Page 240 of Untamed

“Jesus, Jordyn…” she breathes.“Are you okay? Why didn’t you call me?”

She pulls me into a hug before I can even respond. It’s tight. Tighter than usual. The kind of hug that saysI’m sorry I wasn’t there.

“How did you find out?”I ask when she finally steps back.

“Dante told Enzo. Enzo told me.” She hesitates.“They said you were taken. That the cat?—”

Her voice cracks, and she covers her mouth.

I look away, throat thick. “His name was Ladro.”

She nods quickly, like saying it makes it worse. “I’m so sorry, Jord.” She looks around the room, then back at me. “Are you… okay? Really?”

I want to say yes. I want to lie. But there’s nothing okay about anything anymore.

“I’m breathing,” I say instead.

Bianca’s expression shifts and tightens with something I haven’t seen in her before. Not worry. Not even concern. Something closer topanic.

“You can’t stay here.”

I blink. “What?”

“I mean it.”Her voice firms.“You have to go. Away from all this. Away from him.”

I shake my head, my answer ready. “Bianca?—”

“No, listen to me.” She steps forward.“This isn’t love, Jordyn. This is war. And you’re caught in the middle of it.” Her eyes brim. “You might love him. He might even love you. But lovedoesn’t matter when men like Nicolai Moretti are involved. He already took you once. What if next time Ares doesn’t get there in time?”

The words land like a punch. Because she’s right. And she’s wrong.

“You don’t understand?—”

“I do. That’s the problem.”She exhales shakily. “Look, I spoke to Enzo. And we both agree that the safest place for you right now is away from here. Everything has been arranged. A house. A new identity. A clean exit. In London.”

She reaches into her coat and pulls out an envelope. “You can leave tonight.”

My heart kicks in my chest. “Wait… you what?”

“Jordyn, please.” She takes my hands, voice trembling. “I don’t think either of you will survive this. And I can’t lose you, too.”

She pulls out an envelope and presses it into my hand. The envelope feels like it’s burning through my fingers.

A way out. A clean slate.

But it’s not him.

I look up, trying to find the words to say no gently, but Bianca’s expression shifts, tightens with something brittle.

“Jordyn, please…”Her voice cracks.“You don’t see what I see. You’re too close to him. You think you’re safe, but you’re not. None of us are.”

I blink, thrown by the sudden change in her tone. “Bianca?—

She steps forward, gripping my arms.

“I have a bad feeling. Areallybad one. Something’s coming, I can feel it, and I’m terrified it’s going to beyouwho pays the price.”

Tears pool in her eyes, but she doesn’t blink them away.“What happened yesterday? That wasn’t an attack. That was a warning.”

---