JORDAN
It had been two weeks since they returned from the shadow plains.
Two weeks during which Raven was in a coma.
The moment they had landed behind the wall, the medical team rushed Raven inside the medical center. Doctors and surgeons had been waiting for her, taking her to the operating room to treat her injuries. And as Raven had gone inside, Jordan walking next to her, he’d seen her wounds in the light. Her face had also been torn open by what appeared to be someone’s nails—claws even.
She was taken to the operating room, where he couldn’t follow, and the doctor came back after hours of surgery to tell him that her left leg had been broken in two places.
Jordan wanted to punish himself for not noticing her other wounds, but the doctor emphasized that they hadn’t been life-threatening. When Jordan had asked him if it would heal well—if she would walk again, the doctor had said he couldn’t tell yet. The stab wounds hadn’t punctured any vital organs, except for the wound in her back, which had hit some nerves, which made it very difficult to say whether she would walk again.
Right now, she was kept in an artificial coma, so her more severe wounds could heal properly, and she wouldn’t be conscious to bear it.
After a couple days of Raven stabilizing at the mission’s base, Jordan made the transfer with her to Barak’s hospital, where her father and friends could visit her, too. He got a private hover heli for the way back, and had stayed in touch with Hunter, who updated the rest of their closest friends. But Jordan had been the one contacting her father, and the man had taken the news like a champ. Leon had unwavering faith that his daughter would get better—that she was the strongest person he knew.
Jordan had liked him immediately.
When they arrived at the hospital, Jordan helped install Raven in her private room. Her father had already waited there all afternoon for her after Jordan had told him they would come.
“Jordan Locke,” someone said behind Jordan said and he turned around. A tall man with greying hair—undoubtedly Raven’s father—stood in the hallway, looking at him.
He approached him and held out his hand. “Hello, sir.”
“Please, call me Leon,” the man said, tired eyes crinkling at the corners. “How is she?”
“Leon,” Jordan said, and swiftly stepped aside, gesturing to where Raven was intubated. Her heart monitor showed a steady rhythm. He would know; he checked it every ten minutes. “She’s a fighter.”
Leon’s gaze shifted to the door, and he seemed unable to breathe as he approached it, fingers resting on the doorknob. But then he let go and looked at Jordan again. “What happened?”
Jordan hesitated.
“You know what happened?” Leon asked.
“I don’t know the specifics, but she will tell us when she wakes up.”
“She will,” he agreed. “You’ll stay here?”
Jordan managed a weak smile. “Yes, sir—Leon.”
“Want to get a cup of coffee downstairs in a bit?” her father asked him.
He nodded. “I would like that.”
“Raven would, too, I imagine.” Leon winked, then he disappeared inside.
* * *
Jordan hadn’t taken a good look at the person on the ground next to her, but when Vlad had told him it had been Tatiana Zander, he cursed himself for not making sure she was dead. As he was talked up to speed on why they wanted to get Raven and how quickly she had transmitted the documents to the monitoring room, he was proud—and scared for her. Scared out of his fucking mind.
Borzia was a powerful continent. They were rich, far richer than Ardenza. And Tatiana Zander… she had one crazy reputation. Knowing Raven had taken her on so well made his heart fucking swell.
A few days later, Jordan sat opposite Nikolai and his father and read the translated texts from the Borzian documents Raven had filmed and had belonged to Tatiana.
“It’s more than enough to get Domasc sentenced,” Nikolai said softly, looking at both Lockes as they read the evidence he had already investigated.
Even Jordan’s father, Kenneth, had raised his brows at the documents, and he and Nikolai shared an understanding.
Jordan was fixated on the text before him about the woman he loved. But when he reached a part that clearly stated that she was the rightful heir to the Borzian throne, he stiffened. “What the hell?”
“It’s true,” Nikolai said.
Cold sweat broke out on Jordan’s back.
“You can’t use this information on Raven in court,” he choked, looking at the two other men. “Everyone will know.”
“We won’t be able to win without it. There has to be a motive, Jordan.” His father tried to reason with him, but he wouldn’t hear it.
“If this information gets out… You know just as well as I do that some Ardenians hate Borzia with a scary intensity. She would have a target on her back for the rest of her life.”
Nikolai tapped a finger on the table. “That might not be true if we let her testify, and she tells the story of how she fought with Tatiana Zander and wants nothing to do with the Borzian royal family.”
“For some people, it’s only about blood. You know this, Nikolai,” Jordan accused.
“It’s Raven’s choice,” his father jumped in. “She can look after herself, as she has proved many times over.”
“We all know she would jump to the rescue if you asked her. We won’t do that. She needs to rest. To heal.”
“Jordan,” Nikolai urged, looking at him pointedly. “Without her, we wouldn’t have found this information… And without her, we won’t be able to use it either. It was an attack on her life, and she should be able to share her story.”
“No,” Jordan said immediately, resolutely. “No way.”
Nikolai sat back. “It’s our best shot, Jordan. If we don’t use all the documents, and don’t put Raven in court to talk about what Tatiana Zander has told her, Domasc has a chance to get away with this. It could all be framed as a fabricated story and fabricated documents. Without a witness, the evidence is based on hearsay. Do you want to know how many people will want to see Domasc as the liar he is? Because I can tell you that there aren’t many.”
Jordan shook his head. “Domasc won’t get away with this.”
“That’s the plan,” his father replied.
Nikolai sighed in frustration. “With Raven’s testimony, we can ensure he doesn’t.”
“Raven testifying isn’t an option, Nikolai. You hear me, right?”
“You can’t make that decision for her, Jordan. She’s a brigadier general who knows exactly what she’s doing. Let her take her own responsibility.”
“She’s in a fucking coma!” Jordan snapped. “The moment she wakes up, when she wakes up—” His breath caught in his throat, and he looked away. “She needs to heal. Rest.”
Kenneth took hold of the wine bottle and said to no one in particular, “I suggest we let it rest for the night and drink to Raven Renée’s speedy recovery. Let me get something stronger.”
Jordan met his father’s eyes. Looked away again.
“Jordan,” Nikolai said. “You know just as well as I do that if you try to keep this from her—a chance at retribution—she won’t be happy. Far from it.”
“At least she’ll be safe.”
“No, Jordan, she won’t, and you know it. As long as she can stake a claim to the throne, Borzia could try another attempt on her life if we keep quiet about this.”
“Natasha Zander abdicated—and now Tatiana Zander also somehow stepped down, whatever that is about. Raven could do that, too.”
“And she should. But it should happen publicly. What if her son, Aleksei, grows up and feels threatened by Raven?”
His head hurt. Nikolai was right, but… He didn’t want to think about it now. First, he wanted to hear her voice again, feel her fingers move on his skin—be able to kiss her again.
He wanted Raven to wake up.
* * *
Jordan felt restless while he waited in the restaurant. He didn’t like being away from the hospital. Didn’t like leaving Raven. He left part of his heart behind every time he had to leave her. Especially since she had been breathing independently for the last few days, which meant she could wake up anytime now. And he wanted to be there when she did.
Her friends had visited often. Especially Rudolfs. Kelian, her best friend, had been coming daily. Something had changed in the way he looked at her. Jordan didn’t understand what, but maybe the guy finally realized she wasn’t meant for him.
Ever since coming back, Jordan and Ashley hadn’t talked it out. They hadn’t even discussed the dinner at his parent’s house or the moments that had preceded it. He was embarrassed about how he had behaved that evening. Ashley deserved better than that.
They had spoken while he had been at the mission base, and the times he had picked up Sev over the last two weeks, but the important words were still left unspoken as they both twirled around it for Sev’s sake.
Jordan hastily cleared his throat as the restaurant door opened, and Ashley stepped inside. She wore a deep red dress that looked good on her. They kissed each other on the cheek.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hello,” she said back as they sat down. “How are you?”
Jordan shrugged. “I’ve been better.”
She nodded. “Your father reached out, asking about the best attorneys in Barak. Is this about your last mission?”
“Yes. It’ll be a large lawsuit. But I can’t say much about it right now.”
A quick smile. “I understand.”
Of course she did.
It was silent for a moment, and Ashley averted her gaze. One of her hands wrapped around her throat as her gaze slowly traveled back to his. “You know… I reflected a lot on our past relationship; when we were younger, wondering what our life would’ve looked like right now if we had stayed together… It’s sad, Jordan, that we’ve become these people that don’t fit anymore.”
Jordan inhaled. “I’ve thought a lot about you during those years apart. How we probably had been married, had multiple kids.” He raised an eyebrow at her, and she smiled a little. “But I think I also knew, deep down, that it wasn’t meant to be our life, Ash. However bad we wanted it to be. Sometimes I think all of this happened to get Sev into our lives. I wouldn’t trade him for the world.”
She blinked, a tear falling that she caught with her napkin. “I wanted this to work so bad.”
“I did, too.” For some time. Both of them felt the words hang between them.
Jordan swallowed, but held her gaze. “I’m in love, Ash. I have been for quite a while.”
She sighed. “I know.”
His eyes widened. “You do?”
“Yes,” she said. “And I would have let you go if I hadn’t been pregnant, Jordan. I would have let you go to her. But the slight chance we could make this family work, that our son would have both of us together. It weighed heavily on my heart.”
“Ashley, I have to tell you something.” Jordan swallowed. “During the mission—”
“Don’t,” Ashley interrupted him, hurt visible in her eyes. “Please don’t. We’re splitting up either way. I want to do it right. For Sev.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, finally apologizing.
“Me too.” Ashley’s smile was strained. A little sad, too. “Does Raven know?”
“What?” he asked her, lips parting.
“The moment you told me about her when we first got back together, I knew. You wouldn’t shut up about her—your ‘friend’. Then she left abruptly, and so did that spark in your eyes. You changed. I saw you follow her to the balcony at Hunter and Nikolai’s wedding—and then again at the last anniversary gala. I just—” Tears brimmed her eyes. “It was all there.”
Shame unfurled in his chest. “I’m sorry, Ashley. I—” He didn’t know what else to say.
Ashley nodded, a hand clasped over her trembling lips as a few tears escaped.
“I love you, you know?” she said.
Jordan took her hand in his. “I love you, too.”
She squeezed. “We have the most amazing son.”
“We do.” He smiled. “And we’ll do one hell of a job raising him.”
Ashley nodded. “But it’s not enough.”
“Ashley…”
She shook her head, raising a hand. “No. I get it. It’s probably the best for all of us.” She let go of his hand and grabbed the engagement ring around her finger, turning it twice before shoving it off her finger. Looking at it one last time, Ashley let her eyes go to him and lay the ring on the plate in front of her. The sound of metal on ceramic resounded.
Jordan looked at it.
“I hope it’s all you have dreamt of, Jordan,” she said softly, and went to stand. “And I hope she’ll wake up soon.”
Jordan stood with her and just nodded, because he didn’t know what to do with his body.
“Take care,” Ashley said, as she let him kiss her cheek.
Then he let her walk out of the restaurant by herself. This time, without wanting to follow her.