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“Francia—”
“Hear me out,” she interrupts. “I know that there is a lot going on between the two of you that I don’t understand. Everything is complicated and you all have something going on behind the scenes, but whatever it is, your life isn’t worth the risk. If you have even an inkling that Ivan hurt Katerina, you should get out of there. I can try to help you get away. Maybe we can—”
“I’m at Jorden’s house,” I interrupt. “As soon as Jorden texted me, I told Ivan I wanted to leave.”
“And he let you?” She sounds surprised.
I still am, too, honestly.
Again, the look on his face as he resigned to let me leave flashes in my mind. I blink it away. “Yeah, he did. Yasha drove me to Jorden’s, so I’m staying here until… Well, until I don’t know what.”
Someone out there has to know something about Katerina. Ivan won’t tell me anything, Yasha wasn’t forthcoming, and Francia doesn’t know enough to be helpful. But maybe someone else…
Maybe my mom?
I file the thought away as a last resort. Reaching out to my mom for anything is a risk. She may promise to keep things secret from my stepdad, but I know where her loyalty lies. And if I’m serious about getting out of the city, the less contact I have with her, the better.
Still, I’d be dumb not to consider her if I get desperate enough. She spends so much time standing silently by her husband’s side like the arm candy she is that she probably sees and hears a lot. If she can’t be a decent mother, she might at least be a decent source of information.
“Well, I want you to be safe, which means that hiding out with Jorden is probably the best call right now. Still, this is a big decision. You need to know what your choices are.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Don’t get your hopes up, but I’ll reach out to some people from school. Maybe someone knows something about Katerina’s disappearance or her relationship with Ivan. I’ll see what I can dig up and we can figure out where to go from there.”
For the millionth time today, tears well in my eyes. “You are too nice, Francia. Especially after the way I’ve turned your life upside down.”
She snorts. “No one has ever accused me of being too nice. Feral cat, remember?”
“Well, you’re the sweetest feral cat I’ve ever met. I’m not really sure how I can repay you for—”
“You can repay me by keeping me in the loop,” she says, cutting me off. “And whatever scheme you and Jorden have planned to flee across the country, make sure you save a plane ticket for me.”
I grin. “How did you know?”
“Because I’ve worked with both of you for far too long,” she chuckles. “Or not long enough, I guess. Because I haven’t had enough yet. I’ll follow wherever the two of you go.”
I squeeze my eyes closed, refusing to sob on this phone call. Finally, I force a word out of my clogged throat. “Deal.”
78
CORA
Jorden slams the fridge door closed with a groan. “What did I tell you? Grocery deadzone. There is nothing to eat here. It’s a tragedy.”
“There’s toast.” I had to pick a tiny bit of mold off of the bread, but I’ve had worse. Besides, I forced myself on Jorden without asking. I’m not going to complain about the accommodations now.
“We are growing girls. Toast alone will not satisfy.”
I snort. “Well, I’m fine with toast.”
“That’s only because you never want to go to coffee shops with me. A five-dollar latte will not bankrupt you, Cora. You need to learn to enjoy the finer things in life. Like pastry. And croissants. Maybe a muffin.”
I roll my eyes. “Just call Yasha and ask him to take you to a coffee shop.”
She sighs. “Well, I would do that, but he told me yesterday that I’m ‘taking too many risks’ going out every day. But that’s ridiculous, because I’ve basically been a prisoner here. All I’ve been doing is going to the bodega on the corner for a sandwich at lunch, visiting the coffee shop a few blocks over for my afternoon caffeine hit, and then hitting the gym every evening. Oh, and the taco shop across from the bubble tea stand. Oh, and—”
“He might have a point,” I laugh.
