Page 159 of Safe and Sound

“What do you think it goes to?” Dad asked.

“Something very valuable,” Dare replied.

“Something worth killing for,” I murmured, my chest clenching in agony at the thought of Nick.

Dare nodded. “Besides its aesthetic appeal, there was a reason why Dimetrios gave this to Thea. I’m sure he thought if he was killed that it would remain protected in her possession.”

“My entire life is built on a life,” I whispered.

“The only lie we told is who your parents were.”

“Everythingis a lie! For fuck’s sake, you’re not even Tobias and Helena Carras.”

“We had to do it to keep you alive. Look what happened when they found out.”

Chapter Forty-One: Ava

Ibobbed along like a buoy on the ocean. The voices surrounding me were muted like I was deep beneath the water’s surface. Faces floated around me.

Some were familiar.

Some were those I loved.

Some seemed to be demons from the depths of my worst nightmares.

The demons’ long fingers reached out for me, grasping my neck. “Where is it? Where’s the necklace?” they screeched.

With a gasp, I shot up in bed. As my chest rose and fell in harsh pants, I swiped the sheen of sweat from my forehead. As I gazed around the room, I frowned.

Nothing was familiar. I wasn’t in my childhood bedroom at Mom and Dad’s, nor was I back in my house or Dare’s.

At the sound of a voice across the room, I jumped. “Good morning, Mrs. Kavanaugh,” a middle-aged woman with salt and pepper hair said. At the sight of her medical scrubs, I frowned. The room appeared too posh to be a hospital room.

“Good morning,” I tentatively replied.

She gave me a beaming smile. “I’m so glad to see you awake.”

Furrowing my brows, I asked, “How long was I out?”

“Two days.”

I gasped. “I’ve been asleep for two days.”

“You’ve been unconscious.”

“Why?” I demanded.

But then I remembered Nick’s lifeless body, bloodied and broken. And then my parents' faces as they told me my entire life had been built on a lie.

With a groan, I flopped back against the pillows. “Nevermind.”

“The doctor felt it was best to keep you sedated.” She gave me a sad smile. “Your brain and body needed some time to process the trauma you endured, so it could heal.”

“Like two days unconscious can even begin to heal me” I grunted.

Ignoring my comment, the nurse asked, “Are you hungry?”

To my surprise, my stomach growled. “Starved.”

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