Page 154 of Their Little Ghost

“No smile?” I mock. “I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

“I already told Aiden.” He sighs deeply, pushing his slipping glasses wearily back into position. “We’re on track.”

I don’t like his abrupt tone and slam my fists on his desk, making him jump. He shrinks back in his seat, remembering his place. We’re in charge, and he better remember that.

“I don’t need to remind you how important this is,” I snarl. “After tomorrow, we’re gone. All four of us. That’s what you want too, isn’t it?”

“I did everything you asked.”

“And the car?”

“All sorted,” he says, passing me a set of keys. “All the preparations are made. Does Sarah know?”

“Yes,” I say. “Aiden wanted me to remind you of what will happen if you screw us over. Your wife’s pregnant, isn’t she?”

His face pales. “How do you?—”

“We know everything,” I interrupt. “A bouncing baby boy is on the way. A mini Doctor Warner! We all want to make sure that he grows up with parents, don’t we?”

“Everything is sorted.” His bottom lip trembles. “I promise.”

Threatening his family is a low blow, even for us, but nothing is off limits when our freedom is at stake.

“Good,” I say. “And the supply of drugs?”

He opens the top draw of his desk, fumbling around with shaking fingers to retrieve a box. “Everything you need is here.”

“Now I need you to explain exactly how it works,” I say. “The dosage, the effects, how long it will last. Everything.”

For our plan to work, I need to be prepared. I already have some understanding following my time as Acacia’s test subject. When Acacia held me hostage in the lead-up to Erin’s death, I spent days drifting in and out of consciousness. During my stretches of time awake, I took in my surroundings. I paid careful attention to the chemical names, watching how he mixedthem together, and what he muttered as he made notes. Naively, I had hoped that by understanding how Acacia’s drug worked, I’d be able to reverse its effects. However, it was too strong, and Erin died before I had the opportunity.

“Do you have any questions?” Doctor Warner asks after spending almost an hour explaining in painstaking detail how the drug worked. It was easy enough to follow. If Sunnycrest hadn’t stolen my potential, I’d have made an excellent scientist. My mind works logically, and I have a natural understanding of the subject.

“Only one,” I say. “Do you have any spare implants?”

“Spares?” He frowns. “Well, I guess so, but I don’t see why you’d need them.”

“We’ll need some of those,” I say. “Just in case.”

There’s no room for error. I’ve let down the guys once before—it’s my fault Erin died, and we lost a year with Sarah. I won’t let that happen again. I’m not losing her, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her.

CHAPTER

FORTY-SIX

SARAH

I stareat a crack on the wall, waiting for them to come.

Underneath my skin, Erin stirs, unable to express her anxiety. I wish she’d give it a rest as keeping calm is already difficult enough without dealing with her jittery energy.

“I thought you said we could trust them,” I say in accusation.

“You can!” Erin replies.

“Then will you calm the fuck down?” I snap. “You’re making me antsy.”

I’ve always been short-tempered and quick to act, while Erin was more patient and calculated.