Page 79 of Set In Stone

He glanced down at the picture of himself with Alexander andJustine.

“I’ve protected them for as long as I can remember. But, I might not be able to anymore.” He paused and took on a faraway look. After a moment, he continued. “I told you once before that he needs you. He’ll be needing you now more thanever.”

29

alexander

When I returnedto Mrs. Fulton’s room, I found Hale and Krystina staring oddly at one another. Krystina looked concerned, yet confused. Hale on the other hand, looked uncharacteristicallytroubled.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. Hale looked at me with a pained expression. It was rather alarming. “Is it yourmother?”

I looked past him and saw she was sitting peacefully in her chair, just as she was when I left theroom.

“Mr. Stone, I need you and Miss Cole to come withme.”

I stared at him inconfusion.

“Hale, tell me now. What is goingon?”

“Just please, followme.”

He walked out of the room, leaving Krystina and I little choice but to follow him. I was somewhat taken aback. Hale never ignored a direct question from me. I looked toKrystina.

“What happened when I was gone?” I asked her quietly as wewalked.

“I don’t know. Hale’s mother had some kind of a panic episode. He calmed her down and then told me that he had to tell you something. I don’t know what though, because you came back right after he saidit.”

“Something isn’t right,” I murmured, more to myself thanher.

Hale came to a stop in front of a closed door. It appeared to lead to a room for anotherresident.

“She’s sleeping, so please keep your voice down,” Hale toldus.

“Who’s sleeping? For the second time, what the fuck is going on?” I asked, now feeling indisputably pissed off over the unexplainedsecrecy.

He didn’t answer, but turned the knob and pushed the door open. A sinking feeling began to form in my gut, yet I didn’t know why. I only knew that I had never once seen Hale behave the way that hewas.

I stepped into the room and was momentarily stunned by who I saw. Justine sat in a chair in front of a bed. I saw the outline of a person under the bedsheets, someone that I could only assume to be a patient. However, I could care less about who it was, as I was too shocked to see mysister.

“Justine! Where the hell have youbeen?”

She held a finger to her lips to quiet me and motioned to the person in thebed.

“I…I’ve been here,” she saidsoftly.

“Here? In a goddamn nursing home?” I shook my head in confusion. “Why haven’t you returned any of mycalls?”

She looked at Hale, and her eyes welled up withtears.

“I’m so sorry,Alex.”

I looked back and forth between the two ofthem.

“Sorry for what? What in holy hell is goingon?”

She stood up, stepped to the side, and looked down at the person in the bed. My gaze followed hers, still not understanding why Justine was evenhere.

My eyes landed on an older woman, her dark hair was streaked with gray and fanned out over the pillow. She was sleeping, her pale lidded eyes fluttering as if she were experiencing a dream. She looked frail, but…familiar.