“I owe you. And those kids—” her voice cracks, and I can hear the pain in it.

“Siren?”

“Zeke and I will get Atlas back while you and Liesel get Rose. Has Beckett found Declan yet?”

“No, but Liesel is talking to Beckett now and letting him know to search for a club. That should help them narrow down their search.”

“Good.”

“Siren, are you sure? Liesel and I can come after we finish here.”

“I’m sure. My heart isn’t whole until yours is. I don’t care who I have to fuck or my husband fucks or kills—we are going to get Atlas back tonight.”

“Thank you,” I exhale, able to breathe a little easier now that there’s hope that two of our kids are going to be safe tonight.

I end the call at the same time Liesel does. Her face is so drained, her eyes heavy, her body frail. She needs sleep, rest, food, but all of that will have to wait until we get the kids back.

“Siren and Zeke are going to enter the yacht club by winning the sex game. They are going to get Atlas back tonight while we get Rose.”

Liesel nods her head, tears watering her eyes with a tiny glint of relief.

I pull her into my chest, wishing I could do more to comfort her.

“Beckett said he would find the club. He said if he finds it, he’ll enter it too. He’ll do whatever it takes to get Declan back.”

With Liesel in my arms, it’s almost like I can breathe again. Almost.

“We are going to get them back,” I say. I’m not sure why I ever doubted my friends. They are all going beyond what I would ever ask them to do to save my children. I automatically forgive them for anything they’ve done.

“We are going to get them back so they can be with their father,” Liesel mumbles into my chest.

I grab her cheeks and force her to look up at me. “We are going to get them back so they can be with their father and mother.”

A tear rolls down Liesel’s cheek. There is so much pain in that single tear, so much heartbreak.

Heartbreak I won’t let her go through alone.

Liesel doesn’t think she’s deserving of being a mother. She doesn’t think she belongs in our kids’ lives. She’s wrong, and this time I’m not giving her a choice. When we get our children back, she’s going to meet them. Then she’ll realize just how much they need her in their lives.

8

Liesel

Beckett found the third club, so we’re all going to try to rescue them at the same time. We have some really good friends willing to go this far to get our kids back.

I paint my lips with red lipstick as I finish getting ready in the bathroom. My dress is silver and sparkly as it clings to my curves and down to the floor, revealing plenty of cleavage as well. We don’t know exactly what we are facing, but we have an idea after the yacht game we played.

It will be difficult and test our limits. Luckily we have none when it comes to getting the kids back.

I don’t know if Beckett, Siren, or Zeke will succeed, but I’m beyond grateful that they are willing to try.

There’s a light knock on the bathroom door. My stomach rumbles as I stand and open the door.

“You look beautiful,” Kai says, standing in the bathroom door.

I smile at her, but it’s fake.

“Do you need anything else? Food?”


Tags: Ella Miles Lies Dark