Chapter 2
Scarlett
I lay awake in bed as the dark sky began to lighten, my mind racing with possibilities and fears. Everything that had happened in the past weeks and months blurred together in a whirlwind of change. I’d barely slept, the kidnapper’s message playing on repeat in my head. Seventy-two hours. The clock on the nightstand ticked away the minutes. Minutes lost, no closer to knowing where they’d taken Jenny.
I extricated myself carefully from the tangle of limbs, Graham, Brody, and Drake, still deep in sleep. We’d stayed up late into the night, strategizing and comforting each other in equal measure. I was grateful, and my body still buzzed from the way they made me feel. I never knew how much I could care for not just one, but each of them. The thought of making love to them all at once had seemed inconceivable a short time ago but now felt as natural as any relationship. Our lovemaking offered my mind respite from the horrors of my own thoughts about what might happen to Jenny.
I glanced at them sleeping and my heart ached for them. But now, I needed a moment alone to center myself.
The gym in the basement called to me, a sanctuary where I could work out my frustrations and focus my mind. As I wrapped my hands and approached the punching bag, I felt a surge of gratitude for all the training over the past months. I was no longer the scared, helpless woman I’d once been. Thanks in large part to Jenny, who’d dragged me inside the gym that day.
The thought of Jenny made me cringe as tears burned behind my eyes looking for escape, needing to release the feelings walled up inside me. With each punch and kick, I channeled my fear and anger into action, tears erupting and falling down my cheeks. The rhythmic thuds echoed through the empty basement, matching the determined beating of my heart. I was so focused that I didn’t hear the footsteps on the stairs.
“Your form has improved,” Sensei’s voice startled me mid-kick.
I spun around, breathing heavily. “Sensei, I didn’t hear you come down.” I quickly sniffed and swiped away the tears on my cheeks.
He smiled softly, though the guilt and worry were still evident in his eyes. “Old habit. Mind if I join you?”
For the next hour, we trained together in comfortable silence, the familiar routine bringing a sense of normalcy to the chaos in my head. The rhythmic slap of pads, the controlled exhale of breath with each strike, the burn in my muscles - all of it helped quiet the endless loop of worry in my mind. As we finished, Sensei placed a hand on my shoulder, the gesture paternal and grounding.
“Scarlett, I… I’m sorry. If I had been more vigilant, if I had insisted on better security measures”
“Stop,” I interrupted gently, covering his hand with mine. “This isn’t your fault, Sensei. The only one to blame is the monster who took Jenny.”
Our eyes met, and for a moment, I thought I saw something more than guilt in his gaze - something that made my skin prickle with unease. But before I could analyze it, the moment passed, and he stepped back.
“You’re right,” he said, his voice regaining some of its usual strength. “And we’re going to find her. Together.”
As we made our way upstairs, the house was already humming with activity. The rich scent of coffee filled the air, mingling with the lingering aroma of last night’s take-out containers. The hardwood floors creaked beneath our feet, each sound amplified in the tense atmosphere. My muscles ached pleasantly from the workout, grounding me in my body rather than the endless spiral of my thoughts.
Brody appeared at my side, pressing a steaming mug into my hands. The ceramic warmed my palms, still cool from the basement gym. His fingertips brushed mine deliberately, sending little sparks of awareness through my skin. Such a small touch, but it carried volumes of unspoken comfort.
“You should have woken one of us,” he murmured, close enough that his breath stirred the loose strands of hair around my face. The familiar scent of him - soap and sleep-warm skin - made my heart clench with love. “We could have joined you.”
The care and concern in his voice melted something frozen inside my chest. “I know. I just… I needed a moment. But I’m ready now.”
I breathed in the rich coffee aroma, letting it fortify me for what lay ahead. My skin tingled from the shower’s promise, and my muscles carried the good kind of soreness from working with Sensei. These physical sensations helped anchor me to the present instead of getting lost in nightmarish possibilities about Jenny.
Drake appeared in the doorway; his laptop tucked under one arm as he studied me with those knowing eyes that always seemed to see straight through my defenses. “Feel any better after training?”
“A little.” I managed a small smile, genuine despite my exhaustion. Even the weight of worry couldn’t completely dim the warmth these men brought to my life. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Always, Cheri.” The familiar endearment wrapped around me like a warm blanket, Drake’s slight French accent making it uniquely his.
The morning routine unfolded with practiced efficiency, though undercurrents of tension rippled beneath the surface. In our bedroom, Drake laid out one of my work suits - the charcoal gray one that always made me feel powerful - while Brody started the shower. Steam began curling around the doorframe, carrying the fresh scent of our shower products.
“Water’s perfect, Bella,” Brody called out, his deep voice carrying comfort even in such a simple statement.
Graham emerged from the walk-in closet, already dressed in yesterday’s slightly rumpled suit. The sight of him made my chest ache - even disheveled, he carried himself with that quiet authority that had first drawn me to him. “I need to head home to change before the office,” he said, crossing to me and drawing me into a tender kiss. His lips were soft against mine, careful, like I was something precious. “I’ll see you there?”
I nodded against his chest, breathing in his familiar scent—expensive cologne mixed with something uniquely Graham. “I’ll be fine,” I assured him, sensing his reluctance to leave in the tension of his embrace.
Graham looked over my head at Brody and Drake. “Take care of her?”
Brody’s deep chuckle echoed from the bathroom. “Pretty sure between a prize fighter and an expert hacker, we can handle it.”
Their gentle hands helped me undress, a familiar morning ritual that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with love and support. Under the hot spray, they washed my hair and massaged my shoulders, their touch grounding and comforting. The steam wrapped around us like a cocoon, and for a moment, I could pretend the outside world didn’t exist.
“You’ve got this, Bella,” Brody murmured, his strong hands working out a knot in my shoulder. The contrast between his fighter’s strength and his gentle touch with me never failed to make my heart swell. “And we’ve got you.”
Drake hummed in agreement, carefully rinsing shampoo from my hair. His fingers massaged my scalp in small circles, easing the tension headache I hadn’t even realized was building. “Always.”
By the time we finished getting ready, April was waiting in the kitchen with coffee and bagels. She looked perfectly put together as always, though I noticed the slight shadows under her eyes that spoke of another sleepless night. The sight sent a pang through my chest - everyone I loved was suffering, and I felt helpless to fix any of it.
“Ready to face the wolves?” April asked, passing me a coffee fixed exactly how I liked it. The familiar gesture, so normal in its thoughtfulness, made my throat tight.
I accepted the cup gratefully, letting its warmth seep into my palms. “As I’ll ever be.” I glanced at the detectives gathered around the dining room table with their laptops and files, their focused intensity both reassuring and terrifying. “Any news?”
Christian shook his head. “Nothing concrete yet. But we’re following every lead.”
Stewart looked up from his computer, the blue light casting shadows under his eyes. “I’ve got programs running facial recognition through every camera feed in the city. If Jenny’s out there, we’ll find her.”
Brody appeared behind me, his hands settling on my shoulders. The solid weight of his touch anchored me, keeping the surge of hopelessness at bay. “And I’ve got the gym community on alert. Nobody there misses anything.”
“Between that and what Drake’s doing with the digital surveillance here and at the gym,” April added, “we’ve got a lot of eyes out there.”
I drew strength from their confidence, from the solid warmth of Brody at my back and the quiet competence of everyone around me. I could do this. I had to.
The sleek company car waited in the driveway, Thomas already holding the door open. I hesitated for a moment, looking back at Brody and Drake. The morning light caught Drake’s eyes, turning them that impossible shade of amber that always made my heart skip.
“Go,” Drake said softly, understanding in his gaze. “We’ll be monitoring everything from here.”
Brody pulled me into a quick, fierce hug. His heart thundered against my cheek, betraying his own worry despite his steady voice. “Kick ass, Bella.”
Once settled in the back of the car with April, privacy screen raised, I let out a long breath. The leather seats still held a trace of Graham’s cologne from yesterday’s drive. “Can I ask you something? About… relationships?”
April’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “You noticed Graham’s face when he left this morning?”
“Was it that obvious?” I twisted my hands in my lap, the gold of my rings catching the morning light. “I feel terrible. The shower with Brody and Drake; it wasn’t even sexual, it was just”
“Intimate?” April supplied, her voice gentle. “Honey, that’s perfectly normal. In relationships like ours, there are going to be moments that not everyone can share. Sometimes it’s logistics, like Graham needing to maintain his own place for appearance’s sake. Sometimes it’s just the natural flow of intimacy.”
The conversation carried us through the city streets, each turn bringing us closer to the office and the performance we’d both need to maintain. I watched the familiar landmarks slide past, trying to imagine where in this vast city Jenny might be. Every abandoned building, every warehouse district made my heart clench with possibilities.
As we pulled up to the building, I felt the familiar weight of expectations settling onto my shoulders. The glass tower reflected the morning sun, turning the windows into mirrors that would soon watch my every move.
But this time, I wasn’t facing it alone. I had my family - unconventional as it might be - supporting my every step. And somewhere out there, Jenny was waiting to be found.
I squared my shoulders, checking my lipstick one last time in the visor mirror. The coral shade was perfect, a mask of normalcy to hide the storm inside. Time to show them exactly what I was made of.
The Beast might be lurking in the shadows, but I’d faced monsters before. And this time, I had an army at my back.
My heels clicked against the pavement as I stepped out of the car, each step a reminder of who I needed to be now. Scarlett Swanson, Corporate Director. Not the woman who’d cried in her lovers’ arms this morning. Not the woman terrified for a missing child. Just another power player in this glass and steel world.
But beneath that facade, my heart beat with a single rhythm: Find Jenny. Find Jenny. Find Jenny.