evacuated was a mystery. Gripping the steering wheel tightly,n arrived at the base of the hill and saw Tyler waiting, his face smeared with soot and urgency. "Fitch charged in there, and I couldn''t stop him."


    The area was swarming with fire engines, the ze drawing the attention of the entire town of Greenfield.


    Rubbing his forehead,n said, "We need more hands on deck."


    Tyler, too, was uncharacteristically panicked, thest time being the Phelps Herrington incident. He had watched Fitch rush into the mes, even getting shoved aside by him.


    Tyler couldn''t bear to recall the look


    in Fitch''s eyes, never having seen him so desperate. Attempting to light a cigarette but too shaken to manage, Tyler let his pack fall to the ground several times.


    Tyler plopped down, his clothes now


    filthy. "What''s with you guys, really? I thought he was over Zoey, after personally putting her behind bars. Now, hearing she''s in trouble, he''s ready to throw his life away. You guys are just..."


    He was at a loss for words. He used to relish watching these people''s drama, smart folks chasing each other over love, but now he was genuinely scared and regretful. They''d known each other for years. Phelps had vanished, and if


    él


    something happened to Fitch, what


    would be of his own life?


    Maja had called, wondering why he hadn''t returned. "Maja, looks like I''m stuck with overtime tonight. You go ahead and sleep. The kids just fed, so they should be good." "Alright, don''t overdo it."


    After hanging up,n followed the firefighters deeper into the fray. With the fire now under control, it wasn''t as dangerous.


    About eight hundred meters in, he heard a hoarse voice. "Zoey!"


    "Talk to me!"


    "Zoey, where are you..."