Page 71 of Unmasked

“I got one of ours in. He’s going to do the transport via ambulance. I called and got the queen’s chamber ready and waiting, just as you requested, Sire.”

Theodore’s lips peeled back in a big smile as his gaze came back to me.

“You are moving me in next door. Do I get a desk in your study, too?”

His voice was so weak, not holding the humor that it usually did.

“That’s pushing it.”

He laughed, wincing, going even paler.

“I have to get back. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“Sure thing… neighbor.”

I rolled my eyes, chuckling as I turned to Lord Oxley, lowering my voice.

“You have every single guard here accompany him or follow behind. He better make it back to The Order alive.”

“Yes, Unavowed. We’ll have him there as soon as we can.”

Nodding, I turned, waving to Theo. I kept my head down, feeling my own guards step in close as we made our way out of the hospital and into the waiting SUV. I turned on my phone, my brow drawing in as notification after notification began to roll through.

“Sire, Able has requested you call them. It’s concerning your Intended.”

“My Intended?”

I immediately clicked into the cameras seeing her bedroom one was turned off.

“What the hell?”

I clicked through to The Reeve’s feed, confused as I took in the front of a seat. Was he in a vehicle? Scrolling through, I went to Mark’s, taking in the road before me.

My head shook through the confusion, and I went back to the feed of Penelope’s camera, scrolling over as I went back in time. I could see The Reeve grab the camera, and the room seemed to be full of people. I kept going back, cursing as my phone rang and the screen disappeared. Penelope’s name came up, and I sighed in relief, answering it.

“Hello? Penelope?”

“Oh my god. Where have you been?”

A sigh left me. “I should have called and left a message. I figured you’d be busy.”

“Busy getting the hell out of here. Why haven’t you called? Rowan’s been trying to get ahold of Able for hours. He was in meetings. I thought you were hurt. Dead.”

“Not me. Theodore was attacked last night. He almost died. We barely got there in time.”

A gasp. “No.” Penelope paused through her shock. “He’s alive? He’s going to be okay?”

“I think so. If Katia wouldn’t have⁠—”

“Katia?”

“Yeah. Before she died, she said King Lawrence put a contract out on Theodore back when you were at Grove Square. The timing is miraculous, to say the least. Had I waited to check on him, he would have been dead. He lost so much blood.”

Penelope sniffled. “That’s horrible. This… This is all my fault.”

“No.”

“It is.” Another sniffle. “The bastard. He’s not going to stop, Vaughn. I knew he was up to something. I just… knew. And then the supposed physician.”