Page 132 of Retaliation

But it wasn’t the injuries that haunted her as they limped through the darkening park. It was Scorpion’s absence, the questions that lingered, festering in the corners of her mind. Why did he send Gunnar and Dennis instead of coming himself? What had pulled him away?

And more importantly—would she be able to forgive him for not being there when she needed him most?

The first raindrop hit her face, cold and sharp, snapping her out of her thoughts. She took a deep breath, steeling herself as they made their way through the park. The storm was almost here.

The rain began to fall just as Gunnar pulled the car to the edge of the park, its soft patter barely audible over the storm brewing inside her head, the voices growing louder. The drops streaked down the windows like the thoughts racing through her mind—disjointed and relentless. She had been through worse before, but something about this night felt different. More dangerous. More fragile.

As they reached the car, she collapsed into the passenger seat with a sigh, closing her eyes for a moment, trying to block out the pain. It radiated through her body, a constant throb.

She barely registered Gunnar leaning in from the driver’s seat, his voice breaking through the haze. “I’ll drive, Den. You take my bike and find Scorpion.”

Dennis hesitated, his eyes flicking from Gunnar to her. His concern was almost palpable, but it made her feel… exposed. She wasn’t used to anyone looking at her like she was something that could break.

“Are you sure?” Dennis asked.

“Yes,” Gunnar snapped, his impatience obvious. “We need to find him before things get worse.”

Dennis nodded, his expression tight. He squeezed Poison’s hand briefly, his touch warm and grounding in a way she hadn’t expected. “I’ll bring him back,” he promised, his voice thick with something that sounded almost like guilt. “Just hang on.”

She watched through the blur of rain as Dennis mounted the bike, his silhouette disappearing into the night, swallowed by the storm. Gunnar slid behind the wheel, his jaw clenched, his eyes hard as they locked on the road ahead.

“I’ll get you to the hospital,” he said, though she caught the edge of frustration simmering beneath the surface. “Scorpion’s a damn fool for leaving you alone with Reaper still running wild. A damn fucking fool.”

His words stung, cutting through the exhaustion that had settled deep in her bones. She winced, not just from the pain in her shoulder but from the sudden force of Gunnar’s anger. The care he was showing her felt foreign—almost unwelcome. It wasn’t that Gunnar had ever been heartless, but this level of concern… it wasn’t like him. It made her wonder.

“Why do you care so much all of a sudden?” she found herself asking, her voice quiet as she leaned her head back against the seat. The rain beat harder against the car; each drop a soft drumbeat that matched the throbbing in her head. “Why are you doing this?”

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his gaze softening for the briefest of moments before hardening again. “Because you’re one of us,” he replied, his tone flat but resolute. “I don’t let my people go down without a fight.”

She searched his face, searched for something more beneath the surface of his words. She wanted to believe him, but something still felt off, like there was something left unsaid. Was this really about her being one of the team, or was there more to it?

Gunnar’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as he swerved through the slick, empty streets. His voice, when he spoke again, was gruff, as though he was trying to keep his emotions in check. “Scorpion’s always been reckless, but this… leaving you like that… it’s inexcusable.”

She swallowed hard, her chest tightening with anger and something she couldn’t quite name. Scorpion had always been protective, sometimes to a fault, but this

felt different. Why hadn’t he come back for her? Why send Dennis and Gunnar in his place?

“He’s trying to protect me,” she said, though the words felt hollow even as she spoke them. Her voice wavered, doubt creeping into every syllable. “He thought he was doing the right thing.”

Gunnar didn’t respond right away, and the silence that followed felt heavier than the storm outside. She could hear the tires cutting through the wet streets, the distant rumble of thunder.

“Sometimes doing the ‘right thing’ means abandoning the people who need you the most,” Gunnar muttered, his voice thick with bitterness. “And sometimes it’s just an excuse for running away.”

She flinched at the truth in his words, though she didn’t want to admit it. She had always believed that Scorpion’s protectiveness came from a place of love, of loyalty. But now, as the rain fell harder, and the city blurred past her window, she wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. All she knew was that every mile they put between her and that park felt like another crack forming between her and Scorpion. And she wasn’t sure if they could ever fix it.

FORTY SIX

As Gunnar pulled the car into the hospital parking lot, she fought back the exhaustion threatening to pull her under. She couldn’t afford to break—not now. She had to stay sharp, had to figure out what Scorpion was hiding, had to face Reaper again. This wasn’t over. It couldn’t be.

“Right thing or not, he should’ve known better,” Gunnar had muttered, his voice rough but softening slightly as they parked. His arm was strong around her waist as he helped her out of the car, leading her through the glass doors of the hospital. “We’ll sort this out. But first, let’s get you checked out.”

She nodded, pushing down her emotions and forcing herself to focus. The crisp, sterile smell of the hospital hit her like a wall, but she kept moving. She had to. The tension in her muscles had screamed for release, but she held firm, unwilling to give in to the weakness she felt creeping at the edges of her consciousness.

As Gunnar helped her into the examination room, his eyes softened for a brief moment, and she caught a glimpse of something in his expression—something she hadn’t expected. “You’re going to be okay,” he said, his voice a low promise. “We’ll find him. We’ll make this right.”

But she couldn’t just wait for someone else to fix this. She had to find Phillip. She had to confront Reaper and end this nightmare once and for all. She wasn’t some helpless victim, waiting to be saved. She was a fighter, and this fight wasn’t over—not by a long shot.

Gunnar had left and once Nick had finished ensuring her shoulder was properly relocated. She lay back on the bed, her mind a turbulent sea of thoughts. The throbbing in her shoulder had dulled, but her head still pounded, making it hard to think straight. She hated hospitals. The smell, the lights, the endless waiting. It made her feel trapped, powerless.

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