Page 112 of Scars Run Deep

No, truthfully, it was more than that. I’d need an excuse to get out of Hexwood, at a time when security was paramount to the guys with the Heretics out there and things going haywire for the Infidels. They’d never let me go without a fight and that was the last thing I wanted. It was why I’d held back and tried to keep things mostly civil with Asher when he’d confronted me the other night. The four of us had grown so close and I loved how things were with us.

The idea of disappointing my uncle gnawed at my insides.

I’d never done it before, I’d always been the dutiful niece.

I also didn’t want to leave him alone when he was exhibiting signs of loneliness and missing family. Missing my dad.

Aurora: I’ll be there.

Uncle Drew: Perfect! I can’t wait!

I smiled at his response.

Aurora: Me neither. Love you.

Uncle Drew: Love you too, cupcake.

I stowed my phone away.

I’d tell the guys.

I’d tell them all about it.

They’d earned my trust at this point. I knew they wouldn’t do anything to hurt me and that included anyone I cared about.

Besides, maybe going back home to family was exactly what I needed, just for a little break.

While Asher had overreacted, all this violence and bloodletting and the depraved nature of the takedowns were actually getting to me a little. It would be nice to take a breather, to help recenter myself.

I moved to open the back door of Fusion when a rustling from the bushes flanking the rear of the building pulled me up short.

I spun in the next second… right into a fist coming at my face.

Caught off guard because I was in my downtime state, I failed to block it in time and it smashed into my cheek, rings scraping across skin and the corner of my mouth, blood exploding on my lip.

The force of it had me stumbling into the wall beside the backdoor.

As I staggered around, fighting to get my bearings, hands wrapped around my throat and slammed me back up against the wall.

And then I looked up into the eyes of a suited guy I vaguely remembered from one of my first shifts at Fusion.

It became clear exactly who he was when I looked past him to see three more of his suited friends hovering right behind him, along with Andrew Hollis who was in sweats, a cervical collar encircling his neck, healing gashes all over his face and a cast on his leg as he supported himself with two crutches. And right beside him was Liza, looking on with aggressive excitement, bouncing up and down, her pink hair flying every which way and her breasts in a corset dress looking like they were a couple of jumps from bursting free.

“You see my buddy there?” the guy squeezing my throat demanded, his slicked back dirty-blond hair not moving an inch as he swung his head toward Andrew.

“I see him just fine,” I rasped against his brutal grip.

“He’s in that state because of you and your golden pussy.”

“Golden, my cute little ass,” Liza spat.

“Sorry, babe,” the guy told her with an adoring expression. “I meant from their perspective… the Infidels.” He turned his attention back to me. “That’s what they think of you. Something special. And that’s what almost killed my buddy there. And then there’s the video that’s fucked all over our lives—Andy’s, Liza’s, and the rest of us by association.”

Liza stormed over and slapped me across the face, her nails scraping down my cheek and feeling like they’d left red-raw marks in their wake. Lovely. I’d just endured the indignity of a bitch slap. Urgh.

“This happened because your buddy there wanted power and went about it in a stupid fucking way,” I told them. “Same with you,” I informed Liza. “You thought you could ride Killian’s dick to get it, so I don’t know what’s worse.”

She snarled at me and went to slap me again, but the guy batted her hand away. “You’ll get your turn. When she’s screaming, sugar plum.”

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