Page 94 of The Don's Secret Heir

“But nothing, Liana. I have to keep you and Sonny safe, don’t I?”

Something’s wrong with her. Either that, or I’m really still asleep and dreaming all of this. Beth doesn’t act this way.

We always talk everything through.

It’s going to be fine, isn’t it?

I just... I just have to listen to Beth.

“Where are we going?” I ask in a small voice.

“Somewhere safe. He’s following you, you know. He has something in your car or in your purse—I don’t know, we’ll figure it out, though. You can buy new things when we get to where we’re going.”

“Which iswhere, Beth?”

“This will all be eaiser if you get some rest, Liana.”

I swallow hard as she pulls something out of her bag and walks toward me. I can’t quite see it. She’s keeping it behind her back.

“I’m not tired.” I don’t mean to be stubborn but I’m not. I’ve never felt so awake in my whole life.

“Just a little nap, honey,” she croons, stepping closer. I try to scramble across the bed, to shield Sonny. It’s too late. Beth grabs my arm and sticks a needle into it.

“What did you—” I start, and then words stop making sense. I mumble something incoherent, feeling like I’m far away, outside my body. I slowly slip into darkness.

“Just a little nap,” Beth says, and it’s the last words I hear for a long time.

26

DARIO

A few more shots of tequila later, Rocco and I make the unanimous decision to go back out.

“We’re finally going to get you laid,” Rocco says, his words slurred around the edges, and I shrug.

I don’t have the heart to tell him I’m not interested.

All I want is Liana back. I want to hold her close, beg her to tell me why she left, what I did wrong. To tell me so that I can fix it.

I’m past hating her. I just want her back.

But she doesn’t want me. I have to accept that, don’t I?

So what’s there to do other than bury myself in someone else?

We walk the couple of blocks to the club and it feels like we teleport there, given the amount of alcohol in our bloodstreams.

The redhead who flirted with me before is still there, and she makes a beeline to me, smiling and cupping my face with one hand.

“You look like you’ve been through it, honey,” she whispers close to my ear, and I give her a sheepish smile.

“Maybe.”

“Some girl did you wrong?”

I look down at her, surprised by her astuteness.

I nod slowly, and she wraps her arms around my neck.