Page 26 of Fear

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.”

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