Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right

I screamed without thinking, and then Yara’s voice rang out, “Stop!”

Next thing I knew, she was charging forward, taking on both guys like she was in some action movie.

For the first time, it hit me–Yara knew how to fight. Every move was so smooth, like she’d done this a million times. The two guys holding me let go and turned to face her.

I stood there for a second, totally stunned. Forget being scared, I was just watching her totally kick butt.

But it didn’t take long for me to snap out of it. I ran back inside, not to hide, but to grab a baseball bat.

I wasn’t a fighter like Yara, but I sure wasn’t weak. No way I was letting her do all the heavy lifting.

Fueled by anger, I swung the bat hard, knocking one guy back and getting their attention. They tried to grab it from me, but every time they got close, Yara kicked them back like it was nothing, It was like a tag- team match–I didn’t have the skills, but together, we made them back off.

We kept going, not sure how long it lasted, but eventually, we took both of them down.

“Who sent you?” Yara demanded, sounding like a pro.

Meanwhile, I was leaning on the bat, shaking like a leaf. This was the first time I’d ever fought like that, and I couldn’t believe it.

But weirdly, it felt good. Like I’d gotten all my frustration out.

The guys stayed quiet, but I had a feeling they were Bruno’s people. They must’ve traced me from my call, with Jace, figuring out where I was.

“If you won’t talk, you’re not going anywhere,” Yara said, then told me to find something to tie them up

with.

Uh, not exactly a rope stash here. I thought of using ties, so I headed to Wayne’s bedroom, opened his closet, and found his ties neatly organized, each one in its place.

Not knowing which ones to choose, I grabbed two at random and ran back downstairs to give them to Yara, who easily tied up the two men like it was no big deal. She dusted her hands off like she’d just done a load of laundry, completely unfazed.

I was still trying to catch my breath from the fight. Yara was just so impressive. Confident, calm, like she had everything under control. No wonder Hayden had agreed to that arranged marriage–it wasn’t just about family alliances. He probably loved having someone like Yara by his side.

A little bitterness twisted in my stomach…

While I was lost in thought, Yara pulled out her phone and made a call. “Hayden, I’m here. Two guys showed up and tried to grab Keira. I’ve got them tied up–should I call the cops or are you coming?”

I couldn’t hear Hayden’s response, but Yara nodded. “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

She hung up and looked at me. “Hayden will be here soon.”

I didn’t know what to say. “Thanks“? “Are you okay“? It felt weird.

425 BOWS Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Yara seemed to notice my discomfort. “Are you shaken? But a minute ago, you were all tough.”

Her teasing snapped me out of my thoughts, and I took a breath. “I’m fine. Really. Thanks… for earlier.

We weren’t exactly friends, but she’d just saved my life. The least I could do was thank her.

“Accepted,” she said, with zero fuss, which made me feel even more awkward.

She looked around like she was in charge. “It’s not safe here anymore. When Hayden gets here, you should come with us.”

I didn’t know how to react. I felt like I wasn’t even making my own decisions. Like I was just being moved around by everyone else.

And I hated it. “I want to go back to Kehlmark.”

Yara gave me a look. “It’s not safe for you to go back there right now.”