Page 4 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable (The Beautiful Scars Duet #2)

I step away from the nurses' station, the stack of papers clutched in my hand.

More pieces slot together with brutal clarity.

Hospitals are perfect hunting grounds. Women who come here broken, desperate, alone are scared.

Looking for more than care. Hoping to find understanding, empathy.

And these predators, dressed in scrubs and uniforms, offer it all to them. For a price.

A new nurse wheels in another woman through the emergency doors. Blood matts her long bleach blonde hair and her eyes are focused on the floor. She doesn't seem to have anyone or anything with her. No phone, no purse, no hand to hold.

Meets all criteria.

The words echo in my head as I watch the scene unfold. The security guard makes a subtle gesture to the nurse at the desk. She picks up the phone, probably making another call about a "candidate."

My jaw clenches so hard it aches. I wonder how long this system's been in place. The pictures of Sunny in the hospital were taken seven years ago. In Easton Creek. Hundreds of miles away from here. How far does this reach?

The brown-haired girl from earlier sits outside her room in a wheelchair now, this time with a well-dressed woman wearing a deeply compassionate smile. If I had to guess I'd say she was a social worker. Their voices drift over.

"We work with a wonderful place called New Dawn Transitions. They help women who need it get a fresh start. Here, or in some situations, ones like yours, somewhere no one, including your boyfriend, will ever be able to find you."

My stomach turns. No one will be able to find you.

A Code Blue rings out, sending staff running. I use the chaos to slip closer to the nurses' station, pretending to review Rex's paperwork while watching Gray Hair make another call.

"Yes, two potentials tonight." She keeps her voice low. "The brunette's perfect—no family, no support system. Already primed. We’re working on the other one."

The clinical way she discusses it makes my blood run cold. They've turned this into a science. Targeting women, isolating them, then swooping in.

I think of Sunny, seventeen and terrified, probably lying in a hospital bed just like these women. Did someone look at her the same way? Calculate her worth as they called Garrett and let him know where she was?

The security guard moves past, radio crackling, pausing only to lean in and give the nurses the new information. "Transport arranged for midnight. Loading dock. Cameras will be off by 11:45 pm."

My fingers itch to reach for my gun, to end this right now. But that won't help Sunny. Won't help any of them. We need to figure out what it is we're up against.

I pull out my phone, stepping into an empty corridor. Colt answers on the first ring.

"How's Rex?"

"Broken arm, busted nose." I keep my voice steady despite the rage burning in my chest. "Listen carefully. We need to shut Levi down. Now. We can’t afford any more noise."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm at the hospital. I think I found something. But it's big." I explain what I've discovered, watching the nurses continue their grand show of false concern. "They're using the ER as a recruitment center. Social workers, nurses, security— they're all in on it."

Silence on the other end as Colt processes. Then, "Fuck."

"Yeah. Start working on getting deep background checks started on all hospital staff, support services, security.

Start with the ER and focus on anyone who's worked here for at least the past seven years.

" I pause, watching another woman being wheeled in.

"And Colt? Keep Levi from burning any more bridges.

We need all the leads we can get now more than ever. "

"On it. What about you?"

"I'm going to bring Rex back when he's done, then come back here. Something's happening at midnight." I check my watch. 10:10. Less than two hours. "Keep your phone on."

I end the call, my mind already formulating a plan to make sure I have eyes on whatever happens at the loading dock. But first, I need to make one more call.

The phone rings twice before Wolf answers. "How’s Rex?"

"Fine. He’ll be fine. Right now I need your skills and contacts to get into a secure client database. Oak Valley General." I move further down the hallway, lowering my voice. "Looking for information going back at least five, but preferably seven years."

"That's a lot of data." Wolf's tone sharpens with interest. "What am I looking for?"

"You'll be filtering for specific data. Women only.

They'll have no emergency contacts or family listed on their intake forms or paperwork.

These would be women admitted for assault, or with any mention of domestic violence or something similar in their records anywhere.

Especially if they were referred to a social worker.

Check discharge records against missing persons reports. "

I watch Gray Hair pick up the phone to make another call. "And Wolf? It needs to be done yesterday."

"Give me a few hours to get in and set up to get an idea of what we're looking at."

The call ends. I pocket my phone, turning back toward the emergency room. The lights still buzz overhead and nothing has changed except the fact that I know things aren't what they seem.

I lean against the wall, Rex's paperwork forgotten in my hand.

My carefully constructed mask finally cracks as I watch some of the most trusted people in society, circle their prey.

This place isn't about healing. It's a well-oiled machine designed to tear apart a portion of the people it was created to serve.

And somewhere in this system is the key to finding Sunny. I'm sure of it.