Page 100 of Jenna's Protector

“Copy that,” Ethan responds.

As we approach the master suite, I take a deep breath, steadying myself.

This is it.

“On my mark.” Ethan reaches for the door handle. He counts down silently.“Three. Two. One.”

The door flies open, and we surge inside, our movements synchronized. The room is massive and dripping with luxury. A California king bed dominates one wall, its silk sheets rumpled, and there, on the side, tied to a chair, is Jenna. A bruise mars her cheek, and fury rises in me like a tidal wave.

A man leaps from the bed, grabbing for a knife on the nightstand. Blake’s tranquilizer dart catches him mid-leap. He crashes to the floor, the knife clattering away.

“How are you?” I rush to Jenna, my hands shaking as I untie her bonds. “Are you okay? Can you walk?”

“Sore, but okay.” She collapses against me, her body wracked with sobs. I hold her tight, breathing in her scent. For a moment, the chaos fades away.

She’s here.

Alive.

In my arms.

Her body trembles against mine, and she pulls back, eyes wide with fear. “Max. They shot Max. I’m so sorry, but I think he’s… I think he’s…”

“Max is alive.” I cup her face, forcing her to meet my eyes. “I found him. He’s in surgery. He’s going to be okay.”

Relief floods her features, and she collapses back into my arms, her sobs quieter now but still shaking with the aftershocks of fear and worry.

Movement from the bed catches my eye. A woman, her face pale and drawn in the dim light, sits up in bed. Her hair is a tangled mess. Dark circles under her eyes speak of sleepless nights and unending torment.

“Jenna, I’m so sorry.” Her eyes fill with tears. “I had no choice. I was forced to…” A sob chokes her. “I never meant to—you have no idea how hard it’s been.” The woman looks like a ghost, her spirit crushed under the weight of unspeakable abuse.

Jenna looks at me, then back at the woman. In a move that surprises me, she breaks from my embrace and rushes over, enveloping her in a fierce hug.

“I don’t blame you, Sophia. I know how these men can be, how they can force us to do things we wouldn’t otherwise.”

“Time to go.” Ethan urges us to move.

“We can’t leave yet.” Sophia’s voice is urgent. “He’s got documents in a safe.” She points to a painting on the wall. “It’s all there. Names, dates, locations—everything. It’s important… And there are others.”

I share a look with Blake.

Could it be?

I dare to hope.

“Sophia, four girls are missing. Teenagers. Do you know anything about them?”

“Yes.” She takes a shaky breath, her eyes darting nervously. “They’re here.”

THIRTY-FIVE

Carter

“Here?”Blake approaches Sophia. “Where?”

“Down below somewhere.” She shakes her head. “But the safe. The information—it’s all in there. Where they’re to be taken, who buys them. Everything.”

“Carter,” Ethan warns, “we’re on a clock here.”

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