Page 45 of Fear

“Scream louder,” Frost said coldly. “Maybe the truth will come out.”

Dixon knelt beside the first guard. “He keeps backup locations, right? Where would he hide the girl?”

“He has a property north of the ridge,” the man gasped. “Private. No one goes there. I only heard it mentioned once—”

“Coordinates,” Goliath growled. “Give them. Now.”

The man rattled off what he could, and Dixon was already in putting it into his phone, but for Goliath, none of it was fast enough. He turned away from the others, trying to breathe. But he couldn’t. Every breath felt like it was slicing through his ribs.

His mind flooded with images he couldn’t stop—Sofia chained to a wall, bleeding, crying out for him in the dark.

Jason hitting her again. Or worse. Touching her. The thought nearly brought him to his knees.

His claws pushed through the skin at his fingertips as he paced, chest rising and falling, vision blurring. He couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. All he saw was her in pain. And him, too fucking late.

He clenched his jaw, hard enough to crack teeth, the sound of his own growl vibrating in his throat like an animal fighting its cage.

He had to find her. Now. Because if one more second passed—if one more minute slipped by and she wasn’t back in his arms—He might not come back from it.

Chapter 19

The sound of footsteps in the corridor snapped her awake.

She sat up on the cot, heart pounding in her chest, throat tight with dread. The door rattled. Heavy locks turned.

Not again. Please not again. Jason Rodes stepped in first. Calm. Controlled. A predator in expensive shoes. Behind him were two men she hadn’t seen before—both large, blank-faced, and stone-silent.

Her body tensed immediately. They weren’t here to check on her. They were here to move her.

Jason’s eyes scanned the room like it offended him, then landed on her like she was something he was deciding whether or not to keep.

“Time to go,” he said simply, like she had a choice.

Sofia’s throat tightened. “Where?”

Jason raised an eyebrow, motioning to the men with a slight nod. “Somewhere a little more… secure. You’ve become a problem, Sofia. And I’m done playing nice.”

The moment they stepped toward her, she scrambled off the cot, backing against the wall. “Don’t touch me,” she snapped, trying to keep her voice steady. “I can walk.” But they didn’t care.

One grabbed her by the arm—bruising grip, no gentleness. The other grabbed her bag—the one she hadn’t packed, but clearly, they had. Her heart climbed into her throat.

She didn’t fight. Not because she wasn’t scared—because she was terrified. But fighting would only give them an excuse to hurt her again. Jason stood in the doorway, watching. Amused.

“Tell me, Sofia,” he said as they dragged her into the hallway, “do you really think anyone’s coming for you?” She didn’t answer. Wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. But inside, her heart screamed.

Yes. Goliath is coming, he had to be. He wouldn’t stop. Not until she was safe. Not until she was in his arms again.

The hallway was colder than she remembered. The estate was quiet, eerie, and every step away from her cell felt heavier—like she was being marched toward something final.

They pushed her out the back, into a waiting black SUV. The doors opened, and before she could react, she was shoved inside. Hard. She hit the seat wrong, her shoulder slamming against the door, a cry of pain escaping her lips.

“Watch it,” one of the men grunted.

Jason slid into the back with her, seated like a king between his wolves. He adjusted his cufflinks with slow, precise movements.

“You’ve been useful, Sofia,” he said coolly. “But I’m starting to think I should’ve just cut my losses when I had the chance.” She looked out the window, swallowing down the rising fear.

There was nothing but trees, fences, and darkness. No signs of life. No hope. Unless Goliath found her. Unless he was already on his way.

---