AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And then we heard tutting, a voice I’d never heard before. “Now,” an older man said. “What do you two think you’re doing here?”
Chapter Eleven: Sofia
My heart was pounding in my chest as I tried to stay silent. Victor's arm was wrapped protectively around me, his grip so tight it almost hurt. He was on top of me, protecting me from whomever was right outside the door. But then the door opened, and my eyes widened as light flooded into the room. It took my eyes a few seconds to get used to it, but when I did, I had to hold back a gasp.
Jace and Grayson stood right outside the door, their guns raised and faces taut with tension. Next to them was Stephen, the man we had ran into at the canteen. My heart still pounded in my chest but for the first time in what felt like forever, there was a flicker of hope.
Victor jumped up. “Stay down,” he said to me.
But I couldn't just stay down, not with Jace and Grayson standing right there. They were outnumbered and a part of me knew they didn't stand a chance, but I also knew I couldn't let them face Stephen alone.
"We're here to get you out," Jace said, his voice strained but steady. He was staring at Victor with an intensity that surprised me. "You and Sofia.”
“No, you’re not,” Stephen said, his gun still leveled at them. “Not if you don’t want me to shoot you in the head.”
"Give it a try," Grayson spat, his finger twitching on the trigger of his own gun. His gaze flicked to me for a brief second, and I could see the worry hidden behind his steely façade.
My heart pounded in my chest as I watched the tense standoff. My eyes darted between Stephen and Jace, then Grayson and Victor. They were too far away for me to jump in, too far for me to do anything but watch as this played out. Not that I could have done anything.
Jace and Grayson remained stoic, their expressions hard as they stared down the barrel of Stephen’s gun.
My heart squeezed painfully at the sight of them. I'd seen them go up against worse odds, seen them survive things that would have killed any normal man. But something in Stephen’s eyes told me this wasn’t going to end well for either of them.
And then there was Victor. He was still shielding me with his body, standing right in front of me.
His back was to me, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the readiness for a fight. His hands were clenched into fists, tense and ready for anything.
"Time to put the guns down, boys," Stephen's voice sliced through the tension like a blade. He had a vicious smile on his face, one that didn't reach his cold eyes.
A part of me wished I could be brave like Grayson or Jace. But there was also a part of me that was glad Victor was here with me, shielding me from danger. It was a twisted mess of emotions that left my heart aching and my mind spinning.
Then Stephen moved - a fast, sudden twitch of his hand, and I watched in horror as Grayson ducked down and yanked Jace down with him.
“Come on,” Victor said, grabbing my hand.
“What are we…”
"We're getting out of here," Victor cut me off, his grip tightening on my hand. His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
"But Jace... Grayson..." I tried to protest, glancing back at the two men who had risked their lives for me.
"They can handle themselves." There was a hard edge to his voice, an unspoken warning that we couldn't afford to risk any more than we already had.
A part of me wanted to argue, wanted to stay and fight alongside Jace and Grayson. But a larger part knew Victor was right. We had to seize this moment of diversion and get as far away as possible. They were here for a reason, after all.
“We have to run, Sof,” Victor said.
I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest as I clung to his hand. We tried to run outside, past Stephen, but even though we were quick, we weren’t armed.
I saw Victor tense, his muscles coiling like a predator ready to strike. In the next moment, he was launching himself at Stephen, his body colliding with the older man's with an echoing thud that reverberated around the room.
"Run, Sofia!" He growled, struggling against Stephen. His dark eyes were alight with a fiery determination, a glare that left no room for discussion.
I hesitated for a moment, torn between the urge to help and the command to run. But as Victor grappled with Stephen and Grayson and Jace started firing back at the men who Stephen must have summoned, I knew what I had to do.
I turned on my heel and sprinted out of the room, my heart pounding in my chest like a wild drum. I could hear gunfire behind me, and shouts from both sides.
My heart was screaming at me to turn back, to go to them. But my brain was louder, urging me to run.
