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“Never said I was,” he replied, then sighed. then sighed.
I opened my mouth to give him a smart retort, but I had nothing.
"But you're right about one thing," he continued, pinning me with a steady gaze that made my stomach churn. "This is more than just about you. It's about Sam. It's about everyone your father has hurt."
I seethed internally, anger bubbling up again. But I knew Stephen was right, even if admitting it felt like swallowing glass shards. He stood in silence, watching me with those eerily calm eyes as I struggled to push down the rage and focus on the bigger picture.
"Fine," I finally spat out, the bitter taste of defeat tarnishing my tongue. "What’s next?”
Stephen's lips curled into a grim smile that didn't reach his eyes. "We start planning, Sofia,” he said. “And we take the Viper down.”
Chapter Seventeen: Teo
Ihadn’t expected Grayson to step into the room with Victor and Grayson in tow. Before I could open my mouth to ask what the fuck was happening, the phone in Sam’s room rang. I picked up the phone, only vaguely aware that my men were in the room when I realized that it was Sofia. When she hung up, I had no idea what to do.
“Boss?” Grayson asked. “Are you okay?”
I was staring at the silent phone in my hand, my heart still pounding from Sofia's words. The room around me seemed to blur and grow distant. For a moment, I was lost in a dizzying mix of fear, worry, and a sort of hopeless fury. Then Grayson's voice cut through my daze. I looked up, meeting his concerned gaze.
"No," I said flatly, "I'm far from okay."
Grayson glanced at Jace, then Victor – all of them looking at me with worry etched into their faces. Independently strong and formidable, but together we were...faltering. Our unity put to the test in the face of this new threat.
"Sofia's... she's..." I started, but words failed me. My throat clenched tight, choking off whatever I was going to say next. Damn it, how could she be considering this? How am I supposed to sit back while she puts herself in danger?
“Alive?” Grayson offered.
Yes, alive. But for how long? And at what cost?
I nodded, forcing words out of my throat, "She's...she's with that Stephen guy. He’s not what you guys think.”
“What?” Jace asked.
I looked around, wondering if the Viper was listening in on us. From context clues, I got what she was saying, but if the Viper was listening to Sam’s hospital phone line then Sofia and her new fed friend were in deep trouble.
I glanced at Sam's hospital room phone as if it were an enemy, its dull black plastic suddenly looking sinister. I then looked at my men, their unease a palpable entity in the dim-lit room.
“Jace, can you check if there’s a bug in this room?” I asked him.
He nodded, his phone still in his hand.
"Yes, boss." His green eyes were hard, determined, as he began to sweep the room for surveillance devices.
Grayson folded his arms, leaning back against the wall. He was quiet, but I could see the wheels turning in his head. Meanwhile, Victor’s gaze was on me, questioning, searching for answers. I didn't have any. All I had was a gnawing fear and a growing sense of helplessness. “You okay, man?”
“Yeah, he didn’t torture us or anything,” Victor said. “Just kept us in a locked cell. Gave us food. Gave us medicine. As far as captivity goes, it was honestly not too bad.”
“And Sofia escaped?” I asked, even though I obviously knew the answer.
“We told her to run ahead during the confusion,” Victor said.
That wasn’t the whole picture, but I couldn’t tell them yet. Jace was doing something—God knows what—on his phone.
“And I mean, she called you, so she clearly managed to get away,” Victor said.
Jace finished whatever he was doing then looked at me. “All clear, Teo.”
"Good," I nodded, my gaze flicking to my men. Their expressions mirrored my own - wary, hard, and filled with tension. "Now listen." I took a deep breath, bracing myself to deliver the news. "Sofia...she's working with the Feds."
