Page 98 of The Don's Secret Heir

27

LIANA

I slowly wake, but it seems like everything matters a little less than it did before I went to sleep. Whatever was in that syringe....

I blink slowly, hearing Sonny crying softly.

“She’s been asleep too long,” he says, and I manage to look at him, giving him a weak smile. “Mama!”

He throws his arms around me and I make an “oof” sound, feeling weak and exhausted.

“Hey there, sleepyhead,” Beth chirps as if nothing is awry. “You’re finally up.”

“What did you give me?” I hiss, but it comes out weak and slow.

“Just something to help you sleep. You needed the rest.”

“Beth, you can’t justdrug me-”

“I didn’t...” she pauses. “Well, you made me.”

Her words are almost scolding. She’s lost her mind.

Dario was right. She was trying to kill him. Was she trying to kill me, too? Sonny?

“You have to let us out of here, Beth.”

“I’ve almost got the car ready. My car. Of course we’ll have to use mine instead. We’ll leave yours here.”

“Beth, where are we going?”

“I told you. Somewhere safe. Somewhere that Dario can’t get to you. Or Sonny.”

I try to move my arms, and there’s nothing. Everything on my body feels so heavy. I can’t even lift my legs.

“Beth... why? Why go after Dario?”

She scoffs. “Don’t you know? He’s always had everything I wanted. He was the golden boy, you know. Nothing could touch him. Least of all me. He inherited everything, got all the power. He doesn’t get to have you and Sonny, too. Know why?”

I shake my head.

“Because you’remine,” she says, her eyes too bright. “You always have been, ever since we were kids. He can’t take you away from me. Not even by marrying you. Because you came to your senses, didn’t you?”

“B-beth, you’ve got to let me go.”

Where’s my phone? Too far away. Over in my purse on the nightstand. And with how heavy my limbs feel, I’ll never make it over there.

I glance at Sonny and he bites his lip, his thumb hovering over his mouth. He’s just stopped sucking it at night. My little boy.

“Mama needs her phone,” I whisper, so quietly that I almost mouth the words.

Sonny nods almost imperceptibly. When Beth gets up to pack up some more of our things, he grabs my phone out of my purse and hands it to me, quickly.

I fumble open my phone and find Dario’s contact, sending four letters:help.

Now I just hope he gets the message before it’s too late.

I drift back off and when I wake again, Beth is hauling me up into a standing position. I don’t fight her. I can’t. Everything seems so far away.