The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Flynn took a deep breath. Sure enough, the agony coursing through him was beginning to subside.

He sat up straight, his gaze steady on Vivienne. “You came all this way to see me. What else do you want to know?”

Vivienne tossed her lollipop into the trash can without a second thought. “I’m more interested in what you have to say.”

“I have nothing to say to you.” Flynn leaned against the headboard, his eyes closing, signaling he was done talking.

Vivienne, unfazed, shifted to a more comfortable position. “Is the infamous F-Poison your mentor? Is he dead?”

A flicker passed through Flynn’s eyes, but he remained silent.

“You’re not still waiting for F-Poison to come to rescue you, are you? That’s naive, Uncle Flynn!”

Standing up, Vivienne seemed ready to leave.

That got a reaction. Flynn called out to her, “You’re here to get the scoop on your mom’s abduction, right? Sasha’s.”

Vivienne froze, a piercing look shooting from her eyes like daggers sinking deep into Flynn’s skin.

Suddenly, Flynn felt as if flames were raging inside him, threatening to consume him entirely.

“Vivienne, I’m the only one in this world who knows what happened to your mom after she was taken. If you want the truth, you must cure me of this poison!”

Vivienne’s gaze softened, and Flynn felt immediate relief.

Struggling to his feet, Flynn approached the balcony. “Bring someone from the Perez family to see me.”

Vivienne’s frown deepened, but she left without a word.

Flynn chuckled, his eyes glinting with meaning. “There are things in this world that defy description. Only the ordinary can be understood.”

Vivienne gave Flynn a long, hard look before walking out of the stifling cell and exhaling heavily outside.

Maddox opened the car door for her. “How did it go?” He asked.

Vivienne shook her head. “He didn’t spill anything.”

steering wheel.

I’ve had

all

trust him

Vivienne, what else did he say?” Maddox asked as he

from the Perez family. Didn’t

and Yuri. What the fuck does he want

looked up. “Uncle, why don’t you think he wants to see you

How could he know that Diana and I are in Rivenwood?” Maddox

defy description. Only the ordinary

shook his head. “Who knows? The ramblings of a madman, yet strangely

smiled faintly, choosing to remain

her off at her home

Vivienne sank into the bathtub, lost in

from the Perez family, but who was he most

of the Perez family in her mind. Then her eyes snapped

Willa.

F-Poisons’ apprentice, and Willa was his only daughter. Flynn would want to see the

to dry her hair, and then reached

the search for Vesper going?”

even get a bead on him,” Draven complained. “Our guys

was the first time Draven felt this frustrated since he joined the Nine

feet, and after so many days, they could not obtain the

expected. She was well aware that someone like Vesper would not be

pause on the other end, and then Draven said,

is it?” Vivienne asked,

described someone

every time I get close. At first, I thought it was the Perez family cleaning up, but it’s not them. They lost Willa’s trail

the steam, and opened the bathroom door.

voice thick with concern. “There’s a mysterious force backing

two assignments, Draven found it

it could not tackle. Yet now, they had hit two dead ends in rapid succession, a blow that Draven could

two people she had tasked the Nine Mystics Society to investigate were unlike any they had

Draven’s capabilities but rather on how much the