Shadows In Durango

Chapter 143 *****Sofia's POV***** The room was silent except for the faint hum of the refrigerator. I sat on the hard stool, my fingers digging into its edges as I tried to steady my breathing ever since the doorbell had rang... The air in the storage room was stuffy, thick with the scent of old wood and the faint bitterness of spirits lining the shelves. It felt like a cage, a windowless void where thad slowed to a crawl. Vincent's words echoed in my mind: "Go with the flow... act scared." My body was already ahead of me. The nerves were buried in my gut, tightening into something unbearable.

The sound of approaching footsteps joltedand I froze, my heart launching itself against my ribcage as the door creaked open. The stwo men from before stepped inside - hired to be here to add an extra flare to the dreaded performance...

They had the kind of hard, vacant faces you'd expect from men who'd done things they didn't dare to speak of. One was shorter and more stocky, with a deep scar slicing across his cheek. The other was taller, a little leaner but just as imposing, his dark eyes assessingcoldly before flickering toward his partner.

"It's time," the scarred one said gruffly as my lip quivered at those gripping words.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself as I pushed up off the stool, my legs trembling faintly as they took my weight. I didn't trust my voice to answer them, so I just nodded instead.

The taller man stepped closer tofirst, his movements almost cautious. He took my arm gently, his grip surprisingly light, as though he were afraid I'd shatter under his grip.

I blinked up at him, startled by the care. Then the stocky one moved in, taking hold of my other arm a little swifter.

As they began to leadout, the taller man glanced down at me, his voice low and soft as he said, "I'm sorry... for what we're about to do. For how rough it's gonna look." His words stoppeddead in my tracks. My head whipped up toward him, my mouth parting in disbelief. I hadn't expected that. Not from him.

"It's ok... thank you..." I breathed, knowing that none of us had a choice since we were already in way too deep... The taller man's gaze softened just enough to letknow that he meant it. "We don't have a choice. Orders are orders." For a moment, I couldn't speak. My lips trembled, but I forced myself to answer. "It needs to be done," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Do whatever it takes to make it believable." They exchanged a quick glance before nodding almost in unison.

We started walking again, the sound of our footsteps echoing off the tiled hallway as we ascended the stairs.

My breathing turned shallow with every step closer to the office, the space between my ribs feeling smaller and smaller.

This is it, I thought. He's up there. They're all up there.

Waiting for me...

By the twe reached the landing, my vision swam with nerves as my feet began to drag back against the floor.

I could hear murmured voices growing louder from behind the office door, low and indistinct. My pulse pounded around in my ears, and I didn't realise the two men had paused until I felt their grips tighten.

The scarred one exhaled sharply. "Remember - don't fight it too hard or it will just hurt more," he muttered, but I could see the tension set in his jaw. "We've got to sell it.' I nodded again, my throat tight.

The taller man eventually reached out his hand and opened the door, and in that moment, everything seemed to stop...

The office was larger than I'd expected, since I hadn't been up here before, yet it felt claustrophobic, the walls seeming to press inward as my eyes scanned the room quickly.

My father was found first, sat comfortably at the table, his broad frfilling the chair, his thinning blonde hair catching under the light as a sharp gasp caught up in my throat.

His mouth was curving up in to a half-smile, but his sharp eyes burned intowith an intensity that turned my stomach black. He looked the sas he always had — sick, cruel, calculating.

My eyes darted frantically, as Kieran and Freddie stood up from beside him like sentinels as my muscles tensed instantly in fear that they were both ready to charge straight at me...

I hadn't seen any of them in months, but nothing about them had changed. Kieran, with his golden hair and quick, dangerous smirk. Freddie, his hair a shade redder, his body more rigid and ready for violence at the drop of a hat. Both of them stared atas though I were a piece of meat they'd forgotten about and just now remembered existed - hungry for what they felt was revenge.

I felt it all hitat once the months of running, of hiding, of living with the constant fear that they'd find me. And now they were here.

Right in front of me.

My lungs seized up. My chest tightened painfully. I suddenly couldn't breathe.

I felt myself start to panic, my body reacting before I could stop it. My limbs jerked, trying to pull away from the two men holding me. "N-No- letgo now, I can't do this!" I gasped, my voice strangled as I thrashed and knew that each and every emotion I was feeling in this instant was more than real.

"Hold her still," one of the men muttered to the other in a faux fury, his grip turning vice-like around my arms as they draggedfurther into the room to displaybefore the three of them like ssort of trophy.

"G-Get off me!" I choked out in a cry, the words raw as I bucked against their hold.

My heart was hammering. My head was spinning.

This was a bad idea! I looked up and met my father's eyes again. Cold. Detached.

He didn't look atlike I was his daughter- he tilted his head atlike I was a possession kept in a museum display case.

Kieran smirked faintly. Freddie crossed his arms comfortably, his expression carved from stone.

And then my eyes found Vincent amongst the table.

He sat near the far end, his hands clasped firmly on the table top in a relaxed manner, as though none of this was bothering him at all.

His expression was switched off and unreadable. The Vincent who had heldjust moments ago who had kissedand whispered reassurances was nowhere to be found in this very room.

He looked atlike I was nothing, like I was less than nothing now to him, and that was probably the hardest part of it all.

Then he laughed.

It was a low, cruel sound that sent ice down my spine. "She's a feisty one, isn't she? I think that's why we like her so much..." he drawled out, being the first to speak above my sobs, the mocking tone slicing through the air like a blade. I froze mid-struggle, my head snapping toward him in horror. For a second, the breath I'd been fighting for leftentirely.

I knew it was just an act. It's all part of the plan, I reminded myself desperately. This isn't real.

But it felt way too real...

"You weren't fucking kidding when you said you had roughed her up a bit eh?!" My father asks, eyeing Vincent and his father next, but not seeming to really care.

Vincent's eyes swept overlike I was an inconvenience to him, as though he was already bored ofbeing here. "What'd I tell you about behaving, Sofia? Crying and throwing yourself around like that is the reason you've ended up in that state to begin with!" he sneered, the look on his face takingaback.

My chest heaved, the panic still clawing at me. But I forced myself to hold his gaze, to see through the mask he was wearing. Somewhere beneath the cold façade, the real Vincent was still in there.

The one who cared.

The one who promised to protect me.

I swallowed hard, my body trembling violently. The men holdingstayed still, their grips tight as they waited for their next orders.

The silence that followed Vincent's words was suffocating, pressing down onlike the walls of a shrinking room. My father studiedwith a sick satisfaction, his smile widening just enough to make my stomach turn. He liked this — seeinghelpless and humiliated. It was his game, and I was the pawn he finally had back on the board.

- liked I forced myself to look away from him, but my eyes landed on Kieran instead, whose smirk deepened as he leaned against the edge of the table. "She's still a fighter, isn't she?" he mused, his voice dripping with mockery. "I've missed that." Freddie grunted in agreement, his gaze as unyielding as ever. "Shshe doesn't ever learn. Running didn't get you far, did it, Sofia? Brought you right to us!" I clenched my fists at their words, their taunts gnawing at the edges of my resolve. My breathing hitched, but I didn't let myself break —at least not completely. I couldn't. Vincent's earlier words replayed in my mind: Go with the flow. Act scared.

It wasn't hard to act when every nerve in my body felt like it was already on fire with fear...

"Sit her down, letlook at her!" my father ordered suddenly, his voice sharp and cutting as he motioned to a free chair near to him.

Wheezing loudly in sudden panic, the two men holdingdidn't hesitate as they pulledforward, forcingtoward the lone chair as I fought to get loose.

My knees buckled, but they didn't letfall; they shoveddown onto the hard seat and heldthere firmly...

The taller man loosened his grip for the briefest moment, almost imperceptibly. It was enough forto realise that he still meant his earlier apology. But right now it didn't matter.

My father's presence alone drained every ounce of comfort from the room...

"Now," my father continued, resting his elbows on the table as he steepled his fingers and leaned closer to me. "Let's have a little talk, daughter." I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "W-Why?! W-What do you want from me?" My voice cracked.

His smile sharpened. "What I want is irrelevant now. What matters is what you owe- you leftin the shit when you ran off from your first proposal! Think of the trouble you've you've caused for this family after the that! The for & total embarrassment that you've brought to us!" He flicked his hand toward Vincent dismissively next. "And I'm being told that you've even been difficult for him now, especially when he's offeredmoney to keep you do you plan to FUCK EVERYTHING UP FOR US?!" He roars out at the end, causingto whimper and shrink back, terrified that he was seconds away from hurting me... Vincent surprisingly didn't move. He kept his gaze fixed somewhere above me, deliberately uninterested.

I hated how good he was at this - how he could turn his face to stone so effortlessly.

But I had to trust him.

I just had to...

"Tellsomething," my father said suddenly, "Why did you run? What did cruel.

you think you'd gain? Freedom?" He barked out a laugh, short and "You're hot free, Sofia. You never were. You belong to this family and your future is up toto decide - it is the very least you oweafter what happened to your mother!" He sneers, and that is what sends me. "My Mom?! You pretend like I killed her! It was nobody's fault what happened!" I argue back now, hating that he used that as an excuse to hatelike he did...

"Enough now Frazier! Im growing bored of this performance now... I have other shit to tend to today!" Vincent's father steps in before he can even respond, which I was grateful for since the look behind my father's eyes was turning dangerous.

With a heavy sigh, leaning back, my father shota final glare which was fuelled by sheer hatred. "You're sure you even want her?!" He snaps out towards Vincent, as he simply shrugs with a short nod.

He was acting unbothered and bored, as I couldn't help but feel that he had thrownto the wolves - despite this being the plan to begin with.

"Not as a wife, but for personal reasons, yes I want her." Vincent states, staring right throughas the three of them study him carefully.

"It seems that you'll eventually kill her judging by the state she's in already..." my father hums out to himself next seeming satisfied, M before he reaches a hand towardsas I lean to the side as much as I could to coil away from him. I felt violated and trapped, with him now being close enough to touch me, before his rough thumb reached up to my cheek and pressed down on my skin - making contact. I felt sick, as I licked my drying lips and felt my head begin to sweat under the movement...

"Huh... well that's odd?" My father whispers, as my eyes dart towards Vincent and his father, as they both seem to tense up at the scrutinising tone.

"That bruise looks incredibly fresh... so doesn't it hurt when I press it?" He questions, with his eyes searching my own frantic ones, as I feel the blood draining from my face. Crap! I've screwed this up! I let him touch the fake wounds and didn't even flinch... he's on to us and it's all my fault! "Do you think that we are totally heartless Frazier?! The girl is fully doped up - can you not tell?!" Vincent's father argues lightly, as I instantly loll my head to the side for added effect before straightening back up. Good idea... I can't feel it because I'm drugged up with pain killers... yes! Please believe it...

My father seems to inspectclosely, his breath fanning my face and makingwant to throw up as his eyes narrow in on my features...

But before he could say another word, a light knock is heard at the door, before the handle dips and gains all of our attention.

Who could that possibly be now?!