“You ready?” Hunter stared at Scarlet worriedly.
“No.” She zipped up her boot, then continued to fidget with the zipper.
“You didn’t sleep at all last night, did you?”
“Nope.”
There was no way in hell she would have been able to. In a few hours she would be facing the devil, the man who started it all, and the man who wanted to finish it all.
Today, Scarlet would come face to face with Brent Wolfe. The last time she stared into those evil hazel-colored eyes was while he defiled her body in the worst possible way.
Now, she would have to act braver than she had ever before in her life. She had to make sure she showed no weakness, no trace of the blackness he had left behind in her. She would not give him that satisfaction.
“Scar.” Hunter sat down next to her on the bed. “I’ll be there with you every step of the way. I will not let you out of my sight for a second.” He gently placed his hand on her chin and turned her to look at him. “I promise you, I will protect you.”
The determination, the resolve she saw in his eyes made her heart swell. It made her feel just the tiniest bit more…secure—which was probably why she did the most unexpected thing. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. And it wasn’t just a normal kind of hug. It was a real I care kind of hug.
She tightened her arms around him and buried her face between his neck and shoulder, finding a little comfort in his familiar wild spice scent and the warmth of his skin. God, she needed him. She needed him more than she would ever care to admit.
She felt him place his arms around her waist, hugging her back. “We got this, kitten. We got this.”
Scarlet wanted to cry. She could feel the tears stinging the back of her eyes, threatening to make a fool out of her yet again. Deep down, the young girl in her was screaming not to let her face him. She wanted to beg Hunter to find another way. But she knew better. She knew Hunter needed just half an excuse to not let her go through with this. He had made no secret of his dislike of this motherfucking stupidest idea ever—as he put it—from the start. If she broke down now and told him that she didn’t have the courage to go through with this, Hunter would put a stop to it all in a heartbeat. But Scarlet also knew this was the only way. If she wanted a chance at stopping Brent once and for all, a chance at getting her life back—or some semblance of a life—she had to do this.
“Thanks, Ace.”
She pulled away, but Hunter didn’t remove his arms from around her waist. Instead, he kept her close, his gaze darting from her lips to her eyes. And then there was that damn crackle of electricity again, humming all around them, her body and soul very much aware of the feelings he so easily evoked in her. It was always there whenever they had a moment like this. No matter how hard they tried to fight it, it was like her body always became acutely aware of his, how good it felt to have it against her. The warmth, the strength, the pure exhilaration—it was addictive. There was no drug like Hunter Keaton, and she was afraid she would never conquer this addiction she had. In fact, she didn’t know if she wanted to.
He lowered his face toward her, not taking his gaze off her lips. He moved so damn slow, it was like he was waiting for her to stop him.
But she didn’t.
She couldn’t.
She didn’t want to.
Warm lips kissed the corner of her mouth. It was so soft, delicate, yet powerful enough to cause her body to tremble in his arms. The sensation was amazing, and it swept through her like a hurricane.
She closed her eyes and relished the tender touch of his lips, wishing he would kiss her more, that he would claim her mouth like he did all the times before. But then his lips were gone, leaving her aching for more.
When she opened her eyes, she saw him staring at her with a kind of longing that mirrored her own. A longing to be together, to just be normal. Unfortunately, normal no longer existed for people like them. For Hunter, normal died when they buried Willow. For Scarlet, normal died when Brent buried her soul.
Hunter loosened his hold around her waist and placed his hands on her shoulders, his fingers playing with the collar of her jacket. More shivers swept through her body when his fingertips touched the skin of her neck.
“If anyone can do this, Scar, you can. You’re the strongest person I know.”
Scarlet tried to shoot him something that resembled a reassuring smile, but she was sure she failed miserably.
“Come on.” He took her hand and helped her up. “Let’s get this over with.”
Hunter held her hand the entire way to the foyer. They were both so fucking tense, so highly strung, that it felt like they were walking on death row.
Besides the fact that they were about to embark on a journey to hell in order to meet Satan himself, there was also that question no one wanted to know the answer to, which was why no one had asked.
Would he stop? Would Brent stop once Scarlet took all the money from him? Or would it only give him more reason to hunt her down and punish her some more?
Hunter tightened his hold on her hand. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“I can literally hear those wheels turning inside your head. Don’t think about what’s going to happen tomorrow. You just concentrate on getting through today. Okay?”
She looked up at him. “Okay.”
Hunter’s face was still bruised, the cut above his eye slightly swollen from the way she’d punched him a few days ago. Why he allowed her to do it, she didn’t know. He said it was because she needed it, but she suspected that maybe he needed it more. After that night in Winnetka when he took her to an illegal cage fighting match, she was well aware of his masochistic ways. It was how he dealt with his shit.
Come to think of it, the night she met him at Twisted Fable was the only time she had seen him without a bruised face. The bruises were starting to become part of his facial features.
Colton and James were already waiting by the foyer when Hunter and Scarlet came walking down the stairs.
She saw how Colton’s gaze zeroed in on Hunter’s hand enclosing hers. He looked away and leaned his head to each side like he was loosening his muscles, easing the tension in his shoulders.
Everyone was on edge.
James stepped up to them. “You want to go over the plan one more time?”
“No,” Scarlet replied. “I’ve got it.”
“You sure? This has to go according to plan, Scarlet. Brent knows about this meeting, and he’ll do anything to stop it from happening.”
Hunter let go of her hand and moved forward, blocking her from James. “We got the plan, Baxter. And believe me, she knows the risks better than any of us.”
James rubbed his head. “Sorry. I know you know the risks. I just…I wish I could go with you.”
Scarlet nudged Hunter out of the way, wanting to face her dad. “I get why you can’t. I do. So don’t worry about it. I’m sure between Hunter and Colton, I’ll be safe.”
“Yeah.” James turned toward Colton, who was still standing by the front door. “You ready?”
Colton nodded.
James faced Hunter. “Take care of my little girl.”
Hunter gave a slight nod, and then Scarlet noticed this look between the two of them, like they knew something the rest of them didn’t.
“What was that?” Scarlet whispered as they both approached Colton.
“What was what?”
“That look between you and James.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Scarlet glanced up at him. “Of course you don’t.”
Colton straightened when they stopped next to him, and reached behind him before holding out a gun toward Hunter.
Hunter shook his head. “No need, soldier boy.” He lifted his shirt, showing off the gun at his side. “I have my own.”
“Fine.” Colton reached for the door handle, but paused. “Don’t be a hero, Hunter.”
“Don’t be a pussy, Riggs.”
Scarlet just shook her head. There was no way those two would ever like each other, which was why she never told Hunter about Colton’s sister. It wouldn’t change Hunter’s mind about him—not in the slightest.
When they stepped outside, there were four black SUVs waiting. Each would be going in a different direction just in case they were being followed.
Scarlet, Hunter, and Riggs got into the first vehicle. According to James, people were always more likely to choose the second or third vehicle. He compared it to when you used public bathrooms at the mall or wherever. Most people never used the first toilet cubicle, or the last, and just skipped right to the middle cubicles. Why? Who the fuck knew. The human mind was a strange and wonderful place.
Hunter got in right behind Scarlet, and Colton slammed the door shut.
Scarlet was starting to get real nervous. Panic was already starting to fill her lungs instead of oxygen.
“So just for the sake of clarity,” Colton started. “We’ll be doing another switch two blocks from the attorney’s office. Once we do the switch, I’ll phone the attorneys and tell them due to the sensitivity of it all, there’s a last-minute change in location to a restaurant around the corner from them. Brent probably has all the entrances to that building covered by now.”
Scarlet just nodded. Hunter didn’t say a word.
“Our security team is already set up at the new location. We’ve had people scout the building since yesterday, checking everyone who enters and exits. If we follow the plan, this should go down smoothly.”
And then Hunter snorted.
Colton glared at him. “Got something to say?”
“I still think your plan sucks.”
Colton leaned back in the seat and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Do you?”
“Yeah, I do. You’re underestimating the fucker. I don’t think you get how resourceful this son of a bitch really is. In seven years he has always managed to find her, even with you lot watching over her. And he also tracked us to my apartment, and to my friend’s house in Winnetka. Again, you’re underestimating him.”
“I assure you, we’re not. Like I said, every security measure is in place. We just need to stick to the plan.”
Hunter also sat back in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck. He was nervous…or annoyed…or both.
Colton reached for his earpiece. “We’re entering the underground parking to do the switch now.”
Scarlet’s stomach started to churn, and her palms were sweating. Her knee also started to go apeshit, moving up and down like crazy.
Hunter placed his hand on her knee, stilling it. She looked up and into his eyes.
“It’s okay. I got you, Scar.”
His words were meant to reassure her, to make her feel safe. And they probably would have if it wasn’t for the concern she saw in his eyes. There was no doubt about it—Hunter Keaton was nervous as fuck.
The van came to a stop and Colton reached for the door. “Let’s make this quick.”
Hunter grabbed Scarlet’s arm and basically pulled her out of the van, dragging her toward the four-door black Mercedes. There was already a man holding the back door open for them, and Hunter all but shoved her inside the car, jumping in behind her.
God, the adrenaline was pumping through her veins and she could hardly take a breath in a bid to settle her vigorously beating heart.
Colton got in on the other side of her, his hand clutching the weapon at his side. The minute his door shut, the car started moving.
Fuck. Scarlet felt like she was about to throw up. “You guys are aware that I’m claustrophobic?”
Hunter placed his hand on her knee. “Just breathe, kitten.”
“I’m making the call.” Colton pulled out his phone and dialed the number to the attorney’s office.
Scarlet’s mind went completely blank after that. She could see Colton’s lips move but she couldn’t hear a damn thing. All she heard was the thrumming of her heart echoing inside her head. Like she could hear every pulse, every swoosh her blood made through her veins.
There she was, sardined between two men in the back of a car…on her way to meet the one man she had spent years running from.
Just another day in the life of Scarlet Woods. Or Blanchette Wolfe.
“You okay?” Colton asked softly.
Scarlet stared at her fidgeting hands. “Yeah.”
“You sure?”
“Yup.”
Then she felt his knee lightly brush against hers, and it took her by surprise so she shot her gaze up to his.
He smiled. But just like Hunter’s words of reassurance, Colton’s smile did nothing to tame the panic and fear inside her gut.
Scarlet closed her eyes, trying to force herself to take deep breaths. Unfortunately, it didn’t help. All it did was open her mind to flashes from the past.
Brent sitting across from her at the dinner table, smirking at her like he knew every ache she was feeling in her body right at that moment—all because he’d been there. All because he claimed it in the worst possible way.
He would always reach for something at the same time she would, touching her in the subtlest of ways, just to remind her that he owned her.
At night, he would walk up to her bedroom door and pause. She would see his shadow beaming from beneath the door, and it provoked a kind of fear inside her that felt like it had the power to tear through her insides.
And then there were the threats. The threats of doing the same to Willow if she didn’t give him what he wanted—if she told anyone about their little secret.
His evil, filthy, dirty moans would echo inside her ear, ripping every ounce of good from her soul while he raped her repeatedly.
And when he climaxed, he would push so fucking deep, infesting her with his evil, making sure she felt every damn pulse of his wicked torture on her body.
It was after the first time it happened, and his promise that it wouldn’t be the last, that she went on the pill without anyone knowing. She didn’t want to give birth to that evil fucker’s demon spawn.
“You need to stop doing that.” Hunter placed his hand over hers.
“What am I doing?” She didn’t look up at him. She just stared at where his skin blended with hers as he held her hands in his.
“You’re allowing your mind to take you back. Don’t.”
“It’s inside me, Ace. His darkness. It’s like it infected me, and it’s not something I can control.”
She felt Colton shift a little next to her and glanced at him. But he was looking out the window—or pretending to.
“Yes, it is,” Hunter replied softly. “You can control it. It’s your choice. You can choose whether you will allow it to control you or not.”
She shook her head slightly. “You’re wrong.”
Hunter took her chin softly between his thumb and forefinger. “Look at me.”
She did.
Green eyes that had become more to her than she ever thought possible stared at her. No, they stared straight through to her goddamn soul.
“Today can either be the day he finally destroys you, or it can be the day you finally destroy him and everything he’s left behind inside you, once and for all. You’re strong. You can do this, Scar. I know you can.”
Right at that moment, Scarlet wished she could melt into him. She wished none of this was going down and that she could just let him wrap his arms around her and keep her against him for the rest of her life.
Only when she felt his thumb softly brush against her cheek did she realize a tear had run down her face.
She bit her lower lip, pushing back the tears. Hunter placed his thumb on her lip, urging it out of her mouth. “And don’t do that. It’s turning me on.” A wicked grin spread over his face.
She nudged him with his shoulder. “Trust you to get horny at a time like this.”
“I remember someone telling me once that sex is how we deal with shit.” When he winked at her, she couldn’t help but smile.
“Once you two are done with whatever it is you’re doing…” Colton started. “We’re here. So it would be real swell if you could focus.”
Hunter snorted. “You’re such a jackass, you know that?”
“You can kiss my jackass anytime.”
“Boys.” Scarlet held up her arms. “Stop. You’re giving me motion sickness with your back and forth insults.”
“You hear that, soldier boy, you’re making her nauseas.”
Scarlet whipped her head in Hunter’s direction. “Keep going and we’ll see who manages to piss me off first.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, and then she narrowed her eyes at him.
“Fine,” he conceded, and then looked out the window. “Riggs, unless I’m missing something, this doesn’t look like no restaurant.”
Colton peered at him. “Did you seriously think we’d take her in through the front entrance?”
“Apparently not.” Hunter looked out the back window, and this time his knee was jerking up and down. The fact that Hunter was this nervous did not sit well with Scarlet—at all.
Colton touched his earpiece like he was listening. “We’re exiting in three…two…one…” And then he was out of the car, holding his hand out to Scarlet. When Scarlet stepped out of the vehicle, there were two more men standing on either side of the door, walking next to her with Hunter at the back. It was like they were boxing her in, trying their best to keep her out of sight. There wasn’t even time for her to pay any attention to the panic taking residence in the pit of her stomach.
It took them all of three seconds to enter the building and close the door behind them. The other two guys stayed outside to stand guard, leaving just the three of them staring down a long, dark corridor.
Hunter moved in next to her, standing as close to her as possible. “You know the way, Riggs?”
“Are you kidding me? Of course I know the way. The kitchen entrance is just around that corner.”
Hunter paused and stared at him for a second. “You sure about that?”
“Shut up and follow me.”
Riggs started down the corridor, and when Scarlet wanted to follow him, Hunter pulled her back. “Stay close, Scar. I’m serious.”
“Hunter, what’s going on? Why are you acting this way?” she whispered.
“You smell that?”
She inhaled. “I don’t smell anything.”
“Exactly. Now don’t you think if there was a kitchen just around the corner, we’d be smelling food right now?”
Scarlet stiffened. Hunter was right. “What’s going on, Ace?”
“I don’t know.” He gave a step backward and tried to open the door they just came through. But it was locked…from the outside.
“Fuck!”
“Ace? What’s happening?”
“I can answer that.” Scarlet jerked around. Colton was standing a few feet away from her…with a gun…aimed at them.
“Colton? What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry, Scarlet. I had no choice.”
“No choice with what?” She stepped closer and Hunter grabbed her arm. But he was too late. Colton had already grabbed her and jerked her against him.
“What the fuck are you doing, Riggs?”
Colton aimed the gun at Hunter, and Scarlet’s blood chilled inside her veins. “Colton, no!”
“Don’t worry, Scarlet. I’m not going kill lover-boy here. At least not yet.” He tightened the grip of his arm around her neck and shoulders.
Hunter tried to reach for the gun tucked against his side, but Colton turned the gun and aimed it at Scarlet’s head.
“I won’t do that if I were you. I’d hate to put a bullet through this pretty little head of hers.”
Hunter’s jaw tensed. “I swear to God, Riggs. If you so much as hurt a damn hair on her head, I will kill you…slowly.”
“Yeah. Whatever.” Colton moved forward and jerked the gun from Hunter’s side and placed it at his back. “So, we really need to move, and I’d appreciate it if you would give your full cooperation. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Really.”
Hunter made no attempt to move, and Colton pushed the gun harder against Scarlet’s temple.
“Okay!” Hunter gave a hesitant step forward. “Just don’t you fucking hurt her.”
“Awesome. Now you walk up front where I can see you.”
Hunter slowly stepped around them and looked at Scarlet, as if trying to tell her to stay calm. But how the fuck was she supposed to do that? Colton was pushing a gun against her head and she had no idea what the hell was happening.
“What are you doing, Colton?” Scarlet took one hesitant step in front of the other, Colton’s arm still tightly draped around her chest.
“I’m doing what I have to do. Now shut up.”
Hunter glanced over his shoulder. “I knew there was something about you, soldier boy. I knew there was a reason I didn’t fucking trust you.”
“Well, congratulations. You got me all figured out.”
“Now I just need to figure out why you decided to make the biggest mistake of your life by screwing us over.”
“Oh, trust me, I made the biggest mistake of my life years ago.”
Scarlet swallowed hard, knowing he was referring to Hope.
To say that her head was spinning would be the understatement of the fucking century. She did not see this coming—not at all. Not from Colton. After all the personal shit he’d shared with her, why would he be doing this?
“Colton—”
“Keep quiet, Scarlet.”
Hunter cleared his throat. “So where am I going here, Riggs?”
“What, no soldier boy this time? Is it the gun I have aimed at your girlfriend’s head? Did it change things between us, Ace?”
Hunter shrugged. “I’d say fuck you, but since you do have a gun aimed at my girlfriend’s head, I’ll just repeat that little phrase over and over inside my head.”
Through everything that was currently going down, the woman inside Scarlet couldn’t help but pick up Hunter’s use of the word girlfriend. Did he really see her as his girlfriend, or was he just playing along with Colton?
So not the time right now, Scarlet.
“Turn left and head up the stairs,” Colton ordered.
Hunter did as he was told. “Is Brent paying you, Riggs? Are you on his payroll?”
“Shut up and walk.”
If Colton was helping Brent, that meant she was on her way to meet her fucking doom. Brent would finally get what he wanted…her.
Tears stung Scarlet’s eyes, the mere thought of going back to him twisting her insides, making her stomach churn. “Colton, please. Don’t do this.”
He leaned his face closer to her ear. “Stay calm, Scarlet. This is the only way.”
The only for what? What the hell was going on?
“You can stop here,” he ordered Hunter, and they stopped in front of a door. “Open it.”
Hunter hesitated, and Colton pushed the gun against her cheek. “I said open it.”
Hunter looked at Scarlet, and she saw it right away. The look of worry, concern—the look of a man pushed into a corner with no way of getting out. It scared her, realizing that there was no escaping this time, no running. Her fate had finally brought her to this moment, and after years of fighting and fleeing, there was nothing she could do to change it now.
Green eyes dark with regret stared at her, Hunter’s face clouded with apology. And she knew, she knew this was another one of those things he would blame himself for. Another morbid, self-tortured tattoo to mark his body with as a reminder of yet another person he couldn’t save.
All she could do was nod, trying to tell him that it was okay, that she didn’t blame him. He looked away and down toward where his hand touched the doorknob.
Scarlet knew what—or who—was waiting behind that door. She could feel it in her bones, the fear vibrating through to every corner of her body. This was it. This was the moment she had been dreading ever since she ran away. The moment she feared every minute of every day. This was the moment her worst nightmare came true.
Hunter opened the door and Scarlet closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see. She didn’t want to look at what she knew was in there waiting for her. But then she heard that voice. “Hello, Little Red.”
Her heart stopped, and all she heard was the deafening crack of her soul breaking into nothing but splinters of fear.
God, that voice. That voice was enough to break her completely.
“You feel that, Little Red? You feel me moving inside you? That’s me fucking owning you.”
“You will never be more than my little slut.”
“Your sweet little cunt will always belong to me.”
Scarlet shook her head violently, still not opening her eyes. She wanted his voice gone, she wanted the memories gone. It was like a fucking disease infecting every part of her all over again. She could feel it moving through her veins, corrupting every molecule of her being. It was destroying her all over again.
“Open your eyes, Little Red.”
As tears silently slipped down her cheeks, she opened her eyes. But she didn’t look in the direction the voice came from, she looked at Hunter. She needed to find a focus point, something she could use to hold on to the little strength she had left.
The second her gaze met Hunter’s, her heart cracked wide open. His eyes were filled with the same amount of fear she was feeling. His face contorted with pain…but it wasn’t physical pain. It was her pain. Hunter was feeling her pain.
“If anyone can do this, Scar, you can.”
She could hear his voice clearly replaying inside her mind. There was no other choice. This shit was going down whether she wanted to or not. She only had one option…and that was to fight.