Page 102 of Scar

The cellar had one permanent resident. Nathan Moore, the child rapist who had abducted Bree when she was twelve years old and then sold her to an amateur snuff filmmaker when she’d gotten too old for his specific tastes. He owed Angel a daily debt of pain and suffering for what he’d done to her adopted daughter. Until that debt was paid in full, with interest, the man would not meet whatever god he worshiped.

Unfortunately for Angel, Bear had given her the ultimatum to either let Nathan Moore heal from the endless months of torture he’d already endured or to let the man die. If she didn’t give him some recovery time, the pedophile was going to die anyway. So while Nathan Moore was not currently undergoing torture, he was still chained to the wall by his ankle with the knowledge that, as soon as Bear gave the approval, Angel would be back.

After getting Tally’s mom to her grandparents’ estate, Scar and Tally had returned to Mount Grove. They were currently staying in Scar’s apartment in the clubhouse that he’d never used before three nights ago. They were keeping a low profile, still trying to figure out the best way to tell the club kids that their Uncle Scar was back without confusing them.

Tally was working out what was next for herself, though she was loving the clubhouse’s commercial kitchen. They were going to have to go down to Atlanta to finalize the sale of her restaurant building as well as terminate the lease on her apartment. Not wanting to pay another month on a vacant apartment, Tally was thinking of going sooner than later.

The chains holding his arms above his head rattled as the cellar’s newest resident lifted his head. Ghost and Ranger might have gotten a few licks in on Alpha during their ‘retrieval’, but they were leaving the man’s fate up to Scar.

Alpha chuckled humorlessly. “For years, rumors have circulated about how signing on with me was like signing a deal with the devil.” The man spat at Scar’s feet. “Ironic, because I always felt the same way towards you after making our deal. I should have known you’d always be my downfall, Solo.”

Scar walked over to the table where a variety of tools were kept, including pliers, tweezers, knives, floggers, bolt cutters, and brass knuckles. Scar removed his tactical vest. Tally still had his cut—it was hers now, as far as he was concerned—and he had yet to discuss with Steel what it would take to gain another one for himself.

Scar turned his back on the table of tools. He didn’t need them. Alpha thought signing Scar on was like making a deal with the devil. Scar’s fists clenched. Maybe the man was right—and the devil was about to collect his due.

In blood.

CHAPTER23

With no regard for the late hour, Scar dragged a very sleepy Tally out of bed so he could shower. She grumbled and protested, but still joined him. Tally practically fell asleep against the shower wall while Scar scrubbed and sanitized. Then he picked her up, dried them off, and brought her back to bed.

“We’re going to have to work on this whole ‘clinginess’ thing,” she complained. When she tried to grab her pillow to cuddle, Scar tossed it to the end of the bed and then took its place. Tally nuzzled the side of her face into his pectoral. “Tomorrow,” she decided, placing a palm on his cheek. “We’ll work on it tomorrow.”

Scar’s lips twitched and he craned his neck to place a kiss atop her wet hair.

They were silent for a long while. Her breathing evened out, and Scar had assumed she was asleep, but then she spoke.

“Is he dead?”

Scar didn’t bother to open his eyes. The room was dark enough where he wouldn’t have been able to see her features clearly anyway. He was not surprised she’d figured out he’d been with her father the previous evening and most of the night. Likely, she smelled the blood on him prior to their shower. Not all of it was her father’s either. He’d split his knuckles open from the amount of force and repetition he’d put into the blows.

Slowly, he shook his head. She would feel the motion with her hand.

“Do the other women know there’s a secret room below the clubhouse floor?”

His chest quaked beneath her with silent laughter. Fuck, he loved how smart his woman was. It must have something to do with her echolocation. Was she able to tell the difference in the floor boards or perhaps hear the hollow room below? He wanted to learn how to use his ears as she did hers.

Again, he shook his head.

Tally sighed, pulling away from him to sit up. Scar immediately sat upright, reaching for her. He picked her up and set her on his lap so they were chest to chest. His cock was hard, because it always was around her, but he did not place himself inside or rub her sensuously. Even he wasn’t twisted enough to have a conversation about her father while fucking her.

Tally ran her fingers through his drying hair. “I want to see him, Scar. I need to talk to him.”

Scar wasn’t sure that was a good idea. He didn’t care about her talking to her dad, about making her peace with the man’s pending demise, but there was no way he was taking Tally down into the cellar. He did not want to taint her with the likes of that place.

But it was late enough—or early enough, based on one’s perspective—where he could bring Alpha out of the cellar and no one would be the wiser.

She leaned forward and kissed his lips. “Thank you.”

It really should bother him that she could read him so well, but there was something to be said for having no secrets from your partner. Even inside your own head.

* * *

When Tally wentto put a pair of flats on, Scar stopped her and handed her sneakers instead. Not only did they need to be stealthy, but he wanted her feet to be protected.

He had her wait outside on the back patio while he went to retrieve her father. Alpha was a bloody mess. Personally, Scar didn’t care, but he couldn’t leave a trail of blood leading through the clubhouse.

The prospects kept buckets of water below, as there was no immediate water source. Scar poured several on Alpha to wake him up and to wash away most of the crimson. He also threw some water on Nathan Moore, because why the hell not.

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