Sophia
“I brought coffee,” he said softly.
“You used to.” Her throat tightened because there were a lot of things she used to do.
She used to sleep without the lights on.
She used to laugh without checking who was listening.
She used to wear perfume. She used to dance in the kitchen while Dante threatened to move out if she played one more pop song before breakfast. But now, that girl felt like she was someone else.
Dante stepped inside the room slowly. “I can take the coffee away.”
“No.” She didn’t want the coffee, but she wanted him to stay. He set it on the small table beside the bed before taking the chair closest to the door. He never sat too close anymore or even touched her unless she reached for him first. Lark had probably taught him that, or maybe STARR had.
Everyone seemed to have rules for handling Sophia now. No sudden movements, no standing behind her, no grabbing her, no locked doors, and no making promises that couldn't be kept. She understood why, but she still hated it anyway.
“How’s Lark?” she asked.
A genuine smile appeared on Dante's face. “She’s doing really well.”
“And Rocco?”
“He keeps pretending he's retired,” Dante grumbled.
Sophia smiled faintly. “And?”
“And Lark keeps reminding him he doesn't know how to sit still.”
Sophia studied her brother. “You're happy.”
He looked surprised she'd noticed. “I am.”
She nodded. “Good.” She meant it, too. After everything Dante had sacrificed to find her, he deserved happiness. Still, watching him build a family with Lark and Rocco stirred something painful inside her. They had escaped Keller and found love. Sophia had escaped Keller and only found nightmares.
Dante leaned forward. “STARR wants to move you today.”
Her entire body tensed. “No.”
“Soph—”
“No,” she said again, this time with a little more heat.
“They found evidence Keller's organization kept a secondary target list,” he said.
Cold spread through her chest. “A target list?”
“Yeah, a list of survivors,” Dante explained. He didn't sugarcoat it, and that was one of the things she appreciated most about her brother.
“Witnesses.” She said the word as though it felt foreign on her tongue.
“Former employees, too,” he said. “Anyone capable of identifying people connected to Keller's operation.”
She looked away because she already knew the truth. “And I'm on it.” Dante hesitated just long enough to let her know that she was right. “They wouldn't move me otherwise.”
“No.” His honesty hurt, but lying would've hurt more.
“I don't want protection,” she insisted.
“I know,” he breathed.
“You don't know,” she spat. Her voice sharpened. “You really don't.”
Dante lowered his eyes. “No, I don't.” Silence filled the room, and Sophia immediately regretted snapping at him.
“You didn't deserve that,” she breathed. “I’m sorry.”
“No.” He smiled sadly. “But I understand it.” She hated that too. He understood her now in ways no older brother ever should.
A knock interrupted them, and Sophia's heartbeat spiked. Dante stood immediately as two men entered the room. Neither wore a suit nor hospital scrubs, and Sophia knew immediately that they were agents.
The first was tall and broad-shouldered with closely cropped blond hair and calm blue eyes that seemed to assess every corner of the room without appearing obvious about it.
The second leaned casually against the doorway with dark hair, gray eyes, and a crooked grin that suggested rules were merely recommendations.
They were two completely different men, but she knew that they were both dangerous because they were both impossible to read.
Dante nodded toward them. “Jasper, Ronan.”
The blond man inclined his head. “Manzo.”
The dark-haired one smiled. “Good to finally meet you.”
Sophia looked between them. “Who are you?”
Jasper answered first. “Special Agent Jasper Kane.”
The second man extended a hand she had no intention of shaking. “Special Agent Ronan Cross.”
She ignored his offered hand. “What do you want?”
Ronan slowly lowered his hand without appearing offended. “To keep you alive.”
She laughed bitterly. “So, these are my new guards.” She looked toward Dante.
Ronan winced dramatically. “Ouch.” Jasper gave him a warning look, but Ronan ignored it. “I was hoping for something more flattering.”
Sophia crossed her arms. “Like what?”
“Um, protective detail,” Ronan said, puffing out his chest. Sophia almost wanted to laugh at the guy—almost, but laughing was something that she used to do. Not anymore, though.
“Bodyguards,” she repeated.
He smiled. “Temporary roommates?”
She stared at him. “Do you usually joke around this much?”
“Usually.” His smile faded. “But I wasn’t joking about keeping you safe,” Ronan insisted. The shift happened so quickly that it caught her off guard. His easygoing demeanor disappeared, leaving behind an experienced operative who had probably seen far too much.
Jasper stepped forward just enough to be heard. “We've been assigned to your protection.”
“Twenty-four hours a day,” Ronan quickly added.
She immediately shook her head. “No.” Neither man argued with her. “I said no.”
Jasper nodded once. “I heard you.”
“You're supposed to tell me it's not my choice,” she said, “but it is.”
“No.” His answer surprised her. “I agree with you. It is your choice.”
She blinked. “What?”
“You're allowed to refuse our protection,” Jasper said.
Relief flickered briefly through her but then disappeared. “But?”
“But refusing doesn't make the threat disappear.” Jasper’s voice remained calm. “It only changes how difficult our job becomes.”
She stared at him. “You're not trying to pressure me.”
“No,” Jasper said.
“Why aren’t you?” she asked.
“Because you've had enough people trying to control you,” Jasper said. The room became painfully quiet. Nobody had ever said it like that before.
Ronan spoke gently. “We're not here to replace one prison with another. We're here to make sure nobody puts you back in one.”
Something inside her shifted, and she looked over toward her brother. “You chose them?”
He nodded. “I asked for the two agents I'd trust with my own life.”
Ronan smiled. “He left out the part where I annoyed him until he finally admitted it.”
“I've known you for over a year now,” Dante grumbled.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Ronan asked.
“You're still annoying,” Dante said.
“Yet lovable,” Ronan joked.
“That’s debatable,” Dante sighed. Sophia fought the urge to smile.
The overhead lights flickered before darkness swallowed the room.
The emergency lights bathed everything in deep red, and an alarm began sounding somewhere down the hallway.
Ronan was instantly at the window as Jasper moved beside the door.
Every trace of humor vanished from them all.
“Dante.” Ronan's voice had become deadly serious. “Our vehicles are gone.”
Dante crossed the room. “What?”
Ronan pointed toward the parking lot. “The agents outside, they’re down.” Sophia's blood turned to ice. Not again, please, not again.
Jasper glanced toward her, remaining eerily calm. “Sophia.” She couldn't breathe. “Look at me.” She did for some reason. “We're getting you out of here.”
“I can't,” she whispered.
“You can.” His voice never changed. “Just take one step at a time. That's all I need.” Gunfire erupted in the hallway, and someone screamed.
Dante reached for her before stopping himself halfway, as though he remembered her fear of being touched.
Instead, he simply held out his hand. “Come with me.” Sophia stared at his hand, and then at the three men standing between her and the nightmare she'd barely escaped.
She slowly reached forward, letting her fingers wrap around Dante's.
Jasper opened the door as Ronan raised his pistol. “All right,” Ronan said quietly. “Let's go ruin somebody's day.”
The first gunshot stole the air from her lungs.
It echoed down the hospital corridor, followed by shouting and the shrill cry of another alarm.
Sophia froze. Her body knew this feeling.
It knew the smell of gunpowder and the sound of boots running down the hallway.
She knew with certainty that someone was coming—not to save her, but to take her again.
"No." The whisper slipped out before she could stop it. Her knees threatened to buckle. Dark concrete walls replaced the hospital hallway in her mind as she heard Keller's voice in her head.
"Run all you want, little bird. You'll always come back to me."
A warm hand appeared in front of her—not touching her but waiting. "Soph,” Dante breathed; his voice sounded distant. "Stay with me." She couldn't because she was already gone, but she didn’t want to tell her brother that.
"Jasper." Ronan's voice cut through the panic. "She's dissociating." Sophia barely heard him as she stared at the floor, unable to make her legs work. The hallway blurred around her, and Everything sounded like she was underwater.
Jasper stepped into her line of sight. He didn't crowd her or reach for her. He simply stood where she couldn't avoid seeing him. "Sophia." His voice was calm and steady. "I need you to tell me five things you can see."
She frowned. "I—” Her throat felt tight. "I can't."
"Yes, you can,” Jasper breathed. He glanced around the hallway. "The clock." His eyes returned to hers. "That's one."
She blinked as she tried to look around the hallway. "The—” She forced herself to focus. "The nurse's station."
"Good,” Jasper praised.
"The fire extinguisher,” she said.
"Good."
"The window."
His expression never changed. "One more."
She looked at him. "You."
A faint smile touched his lips. "Perfect." The hallway snapped back into focus, and the panic loosened its grip just enough for her to breathe.
Ronan looked impressed. "I was about to make a terrible joke to try to bring her back."
Jasper glanced at him. "I know."
"It would've worked eventually,” he grumbled.
"It would've annoyed her,” Jasper said, “and the rest of us.”