Page 95 of Shattered Secrets

She turned her head and spit blood on the floor. “Fuck. You.”

The man’s face flushed bright red before his fist smashed into her face again. And again. And again. Until she crashed sideways to the ground.

Someone yanked her upright, setting her chair back on its feet. Her head spun. But as her eyes refocused, she steeled her mind.

She would do this for as long as she needed. She wasn’t saying a damn thing.

“Jesus Christ, Psycho!” the guy from the diner shouted. “Let’s fucking storm that day care and just take the fucking kid already!”

Psycho glared at his associate. “What? We shoot our way in, take the kid, and then what, fucker? Wait in line to get on the fucking ferry while the police swarm us? It’s a fucking island!” He shook his head. “Dumbass.”

“This is bullshit. What the fuck do we even need the fucking kid for? The bitch is right—the kid isSteele’s, not yours, so why the fuck do you even care?—”

Scarlet yelped at the gunshot, and she watched in horror as the guy’s head exploded. The woman from the diner screamed as she rushed to him.

“Family,” Psycho said, his voice calm and lethal. “Family is the most important thing.”

The woman stopped screaming. The men quieted their cursing. Even Scarlet’s heart skipped a beat. Holy shit. No wonder they called him Psycho.

He extended his phone to her again. “You’re going to call them. And you’re going to have them give Daisy to Cutter.”

“Or what, Psycho?” she sneered. Maybe not the wisest decision on her part, but what was he going to do? Shoot her? Then how would he get Daisy?

He stared at her for a moment. A menacing smile crept over his face, and she fought a shiver. “Or I’m going to call Cutter. First, he’ll gut Martha and Ray. Then, he’ll go after the rest of the diner people. Then?—”

Explosions rocked the room. Blinding light had Scarlet slamming her eyes shut. More explosions sounded and her ears rang.

Then, just like that, the barrage was over.

Scarlet cracked her eyes open, and the smoke swirling in the air made them water and burn. Six black-clad figures stormed the room. Shouts to get down mixed with curses and wails. A gun fired, and someone groaned.

Silence descended. The only things she could hear were her racing pulse and that damn ringing in her ears. Tears streamed down her face. Partially from her irritated eyes, and partially from the pain of where Psycho had pummeled her face. It hurt to blink. Hell, it hurt to breathe. But she’d take these black-clad strangers over the crazy motorcycle club members any day of the week.

One of the black-clad people approached her. Their gun was pointed at the ground, so that was a good sign, right?

When they called out, “Alvarez! Over here!” her heart stopped.

Another black-clad figure rushed toward her. Dropping to their knees at her feet, they ripped off their face mask.

She stared at him for a second before a violent sob tore through her. The intensity of it made her moan in pain.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” Matt murmured, running his hands gently over her shoulders.

Two more figures in black appeared behind him. They raised their face masks. Gavin and Tash.

Tash moved to kneel behind her, and Scarlet heard the click of a camera. Then the PSO murmured, “Hold still while I cut these ties off you.”

The second her hands were free, Scarlet hissed out a breath. Agonizing tingles shot from her wrists to her shoulders and then back down.

“Hang on, sweetheart,” Matt murmured, grabbing her arms and gently massaging them. “Getting the blood flow back is a bitch.”

“You’re telling me,” she croaked. But she was so damn thankful he was here.

“You did good, Scar,” Tash said, moving to crouch beside her. “Hold still again, and I’ll get the zip ties off your ankles.”

She nodded, and a wave of exhaustion washed over her. “Daisy?”

“She’s totally fine,” Matt said. Once Tash cut the ties holding her to the chair, he scooped her up in his arms. “She’s at Hudson Security. Poppy and the twins are with her. She’s good. I promise.”

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