Chapter 751
“Sure, I’ll choose the location,” Yara agreed without hesitation.
I glanced around and named a nearby café. She showed up about thirty minutes later, pulling in on a sleek motorcycle. Dressed in a casual but sharp outfit, she had that effortless cool vibe that made heads turn. I couldn’t help but think of Hayden on his bike. They were so alike—kindred spirits, really. For a fleeting second, I wondered if things might’ve played out differently. If Hayden hadn’t noticed me first, maybe it would’ve been Yara standing by his side instead of me.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Yara said as she sat down.
Even with her ties to the Drago family and her tangled history with Hayden, I didn’t dislike her. I smiled lightly. “It’s my fault for interrupting your rest.” I’d clearly woken her up when I called earlier.
“You did,” she said with a casual shrug. “I haven’t been sleeping much lately, and today was my chance to catch up.”
I was tempted to ask why she wasn’t sleeping, but we weren’t close enough for that kind of question. Instead, I got to the point. “I called you because I need your help.”
“Is this about Hayden?” she asked, cutting straight to it.
“No,” I said, pausing just long enough to add, “I don’t need help with my man.”
Yara burst out laughing, loud and genuine. “You didn’t call me just to remind me of that, did you?”
I chuckled. “Not everything’s about him. I need help with something else.”
“What is it?”
I hesitated for a few seconds, then cut straight to it. “Tell me what’s Cole’s weak spot?”
Yara froze for a beat before her expression shifted, catching on quickly. “You’re looking for leverage?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “He’s threatening my friend. If he stays in line, fine. But if he crosses it…”
She went quiet as she processed my words. Then she let out a soft scoff. “You’re asking me to betray him? Keira, he calls me Aunt Yara.”
“I know your relationship. But I also know you hate the things he does. You couldn’t act against him before, so Hayden handled it for you. Now, Cole’s in the way again. I’m just asking you to help move the obstacle.”
Yara’s lips pressed into a thin line, her silence heavy. She was weighing her options, and I didn’t push her.
“You don’t have to decide now,” I added simply.
“I’ll think about it and call you,” she replied, her voice clipped but straightforward.
After half an hour of waiting, our conversation lasted all of three minutes. Then she got back on her bike and sped off, her retreating figure vanishing down the road.
I left the café and drove straight to the address Lena had sent me. The second I stepped out of the car, I heard it—crying. Nina’s voice, calling for her mother. The sound hit me hard, guilt and sorrow knotting in my chest.
“Has she been crying this whole time?” I asked the person watching her.
“No,” the person replied, shaking her head. “She cries until she’s too exhausted, then stops. But it starts up again later.”
Her answer only made the guilt worse. I felt like the world’s biggest monster. How could I let a child—an innocent child—pay the price for mistakes she didn’t make?
I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Nina’s sobs stopped instantly. She looked at me and called out, “Mommy?” But when Nina got a good look at my face, her hopeful expression crumbled into heartbreak. That look—it could wreck anyone.
I stepped closer, ready to call her name, but before I could, she clung to my leg. “Keira, can you take me to my mommy? Please?”
I gently stroked her hair. “…Okay.”
She tightened her grip on my leg like I was her lifeline. I bent down to pick her up, but before I could, a scuffle erupted outside. Seconds later, the door burst open, and a group of men in black stormed in.