Page 111 of The Fates We Tame

I find the weapons and hand them to Rae, Briar, and Ari.

“I don’t know how to use it,” Ari says.

“Hopefully you won’t need to,” Rae says. “Just remember the training Niro gave you. Hip-width stance. Aim for the torso.”

I take a weapon and hurry to the rear window with Gwen, who is standing on the very edge of it, shielded by the wall and hidden by the drapes.

My phone rings. An unknown number. I just look at it.

“You should answer it,” Gwen says. “It could be one of the prospects or something.”

I stay down beneath the window and do as she says.

“Sophia. This can all end tonight,” my father says. “Just come to the front door. Luca and Leo are waiting to bring you home.”

I’m an intelligent woman. I could be noble. Sacrifice myself for the greater good. But I know Theo and the club are on their way. What I need to do is stall. “Why would I come home? I’ve told you I don’t trust you.”

My father makes a sound. A humph. A sigh. I can’t tell what. But something about it rubs me the wrong way. “Just come home. You don’t belong there.”

You don’t belong there.

My father is not outside. He’s doing his dirty work from a distance.

This all seems too implausible. I’m not that precious. My family still has power without this marriage. It’s been months since I was supposed to marry this man. I’m already married to someone else.

There has to be something more at play here.

I just don’t know what.

“Tell your men to back off. I won’t talk to you while there are gunshots outside.”

My father blows out a harsh puff of air. “You are coming home one way or another tonight.”

“Why? I don’t believe this is about an arranged marriage anymore.”

There is a long pause, peppered with the sound of bullets outside. “You remembered?”

“What do I know?”

He hangs up the phone.

“What do I know?” I shout.

But my whispered words are drowned out by the roar of motorcycles.

29

SWITCH

“You okay?” I ask Catalina an hour later.

Sweat is on her brow, and her usually tan skin looks gray and pale. She’s lucky it was a through and through to the fleshy part of her waist. I’m confident no major organs were hit, but I’ll keep an eye on her.

“Okay, enough. Don’t let him…do anything he’ll…regret.”

I check the drip I got in on the second attempt and add some pain relief. “Sleep, Cat. I’ll make sure he’s okay. I promise.”

I close the door to the medical room and sprint across the lot to the shed where Luca and Leo and what’s left of their men were taken.