Chapter 103

ONE HUNDRED THREE

Loretta's stomach lurched. She'd run to the restroom to catch her breath. But as she looked into the mirror, she barely recognized the pale face staring back.

You were supposed to protect your daughter. But you failed .

She doubled over, clutching her stomach then ran into the stall and threw up. Grabbing toilet paper, she swiped at her mouth then stepped from the stall to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. Still, tortured thoughts bombarded her as she returned to the waiting room where Michael was pacing. Detective Reeves had joined the federal agent and her husband. One look at the terror in Michael's eyes and her legs wobbled beneath her.

Taylor and Heidi were dead, and now Mazie and Ivy were with the monster who'd murdered them.

What was he doing to her? Where had he taken her? And why?

Would she ever see her precious daughter again?

Dear God, she had to tell Michael the truth. She should have done it when the twins were found. What if her silence cost her her child?

A sharp pain wrenched her chest and she stumbled over and sank down beside Michael. She could not lose her sweet Ivy.

Michael gently touched her shoulder, making her heart ache even more. God, how she loved him. "Loretta, it's okay. We'll find her."

A sob caught in her throat. The events of the past few days taunted her. She'd seen the news this morning. So many deaths. Taylor and Heidi, and Delilah. And where was Claire?

Barb… The one person who might know where the monster had taken Ivy was unconscious.

God help them. Someone had opened Pandora's box and all their secrets were spilling out like a swarm of bees unleashed.

Tears blurred her vision. Michael was the most level-headed, steadfast, strongest, caring, person she'd ever known. He'd wanted a family as much as she had. When she'd suffered three miscarriages before carrying Ivy to term, he'd cried like a baby.

How would he take the news that she'd lied to him?

Would that be the last time he called her sweetheart? Would he hate her? Would it destroy her family?

If she and her friends had told the police the truth when they heard about the twins, could they have caught the killer and saved Mazie and Ivy?

The agent's jaw tightened. "I know this has been a rough day. But we need to ask you some questions. Do you know who abducted Ivy?"

Loretta shook her head and Michael murmured, "No."

"Do you have any personal enemies?"

"No, no one," Michael insisted.

Loretta bit down on her lower lip.

"Loretta?" the detective asked.

"No, at least no one that I know of."

"But you know Barbara, the woman dressed as Mrs. Santa Claus?" the detective asked.

Loretta twisted her hands together. "Yes."

Michael's hand tightened over hers. "You said she was your friend. Then what's this about?"

"Her name is Barbara Thacker… I met her in that support group I attended a while back."

"She's the lady the police have been looking for in regards to those murdered girls?"

"Yes," she murmured, her eyes filling with tears.

"What does she have to do with this?" Michael asked.

Her heart flooded with emotions and fear. But she had to tell the truth to protect Ivy.

And Michael deserved to hear it from her first-hand.

"Do you know who took Ivy?" Detective Reeves asked.

"No." She gave the detective an imploring look. "Please let me talk to my husband for a minute alone. Then I'll explain everything."

The detective studied her with a grim look, then gave a nod. "All right, Loretta, we'll get some coffee. You have five minutes, and that's it. Every minute we waste lessens our chance of finding Ivy and Mazie."

Loretta nodded, and the detective and agent left the room. She swallowed back her emotions, then turned to Michael who looked confused and terrified at the same time.

"Loretta?"

Loretta braced herself for his reaction as she choked on a sob. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. She didn't deserve it, but she couldn't help herself. She fell into him and leaned her head against his shoulder. Her body shook with fear and regret, but he held her and stroked her back gently, giving her time to settle her emotions.

"You're scaring me, honey." He pulled away slightly, cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look into his eyes. "What's going on?"

She swallowed hard. "You'll hate me if I tell you."

His eyes narrowed, a myriad of emotions flickering in the depths. When he spoke, his voice was low and gruff. "Sweetheart, I could never hate you. Just talk to me."

She exhaled, her breathing raspy. She could no longer lie to this man. Besides, she had to help find her daughter. "Years ago, after the miscarriages, I met Barb, Claire and Ros in a support group for women with fertility issues."

He nodded. "That was a difficult time."

She gently ran her fingers along his hair line. "For both of us. And I'll never forget how you were there for me. Even when the IVF failed."

His eyes searched hers and he gently tucked an errant strand of her hair behind her ear. "I love you. And it was worth it. We have a beautiful daughter."

Her chest squeezed. "I love you, too," she said, her voice raspy. "And she is beautiful. But… and before I tell you this, I want you to know I did it for both of us."

Confusion marred his face again. "You did what?"

"There was a problem at the fertility clinic with the freezing process and some eggs and embryos were lost." She hesitated, praying he would understand. "Our last embryo was one of those."

Emotions colored his eyes.

"Not just ours but Claire's and Ros's, too. But Barb had extra embryos and after her stillbirth, was told she could never carry a baby to term."

He went stone cold still. "What are you saying?"

She inhaled and spit out the truth. "She made a deal with us. She offered us her embryos as long as we agreed to let her be in the babies' lives."

He swayed in his chair. "You're saying Ivy isn't my child?"

She gripped his hands. "Biologically no, not mine either." She squeezed his hands hard. "But she is our daughter, Michael. She is."

"Who is her birth father?" he asked, voice icy.

Loretta gave a little shrug. "Barbara's ex-husband."

His shoulders drooped and he sank into the couch and tunneled his hands through his hair. "Does Barbara's ex know about Ivy? Did he take her?"

She squeezed his hand in hers. "No, Barbara said he agreed with her about giving away the embryos."

Shock flashed in Michael's eyes, then a sliver of anger and he pulled his hand from hers. "So Ros and Claire all gave birth to Barbara's babies, too?'

She nodded.

His voice hardened, "Claire's twins were murdered. What about Ros's child?"

"Mazie. She was the little girl who was abducted yesterday."

His face turned ashen, and he gripped her arms and shook her. Panic replaced the disappointment and hurt. "Are you sure this Thacker man didn't abduct Ivy?"

"I… I'm not sure of anything right now." Except that they should have gone to the police when Taylor and Heidi were killed.

And if she lost Ivy, it was her fault.