Chapter 11
The safehouse sat nestled deep in the mountains, far from prying eyes. The Wolverines had chosen the place for its security, its isolation. But that same isolation was beginning to wear on the women.
It had been two days since the men had left.
Two days of uncertainty.
Two days of waiting.
Sofia sat by the window, staring out at the dense forest beyond. It was peaceful, but the stillness felt deceptive. Her fingers twitched against the ceramic mug in her hands, the warmth of the coffee doing nothing to settle her nerves.
She wasn’t alone in her restlessness. Across the room, Dakota paced, rubbing her swollen belly as she muttered under her breath. Siena sat at the small wooden table, absentmindedly cleaning her nails with a blade, while Alaska leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in thought.
The air was thick with unspoken tension.
“This is bullshit,” Siena finally muttered, tossing the knife onto the table. “We should be there. With them.”
Alaska let out a humourless laugh. “You think King would let that happen? You think any of our men would?”
“I don’t need permission.” Siena’s eyes flashed.
Dakota groaned, dropping into the nearest chair. “I swear, if you two don’t stop pacing, I’m going to throw something at you.”
“Then go ahead and throw something, because I’m not stopping.” Siena shot back.
Sofia watched them bicker, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the nerves writhing in her stomach. The women of the Wolverines weren’t like anyone she’d ever met before. They were tough, fearless, fiercely loyal.
She liked them.
She wasn’t sure when that had happened, but somewhere between their teasing, their protectiveness, and their unwavering belief in the men they loved, Sofia had started to feel like she belonged, like she wasn’t alone anymore. And that scared her more than anything. Shaking her head Sofia stood she knew she had been putting this call off for far too long.
She had been hiding in the safehouse, avoiding reality, avoiding the one thing she still had to face.
Her boss. Jason Rodes wasn’t the kind of man who handled betrayal well, and to him, this would be a betrayal.
The thought made her stomach churn as she pulled out her phone and stepped onto the porch. She stared at the screen for a long moment before finally pressing the call button.
It rang twice before a familiar, smooth voice answered.
“Sofia.”
Her throat tightened. He didn’t sound surprised to hear from her.
“Jason.” She forced the word out, gripping the railing as she took a slow breath.
“I was wondering when you’d call.” A shiver ran down her spine. There was something dangerous in his voice.
“I wanted to tell you myself,” she said carefully. “I won’t be coming back to work.”
Silence. Then a low chuckle.
“No, Sofia. You don’t get to just walk away.”
Her pulse spiked. “I’m not asking permission.”
“Oh, I know that.” His voice was calm. Too calm. “I know you well enough to know when you’ve made up your mind. But I also know that you’ve seen too much. You’ve been inside my books, handled my money, learned things that could ruin me.”
She swallowed hard.
“I never asked to know your secrets, Jason.”
“And yet, you do.” The unspoken threat hung between them.
Sofia had always known her boss was more than just a businessman. She’d seen the money coming in, the hidden transactions, the way some of his businesses never actually seemed to exist.
She had ignored it, because it had never been her problem. Until now.
Jason sighed into the phone. “You know, I liked you, Sofia. Always thought we worked well together. Hell, I even thought, given enough time, you’d let me have you in ways that had nothing to do with work.”
Disgust crawled up her spine. “That was never going to happen.”
“Maybe not.” He chuckled. “But now I wonder… are you leaving because of me? Or because of the man you’ve been seen with?”
Her breath caught. He knows.
She gripped the phone tighter. “Jason—”
“Be careful, sweetheart.” His voice turned lethal. “You don’t know the kind of enemies you make when you start keeping company with the Wolverines.” Then the line went dead.
Sofia sat frozen; the phone still clutched in her hand. She felt sick, she had known Jason wouldn’t let her go easily, but hearing him say it? Hearing the undeniable threat woven into his voice?
That was something else entirely. She didn’t realize how tense she was until Alaska stepped onto the porch beside her.
“Well, that didn’t look like a pleasant conversation.”
Sofia let out a shaky breath. “It wasn’t.”
Alaska leaned against the railing; eyes sharp. “Are you going to tell me what he said, or am I going to have to drag it out of you?”
Sofia hesitated. Then, quietly, “He knows.”
Alaska stilled. “Knows what?”
“That I’m with the Wolverines.”
A slow exhale. Then—“Fuck.”
Sofia nodded, “Yeah. My thoughts exactly.”
Alaska crossed her arms. “Does Goliath know?”
Sofia shook her head. “Not yet.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him, at least not until this war with the Shadow Riders MC was over, because she knew exactly how he would react. With blood, and right now, they had enough battles to fight.
Alaska studied her for a long moment before finally nodding. “Fine. Your secret. For now.”
Sofia let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, but the weight in her chest didn’t ease, because the truth was, she knew Jason Rodes. And if there was one thing she could count on, it was this—He wasn’t done with her yet.
That night, the women gathered in the common room, fire crackling in the old stone hearth. Laughter filled the space, a small moment of light in the darkness.
Sofia sat between Mystique and Alaska, a blanket draped over her lap as she listened to the others talk, tease, and argue like sisters. It was strange, feeling a part of something. Strange, but not unwelcome.
She had spent so long just her and her sister, always keeping people at arm’s length. Then when her sister was killed, she thought she would be all alone. But now?
Now, she wasn’t just a woman on the run. She was one of them and she wasn’t afraid, at least, not for herself. Only for the man she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about.
Goliath. She whispered his name in her mind like a prayer, and hoped, wherever he was, that he was still breathing.
As the conversation deepened, the topic shifted. The women started talking about the club—its history, its men.
Siena smirked. “You’re now with Goliath. He’s a hard bastard.”
Dakota chuckled. “Yeah, but he’s one of the most loyal men I’ve ever met.”
Dawn nodded. “There’s a reason King trusts him. You don’t find loyalty like that often.”
Sofia listened, hanging onto every word as she learned what made the Wolverines the men they were. She was beginning to understand, she was beginning to see why, despite everything, she wasn’t afraid of Goliath, because somehow, in all this chaos, she knew he would always protect her.
Later that evening Sofia lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. She hated this. The space next to her felt too empty. Too cold. She had only known Goliath for a short time, but his absence felt like a wound she couldn't explain. She reached for her phone. Her thumb hovered over his contact. Should she call him? Would he be angry? Would he think she was weak?
Or worse, would he think she was distracting him when he had so much more to worry about?
Her mind warred with itself. Then, before she could talk herself out of it, she hit the call button. The phone rang once. Twice. Then—
“Sofia, is everything okay?” His voice was rough, deep, and edged with exhaustion. Her chest tightened.
“I… I wasn’t sure if you’d pick up.”
A long pause. Then, “I’ll always pick up for you.”
Her eyes stung. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” His voice was firm, but she could hear the tension beneath it. Silence stretched between them. There was so much she wanted to say.
“I just… I wanted to hear your voice,” she admitted softly.
Goliath exhaled slowly, “I needed to hear yours, too.” She closed her eyes, holding onto the sound of him. She should tell him about Jason, she should tell him that more danger was coming, but would it make a difference?
Would it only put more pressure on him when he was already fighting a war? She opened her mouth, then exhaling closed it.
“I miss you,” she whispered instead.
His breathing changed, a low growl vibrating through the phone. “Say it again.”
Her lips parted, “I miss you.”
His voice was thick. Dangerous. “I’m coming back to you, Sofia. No matter what.”
Tears burned her eyes, “I know.” Another moment passed, heavy with things neither of them were ready to say.
Then, finally, Goliath murmured, “Get some sleep, baby. You will be home soon.” And just like that, she knew she’d made the right choice.
She wasn’t alone anymore. And neither was he.