Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Six

His eyes were bloodshot, his face bruised and swollen. He had already been worked over by my men, but I didn't give a damn about his pain.

I tightened my grip on his hair, yanking his head back further. "Where is she?" I demanded, my voice sharp as a blade.

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I-I don't know," he croaked.

Wrong answer.

I pulled my gun from its holster and pressed the cold barrel against his forehead. "Try again," I said, my tone eerily calm.

His breath came in short, panicked gasps. "I swear, I don't know exactly! Thomas doesn't tell us where he takes them-only that no one follows."

I cocked the gun. The click echoed through the warehouse, making the man flinch.

"You expect me to believe that?" I hissed. "You work for him, and you have no idea where he took her?"

The man sobbed, his whole body shaking beneath my grip. "I'm serious! You gotta believe me!" His voice cracked, his desperation bleeding through every word. "Thomas doesn't trust anyone! He moves her constantly-I swear on my life!"

I pressed the barrel harder against his forehead, watching as fresh tears streamed down his battered face. "You think I give a damn about your life?" My voice was low, lethal.

The man trembled under my grip, his breath coming in short, panicked bursts. "I don't know where Thomas is, I swear! But-but I know where Jude stays!"

My fingers tightened in his hair. "Who the hell is Jude?"

He swallowed hard, his swollen lips quivering. "He's the one who helps Thomas. The one who-who slips letters to Sofia."

A cold wave of confusion washed over me. My grip loosened slightly. "What letters?"

His bloodshot eyes darted around the room, as if hoping for an escape that didn't exist. "The letters he sent her… Thomas wrote them himself. They always said the same thing-'You belong to me.'"

My pulse roared in my ears.

Sofia never said a word about this. I never saw any damn letters.

I yanked him forward, my rage boiling over. "You're lying."

"I'm not!" he sobbed. "Jude delivered them for months. Thomas made sure you never saw them."

My fingers twitched around the gun. Months? That bastard had been taunting her, claiming her right under my nose?

I took a slow breath, forcing my anger down. "Where is he?"

The man sniffled, his entire body trembling. "An old motel on the east side," he choked out. "Room 206. He's always there."

I held his gaze, searching for any sign of deception. But all I saw was raw, pitiful fear.

Releasing my grip, I let him slump forward, his breath coming in ragged gasps. I turned to my men, my voice cutting through the stale warehouse air like a blade. "We're going."

They nodded, already moving.

I didn't bother looking back at the sniveling bastard on the floor. He had served his purpose.

As I stepped outside, the cold night air did nothing to cool the fire raging inside me.

Thomas had been playing his little game for months, taunting Sofia, claiming her while I had no damn clue.

That ended tonight.

Jude was about to tell me everything. One way or another.

The motel was a rundown excuse for a building, the kind of place where people checked in to disappear. Dim neon lights flickered over the cracked pavement as we pulled up, my men fanning out instantly.

I stalked toward Room 206, my gun drawn, my jaw tight. One of my men kicked the door open, and we stormed inside.

The room reeked of cheap perfume and cigarette smoke. Empty bottles littered the nightstand. But Jude?

Nowhere to be seen.

Instead, a naked woman lay sprawled across the bed, lazily dragging a cigarette to her lips. She barely reacted to our presence, her heavily made-up eyes flicking toward me with mild curiosity.

I clenched my teeth, my patience hanging by a thread. "Where the hell is he?"

She took a slow drag, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Not here," she said, her voice indifferent.

My fingers twitched around my gun. I was about to demand answers when my phone rang. A private number.

I answered without hesitation.

A slow chuckle came through the line. "Aww… too slow, brother."

Thomas.

My grip tightened around the phone. "Where is she?" I growled.

His laughter was light, mocking. "Tsk, tsk. You really thought Jude would still be there? You're predictable, Theo. It's disappointing."

I turned, my eyes landing on the woman. I raised my gun and aimed it at her head. "Then maybe she'll be useful."

A brief silence. Then Thomas sighed. "Come on, brother. No one cares about a prostitute's life."

The woman's expression didn't change. She simply flicked her cigarette into an ashtray, completely unfazed.

My jaw clenched. I knew Thomas was enjoying this.

"You want to play games?" I said coldly. "Fine. But I promise you, Thomas-when I find you, there won't be a game left to play."

His chuckle was softer this time. "Good luck with that."

The line went dead.

I exhaled sharply, shoving my phone back into my pocket. My men were watching me, waiting for the next order.

Jude was gone. Thomas was still ahead.