Chapter 121 Liza
LIZA
Shattering glass had me jolting at the sudden explosion of noise. Ty’s face was a storm of fury as he glared at the broken remnants of the vase he’d hurled against the wall.
“Fuck! You were going to just walk right into Castro’s hands? Sacrifice yourself for everyone?”
I swallowed hard, guilt and fear knotting in my stomach. My plan had been reckless, but with Sabrina’s life hanging in the balance, I hadn’t seen any other way. “I had to do something,”
“Something?” He threw his hands up in exasperation.
“Risking your own life is not just ‘something.’” His nostrils flared as he pulled out his phone, his fingers flying over the screen.
“Liam,” he nearly snarled into the receiver.
“Get your ass back here. Now.” He didn’t wait for a response before slamming the phone onto the table.
I stood, frozen, as Ty paced the room like a caged animal. My lungs wouldn’t take in any more air, and his betrayal and hurt bore down on me.
He was justifiably angry, but I’d had my reasons, damn it.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to put you or anyone else in danger, but I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing while Castro has Sabrina.”
“Nothing?” Ty’s voice was incredulous, his eyes wild as he typed something in on his phone.
Probably ratting me out to Liam. “You don’t have to carry this burden alone.
You’re the one who got upset when I made decisions without you.
You told me we need to be a team, work things out as mates. How is this any different?”
I turned away. He’d never understand.
The ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner of the room grew louder and louder as we waited for Liam to return.
Its relentless rhythm was like a hammer pounding against my skull.
Ty’s jaw was clenched tight as he paced back and forth in front of the fireplace.
I sat on the edge of the sofa, wringing my hands anxiously in my lap.
Ty’s anger rolled off him in waves. It wasn’t only directed at me, but at himself for not realizing sooner what I had been planning.
Even though I understood his concern, I held the firm belief that I had been right to try and go to Castro alone.
My best friend’s life was hanging in the balance, and I would do anything to save her, even if it meant risking myself.
The front door slammed shut with such force that it made me jump, and I looked up when Liam strode into the room. His face was flushed, his breaths coming in short, sharp pants as though he’d run all the way back to the house. He didn’t say a word, but the fury in his eyes spoke volumes.
“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” Liam’s words boomed through the room, his usually easygoing demeanor now one of deep-seated fury.
Yep. Ty had texted him. Great.
“Putting yourself in that kind of danger? How could you even think about doing something like that?”
“Because Sabrina is in trouble!” I snapped. “Don’t you get it? A complete psychopath is holding her hostage, and I’m supposed to just sit here and do nothing?”
“Look, we’re all worried about Sabrina,” Liam said softly as he tried to reason with me.
The struggle was written in the lines of his face.
His wolf had to have been going nuts. “You can’t let your emotions cloud your judgment.
We need to handle this carefully, strategically.
You walking into Castro’s clutches isn’t going to help anyone. ”
“Especially not Sabrina,” Ty added, his face pleading with me to see reason. His reason.
I forced myself to calm down, even though every fiber of my being screamed to act and do something, anything, to save my best friend. “Fine.” I threw up my hands. “But we need to act fast. I won’t let that monster hurt her any longer than he already has.”
The scent of dread hung thick in the air, threatening to choke me as I paced back and forth in the living room. Every heartbeat was a relentless reminder that Sabrina’s life hung in the balance. Liam and Ty stood nearby, their expressions grim.
“Castro isn’t above murder,” Ty said with disgust. “We know what he did to Cecily just to keep her quiet.”
“Let’s not forget what he sent Liza,” Liam added. “He’s more than capable of hurting people.”
I shuddered. The image of the severed head he had delivered still haunted me in my nightmares. That had been Castro’s message. He had wanted me to know just how far he was willing to go to get what he wanted.
I bit hard into the side of my thumb as I struggled to keep my emotions in check. Now he had my best friend in his grasp, ready to inflict whatever twisted horrors he could imagine upon her.
“He’ll hurt Sabrina if I don’t do what he wants,” I whispered. “That’s why I was going to…”
“Give yourself up to him,” Liam finished for me, his tone heavy with understanding. He locked his gaze onto mine, searching for something. Hope, perhaps? Or maybe just a trace of sanity.
I nodded, swallowing hard. “I thought it was the only way to save her.”
“We’ll come up with a better plane.” Ty stepped closer, finding my hand, and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll find a way to save Sabrina without putting you in danger.”
“Ty’s right,” Liam said. “We can’t let Castro win. Not like this.”
I drew in a shaky breath. I wanted so badly to believe them, but the cold tendrils of doubt wrapped around my insides, threatening to strangle what little hope remained inside me.
“Remember,” Ty said. “You are not a sacrifice. We will not let you walk willingly into Castro’s clutches.”
The air in the room buzzed with tension as Ty picked up his phone and punched in a number. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans, trying to keep my thoughts from spiraling out of control.
“Isaiah,” Ty said curtly. “We need you here. Now.”
Within minutes, Isaiah appeared at the front door, concern marring his handsome face.
He stepped into the living room and scanned our faces, taking in the serious expressions before settling on me. “Talk.”
“Castro’s taken Sabrina,” I said shakily. “He wants me to give myself up in exchange for her.”
Isaiah’s nostrils flared, but his expression otherwise remained calm. “Let’s see if we can find her first.” He pulled out his laptop, his fingers flying over the keys. “We can try tracking her phone.” Isaiah’s words were clipped and precise, his attention fully on the screen.
While he worked, I let my mind drift back to Sabrina, her infectious laugh, her vibrant energy, and the way she could always lift my spirits. The thought of her at the mercy of someone like Castro made me sick to my stomach.
“Damn it,” Isaiah said under his breath. “Her location services are turned off. All I’ve got is her last location, right outside Presley Acres.”
“Let’s break this down,” Ty commanded as he leaned over the table. “We need to come up with a plan that takes Castro by surprise.”
Liam’s fingers thrummed on the table as he considered our options. “If we can catch him off guard, it’ll give us the advantage.”
Isaiah nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “So, first things first. We need to make him think Liza hasn’t told anyone about Sabrina. If he believes she’s acting alone, he won’t be prepared for the rest of us.”
“Okay, so what’s the plan?” I asked, folding my arms, trying to steady my nerves. At least we were going to do something. Action. I needed to take action.
“Here’s what I’m thinking,” Ty said. “When Castro calls for you, we’ll have you agree to meet him, but we’ll be hidden nearby, ready to ambush him when he shows up.”
“Sounds risky.” I bit my lip as I studied the map, my stomach churning at the thought of facing Castro alone. “What if he figures it out?”
“We’ll be close,” Liam asked, placing a hand on my shoulder, and giving it a gentle squeeze. “We won’t let anything happen to you or Sabrina.”
“Besides,” Isaiah added. “Castro won’t be expecting it. He won’t expect you to have asked for help if he told you not to. He expects to be obeyed. He’ll think he has the upper hand, and that’s when we’ll strike.”
“Something about this still feels off. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but… I don’t know. I just have a feeling that Castro is smarter than we’re giving him credit for.”
I tapped my fingers on the table, watching as Liam, Ty, and Isaiah pored over maps and notes, trying to finalize our plan. I couldn’t quite get enough air into my lungs. Something felt off. We were missing a vital piece of the puzzle.
“Guys,” I said, interrupting their intense discussion. “I don’t think this is going to work.”
They all turned to me, but Ty spoke first. “Liza, we’ve been over this a dozen times. We’ll be there with you every step of the way, and we won’t let anything happen to you or Sabrina.”
I shook my head, frustration bubbling up inside me. “That’s not what I mean. It’s just… I have this gut feeling that Castro is expecting us to try something like this. He’s too smart to not have a backup plan in place.”
“Your instincts have been right before,” Isaiah said, scanning the map as though willing it to reveal some hidden truth. “But we can’t just sit here and do nothing while Sabrina’s in danger.”
“Of course not,” I said, agitated by their lack of understanding. “I’m not saying we should give up. I’m saying we need to be smarter about this.”
“Maybe you’re just worrying too much because of Sabrina,” Ty said gently, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. His touch did little to alleviate my unease.
“Of course, I’m worried about Sabrina,” I shot back, my words edged with desperation.
“That’s why we need to be sure we’re doing everything we can to outsmart Castro and get her back safely.
” I lowered my gaze to the table. “I need to go see my parents.” I had a plan, but they couldn’t know about it at all.
“I just… I need to see them before we move forward with this.” My voice wavered slightly as the guilt settled in. I hated this deception.
“Of course,” Ty said immediately. “You should spend some time with your family.”