Chapter 79: Riley

It’s been two days, and Sofia’s still in and out of consciousness. Every time she wakes up, she stays with us a little longer, but she’s so tired it’s like the world is just pulling her back under. Sleep has become her refuge. The bruises are healing, slowly. She’s still too quiet, though. I hate it. I hate that she doesn’t even have the strength to fight this. It makes me feel like we let her down. We should’ve acted sooner, should’ve saved her before things got this bad.

We’re sitting around the table, eating something we ordered, no one really talking. All of us, except Leo who's still with Sofia. Cole and Leo don't know each other as well given that Leo is younger. The food’s barely touched. It’s not like any of us have the appetite for this, but we’re trying to keep going. Cole’s sitting with us too, shoveling food into his mouth, but he’s got this faraway look on his face. He’s been helping Sofia with everything, checking on her like clockwork. I trust him, we all do. He’s been with us for years, and it’s not like he’s going anywhere.

But there’s something different now, and I think it’s about to surface.

“I called Sebastian,” Cole says suddenly, breaking the silence. He puts his fork down, his eyes flicking to me, then over to Nate and Danny. “I wanted to know more about what he remembered from high school.”

We all stop what we’re doing. The air feels thicker suddenly. I can tell by the way he’s talking that what he’s about to say isn’t good. My hands clench into fists under the table.

“And?” Nate says, his voice tight.

Cole sighs. “He said she used to miss half a week of school here and there. Every month or so.”

My heart sinks. Every month.

“So she was probably recovering from beatings like this,” Danny says quietly, putting words to what we’re all thinking. He shoves his plate away, no longer pretending to eat. His face is a mix of anger and regret. We all feel it.

“I figured as much,” Nate mutters, running a hand through his hair. “We should’ve known it was this bad.”

I look over at Cole, and something in his expression has me on edge. He’s been different since he’s been around Sofia. Don’t get me wrong, I like Cole. He’s always been dependable, and the guy’s a damn good medic. But this… it’s personal now.

He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “What’s your relationship status with her?”

There it is.

I glance at Nate and Danny. They’re as taken aback by the question as I am, but I can see in their eyes they’ve noticed it too—Cole’s getting attached. Hell, I don’t blame him. Sofia’s easy to love. But she’s ours.

Nate clears his throat, shifting in his seat. “It’s... complicated.”

That’s an understatement.

Cole raises an eyebrow. “Complicated how? Because from what I’ve seen, all of you are head over heels for her. And I’m not judging, I just want to know where things stand.”

I glance at Nate again. Danny’s tense, his knuckles white from gripping the edge of the table. They’re as protective as I am, but I’m the one who’s going to have to say something.

“Yeah,” I say, my voice low. “We care about her. We’re… we’re working it out.”

Cole studies me for a moment, then leans forward. “You realize she’s in a vulnerable position right now, right?”

That sets me off. I slam my fist onto the table, making the plates rattle. “You think we don’t know that? You think we don’t know she’s hurt? We’re the ones who had to hear every fucking slap, Cole.”

The room goes dead silent. No one speaks for a minute.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Riley,” Cole says, his tone softening. “I know you guys are looking out for her. I just want to make sure you’re looking out for her in the right way.”

It’s hard to stay mad at him, especially because I know he’s not wrong. He’s always been the one to step in when things get heavy, always trying to be the rational one. He’s good at that. Maybe too good.

“We are,” Nate finally says. “She means everything to us. But you already knew that.”

Cole sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I do.” He pauses, and I can tell there’s more. “Look, I’ve been helping her where I can. The other night, she woke up for a bit. I ended up washing her hair because she was too weak to move.”

I nod, remembering. I wasn’t mad about it—just… a little jealous. He’s been a part of our crew since the beginning, but left for a bit to get his degree before coming back. Now, it feels like we’re all figuring out where we stand. And Sofia, well, she’s the center of everything right now.

“She was still so out of it,” Cole continues. “But she seemed calmer after. I just… I don’t want to overstep. You know?”

I let out a breath, running my hands through my hair. “We get it, man. We’re grateful for everything you’re doing.”

Danny speaks up now. “We just have to be careful, okay? We’ll take care of her. That’s what we’re doing.”

Cole looks at all of us, then nods. “I get it. I’m not trying to take anything away from you guys.”

We sit in silence for a moment before Cole speaks up again.

We’re all sitting around the table, the food barely touched, and the weight of everything still hanging heavy in the air. I’m thinking about Sofia, how she’s upstairs resting, and how much longer it’s going to take before she’s herself again. Cole finishes what’s on his plate and clears his throat.

"In a day or so, I think I’ll be able to leave her to you guys," he says. "She’s doing well. I know it doesn't look like it, but she is. She won’t need my help much longer."

I glance at him. “You sure? I mean, after everything…”

Cole nods. “She’ll be okay. You guys can handle it from here. I’ll stick around a little longer, but honestly, you’ve got it covered.”

Before I can say anything, there’s a knock on the door. Nate stands up, frowning. He doesn’t say anything, just heads downstairs to check it out. I can hear the door open, some low voices, and then heavy footsteps coming back toward us.

When Nate reappears, he’s not alone.

Behind him are fifteen—no, maybe twenty—men. All of them were there during the mission. They’re dressed in their usual rough attire, eyes sharp, expressions unreadable, but there’s a certain heaviness in the air.

They came for Sofia.

The room shifts as they file in, their presence commanding attention. These men are part of the crew—ruthless, trained, some of them capable of things I don’t even want to think about. The mafia is cruel; we all know that. But when these guys care about someone? It’s different. It's real.

Nate gestures for them to sit, but most of them stay standing, arms crossed or hands stuffed into pockets. One of the guys, an older man named Marco, steps forward. He’s been in the business longer than anyone, though he still answers to me.

“Sorry to come unannounced, boss,” Marco says, his voice gravelly. “Had to check if she’s okay.”

I nod, swallowing hard. “She’s upstairs, resting. She’ll be fine.”

There’s a murmur of relief through the group, but I can see the tension in their faces. They all remember what they heard over the comms that day, how helpless they were as we waited. I feel a strange sense of gratitude for these men, the ones who helped us take down Sofia’s parents, but who also seemed to care about her. In this life, that’s not a small thing.

Another guy, one of the younger ones, speaks up. “We wanted to step in sooner. It was… hard, man. Listening to that.”

I exchange a glance with Nate and Danny. We all felt the same way.

“We know,” I say quietly. “Trust me, we know.”

Marco nods slowly. “You boys did the right thing, though. Had to wait for the right moment.”

We get to talking and sharing updates, but the moment Leo appears, carrying Sofia, the room goes completely silent.

She’s in his arms, small and delicate, and the bruises still stand out on her pale skin. But she’s beautiful, even like this. Her blonde hair falls over her shoulders, shiny and soft, and the scent of her perfume fills the room, something sweet that I’ve grown to love. Her eyes, though tired, shine with a hint of gratitude and strength that makes me proud of her.

“I heard familiar voices,” Leo says, breaking the silence as he carefully sets Sofia down in a chair. “Sofia wanted to say thank you.”

The men—our crew, tough and ruthless in so many ways—are visibly affected. Some of them can’t hide the shock on their faces as they take in the sight of her. They weren’t prepared for this, for the bruises, for seeing someone like Sofia, who looks so breakable, standing strong despite everything.

Sofia looks around, giving a small but genuine smile. “Thank you,” she says softly, her voice carrying through the room.

There’s a quiet moment, and I can see the way some of the guys react. They’re not used to this. They’re not used to someone like her, someone so pure, being in our world. But here she is, sitting in front of them, bruised but still radiating that warmth she has. Even now, they can’t deny her beauty.

Some of them look down, almost ashamed at the thought of what she’s been through, but others just nod, their expressions softening. She has that effect on people.

Leo stays close to her, ready to lift her back up if she needs it, but Sofia looks around again, her eyes lingering on each of them, showing her gratitude. “You saved me,” she adds, her voice a little stronger this time. “Thank you.”

There’s a heaviness in the air. We don’t say much more, but the message is clear. The guys care, even if they don’t say it. They respect her, they feel for her, and now, seeing her like this—it’s a reminder that we’re more than just criminals. We protect our own, and Sofia? She’s one of us now.