Ashes of Betrayal

Stella forgot the rest of it. She was at the boy's side in two strides.

The skin on him was already pink, then red. Hives rose in a pattern across his belly and his shoulders. His face was hot.

Stella's eyes flooded with red. She turned and grabbed me by the collar.

"What did you do to my son?"

I shook my head. The grip cut off my air.

"Tell me, what did you put on the clothes? What did you do to Zane?"

Her voice was shredded.

"You animal! He's a baby. You're as evil as that old man of yours!"

The words went through me like a hot iron.

"I didn't… I didn't do anything to him."

I had not. I would never. There was no way I would do anything to a baby.

To Stella, that meant nothing.

"You're saying it was Hudson? He is the boy's father. A father wouldn't hurt his own son."

I had no answer.

She let me go. Her gaze shifted to the urn in my arms.

"You won't take this when it's offered? Then I am taking it from you.

"You will not see your father's ashes again."

She reached.

The blood in my arms went cold. The control I had been holding cracked.

"Please… please don't. It wasn't me. I'll do anything, anything you want. Just don't."

I was about to fall to my knees again. I would have. The pride and dignity I'd had walking in here had been gone for hours.

I just wanted my father back in my arms.

That was when the noise hit the house.

A black SUV came through the front gate, straight into the living room.

The floor-to-ceiling windows shattered. Glass flew everywhere.

Through the dust, the driver's side door was thrown open.

A tall figure stepped out, backlit. I could not see her face.

I knew her from the way she carried herself.

Cassia Wynn.

The fear and grief I had been holding in broke loose the moment I saw her.

"Cassia!"

My voice came out hoarse as I shouted with everything I had:

"Save my father! Hurry, save my father!"