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My throat tightened as I fell back against my pillows. The room spun slightly as the reality of the situation sunk in deeper. A part of me wanted to argue further, but exhaustion and the wisdom of his words held me back. “I hate it when you’re right.”
“You must hate me a lot of the time,” Grayson said.
A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “So where’s Jace?”
“Looking into this,” he said.
"Looking into what?" I asked, trying to push myself up higher against my pillows
"The bunker," he said, pulling out his phone. "He's been trying to get an exact location since last night."
"And?"
"He thinks he's got a lead. We're planning on leaving in a couple of hours."
I frowned, running a hand through my disheveled hair. "Without me?"
Grayson looked at me pointedly. "Clearly."
I wanted to punch him. The details of our predicament were foggy at best, thanks to the meds coursing through my system. But one thing was clear: Sofia was in danger and I wasn't there to protect her.
A surge of frustration passed through me and I attempted to sit up once again. Immediately, Grayson took a step forward. “Don’t even think about it, Teo.”
His words were stern but his gaze held something else – concern or pity? Either way, it pissed me off.
“I need to—”
“She would never forgive me if I let you get hurt,” Grayson said.
His words acted like a punch to my gut, effectively wiping the scowl off my face. I stared at him, words failing me.
“And she’d never forgive herself if anything happened to you because of her," he added quietly. His gaze was fixed on mine, steady and holding an unspoken message. We could argue until we were blue in the face, but Sofia's safety was paramount.
“What’s the plan, then? Time is of the essence here.”
Grayson nodded. For the first time, I noticed the clothes he was wearing; a white shirt with an alligator on it, cream colored shorts that barely went down to his knees. He must have gotten his outfit at the gift shop. “We go and scope it out first,” he said. “Stealthy, in and out.”
“You don’t think it’s a trap,” I said. “Like our mission to save Sam.”
Grayson cocked his head, thinking about it. “Maybe,” he said. “But we’re a lot angrier now and we need to get Sofia out. I know the Viper is a scary man, but he’s just a man. We’ll do whatever it takes to get her out. Victor will do whatever it takes to protect her. But we need you to stay alive, okay?”
"And how am I supposed to just sit here?" I said, my voice on the edge of breaking. "While you guys risk your lives out there?"
"Teo," Grayson said, and for a moment his usual half-cocked smirk was gone, replaced by something raw and sincere. "We're not leaving you behind, we're keeping you safe."
“I don’t need your pity.”
Grayson furrowed his brow. “Good. That wasn’t pity, it was common sense.”
His retort hung in the air, heavy and unchanging. I didn't reply. Couldn't. All I could do was sit there, my heart hammering in my chest as reality set in with crushing finality. Sofia was out there somewhere, trapped with Victor and God knows who else, and there was nothing I could do but wait.
I let out a shaky breath, squeezing my eyes shut against the sting of tears. The pain wasn't just physical anymore; it had crawled under my skin, deep into the marrow of my bones.
"I..." I began, then trailed off, a lump forming in my throat. Grayson watched me quietly, waiting for me to finish. "I need her back," I finally said, the words sounding small and desperate even to my own ears.
He nodded solemnly. "We all do, Teo."
"Promise me you'll bring her back," I pressed him, hating how much I sounded like a terrified child. But right then, it didn’t matter.
