Page 29 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable (The Beautiful Scars Duet #2)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Zane

I lean against the wall, still riding the high of watching Sunny's training session. The sound of the shower running upstairs provides a steady backdrop to our conversation. My chest swells with pride when I replay it in my mind.

"She's a natural," Chase says, sprawled across the armchair. "It's amazing how quickly she picked everything up."

"The way she powered through that chokehold drill..." Ty shakes his head. "That took guts."

I exchange a look with Levi. The tension in his shoulders has eased since Sunny went up to shower, but he's still unusually quiet

"You were right," he admits. "She needed this."

"Like there was any doubt." I smirk, earning an eye roll from him.

The familiar creak of floorboards signals Colt's arrival before he appears in the doorway. One look at his face and the tension is back. All these years working together means I can read the subtle shifts in his expression—the tight line of his mouth, the controlled breathing.

"We have a problem." Colt's voice carries that deadly calm that precedes catastrophe. "A big one."

The temperature of the room seems to drop. Chase and Ty straighten in their seats while Levi pushes off the wall he was leaning against.

"What kind?" I keep my voice level, though my pulse raises as Colt pulls out his tablet.

The shower upstairs has stopped running, and I catch myself tracking Sunny's movements through the ceiling—a habit I've developed since bringing her home.

"Wolf and I have been monitoring Garrett's finances," Colt starts, his fingers dancing across the screen. "Looking for any slip-ups, any pattern we could use."

"And?" Levi's voice carries that dangerous edge I recognize from our darker jobs.

"He's liquidating everything." Colt turns the tablet, showing us transaction records. “Over the past forty-eight hours, he's started converting almost everything into crypto. Properties, accounts, investments—all of it."

Chase leans forward. "That's not exactly subtle."

"Because he doesn't care about being subtle anymore." My jaw clenches as I study the numbers. "He's preparing for something."

"That's not the worst part." Colt's thumb swipes across the screen, and a pit settles into my stomach. Crime scene photos fill the display—three women, laid out like broken dolls. The cuts are precise, methodical. Left clavicle to right rib, just like—

"I recognize these women," Ty breathes. "They’re ones we helped relocate and reunite with family after the raid."

I remember each of their faces from that night—terrified, but hopeful as we helped them escape. Now they're being used to send us a message.

"Strangulation," Colt confirms what I can already see. "Then cut. Same pattern as—"

"Don't." Levi's voice cracks like a whip. We all know what he's going to say.

"He's cleaning house," I say, my mind already racing through scenarios. "Making sure there aren’t any loose ends, no witnesses. But he's also—"

"Making sure we know he's there," Levi finishes. The rage in his voice mirroring mine.

Footsteps on the stairs make us all freeze. I catch Colt's eye and he quickly switches the tablet off as Sunny appears in the doorway, hair damp from her shower. The sight of her—alive, healing, ours —makes the crime scene photos even more horrific.

"What's wrong?" She asks, immediately reading the tension in the room.

I cross to her, placing myself between her and Chase and the grotesque evidence he's gathered.

"Just some business," I say, letting my hand rest on her hip. The contact centers me, helps focus me on what's at stake.

"Liar," she says softly, but doesn't push.

Sunny stretches up on her toes, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. The gentle trust in that gesture makes my chest ache with everything we're keeping from her.

"I'll leave you to it," she says with a knowing smile. The door clicks shut behind her.

"We can't keep this from her," I say, turning back to face the others. My fingers trace where her lips just touched mine, the warmth a reminder of everything at stake.

Levi runs his hands through his hair, pacing like a caged animal. "You want to tell her that he's hunting down the women and girls we saved? That he's… " His voice cracks. "That he's recreating what he did to her?"

"She's stronger than you think. Keeping her in the dark won't protect her." The words taste bitter as I say them. "He's coming for her."

"Fuck." Ty pounds his fist on the arm of the couch. None of us flinch—we're all feeling it.

I move to the window, scanning the perimeter out of habit. The grounds are secure, cameras and motion sensors are operational. There isn't one inch of this place where we don't have eyes. But Garrett's proven to us before that conventional security means nothing to him.

"We need to move her," Levi says, but I'm already shaking my head.

"I'm sure running is exactly what he wants. Get her somewhere more unfamiliar, less secure overall." I turn back to face them. "We need to end this. Permanently."

"Agreed." Colt's voice carries that deadly efficiency I recognize from our worst jobs. "But we need to tell her first. She deserves to know what's coming, what's happening."

"Tonight," I decide, my mind already mapping out contingencies. "After dinner. She'll know something's wrong."

Levi stops pacing, his expression haunted. "You know what this will do to her. Finding out he's still—" He swallows hard. "That he's hurting other women because of her."

"She'll blame herself," Chase says quietly. "You know she will."

"Which is exactly why we need to tell her ourselves, before she figures it out some other way." I meet each of their eyes in turn. "We show her the evidence, explain our plans, and make damn sure she knows none of this is her fault."

"And when she insists on being part of the solution?" Ty asks, though we all know the answer.

"We listen," I say firmly, "and let her. It's her life he wants."

Levi grimaces at that but doesn't argue.

"I'll have Wolf compile everything—financial records, surveillance, crime scene analysis. Anything that helps explain what's happening." Colt starts typing on his tablet. "But sanitized. She doesn't need to see the worst of it."

"We'll set up a full tactical brief in the morning," I add. "I want everyone's eyes on this. If Garrett's leaving us breadcrumbs to find him, he's either desperate or wants us to see something."

"Or both," Chase suggests grimly.

I nod, my mind already running scenarios. "Double the perimeter patrols. No one goes anywhere alone from here on out."

I watch Sunny push food around her plate. She knows something's up. I knew she would. My own appetite is nonexistent. The weight of what we need to tell her sits like lead in my stomach. Across the table, Levi catches my eye—a silent acknowledgment that we can't delay this any longer.

"Angel." My voice comes out rougher than I intend. She looks up, fork pausing mid-motion. "When you're finished, we need to talk."

Her eyes flick between Levi and me, reading the tension. "Office?"

I nod, appreciating how she doesn't act like she's not picking up on the mood in the room. The rest of the table has gone quiet, everyone suddenly very interested in their plates.

Minutes later, I close the office door behind us. Sunny perches on the edge of the leather couch, while Levi paces near the windows. I remain standing, too restless to sit.

"Tell me." Her quiet command surprises us both.

When we hesitate, she adds, “Whatever’s got you both looking like that—tell me. I can handle it."

I exchange a look with Levi before retrieving Colt's tablet. "What we're about to show you..." I struggle to find the right words. "It's bad."

"Show me." Her voice stays steady, but I catch the slight tremor in her hands.

I sit beside her, angling the tablet so she can see. "Garrett's been busy." The financial records appear first—strings of numbers and transactions that paint a disturbing picture. "He's liquidating everything. Converting it all to untraceable currency."

Her breath catches. "He's preparing for something."

"Yes." I swipe to the next screen, carefully edited to show only the essential details of the murders. "And he's sending messages."

The color drains from her face as she takes in the information. Her fingers dig into my thigh, but she doesn't look away. "These are... these were the women from the warehouse?"

"The ones we helped," Levi confirms, his voice tight with rage. "It seems he's hunting them down."

Sunny's hand flies to her mouth, and for a moment I think she might be sick. But then something shifts in her expression—horror giving way to fury. "That asshole," she whispers. "Those poor girls thought they were finally safe."

"Angel—" I start, but she cuts me off.

"No." She stands abruptly, starting to pace like Levi. "No, don't try to soften this. He's killing them because of me, isn't he? Because you rescued me? Took me away from him again."

"This isn't your fault," I say firmly, rising to intercept her pacing. "None of this is on you."

"He's recreating what he did to me." Her voice cracks, but her eyes stay fierce. "Practicing. Getting it perfect for when he finally—" She breaks off, shaking her head. "What's the plan?"

The question catches us both off guard. I expected tears, panic, maybe even that frozen state she falls into when triggered. Not this calculated anger.

"We're working on tracking his movements," Levi explains, moving closer. "The financial trails, surveillance—"

"No." Sunny's voice cuts through Levi's. "I want to know what you're going to do to stop him. Because we all know he's not going to stop. Not until he's dead or has me back."

Pride and fear both well up inside my chest as I watch her. This is my girl—a fighter to be sure. But the thought of her anywhere near Garrett makes my blood run cold.

"We'll handle it," I say, trying to keep my voice gentle but firm. "You don't need—"

"Don't." Her eyes flash dangerously. "Don't you dare try to sideline me on this. Not after what you just showed me." She gestures to the tablet. "Those women are dead because of me. Because he's obsessed with me. I won't sit back and let you handle it by yourselves while more people get hurt."

"Sunny," Levi starts, but she rounds on him.

"No. You both promised—no more making decisions about my safety without me. Remember?"

I watch Sunny's chest heave with emotion, her small frame vibrating with barely contained fury. No matter how I feel about it, she's right—we promised not to make these decisions without her.

"Come here," I say softly, opening my arms. For a moment she stays rigid, but then practically collapses against my chest. Levi moves behind her, sandwiching her between us.

"We'll find him," I murmur into her hair, breathing in her familiar scent. "And this time, we'll make sure he can never hurt anyone again."

"I can't—" Her voice breaks. "I can't have more blood on my hands. I can't have him hurt anyone else because of me. Those women..."

"Hey." Levi's voice is rough with emotion as he strokes her back. "Their blood is on his hands, not yours. Every single drop."

I tilt her chin up, making her meet my eyes. "Listen to me, Angel. We're going to stop him. We'll figure this out."

Her fingers curl into my shirt. "Promise me. Promise you won't shut me out of this."

"We won’t," I say.

"We'll have a plan," Levi adds, his hand finding hers. "A real one. No charging in blind with guns blazing, getting our people hurt. And this time we won’t underestimate him."

I feel her small nod against my chest. "Tell me everything you know. Every detail, every theory. I might see something you missed."

"First thing tomorrow," I agree. "Full briefing with everyone. Your insight's invaluable—you know how he thinks better than anyone."

She shudders slightly at that, but straightens her spine. "Good. Because I'm done being afraid. Done letting him control my life."

This is my girl—fierce and unbroken despite everything. I press a kiss to her temple, letting my lips linger against her skin.

"For tonight though," Levi says gently, "let us take care of you."

I feel her start to protest and cut her off. "You need rest to think clearly tomorrow. Let us help quiet your mind."

She turns in our arms to face Levi, her back pressing against my chest. "I don't know if I can sleep after seeing those photos."

"Then we'll stay up with you," I say simply. "Watch stupid movies, read to you, whatever you need."

"Just don't shut us out," Levi adds softly. "Don't disappear into that place in your head where we can't follow."

Her shoulders relax slightly. "Movies do sound good."

I smile against her hair, catching Levi's eye over her head. We've put off going after Garrett for too long. We wanted to give Sunny a chance to heal, to settle in. But it's time. We'll give her whatever she needs tonight, then tomorrow we start planning Garrett's destruction.

"Come on then," I say, keeping one arm around her as we move toward the door. "I think Jayce bought some of those chocolate chips you like."

"The ones you pretend to hate but always steal?" She manages a weak smile.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I keep my voice deliberately innocent, rewarded with her quiet laugh.

As we head toward the kitchen, I catalog the conversation we just had and this, as a victory. And tonight, when we lay our heads down, with her between us we'll do what we can to give her a peaceful night's sleep. She'll need all of her strength tomorrow when we start planning.

For now though, I'll focus on this moment—Sunny safe between us, and the absolute certainty that Garrett Coleman's days are numbered.