Unlocked (The Alpha Group 3)

He studied me. "Maybe I am. Believe what you like, I guess. It makes little difference to me at this point." His eyes narrowed. "But when all of this comes crashing down around you, don't say I didn't warn you."

I stared at him for several seconds, my mind and stomach churning as one. I desperately wanted not to believe him, but what reason did he have to lie? Even if he did convince me, he couldn't think that would earn him clemency. There were no excuses for trying to assassinate a brother. Perhaps he was just messing with me, a last little 'fuck you' for good measure, but if that were the case, he was the best actor in the world. Besides, the sinking feeling in my belly was growing more powerful with every passing second.

The truth was, everything he said made sense. Ewan and I had never seen eye to eye, but his dedication to the group bordered on zealous. Even with what we thought was proof, right in front of us, I still hadn't really been able to see him doing all of this. Add that to the inconsistencies Sophia had raised earlier in the car, and the doubt only grew.

If he was telling the truth then someone else out there wanted to hurt the group. And that meant we were all still in danger.

Including Sophia.

I was out the door before I knew it, my phone already in my hand. She's safe. By now she's probably asleep back in the house with armed guards stationed all around her. But as the phone continued to ring out, a chill rolled through me unlike anything I'd ever felt before.

Ten rings. Twenty.

No answer.

With desperation clutching at my lungs, I hung up and called again. Nothing.

She's not answering because she's passed out. That's all.

I tried Trey's number, but it went straight to voicemail. With my heart beating like a wild drum in my chest, I raced back to find Thomas.

"Who's still at the house?" I asked.

He recoiled as I drew close, like he'd seen something horrifying in my face. "What the hell? What happened?"

"The house," I repeated, barely even hearing his questions. "Who's there?"

He licked his lips. "Jav should still be I think."

I was dialling before he even finished his sentence, and within a few rings, Jav picked up.

"Where's Sophia?"

There was a pause. "Sebastian? What do you mean? She's with you, isn't she?"

I closed my eyes and drew a ragged breath. This can't be happening. "She was coming back to the house with Trey," I said slowly, my voice trembling. "She should have been there an hour ago."

"Trey hasn't been here since he left to meet you."

My hand shot out to clutch the wall as the room spun around me. There could have been other explanations, flat tires and empty phone batteries, but I knew that wasn't the case. I could feel the truth of it right down to my bones. They had her. Again. And it was my fault.

All the signs had been there, and I'd ignored them. And now... oh Christ. I had all the power in the world at my hands, and it wasn't enough. I couldn't even protect the one thing I truly loved.

Trey. He was responsible for this. Whatever destructive plan he had for the group, Sophia was somehow involved. And I'd handed her right to him.

Thomas' expression had slipped even further. "What is it, Sebastian? Is Sophia okay?"

But I couldn't respond. I couldn't even breathe. I felt like I was drowning, like the air around me had suddenly thickened into something my body could no longer process.

Last time I'd had a tail on Sophia from the start. I knew where they'd taken her, and I used that purpose and direction to hone my fear into focus. But this time she could be anywhere. The chance of finding her was next to nothing.

I collapsed against the wall and buried my head in my hands. I realised I was sobbing. I wanted to die. I wanted to curl up into a ball so tightly I just disappeared. My mind was racing, desperately searching for any kind of next move, but it was like trying to catch the wind in my hands. I had no clues. No information. No hope.

And then, my phone vibrated in my hand. The caller ID listed Sophia's number.

Barely breathing, I swiped the screen, and a picture of her flashed before my eyes. She was bound to a slim wooden chair, her mouth gagged, her eyes wide with fear. The caption simply said, "Come alone." It didn't give any directions, but it told me all I needed to know. The room in the background was instantly familiar. It was one of the control rooms in the old Alpha headquarters. The place the two of us had first met.

Trey had Sophia, and he wanted me to come for her.

I felt an icy calm descend over me, a sudden sense of clarity that was almost painfully sharp. Despite how stacked the situation looked, he'd made a mistake by inviting me. I didn't know how yet, but I was going to end this tonight. I'd failed Sophia too many times already.

I wouldn't fail her again.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Sebastian

There was plenty of muscle waiting for me when I arrived at headquarters; at least ten men wearing suits and impassive expressions. No one commented as I approached, they just stood by with their hands on their holsters as the two closest moved in to search me. The gun strapped under my arm was commandeered without even a frown. I hadn't expected to actually get it past them, but I had to try anyway.

I'd nearly called in the cavalry. Thomas had been flipping out trying to work out what was going on, and it would have been so easy to explain the situation and bring the whole team down here with me. But I took Trey's warning seriously. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her if he got even a sniff of Alpha activity, and I had no idea how far his eyes and ears reached. If he had the right alerts set up, she could be dead before our cars made it a block. I couldn't take that risk.

When the guards were sure I was unarmed, they stepped back and I continued inside. I reached the door that led to Sophia's prison, but I took a moment before opening it to draw a deep breath. I still had no idea how I was going to get us out of this, but I had to remain calm. Blacking out, like I did with Ewan, would get us both killed in a heartbeat. If I wanted Trey and his friends to pay, I had to keep my wits about me. I refused to believe this was the end. After everything Sophia and I had been through, an opportunity would present itself. It had to.

I turned the handle and stepped inside.

Sophia sat towards one side of the room, bound to the chair exactly as she had been in the photo. Her face was puffy and red.

She cried out through her gag when she saw me, a visceral, frightened sound that seemed to echo inside my head. Without even realising what I was doing, I began rushing towards her.

"Uh uh," Trey said, stepping into view and pressing the barrel of his gun right up against her temple. "That's far enough."