Chapter 78: Cole

We were crouched in the thick foliage, hidden by the trees and shadows about a mile from Sofia’s house. My crew was tense, weapons drawn, and we could hear everything through the tiny mic she was wearing. I had to keep an eye on the guys, especially since a few of them were itching to move in the second things went sideways. The bosses had made it clear that we were to wait, no matter what we heard, no matter how bad it got. Still, that didn’t stop the tension from rising with every minute that passed.

The air felt heavy, almost too quiet, like the calm before a storm. We had been out there for what felt like hours, listening to the ugly things coming through the mic—Sofia’s parents tearing into her. The things they were saying… I could tell the guys around me were on edge. Even I was gritting my teeth, trying to keep my composure. The orders were clear, but sometimes orders weren’t enough to calm the kind of anger that builds when you hear someone innocent getting hurt like that.

At one point, there was this guy in my crew, Jake, who nearly snapped. He had his rifle gripped tight, jaw clenched, and he started to get up, mumbling something like, “I can’t take this, we have to go in.” A couple of the other guys grabbed him, pulled him back down before he could do something stupid. I had to remind him, “Don’t go against the bosses’ wishes. We wait for the signal. We don’t mess this up.”

He didn’t like it, but he nodded, staying put. I could tell he was still seething, though, and honestly, I couldn’t blame him.

That’s when I noticed this younger guy, Sebastian, sitting a little ways off, pale as a ghost. He had been quiet the whole time, but now I could see him shaking a little, his hands fidgeting with the strap of his weapon. Kid was only about twenty, barely with us for a year. Still pretty green with this kind of stuff. I walked over and crouched next to him.

“You alright?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

He looked up at me, his face tight with something between fear and shock. “I think… I think I know her,” he muttered, almost like he didn’t believe the words himself.

I frowned, caught off guard. “What do you mean you know her?”

That got the crew’s attention. A few of the guys turned to listen in, curious.

Sebastian took a breath, glancing toward Sofia’s house like he was trying to piece it all together. “From high school,” he said finally. “I think I went to school with her. She was so shy back then, always kept to herself, but… I remember her. She was kind. Smart. Always helping people out with their homework or just… being nice, you know? Different from everyone else.”

The crew was silent for a moment, processing what Sebastian was saying. It felt surreal, like a connection none of us expected.

He rubbed his hands over his face, letting out a shaky breath. “One time… I forgot my lunch money. Didn’t even say anything about it, but she noticed. Just came up and paid for my food without making a big deal about it. It was like… nothing to her, but I never forgot that.”

A couple of the guys exchanged glances, clearly surprised. I was too. I didn’t know much about Sofia’s past before she met the bosses, but hearing this made it hit different. It wasn’t just a job anymore. There was a history, a connection, no matter how small.

Then Sebastian dropped his next bombshell, and I swear I felt my blood run cold. “I remember seeing bruises on her back then, too,” he murmured, his voice quieter now. “But I didn’t think… I mean, I didn’t know… Now I get why.”

His words lingered in the air like a bad taste, and suddenly, everything we were doing, everything we were about to do, felt heavier.

For a moment, no one spoke. We all just stared out toward Sofia’s house, listening to her parents continue their tirade over the mic. It made me sick to think that she had been living with that for years, long before any of us had ever known her.

One of the older guys, Mason, cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “We’re gonna get her out of there,” he said, his voice full of conviction. “And we’ll make sure those bastards pay for every bruise they ever left on her.”

I nodded, feeling the weight of it all settle on my shoulders. “Damn right we will,” I agreed.

But as much as I wanted to storm in there and end it, I knew we had to stick to the plan. The bosses had a vision for this, and we had to trust it. Still, hearing Sebastian’s story lit a fire under all of us. We weren’t just saving some girl now. We were saving Sofia—the girl who had been quietly enduring pain her whole life and still managed to be kind in the process. It made me want to see this through even more, to make sure she got the justice she deserved.

The wait dragged on, every second ticking by with a sense of urgency we couldn’t shake. All we could do was stay hidden, stay ready, and listen to the pain coming through that tiny mic.

Now I look down at Sofia lying on the bed, her eyes closed, lips swollen, and bruises painting her pale cheeks. It’s hard to even look at her like this, like someone hit an angel. That’s what she looks like—an angel, but one that’s been hurt, knocked down, and left to bleed. Her blonde hair falls across the pillow like a golden halo, but it doesn’t make the scene any easier.

I let out a long breath, running a hand over my face, trying to steady the shaking in my chest. How the hell could anyone do this to her? Even now, after we got her out, after we brought her back here, I still can’t believe it. She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve any of it.

When Nate had brought her to me—practically running through the house with her limp in his arms—his face was pure panic. “Check her,” he’d said, his voice raw with fear. “Cole, check her. Please.”

I didn’t even know where to start.

Her arms were red and swollen, deep blue bruises wrapping around her wrists where the ropes had bitten into her skin. And then her face… there was blood everywhere, on her cheeks, her lips, her nose. I remember touching her forehead gently, feeling the heat from the swelling. Her breathing was ragged.

I even pressed gently on her stomach, trying to check for anything internal, thinking if she were pregnant, she might’ve lost the baby from the hits she took. Thank God she wasn’t—at least, I didn’t think so. Her body was in survival mode, and I could only do so much to check her in this state.

“Is she going to be okay?” Nate had asked, his voice tight, like he was hanging on by a thread.

I didn’t have the heart to lie, but I had to give him something. “She’s strong,” I’d said. “It’ll take time, but she’ll be okay. She’s got bruises everywhere, but no internal bleeding as far as I can tell. She just needs time. A lot of rest.”

He had nodded, but I could see the worry in his eyes, the guilt. It was like he was blaming himself for what had happened to her, even though none of this was his fault.

And now, looking at her like this, lying so still in bed, I feel the weight of it too. She’s part of the crew now, even if she doesn’t know it. Even if she never wanted to be. We protect our own, and I’ll be damned if I ever let someone hurt her like this again.

I sit down beside the bed, watching her chest rise and fall with each slow breath. Her skin is so bruised, it’s hard to see any spot untouched. The guys had done everything they could to make sure she was comfortable, setting up the room for her, keeping it quiet, giving her space. But I know they’re restless. Hell, I am too. I don't want to get attached. She's with my boss. I mean, my bosses. I don't know the full situation, but she's their girl. And I can't get involved. But she makes it hard not to...

How could her own parents do this to her?

I reach out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. She doesn’t stir, but her breathing steadies a little. Maybe it’s the quiet. Maybe it’s the relief of finally being away from them—from her parents, from that hellhole.

Whatever it is, I hope it brings her peace. Because God knows she needs it.