Chapter 89
. I forced a small laugh. “Guess not.”
Pierce folded himself into the chair beside mine with an easy grace, like he had all the time in the world. “You and your son from back East? Moonstone territory?”
I nodded slowly. “That’s right.”
“Beautiful pack lands. Dense woods. Clean air. I passed through once, a long time ago.” His gaze flicked briefly toward Aiden, then back to me. “You’re lucky to have such a strong young heir.”
My skin prickled. “He’s not—” I stopped myself. “He’s just a kid.”
Pierce tilted his head, studying me. “Of course. Of course he is.”
My phone buzzed. I glanced down.
Mason: Blackwood? Are you sure?
I blinked.
Me: That’s what he said. Why?
No response.
Pierce leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head. “The villa’s stocked with everything you could need. Food, wine, silence. I imagine privacy must be hard to come by for someone like you.”
I smiled tightly. “We manage.”
He hummed, almost to himself. “Still. I thought you might appreciate a chance to rest without looking over your shoulder.”
There was something in his voice now. Something darker just beneath the surface.
Chapter 89
“I wasn’t aware I had to,” I said.
+25 Bonus
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said politely, holding up his hands. “I just… I’ve seen
you in the papers.”
I nodded, backing off a little bit and watched Aiden. A moment later Pierce’s phone buzzed
and he excused himself, trotting inside to answer.
I needed something to do with my hands, so I reached for the drink again and took another
iD. The taste of the juice lingered on my tongue, cloying and wrong. My head had started to
b, a slow pulsing behind my eyes. I tried to stand.
nd nearly didn’t make it.
a
The world tilted sideways. The pool shimmered too brightly. The sunlight felt loud, the noise of the water sharp and intrusive. I gripped the edge of the lounge chair.
No.
I looked back at the glass.
No.
“Aiden!” My voice came out rougher than I expected. “Come here. Right now.”
He must have heard the edge in my tone, because he immediately clambered out of the pool, water streaming off of him. “Mom?” he said. “What’s wrong?”
I crouched beside him, my knees wobbly. “Did you drink any of your juice?”
He looked over at the untouched glass. “No. I wanted to cannonball first.”
“Good. Don’t. Don’t drink it.”
He frowned. “Why?”
I swallowed hard, the taste thick in my throat. “I think we’ve been drugged.”
He looked confused. “What does that mean?” he asked.
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pter 89
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swallowed and found the act more and more difficult. “It means they’re not good people. nd that they want something from us.”
is face went pale. “What do we do?”
tried to stand again, managed half a step before my vision swam and I stumbled. My legs
wouldn’t cooperate. The dizziness was worse now, nausea curling in my gut. The ground
elt too far away.
My tongue felt larger than it should have, but I still managed a few more words, though
hey were starting to sluṛ.
Pour your drink out,” I said with difficulty. “And stay with me. Whatever happens, I want o stick me with me as long as you possibly can.”
‘Mom?” Aiden’s voice was small now, panicked. He grabbed my arm. “Mom, are you
okay?”
I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t think.
Aiden slipped into his hoodie–the one he wore when he was nervous, the one he always said made him feel braver. He clutched my hand. “We need to go,” he whispered.
I squeezed his fingers.
And then everything went black.
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