Page 37 of Beautiful Scars

The world crashes down around me, and all I can do is stare at her, my mind refusing to believe what’s right in front of me. She can’t be gone. She can’t begone. Not like this. Not because ofhim.

Garrett.

My body is numb, my mind barely able to process everything that's happened tonight, the overwhelminghollownessinside me. First my mom. Now Sunny. He’s taken everything and everyone that matters away from me.

And I let it happen.

The guilt slams into me, hard and brutal, ripping through me and tearing me apart. I ignored her calls. She needed me, andI wasn’t there. I promised her I'd be there for her. I said I'd keep her safe, no one would ever hurt again andI wasn’t fucking herefor her.Not when it mattered.

My chest heaves with a pain so deep I feel it in every muscle of my body. I tilt my head back and scream—a raw, animal howl that tears through the silence. It goes on and on until there’s nothing left inside me. I clutch Sunny close to me, my hands slick with her blood. I want to stay like this. I'm not ready to let go of her. But, I know I have to.

I reach into my pocket, pulling out my phone. The thought of reporting this, of giving voice to what's happened tonight, making it real, turns my stomach. The thought of anyone—everyone—seeing the two women I love more than anything else in the world reduced to this… guts me. But I can't walk away now. I'm responsible for this. I need to make sure they're going to be taken care of. I failed them in every other way that mattered, I have to do this for them.

My fingers shake as I dial 911. I barely hear the operator’s voice before the words start tumbling out.

“There’s been…an attack.” My voice breaks, and I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting to keep control. “Two addresses. One…” I give my address, barely recognizing the emotionless, detached tone of my own voice.

“And the other—” I choke, but I force the words out. “The other’s here, at….” I recite Sunny’s address, holding her tighter, my voice turning to ground glass in my throat with every word. “It’s bad. They’re gone. Both of them. I wasn’t here. I should’ve been here, but I wasn’t. It's all my fault. I did this—”

“Sir, please remain on the line. Units are on the way—”

I’m already moving, my voice a broken rasp as I cut her off. “Make sure they take care of them. They deserve that.”

I end the call before she can say anything else, and the silence around me settles in again. My vision blurs as I look down at Sunny one last time. This is it. This is my last goodbye, and then there’s nothing left for me.Nothing left but him.

Something glints in the dim light, catching my eye. The silver heart necklace I gave her lies broken on the floor, partially hidden under the bed, its chain snapped and smeared with blood. My hands shake as I pick it up, the metal cool and sticky against my palm.

I slip it into my pocket, unable to leave this piece of her behind. Unable to let him take everything.

I have things I need to take care of. Things I have to do. I have a new purpose.

I stand, shaking, Sunny's blood drying on my skin as the world blurs around me. There’s only one thought that slices through the haze—one clear thought that leaves me breathless:

Garrett will pay for this.

The cops can fuck themselves. This piece of justice won’t be theirs to decide. Not for Sunny. Not for my mom.

This is mine. He’s mine.

The Aftermath

Chapter Nineteen

Levi

Seven Years Later

"Please,"hewhimpers,spittingout a tooth. "I told you everything I know."

"Everything you know is shit." I grab his hair, yanking his head back. "You sold me garbage intel, and now you're going to pay for wasting my time."

Behind me, I hear Zane shift his weight. He's getting antsy. They both are. I can feel Colt's eyes boring into my back too.

They think I'm losing it.

Maybe I am.

My knuckles are split wide, but I barely feel it anymore. Physical pain is nothing compared to the hollow ache that's lived in my chest for the past seven years. Seven fucking years of dead ends and false leads. Seven years of becoming everything I swore I'd never be.

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