Page 24 of Fighting for Scarlett

Once they were onboard, all eyes swung in their direction, a litany of non-verbalized questions filling his teammates’ eyes.

Obviously sensing the hostility directed squarely at her from the rest of his team, Scarlett inched closer as though he were her only form of protection.

I'm not going to save you, little traitor. You're on your own in this mess you created.

CHAPTER SIX

January 13th

4:56 A.M.

Why did everybody seem to hate her?

By the time the helo touched down back home, Scarlett was more confused than she’d been when she first realized it was Tate and not a Prey team who had saved her.

It was weird, and she had tried her best not to take it personally, but it was like she had the plague or something. Not only did no one on Tate’s team seem to want to get too close to her, but they had also remained on edge the entire flight.

Now, sure, she wasn’t a field operative, the lab was where she was most at home, but she was pretty sure that once a team was on a helo flying home, they didn't sit with their weapons at the ready as though a threat was about to jump out at any second.

Although she hated to admit it and certainly didn't understand it, it was almost like they believed she was the threat.

Which was totally crazy.

As far as threats went, she had to be bottom of the barrel. Scarlett was pretty sure Raul Castillo would back that up.

The helo landed at Prey’s West Coast office, and it felt good to be back on solid ground. Metaphorically speaking since she had no problem with flying. But she was back home now, and she needed to be surrounded by the people who loved her for a little post-kidnapping coddling.

When she stood and looked out the window, Scarlett was surprised to see that none of her team was there waiting for her.

Weird.

None of the retired SEAL guys who ran the West Coast office were there either.

Double weird.

Her team was like the sisters she had always wished she had when she was a lonely little girl, and they had grown even closer after she lost her brother eighteen months ago. The guys were absolute surrogate brothers, and she loved them dearly and their families, too. Call her a loser, but she’d rather babysit their sweet little kiddies than go out to a bar or a club.

A home and a family, people who were hers forever, who could never be taken away from her, that’s what she wanted above all else.

There was a moment where she thought the man who stood so close to her back she could practically feel the warmth emanating from him might be the answer, but obviously she’d been wrong.

Oh well, lesson learned.

But she wasn’t giving up.

Happiness, family, love, it was out there somewhere, and she would find it. One day she’d belong somewhere, be loved by people who accepted her for who she was and who would never walk away from her.

The tension continued to pulse through the helo as she stepped down, aware that Tate and his team remained close and attentive as though they were still on duty.

Deciding to ignore their strange behavior, it wasn’t really important right now, she started toward the door leading to a lift that would take them down off the roof. Scarlett startled when two men dressed in crisp black suits approached.

For a moment, the contrast of their black suits and white shirts made her think of Raul and panic sparked to life inside her.

Instinct had her taking a step back, but she bumped into Tate who was still standing close, and his large hand clamped around her bicep, right over her gunshot wound, making her wince.

“Ma’am, please come with us,” one of the suits said, his hand hovering above his weapon, and with a shocked gasp Scarlett realized that every single man on the roof with her either had a weapon pointed at her, or their hand close enough to draw their weapon.

Panic grew.

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