Shadows In Durango

Chapter 131

*****Sofia's POV*****

The second Vincent slammed his foot down on the gas, the quiet calm of the night completely shattered in to a million pieces.

My heart was already pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out through my ribs, but his sudden speed had me gripping the seatbelt tight, my knuckles white.

He was saying something, a low ramble that I could barely make out over the thrum of panic in my mind.

My brothers were here.

They were here.

They knew where I was again...

That hardening fact kept echoing, growing louder with every second, until I couldn't focus on anything else.

What the heck did I expect? I should have left this town when I first had the chance!

"Sofia, listen to me," Vincent's voice broke through the haze, edged with urgency, but it only pulled me further into a panic. "They don't know where we are right now or where we're headed either. I'll get you somewhere safe, just breathe" Breathe?!

The word felt foreign, impossible.

I couldn't breathe; I was choking on sheer fear.

My father's face flashed across in my mind, cold and calculating, always looming somewhere in the background of my pathetic life.

He had always found a way to make me feel small, powerless and now, even states away, he'd managed to find me again.

I wasn't safe.

I'd never be safe from him unless I was actually dead.

That was the only way to escape him!

The nausea built up quickly, a sour heat in my stomach, with my vision blurring as I struggled to keep it down.

"Pull over," I managed to choke out, my voice barely more than a whisper, but Vincent heard me instantly.

looked over, his brows

could feel the pressure mounting, overwhelming as my hand shot up to cover my

road, coming to a halt just by

to get the door open before I stumbled out, the cool night air hitting me just

all of the fear, frustration, exhaustion - all came

for support, my body shaking as if it were trying to rid itself of

reach my back, feeling steady and

just knelt beside me, his palm rubbing

still be alive. When the worst of it passed, I slumped back on to the ground, too drained to care about how broken I looked in

stop the tears from spilling over, couldn't keep the fear from

coming to

were already

I was trapped.

shallow breaths. "I... I'm so sorry, Vincent. I thought I could leave that life behind, but it's like... it's like they're always going to find me. No matter where I go.

through the wall I'd tried to keep up, and then his arms were around me, pulling me close to him in one swift movement. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. It never will be. I'm going to handle it, ok?" He promises, but I

me, because in that moment, I felt like I

of something good, something real that we at least

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I wasn't facing them

desperation I couldn't hold back anymore. "If they find me... if my father forces me to go back with them... I can't go back, Vincent. He's going to want me

head back to look up at him, his eyes were fierce, unyielding as he looked

to keep you hidden forever, or if I have to fight off your entire fucking family myself - I'm not letting them take you away. I promise you that." He states. A broken laugh escaped me, caught somewhere between a sob and

voice harder now, edged with a resolve I hadn't heard before. "I'm not afraid of them and neither should you be anymore. You're with me, Sofia, and as long as you're with me, I'll keep you safe. I'll put a damn bullet through

to feel that hope he was so sure of, but the

had been planted in me years ago, cultivated in every harsh word, every controlling hand my father had held over me. It was more than just fear by now; it was a certainty, a truth I'd carried my whole

didn't get to decide my

Not with my family.

see a different version of my life - one where I was free to make my own choices, to live without the constant dread that shadowed my every step.

resting against mine, his voice a low whisper that washed over me. "You're safe right here. Right now. With me. We'll figure this out together, I swear. Just trust

to speak, so I just nodded, allowing myself to cling to him in

somewhere close to grab you some water and then I'm taking you to one of my lowkey properties

all the time... I'm going to put a stop to them if it's the last thing I do!" He states firmly, before

Vincent guided me back into the car, I felt like I was trapped in a daze, every

but the fear clung to me like a second skin, lingering at the edges of

click of my seatbelt brought me back to reality, and I glanced up to find