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27

CASSIAN

"Please tell me you have something." Walking into the conference room to find Bradley and Valentina looking grim doesn't bring me much hope, but I can't take another blow.

I failed Sabina.

I took every precaution I could think of and it still wasn't enough. I failed her, and I can barely look her in the eye without drowning in the guilt of losing her daughter. And yet, Sabina slides her hand into mine and holds herself near me as if she doesn't blame me. I don't understand how but there isn't time to question it because if Bradley has a plan, then we need to act fast.

"We do," Raven says from under the table, drawing a note of surprise from Sabina.

She peers under the table with wide eyes, then looks up at me. "Is that…?"

"Normal? Yeah." I nod.

"We have Boris on the phone." Bradley's words completely derail everything else and a ripple of fury washes over me from head to toe.

On the table in front of Bradley rests his phone with the screen blinking the mute symbol.

"He called?" I grind out between clenched teeth.

Bradley nods. "He doesn't want to make nice. He wants to talk to Sabina."

"You told him to fuck off, didn't you?" I snap.

"No," Sabina says, and she releases my hand and rushes up to the table. "Let me talk to him."

"Sabina." Valentina leans forward with a wince. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"I want to hear what he has to say. I want to hear that Illyana is okay. Please, let me talk to him!"

My stomach twists into a knot as Bradley looks at me, then he nods once and unmutes the call. "Boris?"

"About time," drawls a thick, Russian accent.

Suddenly, I'm back trapped under the car with him standing over me, sneering down at me.

"I have Sabina," Bradley says.

"Where is she?" Sabina can't hold herself back and she slams both hands down on the table. "Where is my daughter? What did you do to her?"

"Daughter?" Boris drawls. "Can you really call her that when you abandoned her?"

"I didn't abandon her!"

"Didn't you? Then who has been raising her since she was just a baby? Who taught her to walk? To talk? To go potty? Do you know what she's allergic to? Her favorite food? Where she spent her fifth birthday?"

"Just because I don't know those things yet doesn't mean I'm not her mother! She was stolen from me so I didn't have a chance, but I will!"

"Will you?" Boris snorts in amusement. "Look. I call for one thing. You come to me or Illyana dies."

"What?" Sabina's face falls open in shock. "You're going to kill her?"

"No, you idiot. You are the kidney donor, yes? Without you, she dies. It is simple. If you want her to live, you will come to me and slide your pretty ass into my car. If not, then there is nothing more to talk about."

"Put her on the phone," Sabina suddenly demands. "Let me talk to her. Let me know she's okay!"

"You have my request. I will not wait forever." The line clicks and then falls silent.