Page 103 of Bad Medicine

Gregor let out a caustic laugh.

“Innocent? Hardly. The woman stole my son from me.”

“You were gone,” Mia defended. “And you’d given me a fake name. How was I even supposed to find you?”

“Right, and I’m sure the dead body on the kitchen floor had nothing to do with your choice to keep me in the dark about my only child.”

“I—you knew? That I had seen you? How?”

“You weren’t exactly silent when you were fleeing up the stairs like your ass was on fire, Mia. I waited for you to say something, call me out on what you’d seen, but you stayed silent. So I figured you were smart enough to know I’d have killed you if you talked.”

“But—”

“Enough. I don’t have time for more trips down memory lane with you. Bring me what belongs to me, and then we’ll talk.”

“I will,” Mia gasped, ignoring my scowl. There was no fuckin’ way in hell I was letting her get anywhere near that crazy fuck. “Please, let me talk to Jasper. I just want to know he’s alright.”

The line was silent for a moment, then the sound of a door opening and closing came over the line.

“Mom?” came Jasper’s hesitant voice.

“Hey, little man,” Mia answered, her whole body shaking as she spoke. I pressed close, wrapping my arm around her shoulders to offer her support. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“I’m okay.” Jasper sounded worried and a little confused, but overall, he seemed just fine. “When can I come home?”

“Soon, buddy,” I said, wanting him to know I was listening. “We’re gonna come get you real soon, okay?”

“Okay, Rocco.”

“You’re so brave, baby.” Mia was crying now, her words strained as she fought to keep her cool on the phone. “I am so proud of you. I love you so much, Jasper. So, so much.”

“I love you too, Mommy. Rocco?”

“Yeah, buddy?”

“When I get home, can you tuck me in again?”

Fuck, now I was feeling shaky.

“Sure thing, buddy. Every night.”

“That’s enough.” Gregor’s angry voice cut in, the sound of the door closing again feeling like a hammer blow to my chest. “Tomorrow, I expect Mia to deliver my product to me. Alone. Then you can have the boy.”

“Someplace public,” I demanded. If Mia was gonna have to do this, I didn’t want her to be alone with him for even a second. “Someplace on neutral ground.”

“Alright,” he conceded, sounding thoughtful. “Turns out my boy has a fondness for tigers.”

In my mind, I could see Jasper, snuggled down in his bed, that stuffed white tiger tucked in next to him, and for a second, I could barely breathe.

I wanted to kill Gregor so fuckin’ bad. I wanted to beat the ever lovin’ fuck outta the man who was hurting Mia and Jasper by keeping them apart.

“Tomorrow, noon. Meet me in theSecret Garden, atTheMirage. You bring my product, and I’ll bring the boy.”

Well, that certainly fit the bill. This close to Christmas, with travelers and holiday makers flooding the streets, that place would be busy as fuck.

“I’ll be there,” Mia swore.

“Good, because Mia? If you fuck this up, you’ll never see the kid again. I guarantee it.”