Chapter 76

AVA

We made it back to the villa just as the sky began to darken, casting long shadows across the lawn. The hike had done little to ease the knot of unease sitting heavy in my chest. I tried to shake it off, telling myself that the near-accident on the cliff was just that—an accident—but I couldn’t stop replaying it in my mind. The way Liam had slipped, how I’d barely caught him in time. And now, the note. I couldn’t help but feel like something—or someone—was trying to mess with us.

As we reached the front steps of the villa, my foot brushed against something on the ground. I glanced down and froze. A crumpled piece of paper lay half-hidden in the grass. I bent down to pick it up, smoothing it out with trembling fingers. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the symbol drawn on it—a skull.

“Liam,” I whispered, holding the note out to him. “Look at this.”

He took it from me, frowning as he examined the crude drawing. “Where did this come from?”

“I don’t know,” I said, glancing around as