Page 91 of Beautiful Scars

He scrubs his face with his hands.

"Sunny's right." After a moment, Z's voice cuts through the noise. "We've been trying to track Garrett for years with no success. He's careful. Patient. The only time he's slipped up was when his obsession with keeping you away from Sunny overrode his common sense."

Z voice is confident. "She's right. We’ve been chasing shadows. Garrett only ever slips when his obsession overtakes his training. Sunny changes the equation."

"So, we dangle her like bait?" Wolf snaps.

"No," I say. "You set the stage. I write the script. I’m done hiding. We get to choose how this ends."

The room goes still.

Colt nods slowly. "It's our best shot."

Z studies me. "We’ll need layers of security. Backups. Traps."

They all look at me like I’ve cracked. Maybe I have.

The silence stretches as they absorb my words. I can see the calculations happening behind their eyes, weighing risks against rewards.

"She's right." Colt finally breaks the quiet. "It's the best shot we have at drawing him out."

Z studies me for a long moment before nodding slowly. "We'll need to plan this carefully. Set up multiple layers of security. Make sure nothing can possibly go wrong."

"I know." I meet his intense blue gaze steadily. "But it has to be me. I'm tired of being afraid."

Chapter Forty-One

Sunny

Iwatch,leaningagainstthe kitchen counter next to Jade as she directs Colt with the precision of a drill sergeant. She’s been spending a lot of time here, and I must admit, it suits her.

Despite her sharp instructions, Colt's grin never wavers, glancing back at her often with puppy-like devotion etched into his face.

"You know," I say, accepting a mug from Jade, "for someone who claimed to have sworn off men for good, you sure seem to be enjoying yourself."

Jade smirks. "Well, I mean look at him. He's kind of adorable."

I glance over at Colt who is happily stirring a heaping spoon of sugar into a fresh cup of coffee. The look on his face when he turns and extends two full cups of coffee to me and Jade, is undeniably… adorable. Just like she said.

It hasn't taken long for things here to feel comfortable. Domestic. Safe. The stack of surveillance photos on Z's desk upstairs tells a different story—years of candid shots of my life, of Jade’s life. A catalog of our friendship. Our different routines and shifts at Sirens. Her tiny little house at the edge of town, and my apartment. Garrett had been watching, waiting, probably laughing at how oblivious I'd been. It had never occurred to me that Jade would ever be a target because of me.

Z enters the kitchen, his thick black hair tousled from sleep, his gray sweatpants slung low on his hips and Jade nudges me with a small, quiet giggle when she sees my expression.

He's become a steady constant in the chaos, someone I find myself gravitating toward without thought. His kindness has made him even more beautiful. He squeezes my shoulder as he passes—a gesture that has become familiar over the past few days—before grabbing his own coffee.

"Levi's running perimeter checks again," Z announces, though no one had asked. The tension between Z and Levi has become a living thing, crackling whenever they occupy the same space. They maintain professional courtesy, but the strain shows in tight jaw muscles and clipped conversations.

"Third time today," I note quietly. I understand Levi's restlessness. This house holds ghosts for him too—memories of his father's influence lingering in every shadow. The fact that Garrett knows the layout as well as we do keeps everyone on edge.

"We're as secure as we can be," Z assures me, but his eyes flick to the windows. We all know better than to settle into that thought too comfortably.

Jade takes a sip of her coffee and lays her head on my shoulder. "At least the company's good," she says, watching as Colt and Z sit at the kitchen island and start discussing the plans for the day. "Even if the circumstances suck."

I nod, grateful that Jade is here, even though I hate that my best friend has been dragged into this mess. The photos made it clear—Jade is as much a target as anyone, whether as leverage against me or out of Garrett's twisted sense of revenge.

Through the large window over the sink, I catch sight of Levi talking to a small group of the men he brought with him. Our eyes meet briefly, and I manage a small smile. We still haven't spoken more than a few words to each other, but we'll get there. At least now the weight of our fathers' sins aren't suffocating us. But watching him turn away, I can't help but notice how his gaze travels from me to Z and back again.It's going to take time, I remind myself.

Z calls us into his office later that afternoon. The tension in the room is immediate—Levi leaning against the wall near the window, Colt perched on the edge of Z's desk, while Jade and I take the chairs opposite Z. His expression is grim as he spreads out a timeline of photos across his desk.

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