Page 77 of Wicked Promises (Fallen Royals 3)

“Honestly,” I whisper-yell. “What are we doing?”

“This has to be why Matt sent Caleb here. He can’t be on positive terms with his mother if she left him to…” Riley presses her lips together. She’s no doubt remembering the night we rescued Caleb from his uncle’s house.

She’s right, of course. His uncle is a monster, and his mother abandoned him.

Something crashes, and we both jump.

I twist around and catch a flash of dark hair through the window into the kitchen.

When Lydia doesn’t reappear, I glance at Riley. “Should we check on her?”

Riley shrugs. “Maybe? Give her a minute.”

We do. There’s another crash, and then the sound of voices.

“This is weird.” My skin crawls. “I have a bad feeling about this…”

Riley leans toward me. “You said your dad didn’t kill her husband. What if she had something to do with it?”

“Then… we’re alone with a dangerous woman.”

“No!” Lydia yells from the back room.

We both shoot to our feet, grabbing our stuff.

Riley yanks me toward the entrance. “Move, Margo. Come on.”

The kitchen door flies open, and my mouth drops.

I stop moving. Stop… everything.

Breathing.

Thinking.

My mother… in front of me at last.

She glares at me. Her hair is pulled back, mostly covered by a black bandana. Chef’s coat. Wrinkles across her tanned face. Thin. Angry. She raises her hands, and I’m pretty sure she’s about to shoo us away or, I don’t know. Flip me off, maybe?

I shudder.

Riley keeps guiding me away. Maybe she can see the family resemblance, or maybe she’s just freaked out about this woman’s sudden appearance.

“Margo,” Riley pleads.

Mom opens her mouth, but my shoulder hits the doorframe.

It knocks some sense into me.

Spinning around, I finally go with Riley. My feet move fast, almost outrunning my friend. We sprint to her car and fall into it.

“Go, go, go.” I stare at the entrance.

Mom bursts out just as Riley turns onto the street, and we fly past her.

Around the corner.

Shit.

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