Father burst into the room.
“Ah,” he said, placing a firm grip on Daddy’s shoulder. “You’re awake.”
“Where?” Zeller glared at him.
“Where what?”
“My baby,” Zeller hushed out. “Where is my baby?”
Father waved his fingers arrogantly. “I think you might be experiencing some side effects from the anesthesia. You don’t have any babies. Not yet. You’re not even married.”
Zeller’s breath caught.
“You’re in the hospital for an emergency appendectomy,” Daddy chimed in, brushing a thumb over Zeller’s cheek. “It went great. You’ll be home soon, and we can put all of this behind us.”
Mouth agape, Zeller flinched away from his touch.
What was this? Did his parents seriously think he could be gaslight into believing he had not been pregnant? That he was here for his appendix?
“Where. Is. My. Baby?”
“Perhaps we should get the nurse to come back and sedate you,” Father said smoothly.
Triumphantly.
Zeller’s insides grew hot. All the muscles in his body came alive with the force of his anger. And his impotence. His heavy limbs trembled.
“Where is my baby?” he asked again through gritted teeth.
“There is no baby,” Father said, his eyes boring into Zeller’s. “There never was.”
Chapter Nineteen
Zinn
EIGHT YEARS LATER
Zinn’s face pinched as he stared at the folder. He’d been so hopeful when he arrived, and now it felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water on him. The documents contained a pitiful amount of information. Mostly just an accounting of what the private investigator had tried to do. Tried and failed.
The hospital where he could not find any records of babies born that day.
The household staff who stonewalled him, saying they’d never seen the pregnant omega.
The agencies claiming they hadn’t facilitated the adoption of Zeller Parkenson’s baby.
Dawson, the beta PI, sat across from him, his face grim. Zinn got the sense he wasn’t used to coming up empty.
“I’m very sorry, Mr. Parker,” Dawson said, folding his hands over his slim belly. “As you know, Zeller has controlling parents with friends in high places. Whatever they did to make all the evidence go away, they did a thorough job of it.”
“Had.”
“Huh?”
“Had,” Zinn repeated. “Zellerhadcontrolling parents. Since he disappeared and cut off all contact with them.”
Dawson nodded. “Of course.”
Zinn released an upward breath, tousling the wispy curls on his forehead. The dark mahogany color was fading. He’d need to dye it again soon. “I appreciate you trying. It was always a longshot. I’m grateful you agreed to look into the matter, that you believed me about the baby.”
