Page 97 of Descent

“No,” they all answer, creepily in unison.

My face falls but I do my best to mask my emotions. Swallowing roughly, I nod. I’m doing my best to stay calm; for all I know, this could be a weird coincidence. Just because he’s vanished doesn’t mean the flower was from him, that all the notes and gifts were from him. He could be sick, really sick. Or on vacation with no cell service. I just…I can’t seem to associate the sweet shy guy, with the same person that has been actively stalking me and threatening my guys.

Ronan’s hand reaches out, cupping my waist gently.

“Wesley has some contacts looking into the entire family. We will track them down and get some answers, okay?”

I nod, my eyes sweeping around to see everyone watching me with pinched looks of concern.

Like a hurricane, Wesley blows through the front door from out of nowhere. I jolt in fear for a moment before my brain can process that we are safe and it’s just him.

His eyes are wide, hair mussed as his eyes scan the room before landing on me. I could of sworn relief passes across his face before he makes his way to us.

“It’s not Andrew.”

“How do you know?” Ronan challenges him.

“Because I just spoke with him and his dad. They are at a safe house, off the coast of Italy currently.”

“Why?” Asher asks.

Wesley’s eyes come to his before going back to Ronan’s.

“Because someone came up to Andrew in the parking lot yesterday morning. They put a gun to his head and told him he had to leave the country, immediately or he was going to be shot on site. He panicked, called his dad and the whole family ran.”

Ronan frowns while Vincent speaks.

“Bullshit, he’s just lying to cover his ass.”

“Is he?” Wesley asks. “Or did someone think he would make the perfect fall guy? If they could conveniently get him out of here just as the stalker makes a bold move, all the attention goes to someone else?”

Liam and Asher shake their heads like they don’t believe it when Wesley lifts his hand, dropping a black envelope onto the kitchen island.

“I was skeptical, too, until I got here and found this resting on the front doorstep.”

Vincent is the closest and he makes quick work of grabbing it, his eyes scanning over it before he blinks and shakes his head. Liam and I are the next to read it, pulling it out of his hands as I read it out loud.

My Dearest Giselle,

You’ve hurt me again and again. It’s always going to be them, isn’t it?

I thought what we had was special, was real. They’ve clearly poisoned you, like a sickness seeping into your veins.

You need to be purged of their evil and cleansed by my hands. I’ll fix it all and we can be together again.

Hold on, my love. I’m coming.

“What the fuck?” Liam guffaws when I finish.

My hands are shaking, stomach twisted into knots. This letter is so different than the others. It’s not the same style, the same words. He’s calling me Giselle. Why would he do that?

“Giselle, like your mom?” Asher asks.

I shake my head as I try to make sense of this.

“Does that mean the stalker thinks I’m my mom? Or that he knew her?”

“Maybe,” Wesley answers. “Does anyone come to mind?”

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