Page 31 of Memories of You

But I’ll do my best.

So hurry up and tell him.

:).

Love you bunches. Talk soon.

And then the text chain stopped. He stood there for a minuteshaking his head, wondering at the miracle of conversation. How one simplestatement by somebody could change your entire perspective on the world.

He tucked his phone back into his pocket and went into thebreak room. Darrin was there, standing near the coffee machine. “Hey,” he said.“You look happy.”

Renly shrugged. “Just had an interesting conversation withmy mom. I’m happy for her. How’s it going on the software?”

“Abby ran back to her office to get something. And I thoughtI needed a caffeine hit. Can I make you one?”

“Sure. That would be terrific. I could use some caffeinemyself.” His phone pinged, and he looked down to see Red’s message.

Just got a text from mom.

She’s right, they should’ve

done that a long time ago.

Agree. In a meeting. Talk later?

His brother sent him back a thumbs up emoji, and Renly madea mental note to call him later that evening. They needed to figure out what todo for their mom. Maybe fly her and Elise to someplace exotic for a honeymoon?

“—to just set it on the table?”

Renly shook his head, realizing that Darrin had passed him acoffee. “Sorry about that. I was texting with my brother.” He took a sip of thecoffee, then another, as Darrin went back to the coffee maker.

“Abby wants decaf,” Darrin said. “I don’t see the point. Ifyou’re going to drink coffee, drink coffee.”

Renly chuckled and took another sip, waiting with Darrin forAbby’s cup to brew, and as he stood there, he felt the damn vertigo kick inagain. This time with a vengeance.

What the fuck?

Why the hell was it starting now? He hadn’t even moved.

He set the coffee cup down, took a step, and tumbled to theground, his mind as unstable as his body, and nothing in the world quite makingsense.

He looked up, confused, and saw Darrin drop something intoAbby’s coffee.

Darrin turned to him, the smile he flashed giving Renlychills.

He tried to move, tried to make the world stop spinning, buthe couldn’t do anything.

And as the world started to turn black around him, he sawDarrin take the doped coffee out of the break room and head back toward Abby.

ChapterThirteen

Thank God for adrenaline.

Between that and Renly’s terror for Abby, he’d managed toget his phone out and speed dial Stark Security. There was a twenty-four-hourhotline for agents in trouble, and although he’d passed out before connectingto the operator, the hotline had served its purpose, and the call had been putout. The team had tracked his phone, found his location, and now a medic wastreating him for the lingering effects of the sedative that Darrin had used onhim.

They still didn’t have the labs back, but the doctor was prettysure it was some sort of custom mix with various sedatives combined with a lowdose of Rohypnol. Renly knew that whatever it was, Darrin had used the samething on Abby.

She wasn’t in the office, and he knew damn well she wouldn’thave left willingly. That bastard had taken her, and right now the only thingthat was occupying his mind was getting her back. Figuring out where she was,getting her to safety, and then taking out the son of a bitch who did this toher.