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.”

Maddox slammed the steering wheel. “Flynn’s a

Maddox. I’ve had enough for one

he knew all about her mother’s

really trust him

what else did he say?”

wants to meet someone from the Perez family.

darkened. “He’s seen Dad and Yuri. What the fuck does he want next—to see Natalia and

don’t you think he wants to see you

Maddox scoffed. “Maybe he wants both of us to

said there are things in this world that defy description. Only the ordinary can

The ramblings of a madman, yet strangely

smiled faintly, choosing

at her home before driving

Vivienne sank into the bathtub, lost

Perez family, but who was

of the Perez family in her mind. Then her

Willa.

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

towel to dry her hair, and then

the search for Vesper going?” She

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

the first time Draven felt this frustrated since

they could not obtain the tiniest information about him, not even his residence

would not be easy to track. “Stop chasing shadows then. What about the other

was a pause on the other end, and then Draven said, “Vivienne,

is it?” Vivienne

rarely described someone

I thought it was the Perez family cleaning

the steam, and opened the

mysterious force backing

just one but two assignments, Draven found it hard to

never encountered a task it could not tackle. Yet now, they had hit two dead ends

blame him. After all, the two people she had tasked the Nine Mystics Society to investigate were unlike

Draven’s capabilities but rather on how much the person they