room as Mona and took a deep breath, filling my lungs. I could smell Richard in here but nothing else. "So he had to get out by himself."
"That's not possible." Tommy marched into the room. "It would be hard enough for him to get out but with his mother too?"
"What about the cameras?" Kassie and the other guard walked into the room with us. "Didn't they see anything?"
"No." The male guard's shoulders sagged. "It was like they all blacked out. We thought it was a technical issue."
"Did the other prisoner see anything?" Mason's body was tense and ready to pounce.
"Well, yeah. Kind of." The lady ran her hand through her dark brown hair. "Gabby was loose in the hallway when we got here."
"Is that the girl who had the hots for your dad?" Ella glanced down the hallway like she might appear.
"She means the former king." Louis shook his head and grinned.
"They knew what she meant." Kassie rolled her eyes and focused on the guard. "What did she say?"
"She hasn't been really forthcoming with information." The male guard cringed. "The only place they could've exited was the stairwell."
"You're right, but how?" Tommy headed out of the room and turned down the hallway in the direction where the other exit must have been.
"I'm going with him." Kassie marched out the door and turned to Mona. "Why don't the rest of you go and talk to Gabby. Maybe she’d be willing to talk to someone in this group."
"Okay, let's do this." Mona pulled some keys out of her pocket and walked to the door directly across the hall. She inserted a key, and soon I heard a click.
I need you to stay next to me. Mason snagged my waist and turned me so I was facing him. I get that this is important and you need to be involved. But don’t leave my side. I can’t be worried about something happening to you.
It hurt that he worried so much. I go where you go. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his lips quickly.
He nodded and gripped my hand like he thought I might disappear as we entered the room.
"Well, well ..." A woman who had to be in her mid-forties stood only a few feet shy of the entrance. "This has been such a weird day. I've had so many visitors." She straightened her shoulders, and some of her midnight black hair fell into her face. Her dark mocha eyes skimmed the group, stopping right on me.
"Cut the crap." Mona entered the room and motioned for us to follow her. "Tell us what you know."
"So you're the bitch that she birthed." Gabby sneered and took a few steps toward me. “You have her red hair and his blue eyes. What an abomination.”
"She is your queen." Mason moved in front of me, his body ready to fight. "You can't talk to her that way."
“Wow, this girl is whack.” Ella murmured behind me, whispering it into Louis’s ear.
"Actually, I can, snowflake." Gabby tsked as her eyes scanned him up and down before landing back on me. "Of course, the most attractive man here would be mated to Serafina's spawn."
"Hey, my mate is sexy too." Ella pointed at Louis.
The woman didn't even bother noting her presence. "They said it would be worth it for me to stay back."
"They? Who do you mean?" She seemed fixated on me, so maybe I'd have better luck. I needed Mason to get out of my damn way so I could get some answers.
"Do you think I'm dumb enough to tell you that?" She giggled loudly and looked almost crazed. "Of course you do. I bet you're just like her."
"Like who?" I had a feeling it had to do with Mom.
"The same red hair, the inflated ego, how you expect me to tell you all my deep dark secrets." She pulled at the ends of her hair. "All so superficial, but yet he fell for it."
"They were fated mates. They didn't have a choice." Maybe if I pushed her, she'd start rambling, not thinking through what to say.
Be careful. Mason linked with me and edged even more in front, his back brushing my chest. She's making me nervous.
"You see, Corey was mine." She shook her head and spat at the ground. "I don't understand what he saw in you and not me."
"Holy shit." Louis stood behind me, but even he took a step closer as if she might attack me at any second. "She's merging you with your mother."
These