Page 170 of Vicious Hearts

“Oh,come on,Una!” she laughs. “It’s just Mom, now!”

The room starts to swim and fade in and out of focus. My pulse feels so, so fucking slow.

“Take a little nap, sweetheart. Pretty soon, they’ll be here. They’ll all be here. Then, once they’re—”

“Who…”

“Why, his killers, of course. Neve…”

Oh God.

“And thathorribleAres.”

Please no. Please don’t come for me.

“And of course, that monster of a husband of yours, Cillian.”

A single tear drips down my face as my body starts to succumb to the blackness.

“They…won’t…”

She laughs. “Oh, but of course they will! I guarantee it!”

I feel her hand jam into the back pocket of my jeans and yank my phone out. She holds it up to my face, and I flinch and go to shut my eyes, but it’s too late. The phone unlocks.

“Now, give me a sec, sweetheart. This reunion is missing justonelast thing.”

She touches something on the phone and brings it to her ear. “Oh, hi!” she chirps. “Is this Neve?”

“No…”

Oh my God, Neve…

“Hi, Neve. I’m a good friend of Una’s, and I think she’s having a few stomach problems. We were having dinner at my place and…yes, exactly.”

“You’re…a monster…”

My voice is barely more than a breath as everything shuts down.

“Look, she can obviously stay here as long as she wants, but I’m afraid I don’t drive, and I wouldn’t want to put her in a taxi in her condition…Oh!Wouldyou? I’m sure she just needs a hot bath and some rest. Of course. Let me give you my address.”

I start to cry as the grin widens on Gail’s face.

“Excellent. Okay, Neve—oh, no, notat all!Of course, I’dloveto meet your husband as well. I’ll see you both soon!”

She ends the call. Her gaze swivels to where I’m quietly sobbing on the floor as the darkness threatens to engulf me.

“Don’t you want to know what our little reunion is missing?” Her lips curl into a snarl. “A blood sacrifice.”

My heart wrenches as my vision dims to nothing.

“They’ll all come, Una,” she sighs quietly. “And then they’ll die.”

41

CILLIAN

The doorto Gail’s SoHo apartment is already cracked open when I approach. Gun out, my pulse boiling like napalm in my veins, I ease it open with my foot.

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