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I listen as Cora argues and fights back. Pride swells in me as she refuses to leave with them, but it descends into panic. There is more banging and shouting. I have no idea what is happening. Is she being attacked? Is she okay?
I break into a jog, the phone held close to my ear so I can hear every second of audio.
Finally, I hear Cora’s voice again.
“I’m not going with you. You can’t force me into this. You can’t drag me out of bed in the middle of the night and have a wedding.”
“Can’t I?” Mikhail hisses. “I’m not sure if you heard me the first time, but I can do whatever the fuck I want.”
“The fuck you can,” I growl.
I don’t bother knocking on Yasha’s door. There’s no time. I throw it open and crash into his room.
“Cora is in trouble. We have to go. Now!” I bark.
Yasha yelps and yanks his comforter up, covering himself…
And Jorden.
On any normal day, I’d comment on the fact that Jorden is naked in Yasha’s bed. I’d have a good time giving him shit about it. But right now, I have no interest.
“Cora is in trouble,” I repeat. “We have to go.”
Jorden hugs the comforter to her chest. “What’s happening?”
Cora answers for me, the audio picking up her muffled cries. “I can’t breathe! Get off of me!”
My stomach churns painfully. She’s in danger and I can’t help her. I’m still fifteen minutes away.
I should have grabbed her when we were in that bathroom and ran. Fuck the guards. Fuck everything else. I should have risked it all and taken her then.
Now, it might be too late.
Yasha curses and jumps out of bed. I turn away as he pulls on clothes and then reaches for his phone. Without saying anything to me, he makes a call.
“Rooster,” he says, “it’s Yasha. We need backup.”
Through the necklace, I can hear Alexander demanding that Cora cooperate. She promises him that she will.
I’m going to kill them. Alexander, Mikhail, Konstantin… Hell, even Cora’s mother. I’ll kill them all and leave their heads on pikes in the lawn. I’ll go medieval on their asses. Let everyone know what happens when you mess with Ivan Pushkin’s woman.
Yasha turns back to the bed, grabs Jorden’s face, and presses a quick, tender kiss to her lips. “I’ll see you later.”
Then my best friend strides towards me, purpose in his every step. “Let’s go get your girl, Ivan.”
34
CORA
“Whoever would have thought the two of us would be here?” my mother asks.
I’ve been avoiding my reflection in the mirror since the moment I stepped into the white dress. But I risk a look up to see my mom standing behind me.
“Do you mean lacing up a wedding dress in the middle of the night for a forced marriage? Because if so—yeah, not me.”
Her smile falls. “I know you think this is the worst thing that could ever happen, but we were living on the street. We were in the gutter. Alexander saved us.”
“We jumped out of the pan and into the fire as far as I’m concerned,” I mutter.
