Page 60 of The Shadow King's Brother

Then I see it. A cardigan.

Nica’s. Crumpled on the floor like she’d just slipped it off and meant to come back for it.

But she didn’t. My stomach knots.

I crouch down and pick it up, the fabric soft, warm with memory. It smells like her—faint vanilla and whatever perfume she always wore that made my fucking heart beat funny.

I press it to my face for a second, trying to hold onto something that’s already slipping away.

Where are you?

I blink hard, force my fingers to work as I pull out my phone. Gio’s name glows at the top of my contacts. I hit call.

It rings twice.

“Elio?” he answers, groggy.

“She’s gone.” The words are knives. Sharp. Unforgiving.

A pause, then a string of curses.

“Shit. What do you need?”

“Lock the hospital down,” I say, pacing now, the cardigan still in my grip. “If they’ve got Nica, they might come after the rest of us. Celeste. Maria. Even Vinny.”

The weight of it settles deep in my gut, cold and heavy. I can’t protect everyone at once. I’m already losing.

“I’ll make it happen.”

“Yeah—” My voice catches.

Gio hears it. “Elio.”

I clear my throat. “Mmhmm.”

“We’ll find her.”

I nod, even though he can’t see it. “Start locking things down,” I mutter. “I’ll be in touch.”

I hang up before he can respond, already dialing another number.

Steven. The one man I trust to keep everything from imploding when shit hits the fan.

The phone rings once. Twice.

He picks up, calm as always. “Talk to me.”

“Nica’s gone,” I bite out, jaw clenched tight. “I need you at the mansion. Now.”

“Understood. I’ll get the team in motion.”

I end the call and stare at the screen, the gnawing in my gut growing sharper, deeper. Her name echoes in my skull like a fucking siren.

Nica. I can’t lose her. Not now. Not after everything.

I dial Jackson next, pacing like a caged animal. Each step reverberates with the raw edge of adrenaline slicing through my veins.

He answers, his voice thick with booze. “Elio? W-what the hell’s going on?”

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