Page 96 of Greased

If it was left to the guys to describe, from the looks of their faces, it would seem it's more like doomsday.

Dread fills me as I look down at Scarlett. I knew that this day was coming. I had been trying to psych myself up for it since she came back.

We all know that she needs, and deserves, an explanation. But now that we are here, nothing that I feel like I can say will be enough to justify what we did to her.

The way we broke her heart, ghosted her with no explanation after promising we would never leave and doing just that. Bringing her worst fears alive. Putting her through months of heartache all for nothing in the end.

Little did we know just how entwined our fates were.

Would we have done anything different if we knew that it was our Scarlett all along?

Would we have dragged her back here with us? Would we have kept quiet and protected her from a distance?

There’s so many what if’s. So many things that we could have done differently.

All we can do now is try and explain ourselves to get Scarlett to see how we were feeling in the moment and why we chose to do what we did.

Pulling up one of the seats surrounding the pole in the corner of the room, I take a seat, facing Scarlett before taking a deep breath.

Each of the guys take a seat around the bed, any earlier banter between us dissipated. There’s a thick tension in the room.

My throat feels tight as I try to clear it. It's obvious the guys have volunteered me to be the sacrificial lamb.

I put my elbows on my knees leaning forward as I hang my head for a moment. Taking in another breath I finally look up to Scarlett.

“Our plans for our relationship didn’t change with you the entire flight back to LA. The entire time we spoke about our plans. We already were looking at flights for you to come over to us."

I chuckle, the boys echoing me as we are thrown back into memories from the past.

My smile drops quickly, “Everything changed the moment the plane hit the tarmac. It was utter chaos.”

Nicky nods, “The last time we saw the club in this much chaos was when you were taken.”

Scarlett frowns as she looks at the expressions on our faces.

“One of the raid teams went out on a mission. They were expecting to intercept a shipment of women bound for one of the trafficking rings. But it wasn’t women they found.”

The feeling I felt that day when we got home floods over me again. My stomach clenches around nothing and I’m thankful we decided to have this conversation before we ate anything.

I swallow down bile as I look directly at Scarlett, “It was a shipment of children.”

Scarlett straightens, her hands slap over her mouth. Her eyes are filled with horror.

I nod, pushing through the sick feeling in my stomach, “We all knew what these rings were capable of. But this wasn’t one known for trafficking children. It was always women who were fleeing violent home lives or women living off the street.

“We have been searching for years for the rings that were dealing with children. There was always word on the street about them but we could never infiltrate them. We were always blocked.”

Dawson grunts, “It seemed to be a new road block each time we tried but we always attempted to stay on the trail.”

Pike agrees with Dawson, nodding as he adds, “Saving any human life is important but there is something about protecting children from these monsters that hits closer to home.”

Scarlett nods as her hands drop from her mouth, “So what happened with the children? Are they okay? Do they have good families to go back home to?”

I smile at her questions even though the situation is dark. I knew she was meant for this life and her concern for the lives we saved proves that.

I nod, “They are all okay now. We were able to return the majority of the children back to their families who were thoroughly vetted before we did so.”

“No way were we going to send them back to situations that would see them ending right back where we found them,” Sonny curls his lip.

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