Drake pushed on one of her arms and made her cry out in pain. "Yeah, it is."
Colton and Tyson yanked Aaron up off the floor. "Who is this guy?"
"You are never going to believe this." In as few words as possible, Sarah spilled out the story about Aaron being a member of Danielle’s family.
Logan shook his head. "My wife is not going to be happy about this. I don't even think she knew she had any of this part of the family left."
"Danielle has nothing to do with this scumbag," Sarah replied, "and I think he should be returned to his kingdom and dealt with by those he conned."
Luke shook his head. "Unbelievable. All these years, you were nothing but a fraud to an entire kingdom. I have to give it to you, though. You're good at your deceit." He put his arm around Sarah. "I'll have my guards lock them up," he eyed the room Sarah had been in, "in a proper prison, and we'll deal with them later. We need to go let your mother know that you're safe."
"No one is going anywhere."
The guard who had brought Sarah food stood in the doorway. He had a gun pointed right at her. "Anyone moves, and the baby gets it."
Aaron yanked away from Colton. "Don't shoot the baby. Anyone else, but not the baby." He looked at Drake. "Let her go."
Luke moved in front of Sarah. "Really, Gerard. They turned you against me?"
The guard, Gerard, shrugged. "Pay was better."
Sarah felt every muscle in Luke's body stiffen. She put a hand on his shoulder. She didn't need him getting shot.
"Is that why you killed my mother? And my father? And poisoned my grandmother and sister? Because the pay was better? And where the hell did you get a gun?" Luke asked him. "We don't even have weapons here."
Aaron chuckled. "It pays to blend in with the human world. I can bring back all sorts of things to this realm." He moved closer to Gerard. "What is the saying in the movies? Don't bring a dragon to a gun fight?"
“You started the fires at our ranch.” Sarah didn’t expect an answer. She already knew.
Luke turned to Kayleigh. "Did my father know?"
She met his gaze. "Know what?"
"About you. Your father. That he was involved in the original theft of the idol. That he was a fake in his own kingdom."
She laughed hysterically. "Your father was so stiff, there was no way we were getting him to bend on the rules of black and white. I didn’t think we were ever going to get Gerard to turn. Do you know how long it took us to do that?"
"Kayleigh!" Her father ordered her to be silent.
Sarah stepped around Luke. "Gerard poisoned King Ardec."
Gerard shifted uncomfortably, giving away his guilt. "It had to be done."
"How?" Luke demanded. "Did you poison my mother, too?"
No one would answer him. Gerard backed toward the door as the Hales moved closer to him. "Everyone stay back. I don't want to shoot anyone, but I will."
Sarah didn't think she had ever seen Colton so furious. His skin was almost purple. She gained his attention and gave a quick shake of her head to keep him from doing something and getting hurt.
“Did you set the fires at our ranch, too?” Colton asked Gerard. “Were you trying to burn us out just to scare us?
Gerard’s hand shook, a dead giveaway of his guilt. “Get back.”
“What about the note, Gerard?” Luke asked. “Did you intercept a message to me, or my father, and respond to it?”
“You’re giving him too much credit,” Aaron answered. “I replied to the message in attempts to keep them out of it. See, I’m not such a horrible guy. I just needed Sarah, not the entire family interfering.”
Sarah just stared at him. “You son of a bitch. You knew I’d think it came from Luke.”
