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“I was really scared,” I confess, my fingers shaking. I can’t stop thinking about what could have happened and how I could have lost my son. “Thank you for running to the safe room. I wouldn’t have been able to focus if I was worried about you.”

“I know,” he sighs.

“We have to go downstairs,” I groan, allowing my mom to help me up. I hate guns, the way they feel and sound. However, I can admit they have their uses.

“Theo is checking the cameras, and has been since we got in the car. He has a theory,” Rachelle says, walking with me.

“Which is?” I ask, wincing as I tackle the stairs.

Arran avoids Alexa’s body and the blood to pick me up.

“You look like you’re going to fall down,” he murmurs. “I’m so pissed that I went home first.”

“It should have been fine,” I remind him.

“It’s her fault,” Zayn growls, pointing at the dead body at the base of the stairs. Emil scowls at Alexa before stomping to a linen closet to pull a sheet from it.

“We’ll be replacing the floor here,” he growls, tossing the sheet over Alexa haphazardly. “Zayn, jump. I don’t want you walking through the blood.”

My son jumps into Emil’s arms, while Arran hops over Alexa to carry me in a bridal carry into the living room.

“I remember you telling me about this woman,” he mutters as the police begin to arrive. “She had to have found you with that news story.”

“It’s not their fault,” I remind him, my eyes threatening to shut.

“Of course not. Woah, baby, stay with me. Please,” Arran says, his hand on the back of my head as he sits down.

“It’s the shock finally hitting her,” Elijah murmurs, entering the room. “Hey, kiddo. You did so good. Jared’s got the police, okay? Arran, she’s okay. Let her sleep. It’ll keep them from questioning her.”

“My future wife, the secret mafia daughter,” Arran grunts under his breath, shifting my body. “Where’s Zayn?”

“Here,” he says, walking quietly to curl up next to me as he watches the front of the house. “I don’t want to leave Mommy.”

I try my best to stay awake, but I can’t. Everything else fades away, though I do latch on to Arran’s words.

Did he say future wife?!

CHAPTER

FORTY

ALASTAIR

My phone is full of notifications when we land in San Diego, and I frown as I immediately call Jared back. I’m sure Noor told them we were flying in, but it’s almost one in the morning and there has to be a reason he left me a message to call him.

“We’re just getting off the plane,” I say in greeting. “Is she okay? Is Zayn?”

“Am I on speaker phone?”

“No,” I reply, walking through the airport with my carry-on suitcase. Ci and Draven flank me on either side, worried frowns on both their faces.

“When you get to the house, you’ll see there are police cars still in the driveway. They’re beginning to piss me off,” Jared drawls. “Alexa got out of prison and her first instinct was to attack Zayn and his mother.”

He’s being very careful with his words and I nod as my heart seizes.

“And?” I ask, my voice strangled.

“Alexa is dead and my daughter is not,” Jared replies. “She’s in shock and the cops keep trying to get a statement. I’m acting as her council and refusing it because they wouldn’t call the paramedics to check her. Liliana did it instead. You know how she gets.”