Page 97 of Devil's Riches

BUTH

My words dried up in my throat. This woman was a Redstone; a member of the Golden Circle. That meant I wouldn’t be getting any help from her.

“Go back to sleep,” she said, patting me on the shoulder. “You need to rest while the sedative wears off.”

With that, she left the room. I heard a faint beeping sound on the other side of the door, and I knew she’d locked me in. Even if I could remove the fabric cuffs around my wrists, I was trapped.

At least I knew where I was now. Blackthorne University Teaching Hospital.

I looked around the room again, trying to see if there was a way out that the doctors could’ve missed. There was a large window on the far left, but I could see fluorescent light seeping between the cracks in the white blinds, which told me it was just an internal window. Even if I managed to break through it, I’d still be inside the building.

Usually, a hospital would be an ideal place to be stuck in during an emergency, but Blackthorne was different. It was the belly of the beast.

I sighed and lay my head back on the pillow, heart thudding painfully as I wondered what Edward had in store for me. Presumably, it was death, but how? Would he draw it out or make it mercifully quick? Would anyone ever find my body, or would I go the same way as my father?

An hour or so drifted by. I kept my eyes closed the whole time, letting my guilt and regret pour through me in cold, unforgiving waves.

This was all my fault.

Nate told me recently that he thought my biggest weakness was my refusal to be seen as needy or vulnerable, and he was right. I should’ve listened to him when he told me it could be dangerous to go to the Paxton mansion without him. Should’ve found some way to get him on the invite list so he could protect me.

But I was still me. I had to believe I could always be strong and brave. I had to believe I could handle it all without him.

Look where that got you,my inner voice told me. You idiot.

A beeping sound emanated from the other side of the room, and my eyes snapped open. Edward stepped through the door and strode over to me. “Dr. Redstone told me you were awake,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

“Are you serious?” I said, tugging on the cuffs. “How the fuck do you think I feel?”

He smiled patiently. “The sedative I gave you can cause severe nausea, headaches, and confusion. Are you feeling any of that?”

“No. I’m not confused at all. I knew it was you,” I spat. “I knew you were the one behind it all.”

Edward frowned. “What on earth are you talking about, Alexis?”

“Don’t patronize me. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” he said, raising his brows. “Why don’t you humor me and tell me?”

I narrowed my eyes. “I know you’re the secret head of the Golden Circle, and I know you ordered my father’s death ten years ago. I also know you were responsible for all of those other deaths on the island. For the organs,” I said. “That’s why you didn’t want me or Sascha here. You were afraid we’d nose around in your life and figure out the truth if we got close to you. So you tried to pay us to leave. When that didn’t work, you started following me to keep an eye on me, and you realized I was investigating everything, so you sent me threatening texts to scare me into stopping. But that didn’t work, either, and now we’re here.”

Edward’s forehead creased. He went over to the other side of the room, grabbed a chair, and brought it to my bedside. Then he sat down and rested his chin on one hand, head slightly tilted to one side. “This is all very interesting,” he said slowly. “I had no idea you knew so much. In fact, I had no idea you were investigating anything at all.”

“Bullshit.” I tugged on the cuffs again. “Why else would I be here?”

He smiled thinly. “I’ll admit, you’re right about why I didn’t want you and your sister on the island,” he said. “I was worried that one or both of you would poke around in my life and figure things out. And I suppose I was right to be worried about it, considering what you just told me.”

“You knew what I was up to,” I insisted. “You knew the whole time.”

Edward lifted a palm. “I’m telling the truth, Alexis. I genuinely had no idea you were investigating anything.”

“Why did you send me that text, then? The one that told me to stop digging?”

“I didn’t send you a text.” He rubbed his chin and frowned. “I did try to drive you off the island, of course. But texting isn’t something I do. I prefer proper calls.”

“What do you mean about trying to drive me off the island?”

“I had people follow you to scare you. And then there was the chocolate trick. That was my favorite.”

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