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"I know. But at least they understand the gravity of the situation now."
I nod, feeling the familiar ache of worry in my chest. "We need to find her, Antonio. We can't afford to wait any longer."
"I agree," he says, his voice firm. "But we need to be careful. The Petrovs could be watching our every move."
"I know," I say through gritted teeth. "You know what we have to do, don't you? Who we have to contact?"
Antonio's face hardens. "Yeah. I know. Let's just hope that after everything we've done, Lucas is willing to help us."
We step out of the building and into the dark city streets, the cold air biting at our cheeks and sending shivers down our spines. But the thought of Mia out there somewhere, alone and afraid, fuels us both with an unrelenting determination.
"He claims to love her," I remind him, thinking of the day we confronted him. "I just... I hope that love is enough."
52
LUCAS
As I walk briskly back from a quick run to the gas station, my arm securely tucked in a sling, I chat with an old coworker who called to check up on me.
"I'm all right," I assure him, intent on not sharing any of the details.
Still, I can't shake an underlying sense of unease that gnaws at the back of my mind.
Mid-conversation, something catches my eye across the street. Two familiar figures emerge from the crowd – Xavier and Antonio. The sight of them together, at this particular moment, sparks my curiosity and sends a thrill of caution down my spine.
"Hey, I'm gonna have to call you back," I say, not bothering to wait for an answer before ending the call.
I change my course and discreetly make my way to the back of a nearby building. I find a spot where I can hide and keep an eye on them, my mind buzzing with questions. Did they change their minds? Have they come to kill me, to cut off the loose end after all?
I wait anxiously, minutes ticking by, as they make their way closer to where I'm standing. When they finally round the corner, I jump out and wrap my good arm around Xavier's neck, taking him to the ground. He struggles beneath me, yelling profanities and curses, but I hold tight, determined to find out what they want.
Antonio lunges toward me with a blade gleaming in his hand, but I dodge to the side and deliver a swift kick to his stomach. He groans and stumbles, dropping the knife as he does so.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I growl, tightening my grip around his neck just enough to make him squirm.
His face contorts with anger and confusion before he finally sputters out an answer. "We need your help."
I scoff. "My help? After what went down last time we saw each other?"
Antonio just shrugs. "We're desperate."
I tighten my grip on his neck, cutting off his air supply just enough to make him panic.
"Enough lies," I growl.
I wait for an answer, but Xavier just wheezes and chokes under my hold.
"All right, all right." Antonio puts his hands up in surrender. "Let him go, Lucas, we just came to talk. We really do need your help."
"Yeah, right," I bite bitterly as I race through different ways to get out of this situation.
"It's about Mia."
Xavier's wheezed words drop my heart into the pit of my stomach. Mia. What have they done to her?
I eye him skeptically but release Xavier nonetheless. He scrambles to his feet, rubbing his neck and glaring at me.
"I don't believe you," I say flatly. "What do you want?"
