“You were always mine,” Pete insisted. “You just forgot that fact.” No, she thought, but didn’t say the words aloud. They would only fuel his anger, and she’d end up with more blood running down her face.
She shifted her weight slowly, subtly, remembering what Luca had shown her when they sparred at the gym together. He had taught her where to put her feet and how to stay balanced. Remembering his voice, calm and steady, telling her she was stronger than she thought, gave her the strength to want to fight.
“Will you release me so that I can eat?” she asked. Her stomach growled as though on cue, and he sighed, releasing her shirt from his grip.
“Fine,” he breathed. He quickly unlocked her cuffs and released her hands. Sophia rubbed the life back into her wrists and waited for him to free her legs. She knew that once she was free, she’d have to fight like hell, but she was determined to get back to Luca. She had just forgotten how strong she was until hearing his voice in her head telling her.
“I didn’t forget,” she said. “I grew up.”
His eyes narrowed, rage flashing hot and unhinged. “You had to grow up once Luca left you in the foster care system. You grew up because of him.” Sophia had grown up because of herself.Losing Luca hurt her, but she learned how to survive without him. She knew that Peter would never understand that, but it was the truth.
She let her gaze flick past his shoulder, toward the door, and back at the cracked window. She was looking for anything that could be an opening for her escape. Pete noticed and grabbed her arm hard enough that she cried out despite herself.
“Don’t,” he warned. Outside, somewhere far away, a car passed. Life was still happening around them, and Luca was still out there. Sophia knew that he wouldn’t give up on her, and she couldn’t give up on herself. Not now, when they had just found each other again. She held onto that thought like a lifeline.
She knew that he’d come for her, and if he didn’t—if time stretched on for too long and Pete made another mistake, Sophia swore she’d make her own chance. She wasn’t the scared girl from the foster home anymore, but Pete didn’t know that about her—yet. She was a woman who had something to fight for, and she wasn’t done fighting yet.
LUCA
Luca ran into the gym like his ass was on fire. “I think I know where Pete has her,” he shouted, running through the front doors, holding up his cell phone as proof. After Peter called him two days earlier, he had Tony call the cops. They ran a trace on the number that Pete called from, and it wasn’t a burner. The fucker was dumb enough to use his own cell phone, and they were able to ping his location.
Tony was on the heavy bag, sweat dripping down his temples. He froze mid-punch to see what all the commotion was. Aurora, who had been sitting at the front desk pretending to read, shot to her feet. Even Jonesy, half-asleep in a folding chair with a coffee in his hand, seemed to spring to life at the mention of Sophia’s stalker.
“What?” Tony demanded. “Say that again.”
“When Peter called me two days ago,” Luca said, breathless but razor-focused, “I had you call the cops right after.”
“Yeah, I remember,” Tony said.
“Well, they ran a trace on the number,” Luca said.
“And?” Aurora asked, her voice tight.
“And the dumb bastard didn’t use a burner,” Luca said, a grim smile cutting across his face. “He used his personal phone. They pinged it, and they have his location. With any luck, he’s with Sophia, and I’ll have her back soon.” Silence filled the room.
Jonesy slowly crossed the room to where Luca stood. “You’re serious.”
“Dead serious,” Luca replied. He unlocked his phone and shoved it toward him. “They couldn’t move immediately—jurisdiction crap—but they gave me the last known location.”
Tony swore under his breath. “Where?”
Luca took a breath. “An abandoned hunting lodge about forty minutes north of here, on county land. It’s off-grid and doesn’t have any utilities. It was registered to the last family that we were all with. They used to take us there on vacation for a week in the summer. It was the only time I had ever been on a vacation.”
Aurora’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh God. We might actually get Sophia back.”
“The place is isolated,” Luca said. “It’s the perfect hiding place for someone who doesn’t want to be found.”
“Or someone who thinks no one’s coming for him,” Tony said coldly.
Jonesy crossed his arms. “Do the cops know? Are they going after the bastard?”
“They do know about the cabin,” Luca said. “They’re assembling a team, but they’re at least an hour out. They told me to stay out of it, but?—”
“But you’re not waiting,” Tony said flatly.
“No,” Luca answered. “I’ve waited long enough to find Sophia. I gave the cops a head start, but I’m going to be hot on their tail. If she’s at the cabin, I want to be the first person she sees once she’s safe.”
Aurora stepped in front of him. “Luca, listen to me. I know you want to go charging in there, but you can’t do this alone.”
