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I sighed. She had a point. I hesitated for a moment, my gaze flickering between her resolute expression and Grayson’s clenched jaw. It was risky bringing her along, but I knew better than anyone that trying to stop Sofia would be like standing in front of a speeding train—pointless and dangerous.
“Alright,” I agreed reluctantly, knowing that she wouldn’t back down. “But you stay close to me at all times, understood?”
“Understood,” Sofia replied, nodding firmly.
“And only me,” I said, casting a warning glance around for the rest of my men. “You all got this, right?”
“Yes, boss,” they all said.
I looked at Grayson in particular, who nodded. “Yeah, boss,” he said. “Whatever you want.”
Chapter Thirteen: Teo
It was the dead of night and we were about to go on a mission that was going to let us find some answers. We gathered the necessary equipment, loading it onto my party boat. The vessel was far from inconspicuous, but we’d have to make do. Jace appeared on deck, his eyes locked onto mine. “I’ll come too. I can offer backup if needed.”
The plan was originally to have him stay behind so he could provide tech support from home, but this made more sense, and I always liked having him around.
I couldn’t resist. “Right. All hands on deck.”
Jace chuckled. We were ready, but I didn’t know what we were going to find, and I knew it couldn’t be good. “Thanks, Jace,” I muttered gratefully, unsure how this mission would unfold. As we left the dock, I felt an icy shiver snake down my spine, as though we were leaving the safety of the shore behind and venturing into uncharted waters.
The boat powered through the darkness, pushing back against the waves as if resisting the truth that awaited us. Sofia’s silence was heavy in the air, her eyes flicking between Grayson and me. I could feel the tension in her fists and the thrum of her anger in the air, but she said nothing. The lights were turned off, no one was manning the bar. Right then, this certainly didn’t feel like a party boat.
Sofia was now cornered between Grayson and me, her body pressed against the metal railing that separated the main deck from the boat’s bow.
“I didn’t know you had a boat,” Sofia said.
“I didn’t have time to mention it,” I replied. “Next time, I’ll take you out on a date. A proper date.”
“This isn’t a date?” she replied with a smile, then her expression hardened when she turned to Grayson. “Let’s do what we’re here to do. Can we go over the plan again?”
We knew the plan. Get off the boat, use the cover of the night to move in quietly, and sweep the island from top to bottom.
The wind whipped through my hair as we sped across the choppy waters of Lake Apopka, the boat’s powerful engine roaring beneath us. Our surroundings blurred into a hazy, indistinct haze as I focused on the task at hand. Sofia stood beside me, her grip on the railing white-knuckled and her eyes fixated on the horizon.
As the boat cut through the water, the spray of Lake Apopka stung my face, a cold reminder of the danger we were heading into. Sofia stood beside me, her eyes narrowed against the wind,her jaw set in determination. The tension between her and Grayson was as palpable as the waves crashing around us.
“Teo,” Jace called out from the cabin, his voice crackling through the intercom. “I’m gonna stay on the boat to monitor your progress. If you need backup or any intel, just give me a shout.”
“Copy that,” I replied, nodding at him through the window. He gave me a thumbs up before turning back to the complex array of screens and equipment spread out before him.
“Grayson,” Sofia snapped, her anger barely contained. “You better not screw this up for us. Sam’s life is on the line and I swear, if anything happens to him because of your lies—“
“I didn’t lie about anything else,” Grayson said.
“Enough, Sofia!” Victor interrupted, stepping in between them. “We’re all on edge, but we need to work together. We can’t let our personal issues get in the way of the mission.”
“Victor’s right,” I agreed, shooting Grayson a warning glance. “We’ve got one shot at this, and we can’t afford to screw it up.”
“Fine,” Grayson muttered, clearly unhappy but resigned to the situation. “But when this is over, we’re going to have a long talk about trust and honesty.”
“Looking forward to it,” I responded, sarcasm dripping from my words. I turned away from him and focused on the approaching island, the knot in my stomach tightening with each passing moment.
As the boat slowed to a stop near the shore, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of the responsibility pressing down on me. This mission wasn’t just about taking down the Everglades Viper – it was about keeping my makeshift family safe and protecting the people I cared about most.
“Alright,” I said, steeling myself for what lay ahead. “Let’s do this.”
The boat’s engine hummed to a stop, and the only sounds that filled the air were the waves slapping against the hull and our tense breathing. I took in the dark expanse of the island before us, the moon casting an eerie glow over the trees. It was like we were approaching the heart of darkness itself.
