Jacob groaned as he woke up again. Every inch of him ached, a painful reminder of the beating he’d endured. But through the fog of discomfort, one thought crystallized with fierce clarity: Tiffany.

“I won’t give up,” he whispered, his voice raspy in the stillness. “Not on her. Not ever.”

Jacob forced his eyes open. The cold seeped into his bones from the concrete floor, and he shivered.

He had been in and out of consciousness for a while now, and he had no idea what time it ...