Chapter 33

Derick's POV

Whatever had caused the crash outside, Amanda saw nothing to explain it, and within seconds her gun swung back toward Sophia as though the interruption had never happened at all, her attention snapping back to the standoff without missing a beat. I held her stare, refusing to let the fear show on my face.

“Looks like you’ve got some balls, Derick,” she said, laughing. “But you’re not in a position to negotiate.”

Desperation pressed in on me, sharp and immediate, the certainty that I needed to act before this went any further than it already had.

“Let her go,” I growled, tightening my grip on Miranda’s throat until she gasped.

Amanda’s smile dropped away entirely. “I don’t think you understand the situation you’re