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Stephen rose from his seat, looming over me with an intimidating presence. "If your father even had a whiff that we were closing in, you think he would hesitate to use you or Sam as leverage?"
His words hung heavy in the air, silence echoing deafeningly around us. He was right. As much as it pained me to admit it, he was right. My father was a man who wouldn't think twice about using his own children as pawns.
“And what about me?” I shot back, my voice breaking. “Do I not get to make my own decisions?”
His jaw clenched. “You are making your decisions, Sofia. You chose to post that article. You chose to stick with the Blades. You might have fallen into this accidentally, but you’re not doing any of this because you don’t want to.”
I flinched at his blunt words, my heart pounding in my chest. "And what about them? What about me? I didn't choose any of this!” I hated how much it sounded like a plea. “I wanted to protect my brother.”
He nodded. “I know. That’s exactly why we can't just barge in and expose everything," he answered calmly, his gaze steady on me. "The FBI can't risk the lives of you, Sam or anyone else involved."
"I can handle myself," I snapped, teeth gritting at his subtle implication.
Stephen rose from his seat, looming over me with an intimidating presence. "If your father even had a whiff that we were closing in, you think he would hesitate to use you or Sam as leverage?"
His words hung heavy in the air, silence echoing deafeningly around us. He was right. As much as it pained me to admit it, he was right. My father was a man who wouldn't think twice about using his own children as pawns.
“What about Teo and Sam? They’re both still in the hospital. Aren’t they in danger?”
"They are," Stephen agreed grimly, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "We have agents stationed at the hospital, undercover. They're keeping an eye on both Teo and Sam. That’s where he is right now.”
“He’s with them? And you’re here?! Talking to me?”
"Yes, I am, because this is also important. Because you needed to know," he shot back, his voice harsher than before. “Because we need to take your father down, Sofia. And to do that, we’re going to need your help.”
Chapter Fourteen: Grayson
There was no element of surprise anymore. It was just the three of us—at some point, Jace had slipped Victor a gun—trying to fight our way out of what felt like an endless dungeon.
Our backs to one another, we moved as a single unit, the rhythm of our breaths and the movement of our bodies syncing in perfect harmony. Sweat trickled down my back and I could hear Jace's labored panting beside me. We’d covered Sofia until she was out, all due to confusion, but now we faced an even bigger threat. We were massively outnumbered. I was pretty certain we had years of experience over these lackeys, though.
They were just pawns in the Viper's game - young men who thought they were invincible until they met the wrong end of Victor's gun.
"Left," Jace called out, and without hesitation, I spun on my heel and fired two shots at the man who'd tried to sneak up on us. He fell with a grunt, surprise flashing across his face before it went slack.
Victor was a few steps ahead of us, his sharp eyes scanning the area for any sign of a trap. His movements were fluid, calculated - every step he took was precise and measured.
"We need to keep moving," he said over his shoulder, his voice steady despite the chaos surrounding us.
No sooner had his words left his mouth than four more men came charging towards us. I could see the cold determination in their eyes. They were going to fight till their last breath.
One, two, three - they dropped like flies. I could feel adrenaline coursing through my veins, setting my senses on fire. Every sound was amplified, every movement a potential threat.
"We need to get out of here," Jace said, his voice strained. He was right. We couldn't hold them off forever, and we still didn't know where Sofia was.
"Can't argue with that," Victor replied, shoving new rounds into his gun. "There's a service exit down that hallway."
I nodded grimly and we pressed forward. The corridor echoed with deafening gunfire and the harsh cries of the injured. Blood splattered the walls and the metallic scent filled my nostrils, almost overpowering the distinct smell of gunpowder that lingered in the air.
"Cover me!" Victor shouted, breaking into a run toward the service exit. Jace and I turned our attention to the men still advancing, their numbers slowly dwindling but not fast enough.
I squeezed off another round, catching a man in the shoulder. He stumbled back with a yell, clutching at his injury. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jace pick off another two men, his face grim.
“Can’t keep this up,” I said.
“I know. Let’s go,” Victor said. “Hurry.”
We pushed through the hallway, our boots slipping on the slick floor. The roar of gunfire began to fade as we distanced ourselves from the main group. Jace was the first one through the service exit, followed closely by Victor and then me.
