Page 90 of Shades of Scars

59

Scarlett

Eight Weeks Later

“I’m not facing that asshole in a fucking wheelchair. I can walk just fine. Lark agrees.” I’m already close to punching Caito in the face, and it’s only nine o’clock in the morning. It’s been eight damn weeks of the constant hovering and grumbling any time I want to set my feet anywhere other than the mattress of my nest.

“Lark doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Caito crosses his arms over his chest where he’s standing outside the SUV. The rear passenger door is open, but he’s refusing to let me slip out unless I agree to be wheeled into the boat house in the wheelchair.

“I can carry you, love.” Apollo pipes up, and I glower at him where he’s hovering just behind Caito. Lark and Wren are also close by, but I’d warned them to let me deal with this on my own.

“Lark is my physical therapist. Mylicensedone. Pretty sure he knows what I am capable of more than you. If you don’t let me get out on my own two feet in the next five seconds, Caito, I’m going to reacquaint you with my fist.”

“Scarlett is right, Caito. Not only is she capable, but it’ll be best if she walks in on her own. Do you want that sick fuck to get satisfaction out of seeing her in a wheelchair, knowing he’s thereason she’s forced to be in one?” Wren finally cuts in, losing his patience. I can’t say I blame him, but I am a little annoyed.

“Dr. Reagan suggested eight weeks-”

“It’s been past that now. And I promised not to do anything to Erossi that will cause strain. If I want any torturing done, I already told you that you could do the honors. I just want to see the look on his face when it happens under my watchful eye.” I hold Caito’s glare with one of my own.

It only takes him another minute or two before he’s caving. His chest makes an unhappy rumble, but he steps back to allow me to slip out of the backseat on my own, though he doesn’t go far. My newly uncased leg only twinges a little when I put weight on it. The alphas had tried to get me to hold off on coming down here for another week or two, but I want nothing more than to close this chapter in my life so I can move forward.

I want to stop feeling him in my chest. I want my alphas to replace his mark with their own. I can’t do that if he’s still breathing.

Apollo steps around Caito to slip his arm around my waist before I can take my first step forward, and I am thankful for it. With his help, I managed to make it into the boat house without limping.

Wren flicks the lights on when we all step inside. It’s one of his smaller boat houses, so as soon as the light floods the space, I spot the bane of my existence right away, right there in the center. He’s strapped to a very familiar metal table, and when I pause, my body shuddering with the realization of what my alphas have done, Apollo keeps his hold on me.

His eyes are already turned towards us, and as soon as our gazes collide, he somehow manages to peel blood caked lips back from his teeth. Or, what’s left of them, anyway. Even from this distance, I can see he has a few missing, and that brings forth a surge of satisfaction at the sight.

“I was starting to wonder when you’d bring me backmy pet.” He’s speaking to the alphas surrounding me, but his dull eyes never leave me. All four of them vibrate with barely restrained rage, but they say nothing. We’d talked about this before coming here.

This is my show to run. They are not to interrupt unless I ask them to.

Apollo walks with me as I slowly approach the table. I reach over and run my fingers over the edge of the metal tray we stop next to that holds all of Harlan’s favorite toys. I thought I knew how I wanted this to go before I’d come in here, but now that I am faced with him again after weeks in recovery from what he’d done to me yet again, I’m not sure how to proceed.

Eventually, I found my voice again. “I’ve spent the last few weeks thinking about all the ways I wanted to pay you back for hurting me the way you’ve done repeatedly for years. I had a plan. I was going to come in here and have my alphas slice you up the way you enjoy so much. I was going to be the one to drive a blade deep into your heart so I could finally be free of you once and for all.” I pause as my fingers curl around a sleek, silver scalpel. I lift it up and bring it close to my face as if I wanted to inspect it closer.

“Don’t tell me you can’t bring yourself to see your plans through now,pet. I know you want nothing more than to do exactly what you speak of.” He sneers at me, but his vitriol doesn’t affect me the way it used to.

I’m a different omega.

“You’re right, Harlan. But before I sit back and allow Caito to have his fun with you, I wanted to inform you of something.” I lean forward, bringing the scalpel down to press into the underside of his jaw. “The Infinity Ring is going to make sure that Daria gets the treatment she deserves.”

Apollo helps me step back before the blade can even nick his skin, but I still get the satisfaction of watching the remainder of his color drain from his features at my announcement. He obviously knows exactly what type of organization the Infinity Ring is. He might be a monster, but Daria is his scent matched omega.

He’s going to go to his grave believing that she’ll never know a life of peace again.

And it’s all his fault.

Lark brings over a comfortable chair for me to sit in so I can watch Caito work. It’s not my name, or even my alpha’s name, that Harlan Erossi screams as he’s given the punishment he deserves for the years of torture and abuse he’d subjected me to just because he could.

It’s Daria’s.

He takes his last breath knowing he’s the reason she’s doomed to whatever fate the Infinity Ring doles out for her in the future.

Now that’s fucking justice.

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