Chapter 35 - Thane

I felt it in my belly before the call ever came through. I knew something had happened to her. To Hollyn. Like a light had been snuffed out inside me, I felt the moment she lost consciousness. My world plunged into the darkness with her.

"Seems your brother is getting lax in his duties as bodyguard, lover," Ainsley said in my ear. The complete deadness on her end of the line signaled an encrypted channel.

"What do you want, Ainsley?" I asked, but I already knew. And I knew I would do anything to get Stretch back.

"Exactly what we talked about. Show up at the gala, be charming and sexy. Tell daddy that you were wrong. That you undercut Jonathan on purpose, knowing it was him."

I gritted my teeth. "Why does this matter so much to you? It's a buried comm line out in the middle of nowhere."

"Why doesn't matter. Not to you and your performance. Just do what I want, and you'll get your dirty whore back. Fight me on this, make a stink, or try to go around me, and I'll make sure y