“Scarlett,” Eric whispers. “Fucking damnit, Scar. Where the hell have you been?”
A knife wrenches itself into my chest and twists, because I know I can’t tell Eric the truth. If I do, it means death for both of us. My life was forfeit the moment I was captured—I know this. Eric’s however, will only be endangered if I tell the truth.
I want him to know everything. I want him to wreak vengeance on my behalf. I want, so desperately, to live without constant fear… but I know I can’t.
“I—I don’t know,” I say between sobs, leaning my head against his chest. “I couldn’t… see. I was blindfolded or had a hood over my head the whole,” I pause for a sob so vigorous it ignites physical pain in my chest, “time. Whoever it was… asked questions about Dad. Aboutyou.”
Neither of my latter statements are false, but lying to my brother—the only person on this earth who haseverprotectedand looked after me—is so painful, I devolve into a state that nearly feels like a psychotic break.
“Alright,” Eric says. “Okay. It’s okay, Scar. I’ve got you now. You’re safe now.”
“I havenever,”sob, “been safe. It’s always something.” I shake my head. “I… I—”
“Shh,” Eric attempts to soothe. “I’ll find out who took you, and I’ll kill them.”
Conflicting emotions tear through me. I assumed that the thought of Eric killing Monster wouldn’t bother me nearly as much as doing it myself, but I can’t stomach the thought of that, either.
“Eric,” I manage to force out. “I need… to get away from here. I just fuckingcan’t,” I cut off, shaking my head, “stay here anymore. Send me away.Faraway.”
“Scar,” Eric says. “You’re emaciated and wounded. I’m going to get a doctor here to evaluate you. Then, we’ll talk next steps, alright? For now, rest, sis. I’ve got you.”
His words should offer me some certainty. Some semblance of comfort. Something to draw me out of the dark, dreary pit that my captivity put me in, but it doesn’t. All I feel is pain… and emptiness.
An eternal emptiness that I don’t know I’ll ever be able to shed.
Chapter One
Greyson
9 months later…
My skin itches with discomfort. My dreams are plagued with nightmares. My body and mind alike are stuck in a constant state of restlessness that nearly drives me insane.
The first months after Scarlett’s escape were the worst. Not just because of the way she poisoned me, but because I got a hard lesson from this life drilled deeply into my mind. Even though I only had my Flower with me for a little while, she burrowed her way beneath my skin and carved a place out for herself in my heart and in my soul. She became as integral to me as the blood in my veins, as every one of my vital organs…
And then she poisoned me and ran.
My sweet, innocent little Flower put a deadly toxin in my tea and watched me drink it. I’m filled with equal parts admiration and fury. She tried to kill me, yes, but then she saved me. Poisoning me was no easy task; in hindsight, I can see her calculation—feeding me tea for a couple of nights to get me comfortable with the ritual. Getting me to take her to medical so she could find an antidote to the poison.
I admire her spine, her grit, and her determination, even as I want to punish her for leaving me. From evenwantingto leave me.
I’ll never break her spirit—not if I can avoid it. But when I get my hands on her—and Iwillget my hands on her—I’ll break any will she has to escape. I’ll tie her to me so completely, wholly, and irrevocably, she won’t even be able to imagine living without me.
I will tear down her resistance systematically, with whatever methods might be necessary. I will tie every piece of her soul to whatever is left of mine… as soon as I find her.
Everything is different now. My outlook on the world, even my setting in headquarters… my old apartment felt so damn wrong without Scarlett there that I ended up moving to a different one entirely. One with more rooms, and more spaces to alter to my needs. To prepare for her arrival, when she arrives.
It has to bewhennotif. I couldn’t tolerate never seeing her again. With each day that passes without her, I slowly slip away into the grips of madness. I grieved for my brother’s death—I still do—and now I grieve for Scarlett’s loss and fuckingachefor her return. I need her like I need air in my lungs.
“You’re distracted,” Cain says, startling me. I turn to stare at him, only then recalling where I am—the dining hall. I slipped away into the recesses of my mind,again.
While the compound as a whole has been renovated, turning into a verifiable fortress, the dining hall in the headquarters building has largely remained the same—save for the upgrades to the Ruler’s Throne that Cain made. It’s now decorated with skulls dipped in gold, creating a macabre, threatening display of Cain’s absolute power and authority.
“What does it matter?” I question. “I get my shit done.” In the last nine months, I’ve assembled subunits within the Nighthawks—teamsof three or four men who can work together for complex ops—trained them, and tested them in the field. As Cain’s appointed second-in-command, I’ve gone above and beyond to run a tight ship. I handle more work for him than I need to, simply because free time makes me itch—and always pulls me under a tide of memories too painful to explore.
“Which is the only reason I haven’t disciplined you,” Cain replies harshly. “You’re out of your fucking mind, Greyson. You need to let it go, let the Sharpe girl go, even if only for a little while. It’s fucking with you.”
“I couldn’t let her go even if I wanted to,” I admit quietly. “Maybe you’ll understand that one day.”
