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“Dad—”
“Now, Sophie.”
“I’m not a child.”
“No, but you’re scared and confused, and he’s using that.”
“I’m not confused.”
Doug looks at her mouth again.
“You sent me a message asking me to come,” he says to Sophie.
My gaze shifts to Sophie. She gave me the phone that morning. I removed the tracking software I found. I didn’t even know she had sent him a text message.
“I didn’t give him the location,” she says to me.
“I pinged your phone after the message,” Doug tells her. “You kept it on too long.”
Maybe some part of me knew Doug would find us and didn’t stop it because Sophie deserved the choice I took from her at the market.
Doug turns toward me. His weapon hangs at his side, but the threat doesn’t lessen. “She’s leaving with me.”
I taste blood. “I know.”
Sophie looks at me. “Samuel.”
I can hear what she isn’t saying: stop him, ask me to stay, and fight for me. Every part of me wants to. I want to lock the door, disarm Doug and carry her back to the bedroom. I want to tell him that she’s mine. That I watched over her when he failed to notice the danger. That I love her more than any man has a right to love another person. But none of that gives me the right to keep her.
“Get your coat,” Doug tells her.
She remains where she is.
Doug steps closer to me until only inches separate us.
“If you follow us, I’ll kill you.”
Sophie gasps. “Dad!”
He doesn’t look away from me.
I search the face of the man who was once my closest friend. He means it. I’ve seen Doug threaten men during operations. I’ve watched him bluff with a gun to his head. This is different. This isn’t intimidation—it’s a promise.
“I won’t follow,” I say.
The lie tastes worse than blood.
Sophie stares at me. “You’re just going to let me leave?”
The hurt in her voice nearly changes my answer, but I force myself to hold her gaze. “Your father can protect you.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“You should go.”
Her expression crumples before anger saves it. “Fine.”
She turns away. Every step she takes out the door pulls something out of me. When the door closes, I grip the edge of the table to stop myself from going after her.
