Page 41 of Radical Daddy

Sera scrambled to her feet. “Where is she, Aunt Pat? Where is my little girl?”

“You must be hallucinating, Sera. You never had the baby, remember? You had an abortion.”

“No, I didn’t.” Sera shook her head, her hands trembling as she covered her mouth. Fear tightened around her heart like a vice. “Savannah just turned a year the week before I left. We had a birthday party for her in the garden.”

“Oh, your poor child. It seems your mind is scrambled. Your uncle did tell me it was a rather vicious tour. Come, I think you should lie down.”

“NO! I want my child! Where is my baby? Tell me, damn you!”

“Sera, that’s enough.”

“Uncle Steve, thank God,” she cried as she clung to him. “Where is Savannah? Please, please tell me where my baby is.”

“Oh, my dear, dear child,” he murmured as he brushed his hand over her hair. “You never had the baby, Sera. You aborted it, just as your aunt said.”

“No! How can you say that? No! No! No! What have you done to her? I want her back! Tell me where she is!”

“Wake up, Babygirl. C’mon, little one, wake up. You’re having a nightmare.” Tanner’s warm arms wrapped around her and held her tenderly against his hard body. “Shh, it’s okay, Sera. I’ve got you.”

“They gave her away.”

Her voice sounded desolate and lost in the darkness of the room. It was the first time in years she had the dream. The pain, hurt, and loss never went away, but over time, Sera had learned to lock them away in her heart. That Aunt Pat was ruthless enough to give her child away she could accept, but the deceit of a beloved uncle broke her soul.

“I’ll never forgive them. Never.”

“I’m here, Babygirl,” Tanner crooned in her ear. “You don’t need to tell me anything, but when you’re ready, I’ll listen.”

“I never told anyone about it. Not after I realized they had turned an entire community against me. Every single one in the suburb played along. They made me believe…” A dry sob rocked her body. “They made me believe I was crazy and that I never had a child. God, I came so close to losing my mind.”

“Who are you talking about, Sera?”

“My aunt and uncle. I went to live with them after my mother died when I was ten years old. It wasn’t an easy life. My aunt… all that mattered to her, or rather still matters, is prestige and money. I adored my uncle, but he never opposed any decision she made. I was locked in a hellhole of her making. It was little wonder that I chose to join the military, then the CIA. I couldn’t wait to get out from under their rule.” She trembled as the memories of her life came flashing back.

“Then I did something stupid. I fell pregnant. She was livid and demanded I have an abortion. I refused. When Savannah was born, they insisted I come back home so they could help me raise her. I was alone, vulnerable, and scared, so I went.” Another shudder.

“I thought they loved her. They had me fooled. God, did they have me fooled. Before her birth, I had transferred to a non-operative position in the army—a desk job. I wasn’t supposed to go on tours anymore. When I was drawn, I tried to get out of it but was denied. I only found out afterward that my uncle set it up.”

She went quiet for a long moment, forcing her troubled mind to calm down.

“When I returned two months later, Savannah was gone.”

“Savannah, your baby?”

“Yes.”

“What do you mean gone?”

Haltingly, she told him the cruel twist fate had played on her. Tears ran down her cheeks, glistening in the moonlight as she relived the nightmare she just had.

“They gave her up for adoption. It had all been set up before I even left. The adopted parents took Savannah at the same time I got on the plane heading for Iraq.”

“That’s illegal. She wasn’t under their guardianship. They had no legal way of doing that,” Tanner said angrily.

“It didn’t matter. My uncle… he’s a very powerful man, Tanner. No one will oppose him today. No one dared to then.” She shook her head. “I’ve been searching for my little girl for the past fourteen years. She turned fifteen two months ago. It was a closed adoption. I can’t find any information anywhere.”

“Who is your uncle, Sera?”

With sad eyes, she looked at him. “Leave it, Tanner. Accosting him would be fruitless… not to mention dangerous.”

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