Page 536 of Reign

The phone rings.

Once. Twice.

Then—

“Hello?”

Every person in the room goes still.

Ayla puts the call on speaker. “Bring her back.”

Silence.

Then Santiago sighs.

“Oh, Ayla.” His voice changes. “You’re really in the life, aren’t you?”

“I thought you weren’t.” Ayla’s jaw tightens. “Not anymore. You’re doing Arsen’s business now?”

“Ayla, you know it’s not like that.”

“I thought you were out.”

“There’s no out when it comes to Arsen.”

Ayla says nothing.

“You know that better than anybody,” he adds.

Korsakov’s expression darkens.

Whatever history exists there can wait.

“Bring Valentina back,” Ayla says. “Whatever’s going on with your brother, we’ll figure it out.”

“I can’t.”

Everything inside me tightens.

Elena’s hand closes around my shoulder.

“What do you mean you can’t?” Ayla asks.

“It’s too late.”

I reach for the phone. Ayla pulls it away before I can take it.

Korsakov moves between us.

I look at him.

His expression hardens.

Ayla grips the phone harder. “What the fuck does that mean, Santi?”

A pause.

Then—