Cora picks up the third call and I narrow my eyes at her even though she can’t see me. I can tell she was screening my calls and only picked up because I’d never, ever triple-call her unless something had happened.
“Ella?” I hear her worried voice say, “what’s wrong?”
“Where are you, Cora,” I demand, letting my tone tell her not to fight me.
“What -”
“Where. Are. You.”
“I’m I’m at the clinic -” she says. “What’s happening?”
“We’re sending a car for you at the clinic, now,” I say, glancing at Sinclair, who nods to me to let me know he’s on it. “Get in it immediately, Cora. Don’t speak to anyone else. Don’t ask any questions.”
“Ella,” she hesitates, her voice wavering. “I can’t-
“This is not a request, Cora,” I growl. “They came for him. They tried to take Rafe. We are sending, a car for you, and you are getting in it.”
I hear a sharp intake of breath from her side of the line, and then a moment of hesitation, and then she agrees. “All right,” she says, and I can almost see her nodding anxiously. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
I exhale a deep breath of relief and nod. “Okay. I love you, Cora,” I say, my voice wavering a little.
–
“I love you too,” she replies, with I don’t know what regret? In her voice?
But before I can ask more, she hangs up.
“The car is five minutes from her,” Sinclair murmurs, squeezing my hand again. “We’ll get her. It
will be fine.”
my head
one says another word for the rest
into the
and Sinclair sits
that lets me know that we’ve arrived because
anywhere.
–
basically a dirt trail honestly, the past five minutes have been a very uncomfortable ride and Rafe let us
looking around at the trees on every
And then my mouth drops open as, in front of us, the earth just…opens, sliding upwards like
god,” I murmur, my eyes going wide as I
corrects, shooting me a
the entrance and start to drive down a steep
to hide his smirk, “who ripped someone’s throat out
head and putting a hand on Rafe, who stops screeching and looks around in wonder at the sudden change of color, “so imagine what I would have done if he was trying to entomb
passage opens out into a wide space, like a large underground car park. There are a few more
safe, if just for the moment. I hadn’t realized that I was waiting for that but, perhaps a little bit of me was expecting another blindside on the ride.
into the next free space and Sinclair and I quickly unbuckle our seatbelts and prepare to get out of the car. The other car pulls up next to us and I see Sinclair’s men likewise
the move.
it all underground?” I
safety. Though there are some living
if we deem it safe
understanding, and I lift Rafe’s carrier with me as I back
two guards
is very military
into some rooms we pass and note that the walls, floor, and ceiling of all of them
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