His Precious Love

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It took Rayna several minutes to download the audio clip. After reducing the volume, she held the device beside her ear.

The audio clip began with only the sound of footsteps before various other noises joined the cacophony as if somebody was watching television.

Rayna sped the clip up.

After listening for a while, she put the playback speed back to normal when she detected the sound of somebody opening the door to enter the room.

“I bought you some strawberries and cherries, Kristie.” A low male voice sounded from the audio clip, followed by the sound of footsteps. “I’ll rinse them in the kitchen, then watch television with you. How does that sound?”

Kristie hummed her assent.

Having listened to the dialogue, Rayna assumed from Kristie’s state that it was during the interval when Curtis brought her back from Yartran.

Why did Ringo’s people plant a bug in Kristie’s place at that time?

She did not delve into it but instead pressed the phone against her ear and listened intently.

Curtis’ tone was gentle when he spoke to Kristie, but she merely responded with noncommittal grunts no matter what he said.

Rayna could sense how awful Curtis must have felt.

Feeling awful herself, she once again sped up the clip.

After a while, Rayna heard the sound of the doorbell, followed by Jeremy’s and Wyatt’s voices.

The group chatted a little while until Jeremy suddenly said, “Have James come over, Curtis. You saw how much Kristie wanted to see him when I showed her his photograph.”

“That’s unnecessary. I don’t need outsiders to be concerned about my sister.”

Silence befell the group.

“Ms. Garland called me, Curtis. She wants to help Jefferson, but she requires the signatures of the politicians who attended the party. It just so happens I’m on that list too.”

“We have long since severed ties,” Curtis said blandly. “There’s no need to consider my feelings.” A while later, Curtis asked Jeremy, “When is the party?”

“Two months from now.”

of the time and place,”

is Arnaud’s turf, Curtis. If you send James, we may not be able to rescue him if he’s

if there’s nothing

clip ended at that point. Rayna’s eyes were wide with

how James could have gotten such an accurate inkling of Arnaud’s movements and how he had managed to ambush the latter from

out it was Curtis who told him all of

phone vibrated at

and felt her head

a photograph of an emerald pendant smeared

for James. She would recognize

believe

of the emerald pendant, Rayna

Curtis drag my brother into this and send him to

heart broke when he thought of the

and fell limply onto the floor, startling the others

saw Rayna on the floor, he

over, he calmly ordered Kristie, who

she saw the sun shining outside the window. It looked as if it was

remembered fainting the night

by the recollection of the prior night, Rayna scrambled to locate her phone but could not find it despite her prolonged search. When she pulled open the door to exit the room, she ran into Jessica, who was coming in and nearly knocking the latter to her

her arm with a look of panic. “Where’s my

helped her back to the bedroom. “The doctor says you’ve been working

“I have many things to do, and I’m going over for a look. Ringo must

James can’t be dead!

“Calm down, Nana. This isn’t good

Baby?

a horrible feeling rose from her chest. She blinked, and her tears began flowing down

Jessica scrambled to wipe

her and cried even

ask anymore. She only patted her back

enough, Jessica pulled her to sit by the bed

Rayna forced a smile. “I just feel horrible at the thought of what happened

is there for them, so don’t