Chapter 13: Monster
Chapter 13
Ronan followed the guard through the maze of corridors, his jaw clenched so tight it hurt. His mind raced, piecing together a plan. These bastards thought they could dangle his son in front of him like a puppet on strings. Pathetic. They had no idea what kind of monster they were dealing with.
The guard stopped in front of a metal door, swiping a keycard and pushing it open. Ronan stepped inside, and his eyes locked onto the small figure sitting on a cot in the corner of the sterile, dimly lit room. Noah looked up, his dark eyes sharp and unafraid. The kid didn't look scared—just alert, like he was waiting for instructions.
Ronan's lips twitched into a hint of a smile. Tough kid. He'd raised him right.
"Noah," he said, keeping his voice calm.
Noah hopped off the cot and walked over, his steps confident. "Hey, Dad. Took you long enough."
Ronan couldn't help it—a short, humorless chuckle slipped out. "Yeah, I hit a bit of traffic." He glanced at the guard, who was too busy staring at his phone to notice their exchange.
Kneeling down to Noah's level, Ronan put a hand on his shoulder, voice low and firm. "I'm getting you out of here. Hold on tight when I say so. Got it?"
Noah nodded, his expression serious despite his age. "Got it."
Ronan gave a slight nod, then shot up in one swift motion. Before the guard could react, Ronan's fist smashed into his throat. The man crumpled, gasping for air, and Ronan caught him by the collar, slamming his head into the wall with a sickening crunch. The guard went limp, sliding to the floor.
Noah didn't flinch—just gave a small nod of approval.