Page 36 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable (The Beautiful Scars Duet #2)

Chapter Thirty-Two

Levi

When he first brought it up I wasn't so sure about the extra security measures being worth it. I have to admit though, Z was right. It's ratcheted down the tension in the house. A lot. One of the reasons we increased the time to thirty minutes.

"Perimeter team in position." Wolf's voice crackles through the comm. "Chase and Rex covering north side, Ty and Jayce south. Barn team spread in defensive formation."

"Copy that." Zane's calm response comes from the station next to mine.

The security feed shows Jade emerging from the kitchen, two glasses and a bottle of whiskey in hand. She pauses to say something to Sunny, who's curled up reading on the couch. My chest tightens at the sight of her lying there—sleepy, content.

It's been tough, but we've convinced Sunny to get outside for a few minutes every day. She hates it, but I think it's done her some good. She seems a little more relaxed, and sleeps a little more often through the night. A wins a win.

"All clear on thermal," I report, switching between camera views. "No movement in the tree line."

Colt appears on screen, meeting Jade at the back door. They share a kiss before he checks his weapon and earpiece. Standard procedure now, but it took three days of arguing to get Jade to accept it.

"Remember, thirty minutes exactly. No exceptions."

"Yes, daddy Levi," Jade's teasing voice comes through. Even on the grainy feed, I can see her eye roll.

"Jade." My tone carries a warning.

"I know, I know. Thirty minutes. Stay in the designated area. Don't make any sudden movements." She recites the rules while pouring their drinks. "You can relax, Levi. We've got a small army out here."

She's not wrong. Twenty armed men create a protective ring around the property, with another four patrolling the perimeter. It's excessive. Probably paranoid. But I think we've earned the right to be a little overly cautious.

"Movement at the southeast corner," Zane alerts. My heart rate picks up before he adds, "Just a deer. Confirmed on infrared."

I exhale slowly, forcing my shoulders to relax. On screen, Colt and Jade sit close together on the porch swing, sharing quiet conversation. Their nightly ritual has become important to everyone's morale.

"You know," Zane says quietly, "we could alternate nights. You don't have to monitor every session."

"Yes, I do." The words come out harsher than intended. I soften my tone. "I need to be here. If anything happened..."

"Nothing will happen." Zane's eyes stay fixed on the monitors. "We've got better security than most small military installations."

He's right, but the guilt still eats at me. Still after all these years. After how far we've come. There is still a piece of it buried that I can't seem to let myself get rid of. "You know she'd never forgive either of us if anything happened to Jade. Or Colt."

Zane doesn't respond, but I catch his slight nod. He understands—it's why he's here too, watching over everyone just as intently as I am.

The minutes tick by slowly. I track each guard's position, monitor every shadow. Behind me, I hear Sunny's footsteps approaching before her arms slide around my shoulders.

"You're both ridiculous," she murmurs, pressing a kiss to my temple. "Come watch a movie with me instead."

"Twenty more minutes," I promise, catching her hand and bringing it to my lips. "Go pick something. Nothing with explosions though—I could use something a little… quieter."

"Yeah, a little less high stakes sounds good," Zane agrees.

"Chick flick it is." Sunny laughs as Z groans. "Too late, choice is made."

Sunny's warmth lingers after she leaves. On screen, Jade laughs at something Colt says, her head thrown back in genuine joy. These moments are important—they remind everyone why it all matters. Z was right.

"Ten minutes," Wolf reports. "All sectors still clear."

I check the thermal imaging again, then the motion sensors. Everything normal. The knot in my stomach loosens slightly.

"Remember when security meant one guy watching the door at the warehouse?" Zane muses.

"Remember when I thought my father was the worst of our problems?" I counter.

The conversation dies there. We both know how naive we were back then. How unprepared we were to deal with Garrett's level of obsession and resources.

"Five minutes," comes the next check-in.

Jade and Colt start gathering their things, following the schedule perfectly. The guards tighten their formation, covering their return path to the house.

When Colt and Jade finally step back inside, I take a deep breath. The security team maintains position for another fifteen minutes before rotating shifts.

"All clear," Wolf confirms. "Switching to night-watch positions."

I lean back, rolling tension from my shoulders. Another successful evening. The routine is working, even if it sets my nerves on edge every time.

"Same time tomorrow?" Zane asks, though we both know the answer.

"Same time tomorrow," I confirm, standing to stretch. "I'll take first patrol tonight."

But Zane shakes his head. "Go watch that movie with Sunny. I've got this. I'll be there as soon as Wolf gets back inside."

I hesitate, but he's right. We can't let fear rule every moment.

Still, I check each monitor one final time before heading upstairs to find Sunny. Because that's who I am now—forever walking the thin line between too much and not enough. It's not perfect, but it's working.