Had Serena survived the storm somehow? Was she out there somewhere, watching Annie again? Had she lied and been able to swim? Was she back to claim her child? A shudder of fear ran down her spine, and she hugged Finn closer. They’d never found Serena’s body. The woman who had killed her mother, her son, and Lindsay. No, not Lindsay. That had been an accident. Unless the little boy in her arms had . . . She wouldn’t think of that. Was Serena really out there right now? Or was Annie finally losing her mind?
“No.” Annie whispered the word. “No,” she said again, stronger this time.
“Mommy?” Finn turned his head to look at her.
“Yes. Yes. I’m your mommy. I love you. All of you, no matter who you are.” She stared fiercely down at him.
He was her son. It didn’t matter what the DNA test said, or that he might have parts of Serena in him. It didn’t matter that he might end up being a sociopath with delusional disorder like Serena in the future and carry on whatever mental illness ran in their blood. He was her son, hers and Brody’s, and she’d never abandon him. She would do anything for him, would help him, no matter what. They’d figure it out. Her heart contracted with this fierce love for him, and she realized all her doubts since he’d been born were gone. She would not tell Brody. He never needed to know the truth and doubt Finn. They would be a happy family.
Breathing deeply, she willed her heart to slow down and for her mind to clear. She was not losing her mind. She was getting better, going to therapy. She wasn’t mixing drugs and alcohol anymore. As her breath finally slowed, Annie raised her head. She wasn’t going to allow Serena, if she was really out there, to fuck with her mind anymore. This was her life, not Serena’s. She was not going to doubt her own sanity anymore. That woman had played with Annie’s mind for the last time.
Annie rose from the chair, putting Finn on her hip. Serena had manipulated them all long enough. It was time to put a stop to it, right here and now. She would hide Serena’s laptop, keep it safe with proof of all the things the other woman had done. If Serena had the gall to come back, rising from the dead to take Finn, Annie would use it if she needed to. She would fight for her family, no matter what it took.
Squaring her shoulders, she stared out into the darkness, daring Serena to show herself. She stood there for a long time, Finn in her arms, her ears pricked for any unusual movement or sound. But all she heard was Marley’s quiet pant next to her, Finn’s breath tickling her ear, and the occasional clucking of chickens and a rooster crowing in the distance. When she finally spoke, her voice was strong, and it echoed into the night. “He’s my son.”
She lifted her chin and waited one more minute, daring Serena to come fight her. When nothing happened, she hitched Finn higher on her hip, and he wrapped his arms around her neck. With Marley following them, she carried her son back inside, shutting the door firmly behind her.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I must first thank my amazing agent, Rachel Brooks—without her, I wouldn’t be writing acknowledgments. Thank you for hearing me out when I said I’d accidentally written a thriller （and a YA and a rom-com, on top of women’s fiction）， all before my debut even came out. I am forever grateful for your brilliant mind and that you never use the word “soon.”
Thank you to my editor Jessica Tribble Wells for being excited about this project. It is such an honor to get to work with you. To my developmental editor, Andrea Hurst: I know you won’t admit how worried you were when you got the first draft, but I know you were horrified! LOL. I’m so glad I was able to put your fears to rest, and your edits were spot-on. Thank you also to the rest of the team at Thomas and Mercer: Rachael Herbert, Sarah Shaw, Kellie Osborne, Jill Schoenhaut, Jarrod Taylor, and Ploy Siripant.
My love of animals led me to volunteer at the Kauai Humane Society when I lived in Kauai for two months researching this book. Special thanks to Kim Foster, who became not only a volunteer buddy but a friend, always willing to answer my questions about Kauai. Thank you also to Jason Bartlett, Becky Oishi, Ally Kirk, Alyssa Friedberg, Daniel Madeira, Bridgette Semana, Malyssa Jardin, and Dida Kim for many memorable moments at KHS.
I was fortunate to have had the help of some amazing and generous people on Kauai who were willing to answer my questions, even the creepy ones where I asked how someone can die on the Wailua River. Thank you to Jaben Schalk, Farren Higley, Richard Duarte, Kurt Javinar, and Cameron Ventura. Special thanks to Pollie Donahue, the amazing person who got me out of Kauai when my own Lili was dying back in New York, and to Captain Reid Tanita of the Lihue Fire Department for answering all my questions about what happens when someone falls into the Wailua River and the rescue mission. Any mistakes are my own.
Thank you to my friend Lisa Hauptner, LMHC, a licensed psychotherapist who shared her expertise in mental health with me. And to my Eggplant Writers—Robin Facer, Bradeigh Godfrey, and Alison Hammer—who were the first people to realize this book was in fact a thriller.
Many thanks to my mother and father for all their help and watching our son when I am writing. To Jim: thank you for thinking my harebrained idea of living in Kauai during the pandemic was a great one. And to Lakon, who happily went along on the adventure and helped me find places where accidents can happen. To our dogs, Lokie, Mochi, Cash, and Pinot （in heaven）： you are my true writing companions.
And to the readers who have read my books: I couldn’t have this dream career without you. Thank you for reading, posting, and talking about my books. Your support means everything to me.