Chapter 31
31
SCARLET
“ B reathe in. Breathe out. Listen to the birds in the distance. Feel the breeze on your face. Imagine it’s taking with it all of your worries. No one can hurt you here. We don’t allow cell phones,” Heather, my healer says when my phone buzzes. “Only nature.”
“Sorry.” It buzzes again. “I’ll just turn it off.” I get up and tiptoe to my bag, as if that will make the interruption less intrusive.
She watches me with obvious annoyance as I grab my cell phone and go to turn it off, but stop when I glance at the screen.
There are only two people in the world who have this number. Gunn and Gideon. And it isn’t my boyfriend that texted me.
Unknown number: 843 I’m calling in that favor.
Shit. It’s Gideon, of that I’m sure. My hands begin to shake. It’s too soon. I’m not ready.
“Tamberleigh?” Heather calls to me. “Everything all right?”
Biting my lower lip as I consider pretending the text didn’t come through, I stand there, completely immobile. Finally, because really there was never a choice, I say, “I have to go.”
“But we just started!”
“I’ll make it up later.” I gather my things and leave the health center.
I hop on my bike and take the road that leads up the mountain. I’m at the condo in less than fifteen minutes.
“Gunn!” I call out when I burst through the door.
He emerges from the bathroom, dripping wet and naked, his firearm aimed right at me. “Jesus Christ, woman. You scared the fuck out of me. What are you doing back so early?”
After taking a second to appreciate what is mine, —because how the fuck did I get so lucky?— I show him my phone. “Gideon texted me.”
Gunn snatches it from my hand. “Mother fucker. We just got out of there!”
“I have to call him.” I snag a throw blanket from the couch and toss it to him.
He wraps it around his midsection, more’s the pity, and says, “Don’t call him. He has no way of knowing where we are.”
“Except he does.” I thrust my fingers through my hair and begin to pace. “Gunn, if he really wants to, he’ll find us.”
“You’re not ready, Scar.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Fine. Call him,” he says. “Whatever the fuck he wants, I’ll do it.”
I nod. He’s right. I’m not ready to fight again. I barely started therapy and the health center and we were going to get a kitten! But I can’t go back on my word.
Hitting the unknown number, I dial him. He answers on the first ring. “Scarlet.”
“Why are you calling me from this number?” I demand.
“I don’t have access to my phone.” He sounds winded.
“What’s wrong?”
“Is Gunn with her?” I hear someone in the background.
“Who is that?” I ask.
“Is Gunner with you?”
I turn to Gunn and put the phone on speaker. “Yes.”
“Good,” Gideon says. “Your boyfriend is being called in too.”
“No, he isn’t.”
Gunn checks his cell. His eyes widen and he lifts it for me to see. It’s a message from Luca.
Luca: We need your help. Stephen Black has Sofia.
It’s as if the floor is yanked out from under me. I wobble on my feet. Gunn’s strong arms come around me as instant support. He assists me to the couch and sits beside me.
“Stephen? What? I don’t understand.” I rub a hand over my heart, willing it to slow down.
“He’s alive, Scar. All these years, he’s been alive. And now he has Sofia.”
I can hardly breathe as I think of the man that terrified me. The only one capable of hurting Gideon. “Where is he?”
“Kingsbrook. He attacked the manor and tried to kill me. Itsuki helped me get out of there. He’s the only reason I made it to Briar House.”
“Itsuki is with you?”
Gideon remains quiet long enough that I know what he’s going to say before he says it. “He’s dead.”
A sob wells up in my throat and I have to cup my mouth to hold it in.
Gunn snatches the phone from me. “Who’s there now.”
“Arran and Noah have just arrived,” Luca interjects, obviously also on speaker. “Rowan and Gavin are on their way. We just need you.”
“I’ll be there, but Scar is staying home. It’s too soon for her?—”
I touch Gunn’s hand to stop him. “I’ll be there too.”
“Scar!”
“He’s family,” I say to Gunn. “He needs me.”
“You’re not ready.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m going.”
Gunn lets out a long breath, but nods in agreement. Not that he could stop me, even if he wanted to.
“How long will it take you to get here?” Gideon asks.
“We’re in the Poconos.”
“The Poconos? I thought you were going to Costa Rica,” he says. “Or New Orleans.”
“What can I say? I didn’t want to be too far from home.”
“We’ll see you two in an hour,” Luca says.
I hang up and go to stand at the balcony that overlooks the mountainside. The view was the main reason we chose this condo. “I’m going to miss this place.”
“We’ll be back as soon as this is over. And we’ll get you a cat.” Gunn wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest. “I don’t like you going back so soon.”
“It’ll be okay.” I shut my eyes and repeat those words in my mind. Except, I don’t know exactly how true they are.
Because Stephen Black is alive.