Chapter 16: Danny

Nate walks out of the room, his hands tangled in his hair, looking like he’s barely keeping it together. I can’t blame him. Sofia’s doing something to all of us, making us feel things we probably shouldn’t. I know that look on his face, the one that says he’s torn, that he’s trying to keep his emotions in check but struggling. It’s the same way I feel, and seeing it on his face just makes it that much harder to ignore.

I’ve been doing this kind of work for a long time—surviving, fighting, doing whatever I needed to do to get by. I lost my family young, and for a while, it was just me, looking out for myself, scraping by however I could. And then I found these guys, and we became each other’s family. We were a unit, an unbreakable force. We looked out for each other, no one else. I never wanted to protect anyone outside of that, never cared about anyone but the three of them.

But now, Sofia is stirring something inside me that I haven’t felt in years. It’s unsettling, this sudden urge to protect someone outside our circle. I keep telling myself she’s just part of the plan, a means to an end, but every time I see the fear in her eyes, the bruises on her skin, I start to wonder if it’s worth it. If any of this is worth it.

I push the thoughts aside, trying to focus as Riley and Leo start talking. They’re discussing the plan, trying to figure out how to make this all work, how to get what we need. Nate comes back a moment later, his face still damp, like he splashed water on himself to calm down. I give him a nod, and he takes a seat, running a hand over his face as he listens.

“We need to see who shows up at her place,” Riley is saying, his voice low but steady. “If they’re throwing some kind of party or meeting to hand her over, we’ll have a chance to see who this guy is.”

Leo nods, crossing his arms. “If we can identify him, we can figure out what leverage we have. This is our one shot to get out, and we can’t afford to mess it up.”

Nate shifts in his seat, looking a bit more composed now. “So we watch the house, see who shows up, and then go from there?”

“Exactly,” Riley confirms. “We need to be there. If he’s who we think he is, he won’t show up alone, and he’ll make it known why he’s there.”

I lean forward, glancing between them. “We’ll all go. Sofia’s not going anywhere; she can’t escape from here. We can keep an eye on things from a distance, make sure we’re not seen.”

Leo raises an eyebrow, his gaze shifting between us. “Are we sure about this? If we leave her here, she’ll be alone. But then again, it’s not like she has anywhere to go.”

Nate nods, his expression resolute. “We don’t have a choice. We need to know who we’re dealing with before we can make a move. And if we all go, we’re less likely to miss anything.”

I can see the tension in their faces, the weight of this decision bearing down on all of us. There’s a lot riding on this, more than I think any of us anticipated. But deep down, I know we’re all thinking the same thing—that maybe, just maybe, we can find a way to protect Sofia from this mess. At least, I hope we can.

“All right,” Riley says, standing up. “We’ll head out tonight. Watch the house, figure out who’s there, and then make our move. This is it. Let’s make it count.”

We all exchange glances, a silent agreement passing between us. We’re in this together, whatever that means. I just hope that, when the time comes, we’re ready to face whatever waits for us at the end of this road. Because now, it’s not just about us. It’s about her too. And I can’t shake the feeling that things are only going to get more complicated from here.

We head out after dark, each of us piling into the car. Leo had brought Sofia some food before we left, telling her that we’d be back soon. The look on his face as he walked away told me all I needed to know—he’s just as conflicted as the rest of us. But now we have a job to do, and we can’t afford to lose focus.

We drive in silence, the tension thick in the air. Leo had found her address back when we first started looking into her and her family. It’s one of those cookie-cutter suburban houses, trying too hard to look impressive, and failing. When we pull up a few streets away, we park out of sight, and all four of us step out, moving into a position where we can see everything without being seen.

We watch as her parents stand by the door, dressed to the nines, greeting people. They look nervous, glancing around like they’re afraid someone might see them. I feel a flicker of satisfaction at their fear—good. They should be scared. I can’t believe they would actually go through with this, selling off their own daughter like she’s a piece of property.

“Look at them,” Nate mutters beside me, his jaw clenched. “Parading around like everything’s normal.”

“They’re in deep,” Riley says, his voice low. “No way they can back out now, even if they wanted to.”

We watch as a few more people come and go, all dressed in dark suits, their faces obscured by shadows. They don’t stay long, just enough time for a quick exchange with the parents before disappearing inside. Each person that arrives makes me feel sicker, but I keep my focus on the house, waiting for the real guest of honor to show up.

And then, after a few long minutes, a sleek black car pulls up to the curb, and I feel every muscle in my body tense. I recognize him immediately, and from the way the others stiffen, I know they do too.

“Holy shit,” Leo whispers. “It’s him.”

Rafael Moretti, the elder son of the opposite mafia gang—the same gang we’ve been clashing with for years. He’s a tall, broad-shouldered man, probably in his early forties, with slicked-back dark hair and a face that’s seen more than its share of fights. His suit is pristine, not a hair out of place, and there’s a coldness in his eyes that sends a chill down my spine.

We watch as he steps out of the car, striding up to Sofia’s parents like he owns the place. They look even more nervous now, and I see her father glance over his shoulder, as if expecting someone to catch them. Moretti doesn’t seem to care. He’s looking past them, craning his neck to see into the house, clearly searching for someone. Clearly searching for Sofia.

“They must have told him she’s not here,” Riley mutters, his eyes narrowing.

The parents are talking to him, gesturing toward the house, their expressions pleading, like they’re trying to explain. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but it’s enough to set him off. Moretti’s face darkens, and he grabs her father by the collar, pulling him close. Her mother looks terrified, her hands trembling as she tries to placate him, but he just shoves her aside, storming back to his car.

“He’s pissed,” Nate says, crossing his arms. “Serves him right.”

“He was expecting her to be here,” I add, feeling a mix of anger and disgust churn in my stomach. “Bastard really thought he’d just walk in and take her.”

Moretti slams the car door, barking orders at his driver, and they peel away, disappearing into the night. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding, and the others do the same. We’re all quiet for a moment, just staring after the car, trying to process what we just saw.

“That piece of shit,” Leo finally growls, shaking his head. “He’s got to be at least forty. What the hell does he want with someone like Sofia?”

“Probably exactly what we’re thinking,” Riley mutters darkly. “It’s sick.”

“Yeah, well, we all knew he was a monster,” Nate says, his voice cold. “We’ve seen the stuff he’s done, and it’s worse than anything we’d ever stoop to.”

I can’t help but agree. We’ve done our share of bad things, sure, but Moretti? He’s in a league of his own. There are stories about him, things he’s done that I’d rather not even think about. And the fact that he was here tonight, expecting to take Sofia home with him, makes my blood boil.

“It’s not right,” I say, clenching my fists. “No one deserves to be sold off to someone like him.”

Riley glances over at me, his expression grim. “No, they don’t. But now we know who’s behind this. And that means we know what we’re up against.”

“So what’s the plan?” Leo asks, his eyes hard. “We can’t just let this happen. We need leverage, but there has to be another way.”

Riley nods, and I can see the gears turning in his head. “We’ll figure something out. But first, we need to make sure we’re prepared. We know he’s after her, and he won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

A silence falls over us again, and I can feel the weight of the situation pressing down on all of us. We knew this was going to be a messy job, but seeing Moretti here tonight makes it all too real. I’ve never felt this kind of rage before, this need to protect someone outside our circle, but I can’t shake it. I don’t want him—or anyone else—to get their hands on Sofia.

We pile back into the cars, heading back toward the hangar, each of us lost in our own thoughts. There’s a lot to figure out, a lot of questions we need to answer. But one thing is clear: we’re in this deep now, and there’s no turning back. We’re going to do whatever it takes to keep Sofia safe, even if it means going up against the worst of the worst.

As I drive, I glance over at Nate, who’s staring out the window, his jaw clenched. I know he’s feeling the same thing I am, the same sense of protectiveness that’s eating at me. I can only hope that when the time comes, we’re ready to face whatever’s waiting for us on the other side. Because for Sofia, we’re all willing to fight, even if it means risking everything we’ve worked for.