In the E.R., I was examined and sedated, and when I woke up, hours later, I found myself in a hospital room, hooked up to an IV and a couple of monitors.

At first, I didn’t remember that Lillian was gone, and Geoff had killed her.

When I did, I let out a howl and tried to pull out the IV needle, so I could go after him. So I could tell somebody, anybody, what had happened.

A nurse rushed in and knocked me out again with some mega-drug, sent me spiraling into a twilight world where my eyes wouldn’t focus.

I saw Jolie and Greer leaning over me.

Then I saw Lillian.

The pharmaceutical miracle sucked me under again, and I flailed my way back to the surface.

It was dark in the room.

A shadow moved beside my bed, and I felt a cold rush of fear.

“Shhh, little sister,” Geoff said, smiling down at me, fiddling with the IV bag suspended above my head. “It’ll be over soon.”

I shrieked and jerked the needle out of my arm, scrambled out of bed, trying to escape. Was it a nightmare?

Please, God, let it be a bad dream!

I heard running feet, felt Geoff rush past me, like an icy breeze.

Arms gathered me up, held me tightly.

Tucker.

I knew his scent, knew the feel of him, the hard substance of his chest.

Words spilled out of my mouth in a frantic rush, and I clung to him. “Tucker—it was Geoff—he killed Lillian—he was here—”

“Shhh,” Tucker said.

“The bag,” I said. “He put—something in the IV bag—”

“Stay back,” I heard Tucker say. I saw no one, but I was aware of others crowding the room. Lights went on, dazzling me to a temporary blindness, and I felt myself rising in his arms.

“The IV bag,” I pleaded. Geoff might still be in the room, innocuous in his hospital garb, waiting for his chance to finish me off. “Don’t let them—”

“It’s okay, Moje,” Tucker told me. “Nobody’s going to hook you up to anything.”

Great, shuddering sobs rolled up inside me, tore their way out of my throat. I clawed at Tucker’s arms and shoulders—anywhere I could get a grip—as he laid me on the bed.

“He killed her—he killed Lillian—”

“Babe,” Tucker said. “I’m here. Everything’s all right. Nobody’s going to hurt you.”

I believed him.

I gave in to the darkness rising up around me, and when I woke up, the room was full of light so bright that, for a second, I thought I’d died after all.

Then I saw Tucker grinning down at me. He needed a shave.

“Russell,” I said, remembering.

“He’s at Allison’s,” Tucker told me. “Safe and sound.”

“How did he get…?” Once again, I tried to sit up.