Page 167 of Ugly Beautiful Scars

A ghost of a smirk flickers across Sean's battered face, there and gone in an instant. "I'll stop by the salon this weekend."

"No, you'll be resting this weekend," I tell him.

The three of us are skirting around the elephant in the room, grasping for some sense of normalcy. But Sienna remains distant, hovering at the edge of the room like she's afraid to come closer. Her entire body is withered inward with dread, and her eyes are fixed on Sean like he's a threat.

Sean glances at her and something passes between them. The unspoken exchange raises the hairs on the back of my neck. There's history here I'm not privy to, connections I can't see but can feel vibrating in the air between them.

"Can you…" I swallow against the dryness in my throat. "Um, can you just tell me a little about what happened? Was he arrested?"

Sean's eyes drop to the floor, then they dart up and find Sienna's window painting resting in the corner. "Well… I was supposed to dislocate fingers," he says quietly, "but I broke bones instead."

My hand flies to my mouth. "He's gone? Truly gone?"

Sean nods once, and I know that's all he's ever going to tell me about it.

I choke out a sob.Gone.That wasn't the plan, but the knowledge that the monster who haunted my dreams can never touch me again makes my body sag as if invisible chains have finally fallen away.

But there's terror too.

"What about Victor? Do we still need to leave the country and—"

"Taken care of. You're safe, I promise. Mike's family is safe."

I open my mouth then close it.But not Mike?Because if Alan is dead, then what happened to Mike?

Sean looks ready to collapse, his good eye already drooping with exhaustion. The question can wait but… I already sense the answer. With the same certainty that told me Sean would return, I can feel that Mike is gone. Hearing Sean speak it out loud will only make me collapse into hours of sobbing. Right now, Sean needs my help and focus.

I turn to Declan, who's been watching this exchange with growing concern. "Hospital," I say.

He nods, already moving toward the door. "I'll bring the car around."

As he walks away, my gaze falls on Sean's shirt, where a dark stain spreads across his chest. It's a clean shirt otherwise, so it's like a healing wound has opened up under the fabric. And it has an odd, deliberate shape to it.

Before Sean can stop me, I pull back his collar, exposing his skin.

"What is this?" I breathe, horror spreading through me like ice water.

There, carved into his flesh, is the letter V.

"Later," he says, reaching for my hand. "We'll talk later."

But I can't tear my eyes away. I hear Sienna's whisper from across the room.

"Sean, what did you do?"

His body tenses beside me, and when I glance up, I find him exchanging another look with her, like they both know the devil and feel his call.

I take Sean's hand and he turns back to me, smiling.

It's not his normal smile. The corners are pinched and weary. And as I study him, Sienna's words play on repeat in my thoughts: "When he has his sights on you…"

My love, have we traded one monster for another?

Chapter 51

SEAN

THE FLORIDA SUN BEATS DOWN on my shoulders like it's trying to drive me into the earth. Maybe that's where I belong—six feet under instead of Mike.

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