"Aiden."
The voice cut through the fog in his mind. Aiden opened his eyes slowly. His head felt heavy, but he forced himself to look around. His heart raced until he saw only his grandmother, sitting beside him staring at him. He let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes again. At least they had been able to restrain her. It was something he'd been worried about from the moment he'd started this contingency plan.
Very good, boy. You make sure your wife isn't here and ignore your grandmother who is," Mabel quipped, her voice a mix of dry humor and warmth. Her cane tapped lightly against the floor as if punctuating her rebuke.
Aiden's lips twitched into a smile, but the effort of opening his mouth to respond was met with an unexpected barrier. Panic flickered across his features as he struggled to form words, only to find his voice absent. A subtle pain throbbed at his throat, sending a sharp reminder of the accident.
