Corded (The Corded Saga Book 1)

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  “Yes. You in?”

  “You are more out of your mind than I am.” Denver shook his head.

  “Maybe I am, but I’ll pay you 50k.”

  “50k?” Denver appeared to mull it over. “You realize this is insanity and nearly impossible?”

  “Nearly, but not completely.”

  He paced barefoot across the wooden floor. “Ok. It’s crazy, but I might have a plan.”

  “A plan?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “Give me a few days. I’ll get in touch with Jarrett.” He nodded in the direction of the door.

  “Good.” I wasn’t asking anymore questions. If he was at least considering the deal, I was luckier than I expected.

  He unlocked the six padlocks and opened the door.

  I took the hint and headed out. Denver was a head case, but he was also my only hope.

  I waited at the station trying to get rid of the gnawing feeling in my gut that something was wrong. It had hit me the moment I left Denver’s, and I couldn’t shake it. Cell service had been down for years, but I’d never longed for it more. I needed to get through to Jarrett. I had to know that Kayla was okay.

  The train finally arrived, and I pushed through the crowd. There was no way I was waiting until the next. The train moved impossibly slow through the stations until the train stopped.

  “All passengers must exit. All passengers must exit.” An announcement blared through a loud speaker. The doors opened and passengers started to spill out. I moved along with the crowd. The train wasn’t going to move, so I’d have to wait for another.

  “No train service west of here,” a man said loudly. “It’s all shut down because Sray’s on fire.”

  Sray. I found the man who was talking. “What did you just say?”

  “No train service going west. Sray Club is on fire, and they can’t put it out.”

  “Where did you hear this?”

  “I just came from the central terminal. They made an announcement looking for anyone with experience putting out fires. The fire department shut its doors two years ago, and now we’re suffering the consequences.”

  I turned away toward the west. It was five miles back at least, but I had no other choice. My club was on fire, and it had my Kayla in it.

  I shed my jacket and started to run. I pushed myself harder than ever in my life. I dodged the traffic of the streets and continued, running through the blockades the closer I got to the club.

  “Sir, stop!” Someone shouted, but I ignored them. I had to get back to Sray, and I refused to let anyone get in my way.

  I kept running. Smoke and flames filled the sky, and I tried not to breath it in as I neared the club. I dodged several men with water hoses attempting to control the blaze and ran into the only ground level entrance to the building.

  “Stop!” Someone grabbed the back of my shirt. I shrugged them off and smashed through the front door into the lobby.

  The smoke was so thick I couldn’t see. I went down to my knees and crawled toward the security office. The door was closed, and I hoped that meant the fire and smoke hadn’t spread that far. It might give me a chance to find a weapon. Whoever started the fire might have been hanging around. I wasn’t taking the chance of anyone keeping Kayla away from me. I tried not to breathe as I searched for my key before standing. I coughed as I found the lock and stepped inside.

  There was less smoke inside, and I hurried over to the desk unlocking the top drawer.

  “You’re too late.” I jumped aside as someone attempted to hit me over the head from behind. The metal pole instead struck loudly against the concrete floor.

  I whirled around, still barely able to see through the smoke, but I was already certain of who was there.

  “Greer, you are a fool.” I could feel the anger rising inside, but I had no time to deal with him.

  He attempted to swing the pole across my side, but I caught it in mid-air and yanked the pole out of his hands. I tossed the pole aside, and it clanked to the ground.

  He coughed as the smoke got thicker. “It’s all gone. It’s over.” He laughed.

  I crashed my fist against his jaw before he could even react. I landed hard against the ground. “You did this?”

  “The fire wasn’t part of the original plan, but I can’t say I mind it,” He choked out. “We got most of the girls out. They’re getting settled into their new home.” My heart just about stopped beating. “The Reine says thank you by the way. I’m looking forward to joining them.”

  I grabbed Greer by his collar. “The Reine?” Greer brought in the Reine? He was even crazier than I thought.

  He laughed. “They’ll find her too.”

  I flung him across the room and against the wall.

  I kicked him repeatedly out of anger until his words finally set in. Find her too. I needed to get the other girls, but right now I had to find Kayla. I kicked Greer one more time to be certain he wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon. I wasn’t worried about killing him because the fire and smoke would do that for me. I opened the drawer, momentarily dejected when I noticed the stash of weapons was gone. I unlocked the safe next and found the cash untouched. I was going to need it once I found Kayla.

  I had no time to worry about the lack of weapons. I stuffed the cash in my pockets and shirt before I crawled back into the lobby and found the entrance to the hidden staircase. I pulled myself up, unlocked the door, and wrenched it open. I locked it behind me before hurrying down the first flight of stairs. There was water everywhere, and I waded through it as I moved deeper and deeper underground. The doors had done their job, keeping out the smoke I was sure had penetrated the rest of the building. I reached the bottom and unlocked another door. I tried not to worry that the door was locked. She might still be there. Jarrett would have brought her here. He would have done anything to get her out.

  The tunnel was silent as I walked along in the darkness. There was no light, and I hoped that Jarrett had brought a light with him.

  My heart nearly beat out of my chest as I continued, hoping that Jarrett had made it this far. I couldn’t lose her. I refused to lose her.

  I continued down the dark tunnel, struggling to stay calm. I refused to give up hope. I heard the sound of heavy breathing and slowed down. “Kayla? Jarrett?” I didn’t want to risk tipping off any Reine who got into the tunnel, but I had to know if she was there.

  “Mason,” Kayla’s soft voice called from nearby. “Mason.”

  I hurried over to the sound of her voice and found her on the ground. “Kayla.” I pulled her into my arms, needing to hold her. To feel that she alive. “Where’s Jarrett?”

  “I made him go back for the girls. Did he get to them in time?” She sounded so young, so innocent. I held her close.

  “Not all of them.” I couldn’t lie to her. I didn’t want to.

  She gasped. “What happened? I don’t understand. One second we were working, and then there were sirens and Jarrett was pulling me to the stairs.”

  “Greer brought in the Reine, and the club is on fire. We have to keep moving farther away. The building is going to collapse.”

  “Addison…” She whispered her friend’s name.

  “Jarrett may have her. We don’t know for sure.”

  “We need to get them all.”

  “We will.” I made another promise I was going to struggle to keep, but it was one I made when I’d Corded each of the girls. I’d promised them protection, and I’d let them all down. But I would keep my word somehow.

  “Quinn? Bailey? Did you find out anything?” She held onto me.

  “It may be possible, but it’s going to take time.” And with the fall of Sray things had gotten even more complicated.

  She slid her hand into mine. “Let’s get out of here. We won’t be able to get anyone if we’re dead.”

  I pulled her even closer. I soaked up the feel of her in my arms. “We’re going to save your sister and niece, but we’re on our own now.”

  “Your club
.” She stilled in my arms. “You must be so angry at me. You know Greer did this because of me.”

  “I don’t care about the club. I care about the people—I hope they made it out, and we will save the girls. But I am not mad. None of this was your fault. You have to stop feeling guilty. Greer didn’t do this because of you. He did it because of me. If he couldn’t run the club himself he didn’t want it to exist.”

  She rested her head on my shoulder. “You think we can do this?”

  “We don’t have a choice.” I stood and helped her to her feet.

  “I love you.” She put her hand over my heart. “Thank you.”

  “What are you thanking me for?”

  “Coming for me here. I’m not sure I’d have ever made my way out.”

  I clasped her hand in mind. “I will always come back for you, Kayla. You have more than my heart. You have all of me. But you could have made it yourself. You are so strong. You’re stronger than I am.”

  “Let’s go.” She turned and tugged on my hand. “We have no time to waste.”

  “I want to make one more promise.”

  “Another?” She kept her hand firmly tucked in mine.

  “That you’ll never be alone. You shouldn’t have been alone today.”

  “Don’t blame Jarrett. He did the right thing.”

  “You made him, didn’t you?” It wasn’t really a question.

  “Yes. Just because our world has gone crazy doesn’t give us an excuse to stop caring about others and doing the right thing.”

  I stopped and pulled her close. I didn’t think, I acted, crushing my lips into hers. I needed to taste her. I needed to remind myself happiness existed. I had Kayla. We would survive, and one day I’d give her everything she deserved. For now all we could do was survive.

  Afterword

  The Corded Saga will continue later in 2017. Please keep reading for a preview of Dire (The Dire Wolves Chronicles #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy.

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  DIRE: The Dire Wolves Chronicles

  Alyssa Rose Ivy

  Gage was the first guy I ever wanted. He was my first crush and my first fantasy, but he wasn't my first in any other way because he never saw me as anything more than a friend— at least not until the night that changed everything.

  It was all Gage's fault. He insisted we drive through the storm and take the back roads. By the time the storm hit full force we had no chance. One night of snowbound sex changed our relationship forever. The problem was at the same time I caught another guy’s attention. This other guy happened to be the alpha of a pack of shifter wolves. I thought the wolves were the worst of my problems, but I was wrong. When things went from bad to worse I had to make a lifelong sacrifice to save Gage, but what price is too much to save the one you love?

  Prologue

  A single howl made me stop short. “The wolves!”

  “Let’s hope they are farther away than they sound.” Gage tightened his hold on my hand and pulled me forward.

  Three more howls filled the night. “They sound closer.”

  We picked up the pace, and I chanced a glance behind me. That was a mistake. Several large grey wolves came into view. “Run!”

  Gage didn’t need to be told twice. He broke into a run without letting go of my hand.

  I ran as fast as possible over the frozen snow, but we didn’t get far before the wolves started circling around us. “Oh my god.” Could things get any worse?

  “You have to make a run for it.” Gage’s voice quivered. “They’re going to kill us.”

  “I’m not leaving you.” I tried to stay strong, and I kept my eyes locked on the wolves. There were five of them. All of them were massive, much larger than any wolf I’d seen before, but one of them was even bigger and had a large silver streak running down its back. That wolf seemed to be staring right at me.

  “I’ll distract them. You run. I’ll catch up.”

  I spotted an opening next to one of the smaller of the wolves and went for it. I didn’t make it far before one of the wolves stepped in front of me. I froze, paralyzed with fear, before my legs were knocked from under me. Suddenly, I was lying in the snow with a giant wolf hovering over me.

  “We’re fucked.” Gage voiced exactly what I was thinking.

  The silver streaked wolf stared down at me. It’s almost glowing eyes bored into mine. Was I really going to die as half-frozen food for a giant wild animal?

  Then things got hazy and the air seemed to buzz. Moments later it wasn’t a wolf on top of me—it was a man. A completely naked man with a faint scar across his face.

  “What the heck?” I tried to scurry back, but Hunter didn’t move. His very exposed parts nearly touched me. I didn’t want to notice his size, but I did. He was huge. He also didn’t look remotely concerned with the cold.

  His lips brushed against my ear. “Were you going somewhere?”

  Mary Anne

  He wore black athletic shorts that sat low on his hips and gave me a fantastic view of his perfectly sculpted abs. I had a strong desire to touch those abs with my hands and quite possibly my tongue. His bare chest was equally as alluring, all muscle with just a little bit of sweat sliding down.

  “Thanks for waiting up for me.” He walked into his room and closed the door. “I was worried you’d have fallen asleep already.” He slipped off those black shorts and walked toward his bed that amazingly enough I was already tucked into. He pulled back the blanket. “And you’re wearing the lingerie I like best.” He grinned wickedly as he slipped in beside me.

  “Isn’t the best part taking it off me?” I bit my lip, knowing that it would only turn him on more.

  “You remembered.” He slipped the strap down off my right shoulder.

  “I remember everything about you. I always have.”

  “How’d I get so lucky?” He slipped off the other strap as he left tiny kisses from my shoulder up toward my neck.

  “You know you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.”

  “I know.” He pushed my top down and out of the way. “I feel exactly the same way.” His mouth closed around my breast.

  “Mary Anne!”

  My eyes flew open as someone pounded on the door to my dorm room. I blinked a few times, trying to hold on to the remnants of my dream.

  “Mary Anne!” The voice yelled louder.

  I grudgingly dragged myself across the room and opened the door. I wasn’t surprised to see Genevieve standing there.

  “Finally!” She pushed into the room. I closed the door and cut her off before she could sit on my bed. I needed to make it first. I pulled back my jersey knit lime green sheets and navy blue comforter. As soon as I smoothed out the comforter, she took a seat.

  I sat in my desk chair and watched her. “As lovely as it is to see you, I’m guessing there’s a reason you’re here?”

  “Aren’t you a little grouchy this morning?” Suddenly her glossy lips twisted up into a smile. “Wait….you were dreaming about him again.”

  “Why do you have to say it like it’s a bad thing? Most women have some sort of sexual dreams. It isn’t at all abnormal.” I ran my fingers through my long red hair to get out the tangles.

  “Mary Anne, I’m only saying this because I’m a friend and I care about you, but you’re obsessed.” She crossed her legs. “Most women may have sex dreams, but they’re about celebrities, not a guy they actually know. Plus, the frequency is the crazy part.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with dreaming about Gage.”

  “There is. If you want him so bad, just get with him. It’s not like he’d say no. He’s gotten with half the girls on this campus already.”

  I groaned. “That’s not entirely true. I admit he has a reputation, but he doesn’t actu
ally sleep with everyone. Plus, I can’t just sleep with him. We have a history. We’re from the same town.” Maybe claiming we had a history was a bit of an overstatement, but I had known him practically my entire life.

  “Is he still driving you home for break?” She leaned back on her hands.

  “Of course. Why would that change?”

  “I thought you might have considered taking Roy up on his offer to drop you off on his way home.” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Gage and I are going to the same place. It makes sense to have him drive me. Plus, my parents know him.”

  “Mary Anne.” Genevieve was in the habit of saying my name far more often than necessary. She was the best friend I had at Eastern U, so I didn’t remind her of how annoying the practice was. “You know what you’re doing, right?”

  “Are we still discussing my plans to get a ride home with Gage?”

  “More specifically we’re discussing your decision to say no to Roy’s offer. You’re chicken. You’re afraid of accepting an overture from a guy who you actually have a chance with. A guy who is really interested in you.”

  “I wonder why you want me to give Roy another shot?” I bit back the smile that was ready to come out. “This would have nothing to do with his best friend, would it?” I’d gone out on one date with Roy, and although there was nothing particularly wrong with it, I had no intention of seeing him again.

  “What?” She put a hand on her chest. “Of course not.”

  “Oh? It wouldn’t be convenient for you if I were dating Roy?”

  “Sure, it would be convenient to have an excuse to spend time with Tony, but that’s not why I want you to give Roy another chance. He’s a nice guy.”

  “He is nice. He’s also intelligent and cute, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend four hours in a car with him.”

  “Not when you can spend the same amount of time in a car with Gage.”

  “Gage drives a truck.”