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His eyes widen. “Does your fiancée not like it? If she is unhappy, then I can make something else. A custom order. No cost.”
My fiancée is almost certainly unhappy. But not for any reason Kieran could possibly imagine.
“I just need you to hold onto it for me,” I tell him. “I need you to keep it hidden and tell absolutely no one I was here.”
Kieran closes his fist around the ring and nods. “Of course. Anything, Mr. Pushkin. I’ll keep it in my safe. I’m the only one who knows the combination.”
“Good.”
“Do you know how long you want me to keep it?” he inquires.
Until I can slide it back on the finger where it rightfully belongs.
“Not long,” I tell him. “It’ll be any day now.”
I can only hope it’s the truth.
* * *
Just as I climb back into the car, my phone rings. Yasha’s name flashes on the screen.
“Has Jorden said anything useful yet?” I ask when I answer.
“She’s still unconscious, but I’ll let you know,” Yasha replies. “Have you murdered Francia with your bare hands yet?”
“Not quite, but I have a lifetime of opportunity ahead of me. I’ll let you know.”
He curses under his breath. “I can’t believe you’re going to marry that bitch. I should have seen her coming. Why the fuck didn’t I see her coming?”
I’ve asked myself the same question over and over again. “We got distracted.”
I’m sure that was Francia’s plan. She sent Cora and Jorden to my party hoping I’d pay attention to one of them. That was her way in… and I fell for it—for Cora—hook, line, and sinker.
Yasha sighs. “Jorden trusted her. Cora did, too. I never even thought to look.”
“Feel free to make up for lost time and find out everything you can about her then. I’d like to know the woman I’m in bed with.”
There’s a pause. “You aren’t actually going to get into bed with her, are you?”
Just the thought makes me cringe. “Fuck no,” I snarl. “She is going to have her own wing of the house. I might even put a brick wall up between us. No love. No fucking.”
“You should have killed her,” he grumbles. “I mean, I know it wasn’t an option. But I wish it was.”
“You and me both.” I sigh wearily. I’ve never felt more exhausted in all my life. “Do you have an ETA on when Jorden might wake up?”
“Not yet. She’ll be okay, though,” he says. “Dr. Popov said she needed stitches and she’s concussed, but the only reason she’s asleep is because she’s tired and dehydrated. As soon as she gets some rest and fluids, she’ll be fine. She might have information.”
That would be a lucky fucking break. But if the last twenty-four hours have taught me anything, it’s to not hold my breath.
“Oh, and, um…” It’s not normal for Yasha to sound nervous, but he’s clearly beating around the bush right now. “Popov also mentioned that Jorden is going to need, like, a guardian. Or someone to watch her. You know, since she has the concussion. So I thought—”
“Stay with her.”
“Really?” He sounds astonished. “Because there is so much going on. I totally get that I’m needed back at the base. You’ll be busy with Francia, so someone has to keep the search alive. I can do a lot from the medical bay, but I could do more if I was there on the ground. So if you want me—”
“I want you to stop talking. I told you to stay with Jorden, so stay with her.” It’s the meanest I’ve ever sounded while delivering good news. “If she wakes up and has information, I want it as quickly as possible.”
What I don’t say is that I saw the way Yasha cradled Jorden in that alleyway. I heard the way he snapped at me for being too rough with her.
