Fearless, An Option Zero Novel

Will her darkest hour become his last chance for redemption?

Having pushed the horror of his past down to the deepest part of his soul, Sean Donavan had forced himself to become someone else. Someone who had no heart, no soul, and little humanity. He devoted himself to his profession, existing within the limited confines of a man with no purpose other than survival. Then one spring day, a young woman bumped into him, and his entire life changed. His bitter, ice-coated heart melted, and for the first time in years, he allowed himself to feel. Happiness as he’d never imagined existed for him, and he was at peace.

After surviving her own devastating loss, Serena never believed she would find love again. When she met Sean, she knew in an instant that her prayers had been answered. She fell in love and married her hero, expecting a long, beautiful life ahead. She saw the courageous, kindhearted man beneath Sean’s mask of pain and sorrow. The life they were building was exactly what she’d dreamed of having with him.

And then it all came tumbling down.

Amid heartache, evil attacked. Like a runaway locomotive, Sean’s past came roaring toward him, taking out everything within its path. He never anticipated that Serena would be caught in the aftermath. Now she’s been taken, and it’ll take every ounce of their fortitude and faith in each other to withstand the hell they face.

But true love has no limits, and courage knows no boundaries. They’ll do what they have to do to make it back to each other. With the help of their OZ partners, Serena and Sean will face down evil, bring it to justice, and make those responsible pay.

Chapter One

Corley, Oregon
Fourteen years ago

Sean Donavan closed his eyes half a second before pureed peaches went splat against his cheek. The childish giggle that followed caused him to open his eyes quickly to enjoy the sight. Emma, his two-year-old daughter, her eyes alive with mischief and joy, practically danced in her high chair as she giggled at her accomplishment.

Using one of the cloths lying on the kitchen table in front of him, he wiped his face for the third time. They never had a meal in the Donavan house without having plenty of clean cloths available. His baby girl could make a missile out of anything, but when it came to mealtime, she could turn food into an airborne art form.

Glancing around the small kitchen, he made note of the places he would need to clean. Brenda, his stepmother, wasn’t a neat freak, but he didn’t want her to have to do anything extra. She was already allowing them to live with her rent-free. Anything he could do to lighten the burden, he would do.

“Da Da?”

“Yes, Sweetpea?”

“Where Nana?”

“She’s at work, sweetheart.”

“Da Da wuk, too?”

“Soon.” He glanced up at the clock. He had to leave in a couple of hours. Plenty of time to get his little munchkin cleaned up before her Nana arrived to take over.

“You ready for your bath?”

Holding up her arms to be picked up, she gave him her brightest smile. “Pwease.”

As usual, his heart flipped over at the sight. He might be young and clueless about a lot of things, but he knew that he would never see anything more precious than his daughter holding out her arms for him.

Lifting his baby girl, he carried her to the bathroom and listened to her happy chatter as he bathed and dressed her for the night. She really was the sweetest soul, with light blond hair that curled around her cherubic face, a dimple in her left cheek, a button nose, and the most gorgeous clear blue eyes. Except for her eyes, she resembled her mother. The eye color must come from an ancestor down the line, because his own eyes were a blend of blue and gray. Not that it mattered. Without even denying his bias as her father, he knew Emma Donavan was the most beautiful child who had ever graced the earth.

Settling in the rocking chair in her room, he crooned an off-key lullaby and watched her eyes flutter closed. Peace washed over him. Here, in this moment, he had never been happier.

Sure, he’d given up some things. All his friends were starting their second year of college, learning new things, enjoying new freedoms, looking forward to success and wealth. If not for the bundle in his arms, that’s where he would be, too.

Plans didn’t always work out. When Bridget, his former girlfriend, had told him she was pregnant with his child, Sean hadn’t hesitated to take responsibility. She had told him she was on birth control, and he’d been stupid enough to believe her. That was on him. He had offered marriage. She had accepted but wanted to wait until after Emma was born. He had agreed, wanting to make everything as easy between them as possible. Their relationship had never been a good one. They’d dated for only a few months when he’d realized he was with her for all the wrong reasons and had broken it off. He was smart enough to know that marriage rarely fixed problems, but he’d been willing to give it a try. Having his child with him, in a stable home environment, was more important than his own needs. He had tried to make it work. Bridget hadn’t had an easy pregnancy, and he had been working and trying to stay in school. It was no wonder things had fallen apart.

Six months after Emma’s birth and two days before they were to be married, Bridget decided she wanted neither marriage nor motherhood. She’d put a note on the kitchen table, left the baby in her crib, and taken off. He hadn’t heard from her since.

With her gone, everything had had to change. He’d asked his stepmother for help, and she had stepped up in a big way—allowing them to live with her, taking care of Emma at night while he worked, and just being there. He owed her so much.

Being a father at twenty hadn’t been in his plans. Instead of studying math, science, and introductory engineering principles for a future as an engineer, he’d immersed himself in child development books. Any social life he’d had disappeared.

So yeah, he was missing out on some stuff. But this? This precious bundle in his arms? She was worth everything.

***

“Sean? You’re going to be late for work.”

His eyes popping open, Sean gazed blearily up at Brenda’s face. Though she was smiling, he saw the concern in her eyes. Sleep wasn’t exactly a high priority these days, and he probably looked like a wild-eyed zombie as he blinked up at her.

Twisting his neck to get the kinks out, he glanced down to see Emma still sleeping soundly. He kissed the apple of her soft-as-silk cheek and stood. “I’ll put her in her crib and be off.”

“You want me to make you some dinner to take with you? It won’t take long.”

“Thanks, but I’ll just grab something at work. You might want to go ahead and get your dinner eaten, because this angel is likely to wake any moment and want to play for a few hours.”

Her face softening as she looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms, she shook her head. “If ever there was a daddy’s girl, our Emma is it.”

Laughing softly, he glanced over his shoulder. “I’d say she’s a grandma’s girl, too.”

“That she is.” She glanced up at the clock and held out her arms. “Let me put her in her crib. You need to get going.”

Grimacing because he knew she was right, he pressed one more kiss to his daughter’s cheek and handed her over.

“Want me to bring you some doughnuts for breakfast?”

“That would be lovely.”

Quickly brushing his teeth and combing his hair, Sean was out the door in two minutes. Fortunately, he worked only about five minutes away. Traffic was heavy, with most people heading home from work. The night shift wasn’t always easy, but it worked out well for both him and Brenda. When she came home from working all day at the bank, his workday started. It didn’t leave them a lot of free time, but that wasn’t what was important right now. His priority was Emma. When she got older, maybe things would slow down a bit, but for right now, he’d do what he had to do, make any sacrifice necessary. He would do anything for his little girl.

***

Fighting a yawn, Sean stacked another box onto the delivery truck. It had been a long night, and he was eager to get out of here. In fifteen minutes and counting, he’d be out the door. He’d talked to Brenda on his break, and she’d let him chat with Emma briefly before she went to bed for the night. Since it was mostly jabber, with a little context about cookies and her favorite doll, he’d just listened and said “uh-huh” occasionally.

“Donavan!”

Sean jerked around and spotted his boss standing in the doorway.

“Yes, sir?”

“Phone call for you. Says it’s urgent.”

Sean took off running. He hadn’t been able to afford a cellphone and relied on the phone in the break room. His mind rushed through a thousand scenarios as he reached for the phone his boss handed him.

“Hello?”

“They’re taking her away, Sean!” Brenda screamed. “They’re taking our Emma away!”

“What? Who? What are you talking about?”

“Come home, Sean,” she said, sobbing. “They’re taking our baby girl away from us.”

He dropped the phone and took off. Looking for his boss and giving an explanation was out of the question. He ran out of the building and jumped into his car. Traffic was hideous this time of day. It didn’t usually bother him, but now he wished he could teleport straight to the house. Someone was trying to take Emma away. Who? Why? Was it Bridget? If so, why hadn’t she called and talked to him?

Fifteen minutes later—which felt like an eternity—Sean sped onto his street. The moment he saw all the police cars surrounding the house, he knew, without a doubt, something awful was happening.

Screeching to a halt, Sean put the car in park and jumped out. His heart beating like a jackhammer in his chest, he raced to the house. Halfway there, he skidded to a stop. A woman…a stranger…was holding Emma in her arms. His baby girl was screaming, crying for him.

“Emma!” he shouted and ran toward her. He was five steps away when someone tackled him to the ground.

With a feral growl, Sean threw out a fist and shouted, “Get off me. That’s my daughter! You can’t take my daughter!”

“Settle down, Mr. Donavan,” the man restraining him said.

“No!” Fighting for all he was worth, Sean kicked at the man. He could hear his little girl screaming for him.

“Mr. Donavan, this will do no good,” the man growled. “You have to stop fighting.”

“What are you doing?” Sean yelled. “Why are you doing this?”

“Can you settle down and let me talk to you reasonably?”

Sean held still. “Who are you?” he asked hoarsely.

“My name is Oscar Batten. I’m with the Department of Health and Human Services.”

“What?” Sean shook his head. He couldn’t comprehend anything. All he could hear was Emma’s cries and his own anguished breaths.

“Settle down, Mr. Donavan, and we’ll—”

“Da Da!” Emma screamed.

Sean jerked his head up, away from the hands holding him down. The woman was carrying Emma to a car. They were taking his daughter away from him!

Shouting Emma’s name, and with superhuman strength, Sean threw the man off of him and ran toward the car. When the engine started, he flew through the air, his heart thudding, his lungs straining for breath. He was only inches from reaching the car, when it sped up and zoomed down the street. Emma stared at him through the back window, her face scrunched up in terror, her little body jerking with sobs. He could no longer hear her cries, but he read her lips, and she was screaming for him.

He couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop. Sean ran after the car, but when it turned down another street and picked up speed, he knew he had lost her.

“Sean Donavan!”

Anguish and fury whirling within him, Sean twisted around and faced three men. One was pointing a gun at him. One was holding handcuffs. And the last one said in a deep, authoritative voice, “Sean Donavan, you’re under arrest for kidnapping.”