Page 84 of Fighting for Scarlett

Again.

Because of him.

He was the one to put her in a position where she was alone and vulnerable, not surrounded by the people who would have her back. He’d thought he was keeping her safe, away from the mole at Prey, instead, he’d left her open to an attack.

What happened to her now was all on him.

The images of Scarlett’s bruised and battered body assaulted his mind, along with what she’d told him Raul had done to her.

There was no way he was ever going to forgive himself for this.

CHAPTER TWENTY

January 19th

2:41 P.M.

How could this be happening to her again?

Scarlett lifted her fuzzy head and scrunched her eyes tightly closed as the room spun in sickeningly fast circles all around her.

It wasn’t just the lingering drugs in her system that had her head swimming, it was the mass of overwhelming emotions mixed in along with it.

Fear of course, that was topping the list.

Hopelessness, too.

Betrayal. By everyone and everything.

But there was anger there as well.

A whole lot of it.

She was sick of feeling like she wasn’t good enough. She was sick of being ignored or shoved aside. She was sick of allowing her self-worth to depend on other people. And most of all, she was sick of people playing games with her life.

There was no way she was going to give Raul Castillo what he wanted.

On principle alone, she’d keep her mouth shut. No matter what he did, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of breaking her.

She wasn’t breakable.

If life had proved anything to her it had proved that.

Crackable, yes. Bendable, scratchable, chipable, sure. But after everything she had been through, she was still standing, and like Tate had said, she was still willing to put her heart on the line in the hopes of finding what she wanted, what she craved above all else.

So, Raul didn't get to change that. He didn't get to break her.

“Whatever happens you can do this, Scar. Believe in yourself. Just because nobody else ever has doesn’t mean that you can't. Doesn’t mean you haven’t. You got yourself this far. And even though your emotions are telling you to feel betrayed, you know your Prey family loves you. Whatever is going on they’re doing their best to save you. Hold onto that.”

Pep talk done, she forced away her fear enough that she could open her eyes. The room still felt like it was spinning, but it had slowed down enough that she no longer felt like she was going to throw up.

Blinking her eyes to try to clear her vision, she planted her hands on a wall—which felt like scratchy concrete—and pushed to her feet. As she looked around, she saw her accommodations were even worse than last time. The room was tiny, barely six feet by six feet, the floor was torn linoleum and the walls concrete. There were metal shelves on the walls above her, and she assumed she was in some sort of pantry or storage shed.

The door was wood, and while she was sure it was locked it didn't look all that sturdy. Still a little wobbly, Scarlett took the two steps to it and immediately reached for the handle. It was indeed locked, but she gathered all her strength and rammed her shoulder into the wood.

Jarring pain speared through her body, and the impact sent her stumbling back, but she was sure she felt a little give in the door.

Not allowing herself to think ahead, of how she’d get out of wherever she’d been taken even if she got through the door, of how she’d find her way back home, because if she did then she’d get so overwhelmed she’d just sit in the corner and shake and cry.

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