Chapter 20: Nate

We’re speeding down the road, pushing the limits of every car as we race back to the hangar. My heart is pounding, and I’m gripping the edge of my seat so hard my knuckles are white. It all happened so fast. We were getting ready to head back when Leo burst into the room, his face pale as he showed us the live feed from the security camera. Cars were pulling up to the hangar, men spilling out, armed and clearly up to no good. We recognized the cars immediately—they belong to Moretti’s men.

I can feel the tension in the air, and I know the others feel it too. We all know what’s at stake. I glance over at Riley, who’s driving, his jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the road as we barrel forward. He doesn’t even have to say anything. We’re all on the same page.

The second we pull up, I barely wait for Riley to slow down before I’m out of the car, sprinting toward the hangar. The others are right behind me, weapons drawn, but all I can think about is Sofia. I burst through the door, my vision narrowing as I take in the scene before me.

The sight that greets us is nothing short of a nightmare. Three men are standing over Sofia, each of them focused on her like they’re vultures picking apart their prey. One has her pinned to the ground, his filthy hands wrapped around her wrists. Another is straddling her, leaning down to whisper things in her ear that make my blood boil. The last one, with bloody knuckles, is drawing back his arm to hit her again, his face twisted in a sick smile.

I see red. Every inch of my body feels like it’s on fire, rage coursing through me so intensely that I barely feel my own fists as they connect with the guy closest to me. He goes down instantly, his head hitting the concrete floor with a sickening crack. I don’t even pause to see if he’s still conscious. I’m moving to the next one, but Riley, Leo, and Danny are already on it, taking down the other two.

The guy who had his knuckles on her is pulled off her by Danny, who lands a punch that sends him reeling. Leo grabs the one who was holding her wrists, delivering a swift kick to his side before yanking him to his feet. The third guy tries to make a run for it, but Riley blocks his path, shoving him against the wall. The whole thing is over in seconds. They didn’t even see us coming, too engrossed in hurting her to notice.

They’re still breathing, but they won’t be for long if I have anything to say about it. I turn back to Sofia, and my heart nearly stops at the sight of her. She’s lying there, unconscious, blood staining her lips and forehead. There are deep red marks on her wrists and neck, bruises blooming where those bastards had their hands on her. Her clothes are torn, and her hair is matted with blood.

“Is she breathing?” Danny asks, dropping to his knees beside her, pressing his fingers to her neck to check her pulse.

“Barely,” he says, relief and fear mixing in his voice. “We need to get her out of here.”

I can barely think straight, the rage still clouding my mind as I look down at her. I want to kill them, every single one of them, for what they did to her. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. We need to get her to safety first. I’ll deal with those animals later.

Riley and Leo drag the three men to the chairs, securing them with chains we’d kept for emergencies. They’re out cold now, slumped against their restraints, but we’re not taking any chances. Danny stands up, giving me a nod as he steps back.

I scoop Sofia into my arms as gently as I can, cradling her against my chest. She feels so small, so fragile, and I’m terrified of hurting her even more. Her head rests against my shoulder, and I hold her close, moving as quickly as I can toward the car.

“We’re taking her back to the house,” I say, and I don’t leave any room for argument. “She’s not staying here another second.”

The others don’t protest. They know it’s the only option. At the house, security is tight; nobody can get in without us knowing. And right now, it’s the safest place for her to be.

I carry her to the back seat of the SUV, sliding in beside her and making sure she’s as comfortable as possible. Danny climbs into the driver’s seat, and Riley and Leo jump into their own car, pulling out behind us as we speed back toward the house. I keep my eyes on her, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest, reassuring myself that she’s still breathing, that she’s still with us.

As we drive, I can’t shake the images of what they did to her, the bruises, the blood. The thought of her lying there, helpless, with those men hurting her—it makes me want to rip them apart. I don’t even realize I’m clenching my fists until Danny glances back at me in the rearview mirror.

“We’ll make them pay,” he says, his voice low but full of conviction. “They’ll wish they’d never touched her.”

We finally pull up to the house, and I carry Sofia inside, barely pausing to kick off my boots before I take her up to one of the bedrooms. The room is quiet, a soft light filtering in through the curtains, and it feels like a sanctuary compared to the cold, sterile hangar.

I lay her down on the bed, carefully adjusting the pillows under her head, and then step back, taking a deep breath as I try to calm my racing heart. She looks so peaceful, even with the bruises marring her skin, and I can’t help but feel a surge of protectiveness, a fierce need to make sure nothing like this ever happens to her again.

The others file into the room, each of them silent, their faces etched with the same rage and guilt that I feel. We’ve all done terrible things in our lives, but seeing her like this, seeing the damage they did—it makes everything else pale in comparison.

“What do we do now?” Leo asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

I glance back at Sofia, then at each of them. “We keep her safe,” I say, my voice steady. “We keep her here, and we make sure nobody ever gets close enough to hurt her again. And when the time is right, we make sure Moretti and his men pay for what they’ve done.”

They nod, and I can see the resolve in their eyes. We might have started this with the intention of using her as leverage, but that’s changed now. This isn’t just about survival anymore. It’s about protecting her, making sure she has a chance to live without the shadow of men like Moretti hanging over her.

As I look down at her, a sense of determination fills me, solid and unbreakable. We’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. And we won’t stop until every last one of them regrets the day they decided to hurt her.