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.

He looked over, his brows furrowed with

pull over. NOW!" The words came out in a rush, desperate, and I could feel the pressure mounting, overwhelming as my

veered off the road, coming to a halt just by

door open before I stumbled out, the cool

of the fear, frustration, exhaustion - all came pouring out

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

feeling steady

me, his palm rubbing

I'd finished, when there was nothing left but dry heaves, he stayed there, silent, his steady presence almost making it bearable to still be alive. When the worst of it passed, I slumped back

spilling over, couldn't keep the fear

father was coming

brothers were already

I was trapped.

voice barely audible, hiccuping between 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

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

of his hold anchor me, because in that moment, I felt like I was floating somewhere just beyond my own body, as

solidly beneath my cheek, a quiet reminder of something good, something real that we at least shared beside

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I wasn't facing them on

my voice breaking with a 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 dead!" My fingers twisted into the black fabric of his

intensity in his voice pulled my head back to look up at him, his

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 a gasp. "Vincent, they're all horrible people! You don't know half of what they've done. They'll tear apart anything in their

afraid of them and neither should you be anymore. You're with me, Sofia, and

hope he was so sure of, but the

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,

to

Not with my family.

my life - one where I was free to make my own choices, to live without the constant

safe right here. Right now. With me. We'll figure this out together, I swear. Just trust me, I know it's hard after everything I've done, but I only want to help

to speak, so I just nodded, allowing myself to

somewhere close to grab you some water and then I'm taking you to one of my lowkey properties until we can figure this out..." Vincent

on either side of my face; "You're too fucking pretty to be crying like this all the time... I'm going to put a stop to them if it's the last thing I

back into the car, I felt like I was trapped

up the panic, but the fear clung to me like a second

back to reality, and I glanced up to find Vincent watching me, his jaw set,