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"I didn't mean to," I said, my voice small.
"I know you didn't." His voice softened and he came closer, bending down to kiss my forehead gently. The gesture was so tender and unexpected I couldn't help but let out a small sob. "We're going to figure this out."
Before I could respond, Teo came back into the room, Stephen trailing behind him with a guarded expression on his face.
"Alright everyone," Teo began, his arm looped around my waist protectively. "Stephen is in for now.”
“We’re helping the feds?” Grayson asked.
“If we’re going to double cross him, we’re going to have to,” Teo said.
Stephen folded his arms, standing straight and tall in the middle of the room. "Yeah, that's about the gist of it." His eyes flicked to me.
I inwardly sighed. Betrayal was a risky game, especially when it involves flipping off someone as crucial as my father. But anything was better than having a bullseye on our backs, always on the run.
"And what's the plan?" Victor asked, his arms also folding over his chest, mirroring Stephen's stance.
"I've got some leads," Stephen began, "but it’s going to require some inside work."
"Which means we'll have to play nice with the Viper." Grayson said, his voice sour.
Stephen nodded. "Unfortunately, yes."
Jace looked at me then, worry etched on his face. "And Sofia?"
"She stays here," Teo answered quickly, a hint of finality in his voice.
“No, she doesn’t,” Stephen said. “Without her, we don’t really have a case. She’s our way in.”
Teo's grip on my waist tightened, a growl rumbling deep in his chest. "Like hell she is. I won't risk her."
Stephen rolled his eyes, fixing Teo with a stern gaze. "Do you want to bring the Viper down or not? This isn't about what you want, there's a bigger picture here."
“I have to do this,” I said. “This is why I told you I couldn’t stay.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you told me. Your safety is my priority,” Teo said in a harsh whisper.
"Teo," I said softly, reaching up to touch his face, hoping that the intimate gesture would keep him from lashing out at Stephen. "This is our best chance."
He moved away, running his fingers through his hair, his eyes flashing with raw emotion. "You don't have to do this."
"But I want to." The words were out before I could stop them. I needed him to understand. "I want to help bring him down."
Grayson stepped up beside me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "We'll be with you every step of the way, Sofia."
"And we'll make sure nothing happens to her," Jace added, his voice firm.
Stephen nodded in approval. "That's settled then. Sofia is in."
Teo looked like he was about to murder all of them, but said nothing about it. “Fine,” he said. “There’s something you need to know about. Come, sit down.”
For the next few minutes, Teo filled me in on what the Viper had said to him. When he told me he was ready to give the Blades away, I felt my eyes water. I couldn’t believe the lengths he would go to just to help me out. But then the rest of the guys chimed in, talking about double crossing my dad, talking about the details of the operation, the knots and bolts that would tie us all together in an intricate web. A web designed to capture The Viper. It was daunting, terribly scary but necessary.
“So the plan,” Teo recapped. “Is for her to pretend that she’s a prisoner, get him to incriminate himself despite the mountains of evidence you have, and then use that to prosecute?”
“The evidence is circumstantial, we’re not comfortable bringing a case forward without more concrete proof," Stephen replied, running a hand through his hair as he paced back and forth. "And yes, that's essentially the plan."
"Great," Teo muttered under his breath, not sounding at all convinced. He was silent for a moment, looking like he was on the edge of saying something else when Victor spoke up. “And we’ll be around because he’ll think we have given the Blades to him.”
