Valentina.
The car sped down the highway, the silence inside deafening. The dim streetlights streaked through the windows, painting fleeting shadows on the dashboard.
Reed gripped the steering wheel with one hand, his other resting casually on his knees, but I knew better. His tension showed outright, his jaw tight as he spared short glances my way, clearly debating whether to speak.
I couldn’t care less if he did or not.
I stared out the window, my reflection barely visible against the darkened glass. Hours earlier, we had been five in this vehicle, and now we were down to two.
Memories of Isabella’s smug smile, Pedro’s cold words, and the weight of the night’s events pressing down on me. I pressed my lips together, determined not to let a single tear slip.
I was done with all that.
Crying. Being the victim in a story I never asked to be part of.
“You want to talk about it?” Reed’s voice cut through the quiet, low and hesitant.
“No.” My response was sharper than intended, and I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I mean… what’s there to talk about?”
He didn’t respond immediately, his focus returning to the road.
“Plenty,” he said after a beat. “You just got blindsided by Pedro Navarro, your sister threw you under the bus again, and Matteo… well, he’s Matteo.”
The laugh escaped without me thinking about it. Bitter sound, devoid of any real amusement. “Exactly. It’s just more of the same, Reed. This is my life now… being betrayed, manipulated, and tossed aside when I’m no longer useful.”
Reed’s hands tightened on the wheel. “You’re more than useful, Valentina. Don’t let them convince you otherwise.”
“Am I?” I shot back, my voice rising. “Because from where I’m standing, all I’ve done is survive by sheer luck. No matter what I do, I can’t win against them. Not Isabella. Not Pedro. And certainly not Matteo.”
His jaw worked as if he wanted to argue, but he stayed silent.
Smart choice.
I wasn’t in the mood to be comforted with false promises and words.
The car hit a pothole, jolting me from my thoughts. I looked out at the unfamiliar streets, the tall, desolate buildings casting eerie shadows under the moonlight. “Where are we going?”
Reed hesitated. “The old safe house.”
I turned sharply toward him. “What? That place is compromised! Matteo knows about it.”
“We don’t have many options,” he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “The newer ones aren’t secure yet. I’ll stay on watch the whole time. You’ll be safe.”
Safe.
What a hollow word.
I crossed my arms, leaning back in my seat. “Sure. Whatever you say.”
His knuckles whitened on the wheel, but he said nothing more.
***
The safe house was exactly as I remembered it… small, sparse, and suffocating. The walls, painted a dull beige, seemed to close in as I stepped inside. Reed locked the door behind us, his movements efficient and practiced.
I dropped my bag by the couch and sank onto it, burying my face in my hands.
“You should eat something,” Reed said, his voice softer now. “I’ll check the perimeter and grab us some food.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You need to keep your strength up, Valentina.” His tone was gentle but firm, and I could feel his eyes on me.
Assessing, worrying.
I looked up at him, exhaustion tugging at my every word. “Reed, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I just… I need some time, okay?”
He studied me for a moment longer, then nodded. “Fine. But don’t stay in your head too long. It’s dangerous in there.”
With that, he grabbed his jacket and headed out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Minutes felt like hours as I sat in the dimly lit room, my mind replaying Pedro’s cutting words and Isabella’s triumphant smirk on an endless loop. A distraction. A liability.
The rage simmering beneath the surface finally boiled over. I grabbed a pillow from the couch and hurled it across the room, watching it hit the wall with a pathetic thud.
“Damn it!” I yelled, my voice cracking.
“You throw like a girl,” Reed’s voice came from the doorway, dry and amused.
I whipped around, glaring at him. “What are you doing back so soon?”
“Perimeter’s clear, and I figured you’d be in here doing… this.” He gestured to the mess I hadn’t realized I’d made… papers and books strewn across the coffee table, the pillow now lying limply on the floor.
“Go away,” I snapped, turning my back to him.
Instead, he walked over and plopped down on the couch beside me, his presence as irritating as it was grounding. “No can do. You’re spiralling, and someone needs to pull you out before you drown.”
I shot him a sidelong glance. “You’re really bad at metaphors.”
“And you’re really bad at dealing with your emotions. So, we’re even.”
I groaned, leaning back against the couch. “Why do you care, Reed? Seriously. I’m just another job to you.”
He stiffened slightly, but his voice was steady when he replied. “You’re not just a job, Valentina. Not to me.”
The sincerity in his words caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to say. The walls I’d built so carefully around myself wavered, threatening to crumble. But before I could let them, I laughed… harsh and hollow. “That’s sweet, Reed. But you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He turned to face me fully, his expression serious. “You think I haven’t seen what you’ve been through? That I don’t understand what it’s like to feel trapped and powerless? I’ve been there, Valentina. And I’m telling you, you don’t have to do this alone.”
I looked away, unable to meet his piercing gaze. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing I do will ever be enough.”
“Then stop trying to be enough for them,” he said simply. “Be enough for yourself.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut, their truth undeniable. I swallowed hard, my throat tight.
“And how do I do that?”
He stood, holding out a hand. “For starters, I’m going to teach you how to fight. Really fight. So you’re not relying on anyone else to save you.”
I blinked up at him, stunned. “What?”
“You heard me,” he said, his hand still extended. “It’ll give us something to do while we’re holed up here. And it might just save your life one day.”
I hesitated, my mind flashing back to a different time, a different place.
Matteo’s eyes when he dismissed me after I begged him to train me. The little training he gave after I almost died.
I wasn’t cut out for it.
I shook off the memory, forcing myself to focus on the present. Reed’s hand was still there, steady and patient. Slowly, I reached out and took it, allowing him to pull me to my feet.
“Fine,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “But don’t go easy on me.”
He grinned, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “Oh, trust me, princess. You’ll wish I had.”
For the first time in what felt like forever, I smiled… a small, hesitant thing, but real nonetheless. Maybe, just maybe, I could find my strength again.