58. Scarlet
Chapter 58
Scarlet
I tuck my knees further under my chin, the narrow hidden hallway making it impossible to get comfortable. My heart pounds as the minutes tick by, each one feeling slower than the last. I’ve been waiting quietly for Damon for the past few hours, left alone in this dark, cramped space with my thoughts tumbling over themselves as my memories of Matthias’s face twisting in betrayal replay on repeat.
My chest burned with a desperate longing to tell him why he needed to stay, but I couldn’t risk being overheard.
The plan is simple. The three Everette brothers stay in place until Damon comes and gets them. That way, no one gets accidentally blown up during the rescue mission. If all of the Everette brothers don’t survive, none of them will forgive themselves. I may not be directly responsible for them being captured, but it’s my responsibility to fix what my family started.
Everything was on track until that stupid guard walked in with the key.
Matthias loomed above me, grip cutting off my air, and for a second, I believed I deserved it. His voice cracked as he begged me for a reason I would deceive him. Because from his angle, there was no other way to look at it. I couldn’t give him the key, and explaining wasn’t an option at that moment, which left him breaking apart. Even with all the reasons to kill me, he still let me go, and my heart cracked at the revulsion in his eyes as he spewed his hate at me while demanding I leave.
It’ll all come to light soon, but I will never forget the way his face cracked above me.
The first explosion rocks the castle, sending me hard against the door. I’d been careful to give Damon our exact locations to guarantee we wouldn’t be accidental collateral in his invasion. I wait patiently for the four planned explosions to go off before pushing open the concealed door that had kept me out of sight. I needed to get into position; I have my own tasks to complete in order for this to be a success.
“You fucking cunt! I know you did this.” Christopher grips my shoulders and slams my back against the wall, knocking the air out of me. I’m wheezing for breath as pain radiates along my shoulder blades as they dig into the wood paneling. Shock rolls through me as I’m slammed repeatedly, my skull connecting with each one. I dig my nails into his forearm, blood dripping from the wounds, but nothing I do slows him down. My feet connect with his shins, but he’s too enraged to register the pain.
I hadn’t accounted for him being in this room. He should’ve gone to fight by now. I’d miscalculated just how much of a coward he is, and now I’m going to pay for it.
“Fuck you!” I grit through clenched teeth as I fight through the fog rapidly taking over and spit at him. It’s thick as it rolls down his face.
This time, the connection with the wall is hard enough to make my vision go white. Ice fills my veins as the realization overtakes me.
I’m going to die here.
My body buzzes as I slowly lose the battle and accept that my brother’s going to kill me. Not that I can blame him. I fully intended for him to die tonight. I can only pray that Damon’s more successful than I am.
A loud bang ricochets through the room, and warm liquid splatters my face, soaking my dress. I blink at Christopher’s half-missing face. He stands there like his body doesn’t realize it’s dead for several seconds before crashing to the ground.
“You alright?” Damon’s beside me, checking my wounds, his brows pinched together as he takes me in.
My heart thunders in my chest. He’s just bought me the time I desperately need. “I’m fine. Go do your job.”
He looks me over one last time before releasing me and handing me a gun. “You’re fucking crazy.”
“Yell at me after.” I sway on my feet but catch myself before I can fall. Nothing’s going to stop me from completing what I have to do.
We both exit the room, but when he turns to where his brothers are being held, I continue down the hall and out the back door leading to the helipad. Rain beats down around me, soaking through my clothes, but I don’t feel the cold. Not when my prey’s standing in front of me.
“I knew you’d be here,” I yell above the whooshing sound of the helicopter blades cutting through the air. There was no way my father would let himself be caught here.
He freezes in place as I raise the gun and point it directly at his chest. The pilot looks away as if he knows to stay out of this.
“Honey, you’re hurt. Just put the gun down, Scarlet. We can sort everything out. You don’t have to marry anyone you don’t want to, I promise,” my father says, voice placating me, but even with death pointed at him, he still can’t hide the condescension. I’ll never be anything more than a tool to grow the family’s influence for him.
“Oh, this?” I pull at my damp shirt. “Don’t worry. The blood’s not mine.” I hate this man more than anyone in this world, so I smile and say, “Your son made quite the mess when he died.”
My father lurches forward but stops himself when my finger loops over the trigger.
“You should be proud of me, Dad .” I sneer the last word and take a step closer. “I’m the reason this is all falling apart. You, of all people, should appreciate that level of scheming. I learned it from you, after all. I contacted Damon and told him where we are. I timed the guard’s schedule and knew exactly when security was at its most vulnerable.”
“Ungrateful bitch,” his voice booms, but I no longer cower beneath it. This time, I’m the one with the power.
“Ungrateful? Ungrateful for what? For you beating me? Controlling everything I do? Locking me up in this gold-plated excuse of a prison? No?” I raise a brow, moving even closer until there are only a few feet between us. “Oh, should I be thankful that you sold me to some perved-out fifty-year-old man? Tell me, Daddy . Did you get a good deal?”
“I’m unarmed. You can’t shoot me.” His voice trembles, his body visibly shaking.
“Says who?” I shrug and squeeze the trigger, watching as red blooms from his chest. I’m near enough that his blood soaks my dress as I loom over him, firing round after round, not trusting a monster like him to be dead.
In the end, no matter how much pain he’d caused, he’s only a man, and men can be killed.
I fire one last shot before turning around to see Damon and his two youngest brothers wide-eyed, gaping at me. My breaths come out hard as I struggle to regain my composure.
It’s over.
As if sensing I need a moment to get myself together, Damon calls out to me, “I’ll meet you out front.”
I nod, unable to speak, holding myself straight only long enough for the three boys to disappear back into the house. Tears stream down my cheeks as I’m rocked with a million emotions. The earth-shattering relief that we survived is tainted by the fact that it’s my family’s fault that all of this happened to begin with. I’m the only remaining Laurent, and I won’t be able to avoid the Order’s hatred.
I hold my head high as I walk around the building to where Damon and Matthias are already waiting. The two younger Everettes are huddled together under a blanket only a few feet away.
“You good?” Damon asks. There’s a hardness to his features, any playfulness he’d once had carved out of his face.
“I’m fine,” I lie, not wanting his pity.
I don’t notice my hand still wrapped around the gun until Matthias is slowly releasing my fingers. His deep brown eyes meet mine for several seconds, some unknown secret written there.
He leans in closer, whispering, “You’re safe now.”
My shoulders drop, and I sway on my feet when he gives me a hint of a smile, easily catching me. However he feels about my betraying him is buried under the happiness of escaping.
“We’ll debrief in thirty minutes,” Damon cuts in.
The adrenaline’s already wearing off, taking every ounce of my energy with it. I wipe my face, my hand coming back sticky. I’m not sure how much longer I can do this.
“I’m taking her to the hotel,” Matthias says, with no room for argument in his tone. Damon’s not the only one who’s changed. This past week has taken a toll that will leave permanent scars on all of us, no matter that it ended in our favor.
A muscle ticks in Damon’s jaw before he gives us a small nod. “Meet me in the lobby tomorrow morning, Scarlet.”
“Yes, Lord.” I bow my head to him in the respect his position commands. Matthias’s warm fingers tip my chin up.
“You don’t bow to anyone.” His brown eyes are soft but sure as he runs his thumb along my cheek.
Warmth spreads throughout my chest, chasing away my thoughts as he replaces them with himself. We’d made it. I had faith that Damon could get Matthias out, but my plan didn’t guarantee me the same. There was a decent chance my father would kill me first.
I let Matthias tuck me to his side and guide me toward a large black SUV. Acid burns in the back of my throat when I don’t recognize the driver. I’m stopped when Matthias leans in, his breath brushing my temple sending shivers down my neck.
“He’s one of ours. Let me keep you safe.”
My body relaxes into his, my muscles turning into Jell-O as I climb into the car. My limbs feel like they’re being held down by weights, and Matthias catches me, maneuvering me until I’m able to lean against the opposite door.
“The hotel’s about twenty minutes from here. Get some rest.” His heat sinks into my skin as he reaches over me, causing my heart to skip wildly. His lips are so close to mine, and I can practically taste them. My chest clenches as I wait, desperate for his kiss, but he turns away from me, leaving my heart crashing against my ribs, and pulls my seat belt over my lap, clicking it in place.
I’m too tired to be embarrassed, and I let the door take my weight, drifting off to sleep.
My body jostles, shifting up and down in a steady cadence, drawing me out of my dreamless sleep. Matthias is looking down at me, a line between his brows. I hate to see the worry there and want to tell him I’m okay, but I know he’d sense the lie. Instead, I reach up and brush my finger across it, smoothing it out.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.” His voice is low, barely above a whisper.
I look around at the unfamiliar hallway. The wallpaper looks gilded in gold, with crystal light illuminating overhead. “Where are we?”
“We’re at Hotel Savant. Damon’s set up multiple guards around the building and throughout the halls.” He says it without me asking, knowing I need reassurance. I’m not sure when I’ll ever feel safe again.
He tugs me closer, his familiar scent filling my nose. “Nearly to our room.”
Our.
The word bounces around in my head like it can’t find a spot to land. There’s no reason for us to share a room, but I can’t bring myself to protest it. I’m not sure I could make it through tonight on my own. There’s a connection built in trauma that holds me to this boy, one that won’t ever fade. After everything, there’s no one I’ll feel safer with than him.
Matthias stops in front of a room and swipes a card over the keypad. It beeps, lighting up green, letting us in.
The bed is calling my name, but there’s no amount of exhaustion that could get me to climb in while caked in blood.
I wiggle until Matthias puts me down, then points to what I assume is the bathroom. “I’m going to shower.”
He doesn’t let go of my arm, instead taking a step with me.
“Alone.” I raise a curious brow at him, and he startles back as if just realizing what he’s doing.
The water’s hot enough to turn my skin red as I scrub off the evidence of what I did tonight. I’ve never killed anyone before, and it was a hell of a way to start. No matter how evil he was, he was still my father. I stay in the shower until the water turns from red to clear at my feet. I’m barely able to keep myself up by the time I climb out.
I wrap a towel around myself and step through an archway that leads to a small room with double vanities. This place is bigger than some studio apartments. There’s a pile of clothes neatly folded on an ottoman in the middle of the room. I don’t have the brainpower to even make a joke about why someone would need to sit while getting ready.
The black oversized shirt slides easily over my head, engulfing me to my thighs. The next item of clothing is a pair of boxers that I eye dubiously. I don’t really have a choice at the moment, so I pull them on, pushing any mortification I might feel until later.
Matthias is waiting for me, sitting at the foot of the bed. His hair is wet, and he’s changed into different clothes. He must have gone to one of his brothers’ rooms while I was in the shower. With each step, my pulse races faster until I’m nearly out of breath. Tears prick at my eyes as I run my finger over my crude stitches that are just above his temple.
I smile softly. “I’m surprised you didn’t tear these again.”
“I was careful just for you.” His tone is exhausted but playful. “Plus, most of the fun was already over before Damon got me out.”
My heart squeezes, and I lift my hands from touching him. I’d taken that revenge away from him, and no matter how solid the reasoning was, I’m sure he’ll always resent me a little.
Matthias wraps his arms around me, tugging me closer, then lifting me into the air as he stands.
“Stop thinking so much.” He lowers me onto the bed, pulling the plush blanket over me until it’s tucked under my chin.
He steps back, and I reach for him, my hand catching his, holding him in place.
“Stay.” My voice is weak, but there’s no mistaking the plea.
He squeezes my fingers before letting go. “Nothing could stop me. I’m just climbing in on the other side.”
I fall into him as he wraps his arms around me from behind, tucking me under his chin. The warmth of his chest soaks through the thin fabric of my shirt and into my back, relaxing my muscles as the steady rhythm of his heartbeat lulls me under.