Chapter 156: Leo

As the morning stretches on, the rest of the crew begins to stir. Riley emerges from the cabin, his hair disheveled and his eyes still heavy with sleep. He looks at us on the porch, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Morning, sunshine brigade,” he says, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm. He walks over and plops down on the steps next to us, his eyes immediately going to Ethan.

“Look at this little guy, already up and ready to take on the world,” Riley says, reaching over to gently tickle Ethan's belly. Ethan squirms, letting out a soft giggle, his tiny hands reaching for Riley's fingers. It's moments like this—these small, tender moments—that make everything we’re doing worth it.

“How’d you sleep?” I ask, my eyes flicking over Riley’s tired face.

He shrugs, a smirk playing on his lips. “Like a rock. Though, you know, the constant fear of being ambushed at any moment really adds a nice touch to my dreams.”

Danny rolls his eyes, a grin breaking through his tired expression. “Yeah, well, we appreciate your sacrifice, man. Don’t worry—we’ll let you nap in between saving the day.”

Riley chuckles, but his eyes grow serious as he looks out at the tree line. “We’re going to end this, you know. We have to. For them.” His gaze shifts to Sofia, then to Ethan, and I see the determination there, the promise in his eyes.

“Yeah,” I say, my voice quiet but resolute. “We will.”

The sun climbs higher, and the clearing around the cabin fills with light. Despite everything—the fear, the uncertainty—there’s a warmth here, a sense of belonging. We’re not just a group of people thrown together by circumstance. We’re a family, and we’re going to fight like hell to protect each other.

Sofia shifts beside me, her eyes still on Ethan as he gazes up at the sky, his tiny fingers grasping at the air. “It’s beautiful here,” she says softly. “I almost wish we could just... stay. Just like this. Away from everything.”

I nod, my heart aching at her words. “I wish we could too, Sof. But we can’t hide forever. We have to face this, so we can finally be free. So we can have the life we’ve always wanted.”

She looks at me, her eyes filled with both fear and hope. “I know. I just... I’m scared of losing any of you. You’ve all become everything to me. I don’t know what I’d do if...” Her voice trails off, her eyes misting with tears.

Danny reaches over, his arm wrapping around her shoulders, pulling her close. “You’re not going to lose us,” he says firmly. “Not now, not ever. We’re going to make it through this. All of us. Together.”

Riley leans back, a lazy smile spreading across his face. “Damn right. Besides, we’re too stubborn to die. We’ve got way too much unfinished business. Like teaching Ethan here how to be the most badass little dude the world has ever seen.”

Sofia laughs, a tear slipping down her cheek as she shakes her head. “You guys are ridiculous.”

“Yeah, but you love us,” I say, my voice filled with warmth. I lean in, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “And we love you. More than anything.”

The day stretches on, and we move inside as the sun gets higher, the warmth of the fire in the cabin adding to the sense of comfort. We take turns cooking breakfast—Riley making a mess of the kitchen while Danny tries to keep him in line. Sofia laughs, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she watches them, Ethan perched on her hip, his wide eyes taking in everything.

It feels like a real home—a real family. And for a few precious hours, we let ourselves believe that everything is going to be okay. We sit together at the small kitchen table, passing plates, sharing stories, the sound of laughter filling the cabin.

But as the afternoon wears on, reality starts to creep back in. The tension returns, the knowledge that we’re not safe, that we can’t stay hidden forever. We need a plan—something to put an end to all of this. And as much as I hate it, I know we’re running out of time.

I catch Danny’s eye across the table, and he gives me a small nod. It’s time. We can’t keep delaying. We need to face this head-on.

“Alright,” I say, my voice cutting through the laughter, bringing the room to a sudden silence. “We need to talk about what comes next. About how we end this.”

Sofia’s smile fades, her eyes widening slightly as she looks at me. “Leo... what do you mean?”

I take a deep breath, my gaze moving to each of them in turn—Riley, Danny, Sofia, and finally Ethan, his innocent eyes looking up at me, completely unaware of the danger that surrounds us. “We can’t keep running,” I say, my voice steady. “We can’t keep hiding. Sooner or later, he’s going to find us. And when he does, we need to be ready. We need to end this—once and for all.”

There’s a heavy silence, the weight of my words settling over all of us. I see the fear in Sofia’s eyes, the determination in Danny’s, the fire in Riley’s. And I know we’re all thinking the same thing—that we’re scared, that we’re tired, but that we’re ready. Ready to fight, ready to protect what’s ours.

Danny nods, his hand resting on Sofia’s shoulder. “Leo’s right. We can’t keep living like this. We need to face him, to make sure he never comes after us again.”

Riley leans forward, his eyes narrowing, his jaw set. “So what’s the plan? How do we make sure that bastard never gets anywhere near them again?”

I take a deep breath, my eyes locking with Sofia’s. “We draw him out. We make him come to us—on our terms. We end this where it all started.”

Sofia’s eyes widen, her face paling slightly. “You mean... go back?”

I nod, my heart pounding in my chest. “Yeah. We go back. We make him think he’s won, that he’s got us right where he wants us. And then we finish it.”

There’s a long pause, the tension in the room almost suffocating. And then, slowly, Sofia nods. Her eyes meet mine, filled with fear but also with a fierce determination. “Okay,” she whispers. “Let’s end this. Let’s finally be free.”

And as I look at her, at the love and strength in her eyes, I know that we’re ready. We’re ready to fight, ready to protect what’s ours. We’re ready to end this—once and for all.