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I felt groggy and soft like a cloud. It was delightful to drift along without pain or worry. And I was tired. So very tired.

“Lila. Can you hear me?” A strident female voice cut through the haze. “Wake up, Lila. I want to talk to you before you go.”

Go? Where was I going? I didn’t want to go anywhere. I wanted to stay right here and float. But, oh hell, I knew that voice. That was the voice of a woman who never thought I was good enough for her golden son.

Groggily, I pushed my eyelids open. “Kathleen,” I mumbled.

“Oh, good. I was afraid I had misjudged the dose. I’ve heard redheads can be tricky with these things.” She smoothed a hand down her cream-colored blouse.

As ever, she was impeccably dressed. Camel-hued wool pants with an elegant drape, wide-cuffed silk blouse, and a crimson pussy bow for a touch of color.

“You’re so pretty,” I said.

“Thank you, dear. I’ve always liked you.” She said it like she was confessing a weakness.

“Where’s Seb?” My words slurred together, and I frowned. Why was my tongue so big? I tried again, slowly this time. “Where…is…Seb?”

“He’ll be back soon.”

“’Kay,” I murmured. My eyes drifted closed.

A sharp clap shocked them open again. “Wake up, Lila. We need to talk.”

I struggled to stay lucid. What the hell was wrong with me? I felt drunk. I felt…drugged. Fear rippled through me—but that was all it was. A ripple against a placid lake. I was so far away I barely noticed the wave. “What did the nurse give me?”

Kathleen regarded me impassively. “It’s morphine.”

Morphine? I struggled—or tried to. My arms were too heavy. With a sigh, I gave up. “I don’t want that. I told them no.”

“We don’t always get what we want, now, do we, dear? For example, I always imagined myself the matriarch of a family dynasty. The founder, if you will. We would be a force in this world for good. Seb would follow in his father’s footsteps, eventually taking over the family business, and his children would also, and their children, and so on. Each generation building on the wealth and status of the generation before.”

I blinked and forgot to open my eyes again.

“Am I boring you, dear?” Kathleen asked crisply.

I forced myself awake. “No.”

“Please pay attention when I’m talking to you. This is important. I want you to understand why I had to do this.”

“I’m awake.” I widened my eyes to prove it.

“Good.” Pale, slender fingers played with the ends of her bow. “I was born into a dynasty. Did you know that? On my mother’s side. Unfortunately, the inheritance grew smaller with each generation, until my father gambled what was left on one failed business after another.” She didn’t snort—Kathleen Ashcroft did not make indelicate noises—but she sniffed like only a rich person could. “I inherited nothing. But the Merriweather blood is in my veins. We are exemplary. I decided to create a new dynasty, more resilient and stronger than before, with the right man by my side.” She smiled. “My husband is quite remarkable, you know. I chose well.”

“But you can’t choose your children,” I noted. It seemed important somehow, although the conversation was too strange for me to follow.

Her eyes sparked with anger. “Everything was going to plan until you came along. Sebastian had a small setback, and that was very sad, but he was recovering. You ruined everything. If it weren’t for you, he’d still be working with his father. Instead, he’s here. At a ranch.”

That wasn’t fair or true. Seb had hated his job in D.C. He was never going to stay. I was so tired of being blamed for other people’s decisions that I had no control over. First my father, then my half-brother, and now Kathleen.

I was so tired, period.

“You don’t even want children! A family dynasty requires procreation.” Her shrill laugh bordered on hysterical.

“Rhett wants children,” I said comfortingly.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It was always supposed to be Sebastian.” She sniffed angrily. “But I suppose it’s just as well you won’t be passing your genes to a future generation. Your bloodline leaves much to be desired.” She folded her hands primly in her lap and looked at me with a very serious expression. “With your father and brother dead, the whole sad line will end with you.”

That was definitely important, but my brain felt too fuzzy to grasp why. “You know about my brother?”