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couldn’t imagine the man she had known would be capable of murdering his own flesh and blood, especially in infant form. It didn’t provide much as a measure of comfort to think about her son being raised by the mafia man beside her without Abby in the picture, but at least she could be fairly confident her baby would be safe.
    Seven minutes later, they stopped outside the Timmy Frog Daycare Center, and she tried opening her door again before remembering she was locked in. “You have to let me out so I can go get him.”
    Luka grabbed her wrist in a hard hold and dragged her across the seat toward him as he opened his own door and stepped out. He pulled her out with him, a little less carefully than he would have in the past. He was still vibrating with rage. “We’ll go together, Abby. Like a big, happy family.” His bitterness was almost as chilling as the glare he directed her way. “That means no bullshit, and no trying to get their attention or engage other people in our mess. Right?”
    She nodded, too afraid to argue with him, and never having entertained the idea of trying to reveal who or what he was to the daycare staff. There would be other children still in the facility, and there was no way she was going to put them at risk. It was bad enough she was putting her own child at risk, but she couldn’t have just driven away as Luka’s captive and turned her back on her baby. Maybe he would have been better off abandoned by his mother rather than being raised in the mafia, but she couldn’t be that selfless.
    She walked beside Luka with what she hoped was an air of calm, struggling to match the rapid pace he set, his hand still clamped tightly around her wrist. The skin where he held her burned a little, and her fingers were starting to go numb, but she didn’t try to get him to loosen his hold. She assumed it would have been a futile exercise anyway.
    They climbed the steps to the clapboard house converted to a daycare center and stepped inside. It was a homey and cheerful place, and it had always given her a good vibe from the time she had interviewed the people about taking care of her son. She had been almost eight months pregnant at the time and restricted by a tight budget, so it had been a blessing to find Timmy Frog, where the staff seemed to genuinely care about the children in their care.
    The director herself greeted them, coming from the playroom rather than her office. In the three months Abby had brought her son there, she didn’t recall ever seeing Lorraine in the office. The director/owner was hands-on with the kids, just like the other workers.
    Now, the middle-aged woman flashed her a big smile, then her eyes darted curiously to Luka. “There you are. I was getting a little concerned.”
    She strove for a normal tone. “Some rocker-type wrecked a suite last night, so I was one of the lucky ones who got stuck staying late to clean it.” And the hotel took advantage of the fact that she was an illegal worker by not paying extra or overtime for such deeds. She was often picked for that kind of work, along with the other women she suspected were working without legal identification.
    Lorraine nodded sympathetically. “I’m glad to see you. We’re closing up soon.” She left the rest unspoken, apparently not feeling the need to remind Abby that tardy pickups led to additional expense and eventual notification of the police to come pick up the child.
    “I’m sorry about that.”
    “Well, you know where Lucas is, so I’ll leave you to fetch him. We’re shorthanded today, and there’s always something to do around here.” With one more curious glance cast in Luka’s direction, Lorraine disappeared back into the playroom, leaving them alone.
    Luka had stiffened as soon as she said Lucas’s name, and now he glared down at her ferociously. “His name is Lucas?”
    She nodded reluctantly, having given in to sentiment during the throes of labor and named her son after his father. She