Page 124 of Silk and Sirens

The strain in Brooke’s shoulders immediately vanished. “Thanks, Aeris.”

“This one! This one!” August chanted, having changed his mind from the train to a red car.

“I want that one!” Oscar moaned, trying to snatch the same car while Brooke attempted to separate them.

I scanned across the row of colourful toys until I spotted an identical car on the opposite side of the stall. Looking up, I went to call out to Oscar when my gaze collided with a pair of mismatched eyes: one dark brown, the other green tinged with a touch of yellow.

Renley stood across the bustling market, completely motionless amid the flowing crowd, staring straight at me.

My stomach plummeted, ice flooding my veins when his gaze dropped to Oscar, who was tugging at my dress.

“Aunty Aeris!”

I grabbed his hand and immediately turned to Brooke. “I have to go,” I said, handing her Oscar and then enough cash to cover the cars. “I’m sorry.”

“Aeris—”

I didn’t hear the rest of her words, blood roaring in my ears as I quickly moved away, eyes scanning the crowd as I made my way to the edge of the market.

“There you are,” Renley said, coming up from behind. He grabbed my upper arm, pulling me tight against him. “Stay quiet, and I won’t hurt your cute little family.”

He gestured to our right, where I spotted one of Selene’s men hovering nearby.

“Drop your phone on the floor, otherwise I’ll give him the signal to kill them.”

I followed the order, and Renley immediately stomped on my phone several times until it was broken beyond repair.

“What do you want?” I whispered, trying not to draw attention as he tugged me towards a waiting car. “Does Selene know about this?”

“Who do you think sent me?” Renley sniggered, shoving me inside. I was forced to sit in the middle, a strange man to my left and Renley crushing against me to my right.

I flinched when I realised there was someone sitting opposite, his body slumped to the side with his mouth gaping open. He had no tongue, and blood glistened down his front from where his throat had been slit.

“Now, if you don’t want to end up like this poor, unfortunate soul, I suggest you sit there and don’t fight.”

I tensed, recognising the body as one of Caden’s men.

The driver waited a moment more before the man who’d been walking near Brooke and the kids slipped into the front passenger side.

“It seems Vivienne’s missing,” Renley said, his fingers brushing slowly down my thigh, deceptively gentle. “Know anything about that?”

“Have you tried calling her?” I replied, keeping my voice flat.

His fingers suddenly dug in hard enough to bruise. I bit the inside of my cheek, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a sound.

“I don’t know where Vivienne is. Probably off partying somewhere.”

His grip loosened, only for his hand to slide higher up my thigh, slipping beneath the hem of my dress. I moved to slap his hand away, but the man on my left caught my wrist.

“Let me go,” I said calmly, fighting the instinct to recoil as Renley’s fingers brushed between my legs.

Renley’s smirk was cold and cruel. “No, I don’t think I will.”

I closed my eyes, trying to stop the way my lungs tightened.

“No, no. Don’t do that.” Fingers pinched my face, and my eyes opened to find Renley had moved his face closer to mine. “Don’t hide from me. You know how much I like it when you cry.”

“Touch me again,” I hissed, “and I’ll make sure your death is as painful as possible.”