Cora's Kismet (The Twin Destinies Saga Book 1) by Cheryl Davis Page B

sent a silent thank you to his
brother, because he had been wondering if they’d been getting close to the
physical restraint part of their wait. He could tell every time she’d been
close to coming up with a plan she’d thought would work.
    “Of course you’d say that. Aren’t you tired of sitting here
not doing anything? You seem like you’re more of a man of action, a guy who
gets in there and gets his hands dirty to get the job done. Not one who sits
here babysitting the damsel in distress while others go to work,” Cora said
trying to bait him. He chuckled at her effort of trying to get him on her side.
    “Any other day, I am. Today I’m not,” he said with a shrug,
folding his arms over his chest feigning nonchalance.
    “Just today huh?” Cora asked, sarcasm edging her words.
    “Yep,” he responded, displaying a coolness he did not feel.
He was edgy, wanting to be inside helping, not here babysitting. Cora was
hitting closer to home than he felt comfortable with, but he kept all of that
locked behind a façade of disinterest.
    “Why just today?” she asked, true curiosity in her voice.
    “Because family is very important to me. You are now family
and my brother’s soul would be destroyed if anything happened to you. Once you
find your mate, if you are separated, in any way that is permanent, it will
drive the surviving mate insane or to death. I am not willing to let that
happen to Liam if there’s something I can do to stop it. If being your
babysitter through this is what protects both of you, then today, I’m not,” he
told her, his voice heavy with the truth of his words.
    “Oh,” she said, not knowing what else to say. Her mind was
swirling like a tornado battering against her skull. Liam had said family and
friends meant a lot to Sage. “Do you think of me as family?”
    “Yes. Why wouldn’t I?” he responded confused.
    “You don’t know me at all,” she replied.
    “I don’t need to. I know Liam.”
    “Just like that?”
    “Just like that.”
    “I don’t know how you can just accept me, just like that. I
just met my parents, yet I still can’t accept them.” She spoke almost in a
whisper, thankful the other four guards were posted outside of the vehicle.
    “That’s different. I can’t explain it, but I know it is.
Even though you’re having problems accepting them, you accepted Liam.”
    “Yeah, I guess I did.”
    Sage opened his mouth to say something when they heard
gunfire in the distance. The door closest to Sage opened and one of the guards
appeared.
    “We’re leaving. They’re on their way back out now. They’ll
take the other car and we’ll meet up with them in 30 minutes.” The guard barked
the information at them. Cora’s eyes were wide with fear.
    Sage reached over and buckled her seatbelt for her as the
guard slammed the door shut and climbed into the passenger seat. He buckled his
own as the driver started the vehicle and squealed the tires while taking off.
    “Viola?” Cora choked out the question around the knot in her
throat.
    The guard paid her no attention as he watched the road, and
the mirrors, at the same time.
    “I’m sure they got her out,” Sage said with confidence while
watching the outside, searching for any threats. He was ready to take action if
necessary.
    It felt like forever before they pulled into the parking lot
of what looked like an abandoned hotel. The guard shut off the motor and exited
the car, with nothing more than a “stay here.”
    Cora kept twisting and turning in her seat, trying to look
out of every window at once. She wished someone would tell her what was going
on and if her sister was safe. It seemed as though everyone enjoyed keeping her
in the dark and she was past tired of it.
    Just as she was reaching to unbuckle her seatbelt she saw
the other SUV pull into the lot. She unsnapped her belt and was reaching for
the door handle when Sage grabbed her wrist in his tight grip. She looked over
at him with a dark