Chapter 16
The van rattled over the uneven road, its engine growling low like a caged beast. Every bump sent a fresh wave of pain through Sofia’s body, but she refused to react. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
Her wrists burned from the zip ties cutting into her skin, her fingers numb from the lack of circulation.
She was bruised, sore, but she was still breathing. For now. The men surrounding her sat in silence, their faces shadowed by the dim glow of the dashboard lights.
But she could feel their eyes on her. Hungry, cold, unrelenting. She recognized one of them. Markus.
He had worked for Jason Rodes for years. A vicious, sadistic bastard who enjoyed hurting people more than he enjoyed getting paid, and now?
He was staring at her like a man who had been given a new toy. Sofia clenched her jaw, keeping her expression blank. She wouldn’t let them see her fear. Wouldn’t let them smell the panic clawing at her chest, because she knew these types of men and they could sense weakness.
The van screeched to a halt, dust swirling up into the air, before she could brace herself, rough hands grabbed her, yanking her out. She barely had time to plant her feet before a sharp shove sent her stumbling forward.
The world tilted, the bright lights of the compound nearly blinding her. It wasn’t a warehouse, not some run-down drug den—it was an estate. Jason Rodes lived well. Tall iron gates loomed in the distance, the driveway lined with black SUVs and motorcycles. But the men standing guard? They weren’t just employees. They were enforcers, and every single one of them was armed.
“Move.”
She gets shoved between her shoulder blades, she sucked in a breath, forcing herself to walk forward, because this wasn’t about escaping right now. This was about surviving, for now.
The doors to the estate swung open, revealing a lavish interior, all polished marble and expensive leather, and at the centre of it all—Jason Rodes.
He sat behind a massive desk, legs kicked up, swirling a glass of whiskey in one hand. His dark eyes flicked up as she was dragged in, a slow smile curling his lips.
“Sofia.”
She clenched her fists. “Jason.”
He sighed, setting the glass down. “Now, sweetheart, this isn’t how I imagined our reunion.”
Her skin crawled at the condescension in his voice.
She straightened her spine. “Let me go.”
Jason chuckled, shaking his head. “You think I’d go through all this trouble just to let you walk away?”
She held his stare, her heart hammering, but her voice steady. “I don’t work for you anymore.”
The air shifted. The amusement in Jason’s eyes flickered—then vanished. His jaw tightened. “That’s where you’re wrong, darling.”
He stood, walking around the desk, his movements slow, controlled. Predatory.
“You don’t just quit when you know what you know.” His voice dropped to a near whisper. “When you’ve seen what you’ve seen.”
Sofia lifted her chin. “I didn’t see anything.”
Jason laughed. “Oh, come on, Sofia. Let’s not insult each other.”
He took another step closer, close enough that she could smell the expensive cologne, the whiskey, the danger.
“I trusted you.” His voice was quiet now, almost intimate. “And now you want to leave?”
She forced herself not to flinch, not to back down. “Yes.”
Jason studied her for a long moment. Then—he smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile. “That’s a shame.”
Before she could react, a hand struck her face—hard. The impact sent her stumbling, a sharp burst of pain exploding through her skull. She tasted blood.
The room tilted as she caught herself, blinking hard, her cheekbone throbbing. A sharp sting ran down her lip, warm liquid dripping down her chin. She lifted a shaking hand to her mouth, touching the blood.
Slowly, she looked up. Markus stood there, his knuckles still clenched, a smug grin on his face. Her stomach coiled with disgust.
Jason sighed, shaking his head. “I didn’t want it to come to this, Sofia.”
His eyes darkened, voice dropping into something lethal. “But you’re mine. You don’t get to say no.”
Her breath hitched.
“You’re going to stay here. You’re going to do your job. And if you fight me—” He leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. “I can do so much worse.”
Sofia’s nails dug into her palms. She had to get out of here, because Jason Rodes wasn’t just trying to keep her. He was trying to own her, and she would rather die than let that happen.
A sharp jerk on her arm pulled her forward, the pain from her split lip and throbbing cheekbone barely registering over the sheer terror pooling in her stomach.
They were going to lock her away. She dug her heels into the ground, trying to resist, but Markus just laughed, tightening his grip, dragging her down a narrow hallway.
“I’d save my energy if I were you, sweetheart,” he sneered, glancing over his shoulder. “Ain’t nobody coming to save you.”
But he was wrong, because Goliath was out there. Somewhere, her mate. her wolf, and if there was one thing she knew about that man—it was that he would burn the fucking world down before he let anyone keep her, but what if he didn’t find her?
What if Jason was too careful, too smart, too many steps ahead? Or worse—what if Goliath did find her, but he walked straight into a trap?
Her stomach twisted; she couldn’t let that happen. Markus yanked open a metal door, shoving her inside.
Sofia stumbled forward, catching herself just before she hit the cold, unforgiving floor.
The room was small—no windows, just four cement walls and a single, flickering overhead light. There was a cot against the far wall, thin and worn, barely more than a slab of fabric. A rusted metal bucket sat in the corner—her toilet, apparently.
A prison cell, that’s what this was. A cage.
She turned, glaring at Markus. “What, no chains? Or do you prefer when the women you kidnap actually fight back?”
Markus’ grin widened. “I like it better when they scream.”
Revulsion coiled in her stomach.
Jason’s voice echoed behind him. “She’s not to be touched.”
Markus rolled his eyes, shoving the door shut with a loud metallic clang. Then—the lock turned.
Sofia whirled, gripping the bars, shaking them. “Jason, you can’t fucking do this!”
Jason only smiled, his hands in his pockets, cool and utterly in control.
“I can,” he said. “And I will.”
Then he turned, walking away, leaving her trapped.
Her breath came fast and shallow, her heart slamming against her ribs as she spun in a slow circle, taking in every inch of the space. No vents, no loose panels, no way out. She forced herself to breathe. Don’t panic. Don’t let them see you scared.
But as she sank onto the cot, her body aching, her mind racing, one thought pounded over and over in her skull.
What if Goliath doesn’t find me? And worse—what if he does?
Because if Goliath came for her, if he stormed through these gates in his blind rage, Jason would be ready, and she couldn’t lose him. Not now, not ever.