Page 94 of Devil's Riches

I kept thumping.

“For fuck’s sake,” I heard a weak voice say from the other side. “Hold on.”

The door swung open a moment later, revealing Sascha in a purple chenille bathrobe. Her face was ashen, and an acrid scent hung about her. “Who are you?” she mumbled.

“I’m Nate. I’m looking for Alexis. Is she here?”

Sascha suddenly clamped a hand over her mouth and dashed back down the hall. I followed her into the bathroom and watched as she sank to her knees in front of the toilet.

“Want me to get you something?” I asked as she heaved her guts up.

“Water,” she croaked.

I went into the kitchen, located the glasses, and filled one with cold water from the fridge. After that, I had a brief look around. Sascha’s purse, shoes, and cardigan were strewn on the living room floor, but there was no sign of Alexis anywhere. She wasn’t in her room, either.

I headed back into the bathroom and handed the water to Sascha. She drank deeply and looked up at me. “Thanks. What were you saying before?”

“I’m looking for Alexis.”

“She’s not here.” She leaned forward and hurled into the toilet bowl again. Then she wiped her chin and looked back at me. “That fucking food,” she muttered. “As soon as I ate it, I knew there was something wrong.”

I raised a brow. “You’re not drunk?”

“No. I have food poisoning,” she said, shakily lifting herself to her feet. “I didn’t want to be rude to my grandfather, so I said it was probably gastro I caught from a friend, but I’m pretty sure his new chef fucked up my food. Probably touched it with dirty hands or something. Stupid fuck—”

I lifted a palm to cut off her diatribe. “So Alexis didn’t come home with you?”

Sascha shook her head. “No. I told her to stay at the dinner party because I felt so bad about leaving and ruining the night.” She winced and rubbed her stomach. “I made it out just in time to puke in a garden. It was so fucking gross.”

I swallowed thickly as the cold reality of the situation set in. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“Are you absolutely sure Alexis didn’t leave at the same time as you?” I asked Sascha. “Maybe she got in the car and you were too sick to notice?”

A baleful expression crossed her face. “I got food poisoning, Nate. Not a lobotomy,” she said in an acid tone. “Trust me. She didn’t leave with me, and she’s not here. I think I’d know if she was.”

With that, she got back down on her knees and started throwing up again.

“Sorry, Sascha. I’d stay here and help you out, but I really need to find her,” I said. “I’ll get you some more water, and then I have to go.”

“That’s fine,” she murmured, slumping against the bathroom wall. “When you find her, bring her back here. I don’t want to be alone.”

I got her another glass of water and found a bottle of mouthwash on the vanity to leave by her side. Then I went back out to my car and slammed my hands on the hood. “Fuck!”

This was all my fault. I shouldn’t have let Alexis or Sascha go into the Paxton mansion without me.

Clearly, Edward knew exactly what Alexis was up to. He must’ve put something in Sascha’s food to make her sick and get her out of the way, and then he’d done something to Alexis.

Something terrible, presumably.

The thought of what might be happening to her at this very moment chilled me to the bone. I got back in my car and slumped in the front seat, hands curling into tight fists as panic and anger burst through me in torturous waves. You stupid piece of shit, my inner monologue whispered to me. They’ll kill her now, and it’s all because of you.

Why the fuck did I let her go into that house tonight? How could I be stupid enough to believe that her grandfather wouldn’t have a clue that she was there to search for information that would link him to the Golden Circle? My mother literally warned me about it down in the bunker the other day—she said they had eyes and ears everywhere.

Edward knew. Of course he fucking knew.

He’d probably come after me next, but I didn’t give a shit about that. All I cared about was finding Alexis before it was too late. I had to. Fucking hadto.

I needed to pull her out of the darkness and keep her in the light forever. Needed one more chance to tell her the truth about my feelings instead of bottling it all up like I’d done over the last couple of weeks.

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