Page 55 of BounBound By Scars

I was just about to unwisely toss a smart-ass remark back when a sudden, loud bellow made all of us jolt.

“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!”

I snapped my head toward the locker area, where Logan stood frozen mid-step, eyes wide in a mix of horror and… awe?

His gaze wasn’t on us.

It was locked on Zarek, who was walking toward the bench press—shirtless now, having ditched his hoodie. The light caught his bare chest.

That’s when I saw it.

A clean, bold tattoo over his heart. Simple font. One number.

21.

Zarek stopped in his tracks, mid-stride. “Logan. Indoor voice.”

“No. No, no, no. You do not get to indoor-voice me right now!” Logan stalked closer, eyes squinting like he was trying to verify a UFO sighting. “What the fuck is that, Zar?!”

Sebastian had already stopped lifting. “Goddamn,” he breathed. “Did you—Zarek Rivera—actually get inked?”

Zarek rolled his eyes and reached for his shirt, clearly debating whether to put it back on and run. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big—” Logan laughed, then choked on it. “You tatted twenty-one on your chest.”

I blinked, confused. “What’s twenty-one?”

Zarek didn’t answer. Neither did Logan—not at first. He just kept staring.

“That’s how many times I saved his life,” Logan finally said, voice quieter now, a little rough at the edges. “Twenty. And then I—” he cleared his throat, “—then I died. And when I came back, you told me that counted.”

Zarek didn’t look at him, but the muscle in his jaw twitched. “It did count.”

Sebastian grinned, clearly enjoying this entire exchange like it was a goddamn drama series. “Wait, wait, wait. You got the tattooafterLogan came back, right? After he saved you for the twenty-first time?”

Zarek hesitated. One second too long.

Logan’s jaw dropped. “You got it before?!”

Zarek finally sighed, muttering, “It was for closure.”

Logan wiped an invisible tear from his eye. “I’m honored. Truly. I mean—wow. You branded your grief on your skin like a villain.”

Zarek looked like he regretted every life decision that brought him here.

Sebastian leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “So, now that Logan’s back… you gonna get it lasered off?”

“I was thinking of adding an asterisk,” Zarek said dryly.

Logan clutched his chest. “I am the twenty-first reason you cry at night, admit it.”

Zarek rolled his eyes. “I’m removing it.”

“You won’t.” Logan grinned. “You’re emotionally repressed, not heartless.”

“Give it time.”

Logan wasn’t done. “You gonna add another tally next time I save you? Like a kill count, but for emotional dependency?”