Page 39 of All The Pretty Little Lies

A heavy silence falls over the group. Talon and Alex exchange a loaded glance, and I feel my stomach drop. There's something they're not telling us.

Finally, Talon speaks, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's not entirely in her head," he admits.

Oscar's head snaps up, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

Talon's words hang in the air, heavy and ominous. I feel my blood run cold, a chill creeping up my spine despite the sweat still cooling on my skin from the fight. Oscar and I exchange a glance, momentarily united in our confusion and growing dread.

"Explain," I demand, my voice rough with emotion. "Now."

Talon runs a hand over his face, his usual easy-going demeanor replaced by a grim seriousness that sets my teeth on edge. He takes a deep breath as if steeling himself for what's to come.

"When they took Vesper, it wasn't just about ransom or leverage. They harvested her eggs."

I hear Oscar's sharp intake of breath and see the color drain from his face. My own mind reels, struggling to process the horror of what Talon's saying.

"But that's not all," Talon continues, his voice barely above a whisper. "They want her living children, too.”

“How the fuck do you know this?” Alex asks.

“The paperwork at the auction. They made me sign a breeder’s rights agreement. It outlined that should Vesper have kids, they get first rights as her original goddamn breeder.”

Oscar's voice cuts through the haze, sharp and accusing. "Why didn't you tell us when the doctor was here?"

Talon's jaw clenches, a flicker of guilt crossing his features before he schools his expression. "I found out just before we extracted her," he admits. "But getting her out was the priority. Those were your own words, Oz. I did what you asked me to do.”

"Bullshit!" Oz snarls, surging to his feet. "You should have told us the moment we got her back. We could have...we could have..."

“What could we have done? The damage was already done. The violation already complete,” Talon challenges, pushing off the wall to face me. His brown eyes, usually so warm and friendly, are hard as flint. "Getting her here, getting her safe, that was far more important," Talon continues, his voice softening slightly. "Now that she's here, we can sort it out. Figure out our next move."

Oscar stands slowly, his movements stiff and pained.

“There was a name on the contract. Johan Mikeal. He was listed as the seller.”

“Who the fuck is that?”

“No idea, but it’s a start. More than we had before we got her back.”

“Alex,” Oz demands.

“Already on it,” he declares, disappearing into the room he’d set up earlier while Oz played night watchmen. The sound of “Boots and Blood” by Five Finger Death Punch comes from the other side of his bedroom door. Unlike the rest of us, Alex has always used music to keep him focused while he worked. The darker the song, the more focused.

Talon's words hang in the air, heavy with implications. I watch as Oscar's face contorts, a mixture of rage and despair battling for dominance. The hallway suddenly feels too small, too confining, as if the walls are closing in on us.

"Oz," Talon says softly, reaching out to place a hand on my brother's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. But what's done is done, and now we need to focus on helping Vesper."

Oscar shrugs off Talon's hand, his blue eyes blazing. But before he can unleash another tirade, Talon continues, his voice low and steady.

"And as much as I hate to say it, Zaire did the right thing. Vesper needs time. Time to heal, time to process. We can't push her too hard, too fast. It'll only make things worse."

I blink in surprise, not expecting Talon to come to my defense. Oscar looks equally stunned, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly.

Talon runs a hand through his hair, loosening it further from its man bun. "Look, I know it's not ideal. But right now, the best thing we can do for Vesper is give her space. Let her rest. We'll figure out our next move when she's stronger."

The tension in the hallway is palpable, crackling like electricity in the air. I can see the conflict playing out on Oscar's face, his desire to help Vesper warring with the logic of Talon's words.

Finally, Oscar nods, a short, jerky motion. "Fine," he grits out. "But we're not done discussing this."

Talon's shoulders sag with relief. "Agreed," he says, then glances down the hallway. "I should go check on Alex, make sure he's not tearing the place apart looking for answers."

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