The Lynx Who Claimed the Sun by Scarlet Hyacinth Page B

and to bring them dessert. Preston opened his mouth to decline. He did like sweets, but he wasn’t in the mood for eating anything.
    “Father, can we be excused?” Corbin asked, obviously guessing Preston’s thoughts.
    Their dad gave them a surprised look. “But your dessert… Don’t you want to eat it?”
    “Maybe later,” Preston answered.
    “Perhaps we could have the cake taken to the children’s room,”
    Mrs. Pierce suggested. “Is that okay with you, Garth?”
    “Yes, thank you, Mrs. Pierce,” Preston’s dad replied. “Okay, boys. You can go play.”
    Preston and Corbin thanked their father and rushed out of the dining room. Preston still wasn’t sure what to believe about the Pierces. They were always very kind to Preston and his brother.
    Besides, how many people were willing to receive a dozen strangers in their home, just like that? Even if he was young, Preston knew very few would be so nice. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that, whenever Mr. and Mrs. Pierce looked at his dad, there was a degree of tension in them.
    Sighing, Preston followed behind his brother, unsurprised when their steps led them toward the big gardens. All of a sudden, Corbin 84
    Scarlet Hyacinth
    stopped dead in his tracks. There was someone talking in front of them, two guards if Preston guessed right.
    “I don’t think Mr. Mckenna will find Mr. Shields,” a male voice said. “Too much time has passed.”
    “He’s getting careless,” another man answered. “He’s not even trying to keep his actions a secret anymore.”
    “I know,” a woman whispered. “Just the other day, I overheard him talking on the phone about his ex.”
    “Mr. Mckenna thinks she’s involved, right?” the first man inquired.
    “It’s quite likely,” the second man added. “I’ve worked with Mr.
    Pierce for years, and I remember her. She was not a pleasant person.
    One time, she—” He suddenly stopped speaking. “Hey, do you feel that?” he asked, voice cautious.
    Preston knew the guards must have sensed them. Corbin grabbed his arm, and they made a dash for their room. They reached their destination with no incident. As soon as the closed door was behind them, Preston gave his brother an earnest look. “Do you really think Mom could have done something like that?” he asked.
    Corbin seemed thoughtful. “I don’t know, but we have to find out.
    We’re the only ones who can do it.”
    “But how?” Preston inquired. They couldn’t get out of the Pierce compound and, even if they did, they wouldn’t know where to even start searching.
    “We need help,” Corbin answered. “We can’t leave the mansion on our own.”
    Preston’s eyes widened at his brother’s words. Corbin always tried to be as independent as possible. Apparently, Corbin wanted Nicolas to be found more than he’d admitted. “But who would help us sneak out of here? Skylar?”
    Preston considered the suggestion, but shook his head. “Daddy would never allow us to go outside, and Skylar would never be able to The Lynx Who Claimed the Sun
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    hide the plan. Maybe Shiloh.” The swan was very fond of Nicolas and was more likely to try a daring idea.
    Corbin didn’t seem convinced. “It won’t work. They’ll never agree.” He took a deep breath. “Let’s just talk to Dad. We have to trust that he’ll know what to do.”
    Preston nodded. “But first, let’s ask Skylar to lend us a hand.
    We’ll need all the help we can get.”

    * * * *

    “No, absolutely not.” Garth glowered at his two kits. “I refuse to risk you.”
    He was touched by his sons’ offer, but at the same time, he knew he could never take it.
    He’d been searching for Nicolas and Bella for weeks now, with no luck. At the same time, all the hummingbirds in Los Angeles seemed to have disappeared. There had never actually been all that many, at least not to Garth’s knowledge. On one occasion, Byron’s men had managed to track down one particular hummingbird, but they’d