The safe house was a small, nondescript apartment on the outskirts of the city, its windows covered with heavy curtains to keep prying eyes out. Evelyn sat on the edge of the couch, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as she watched Victor sleep. He was sprawled on the makeshift bed they had set up for him, his face pale and drawn, but finally at peace.
She had barely slept since they had brought him here, her mind racing with the events of the night. The look in Damian's eyes as he let them go haunted her, a mix of anger and something else she couldn't quite place. It had been a risk, trusting him to keep his word, but they had made it out alive. For now.
The sound of footsteps pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked up to see Lucas entering the room, a cup of coffee in each hand. He handed one to her, his sharp green eyes scanning her face with concern.
"You should get some rest," he said, his voice low. "You've been up all night."
Evelyn shook her head, her fingers tightening around the warm mug. "I can't. Not yet."
Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He's safe, Evelyn. You did it."
Evelyn's chest tightened, and she glanced at Victor, her heart aching. "For now," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But Damian let us go. He's not going to just forget about this."
Lucas's jaw tightened, and he nodded. "I know. But we'll figure it out. We always do."
Evelyn met his gaze, her eyes filled with determination. "We have to. I can't let him hurt Victor again."
Lucas studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "We'll keep him safe. But you need to take care of yourself too. You're no good to him if you're running on empty."
Evelyn knew he was right, but the thought of sleeping—of letting her guard down—made her stomach churn. She took a sip of the coffee, the bitter taste grounding her. "What's our next move?" she asked, her voice steady.
Lucas hesitated, his expression grim. "We need to lay low for a while. The Kanes are going to be looking for us, and we can't afford to make any mistakes."
Evelyn nodded, her mind racing. "What about Victor? He needs medical attention."
"I've got a contact—a doctor who knows how to keep his mouth shut. He'll be here soon."
Evelyn felt a surge of gratitude, but it was quickly overshadowed by the weight of what lay ahead. She glanced at Victor, her chest tightening. "Thank you," she said, her voice barely audible.
Lucas reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We're in this together, Evelyn. You're not alone."
Evelyn met his gaze, her eyes filled with determination. "I know. And I'm not giving up."
The sound of Victor stirring pulled her attention, and she turned to see him sitting up, his eyes bleary but alert. "Evie?" he croaked, his voice hoarse.
Evelyn was at his side in an instant, her hands gripping his. "I'm here," she said, her voice breaking. "You're safe."
Victor's eyes filled with tears, and he pulled her into a tight hug. "I thought I'd never see you again," he whispered, his voice trembling.
Evelyn's chest tightened, and she held him close, her own tears spilling over. "I'm not letting you go," she said, her voice firm. "Not ever again."
Lucas cleared his throat, his expression softening. "I'll give you two some time," he said, his voice low. "But we need to talk soon. There's still a lot to figure out."
Evelyn nodded, her throat tight. "I know. Thank you, Lucas."
He nodded, then turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind him. Evelyn turned back to Victor, her heart aching as she studied his face. He looked so much older than she remembered, the weight of everything he had been through etched into his features.
"What happened, Victor?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What did they do to you?"
Victor's expression darkened, and he looked away, his jaw tightening. "It's a long story," he said, his voice low. "But the Kanes… they're worse than we thought, Evie. They're involved in things—terrible things."
Evelyn's chest tightened, and she gripped his hand. "Tell me," she said, her voice steady. "I need to know."
Victor hesitated, his eyes filled with pain. "They're trafficking people, Evie. Women, children… anyone they can get their hands on. And they're using their connections to cover it up."
Evelyn's stomach churned, and she felt a surge of anger and disgust. "We have to stop them," she said, her voice firm. "We can't let them get away with this."
Victor met her gaze, his eyes filled with determination. "I know. But it's not going to be easy. They're powerful, Evie. And they're not going to just let us take them down."
Evelyn's jaw tightened, and she nodded. "I know. But we have to try."
Victor studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "We'll figure it out," he said, his voice steady. "Together."
Evelyn felt a surge of hope, but it was quickly overshadowed by the weight of what lay ahead. The Kanes were a formidable enemy, and they had already proven how far they were willing to go. But she couldn't back down now. Not when so much was at stake.
As she sat there, holding Victor's hand, she felt a sense of resolve settle over her. They had a long road ahead, but they were in this together. And no matter what it took, she was going to bring the Kanes down.
The sound of a knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts, and she turned to see Lucas stepping back into the room, his expression grim.
"The doctor's here," he said, his voice low. "But we've got another problem."
Evelyn's chest tightened, and she stood, her heart pounding. "What is it?"
Lucas hesitated, his jaw tightening. "We've got company. The Kanes are outside."
Evelyn's breath caught in her throat, and she glanced at Victor, her mind racing. "What do we do?"
Lucas met her gaze, his eyes filled with determination. "We fight."