Chapter Twenty-Four
Greyson
We go to my office for the phone call. I give Scarlett one of my burner phones, and she punches in the number she has memorized for Eric. She sits on the desk while I sit in my office chair in front of her, my hands planted on her thighs in a silent gesture of support.
She calls, letting the phone ring once, twice… on the third ring, Eric picks up.
“What?” he snaps into the line.
Scarlett swallows. A few beats of silence pass. Finally, quietly, she says, “Hey.”
I hear it, the moment Eric stops breathing. “Scarlett?” Shock stains every letter.
“Yeah,” Scarlett says quietly. “Sorry I haven’t been in touch. I’ve been hiding, and I didn’t know if it was safe to reach out to you.”
“What… what the fuck? Scar, where are you? What’s going on? Why did you disappear off the face of the earth?”
I can hear his love for his sister, his concern for her, in every word. It makes equal measures of gratitude and sadness fill me. I’m grateful that she has someone like Eric in her life… and I feel damn guilty that Scarlett’s being forced to cause a massive rift in their relationship.
“Guys broke into my apartment,” she starts slowly.
“The same ones that came for me last time, I think. I freaked out and I fought, and I almost lost… then, more guys showed up—these ones were here for the first batch. They killed the ones who were there for me. I was panicked, so I asked for their protection… and they agreed, in return for some things.”
Eric pauses for several moments. I can hear the gears whirring in his head as he tries to process this information—possibly tries to vet out if it’s a lie.
“There were signs of a struggle and multiple footprints at your apartment when I checked on it,” he says for a while.
Scarlett’s eyebrows lift in question, and she glances at me. I shrug at her. I had Max and his team make it look like a home invasion, so the story she’s telling adds up with evidence we purposefully left behind.
“Who killed the first batch?” Eric demands. “Where did the bodies go? Why did they agree to let you come with them, and why the fuck didn’t you call me?”
Scarlett swallows. Tears shimmer in her eyes.
“Your protection failed me twice.” Her voice cracks over the words.
“I panicked. I don’t know where the bodies or evidence went, and the men who saved me agreed to let me come with them because I can run a farm on their fortress grounds. Make them self-sustaining.”
A soft, pained noise escapes Eric. “Scar…” he exhales.
“I wouldn’t have failed you. You insisted on living under the radar without protection.
I shouldn’t have let you, but I didn’t want to turn into Dad—” he cuts off with a sharp exhale.
“It doesn’t matter. Where are you? Who are you with? I’ll come get you.”
Scarlett squeezes her eyes shut. “They call themselves the Nighthawks. I don’t actually know where we are—”
“The fucking Nighthawks took you in?” Eric roars, cutting her off. “No. No. Put one of the operatives on the phone—I’m getting you the fuck out of there right now. You don’t know who they are, Scarlett. They’re assassins—”
“I know,” she interrupts softly. “And you’re an arms dealer who works with assassins, mafias, and gangs, Eric.
It hasn’t stopped me from loving you. And the nature of the Nighthawks hasn’t stopped me…
” she trails off, shaking her head. I squeeze her leg, partly in a gesture of support, and partly to keep her on track.
“Stopped you from what?” Eric asks. His voice is haunted now, as if he knows what’s coming. When she doesn’t respond, he prods, “Stopped you from what, Scar?”
“Stopped me from developing feelings for one of the guys,” she says after a long moment. “As I recently found out, you work with the Nighthawks… and you work with him. We connected the dots yesterday—”
“Who?” Eric shouts. Scarlett flinches back. “Is it that motherfucker, Cain? He’s a psychopath, Scar. Fuck, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. I’m coming to get you—”
“Not Cain.” Scarlett’s eyes flash open, and she shudders. “Greyson.”
Dead air meets her admission. I try to catch Scarlett’s eyes, to give her a nod of encouragement, but she pointedly keeps her gaze averted.
“Scarlett…” Eric seems lost for words. “I don’t know what you think you feel, but you’re not safe there. They’re in a war with Dad right now—a war that they’re fighting alongside my organization. You don’t understand—”
“I understand that I don’t want to leave,” Scarlett says, her voice admirably sharp.
“I understand that I’ve found a place here that I never did out in the world.
I understand that I feel safe for the first time in my life.
” She grimaces at the lie, but her words don’t even have the slightest ring of insincerity.
If I didn’t know she was bullshitting, I couldn’t have guessed from her tone alone.
“Scar, please let me come get you,” Eric says, begging now. “You’re caught up in something you don’t understand. You’re in over your head. Get some distance, clear your mind, and if you still think you want what you want, we can figure something out.”
“No.” Her denial leaves no room for negotiation. “No. I’m not leaving the place that has become my sanctuary. I’m not going back into the world, where my life will constantly be at risk. I’m here, and I’m staying here.”
Eric snaps. “You’re behaving like a stupid little girl!
” Scarlett shrinks back at his tone, and I swallow hard, wishing I could fix this for her.
Wishing I could give Eric Sharpe a piece of my goddamn mind.
“You think you know so much, Scarlett, but you don’t.
The Nighthawks are the worst of the worst. They kill anyone—anyone.
If I put a hit out on you right now, you can bet your ass they’d kill you.
They’re not trustworthy, Scarlett. You don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, and as always, I have to bail you out.
You want to choose them over me? Some guy you’re fucking over your own brother—”
“Speak to me like that again and you won’t be my brother anymore.
” Scarlett’s face has fallen into a hard mask, even as tears flow down her cheeks.
I can feel her devastation over her brother’s words as if it were my own.
It is my own. My woman’s crumbling, and I don’t know how to hold her together.
“I wanted to hear your voice… but now, I don’t think I want to hear from you any time soon. So, I guess we’ll talk when we talk.”
“Scarlett—”
She clicks the end button on the call. Brushes my hands off her knees and stands.
She faces me with a straight spine and straight face, despite the tears still flowing freely.
“Take this off,” she says, tapping her necklace.
“From now on, I want—demand—the choice to wear it. I am no longer your slave. Now, I’m the person who can set my brother on you.
” She swallows, fear flickering in her eyes.
“So, unless Cain wants a war that will destroy everyone involved, he’ll stop treating me like property, as will you. ”
Her words are partly bluster… and they’re partly true.
I know Scarlett’s terrified for her brother’s life, but she’s also smart.
She knows as well as I do that all of Cain’s actions have shown he doesn’t want a war with Eric.
And while Cain believes he could win it—which I’m not so sure about—it would be devastating to all sides.
My brave, beautiful girl has found a sliver of power, even in this crushing situation.
I’m awed by her. I want to fall to my knees and worship her.
Instead, I reach into my drawer and withdraw the magnet that’ll remove the necklace.
Scarlett turns around, pulling her hair over her shoulder.
I press the magnet to the clasp, and she catches the diamonds as they fall from her neck.
After a moment, she sets the necklace on the desk and turns to face me again.
“It’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready for it.” I brush my thumb over her cheek. “I’d like a kiss.”
A broken sound escapes her, half-laugh, half-sob. “And I’d like a time machine. That way, I wouldn’t have just lost the only person who ever loved me.”
“He’s not the only one,” I tell her softly. “Far from it.”
She turns around. “I need alone time.”
I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Bedroom’s yours. I have a few hours of work to do.”
“I’m going to the greenhouse.”
At another stage in our relationship, her demands might’ve irritated me.
Now, however… I admire her for them. She’s just succeeded in nearly evening the playing field.
I still have the advantage, but she’s just earned herself a significant amount of power…
not just with me, not just with Cain, but with the Nighthawks at large. “Alright. I’ll send Tobias with you.”
She starts walking to the door, but I call her name, and she pauses with her hand on the doorknob. “I love you,” I tell her.
She turns around to look at me. My heart sinks at the sheer agony on her face.
“I know,” she says softly. “And that is the greatest curse I’ve ever been saddled with.”
I break into the most expensive whisky I have, but I don’t chug it or drink myself silly like I did after Sam’s death. Instead, I sip it leisurely while going over documents.
I only get about an hour to process the shitshow that went down before Cain says he wants to see me. Since I have no urge to make the trip up to his office, and Scarlett’s safely tucked away at the greenhouse, I text him to come to me.
Two minutes later, booming knocks shake my front door. When I let Cain in, he doesn’t waste any time making himself at home in my office and pouring himself a glass of whisky.
“I heard the call,” he said. “Scarlett did her part. She needs to continue doing it.”
I don’t respond. I don’t tell him what Scarlett revealed to me—I have no urge to give Cain a target for revenge.
Cain and I both sip our drinks, staring at each other from across my desk.
“You’re welcome, by the way,” he says snarkily.
I set my glass down loudly, irritation filling me at his gall. “What the fuck are you expecting a thank-you for?”
“The whipping. It put Scarlett in the exact position I knew it would. It improved your relationship and prompted her to take the necessary steps to avoid being an abused hostage.” Cain takes another sip. “So, again, you’re welcome.”
“You did that on purpose?” I demand after a breathless moment.
“What possible outcome did you think almost killing me would lead to?” That’s twice I’ve almost died because of Cain’s twisted plans.
I desperately want to reach for the nearest gun and blow Cain’s screwed-up brains out.
Only worry for Scarlett’s safety holds me back.
With all the puzzle pieces Cain’s constantly moving, I’d be amazed if he doesn’t have contingencies planned in the event that I snap and kill him. Ones that end with me and Scarlett dying painful, bloody deaths.
I can’t do that to her.
“Making Scarlett finally believe that you won’t hurt her,” Cain says tonelessly.
“Making you into a martyr for her benefit. Do you really believe I didn’t expect you to take her place in the punishment?
You think I didn’t anticipate everything that would lead us to this moment?
Please.” He scoffs and knocks back the rest of the whisky in one go.
I dig my nails into my palms, hoping that’s enough to keep me from putting a bullet in this bastard’s head.
“I’ll say it one more time: you’re welcome. ”
My jaw clenches. I tilt my head to the side as I look Cain over, appraising him.
After everything I’ve learned about my boss…
I’m no longer as surprised by this revelation as I once would’ve been.
In a way, it makes perfect sense. Cain waited outside for me and Scarlett that day.
He taunted her until she snapped—then he whipped me instead of her until I almost died.
Every one of his actions is calculated to play a very long game.
We’re all just pawns on his chessboard, and the ends will always justify the means for him.
Letting Scarlett nearly kill me justified getting her back to her brother. Nearly killing me himself justified the impact it had on my relationship with Scarlett. Cain was willing to put me on death’s doorstep to get what he wanted, twice.
The only thing I’m certain he wants is a peaceful way forward with Eric—which tells me that Eric’s a bigger threat than Cain lets on. He’d make a formidable enemy.
“You destroy everything you touch,” I tell him. “You’re a fucking disease, Cain, and I deeply regret my role in spreading it.”
If my words have any impact on him, he doesn’t show it. “You’ll see that everything I do is for the benefit of the Nighthawks—”
“No, Cain. Everything you do is for your own benefit. Keeping the Nighthawks strong gives you more power. Rearranging the inner workings of our ranks and systems gives you total control. Having Scarlett here, betraying everything she is by doing what you ask, benefits your relationship with Eric. Now, there’s no way he’ll stop working with us, because he wants his sister safe—and he thinks she’s falling in love with me.
Don’t pull the man-of-the-people bullshit on me; you don’t care about anyone but yourself. ”
“Be careful, Greyson,” he says quietly. “Be very, very careful. If I didn’t whip you, Scarlett wouldn’t have been willing to lie for you. And if she didn’t do that, I’d have cut off her fingers to keep Eric in line. I have had your back, whether or not you want to believe it.”
“Get the fuck out of my office.” I can’t stand the sight of him for a second longer.
“Get the fuck out, Cain. I’ll keep doing my part around here, but any illusion of comradery we had?
” I shake my head. “Our friendship died when I found out you tortured Scarlett even though you knew she was innocent. Now, any politeness is done. So go.”
Cain smoothly stands from the seat and buttons the front of his suit jacket. “Let me know when you’ve gotten over your childish emotions.”
With that, he’s gone. He leaves me with my thoughts reeling, my anger buzzing, and my urge to drown in whisky almost overwhelming.