Page 98 of Scarred Sins
“Thank you.’’
Noelle shakes her head. “Don’t thank me. Thank yourself. Yes, we trained you, but it’s your effort and hard work that made you improve. You’re very strong-willed, and it’s admirable, truly.’’
Pride blooms in my chest. Hearing praise from Noelle is vastly different than it coming from Arlo or Hudson. It has deeper meaning, and the effect is immediate. A smile forms on my lips, mirroring the one on her face.
“Look,’’ she starts speaking, patting the seat next to her on the bench. I sit, looking at her. “I don’t know exactly what you’ve gone through with Simmons and Adams, but it’s not hard to piece the details together. I just want you to know that you have our full support here. The moment Arlo chose you as someone he would be willing to risk his life for, you became a part of our family, and we’ll treat you as such.’’
My throat tightens, the raw emotions on her tongue hitting me right where it hurts the most. Yet, it feels almost healing. Like a small part of me had been put back together at the mere sound of her soft voice. My eyes swell with tears, and I can’t hold them back.
Gently, Noelle brushes them off with her thumbs, giving me a small smile.
“Thank you,’’ I whisper.
“You need to stop thanking people for every little thing.’’
I shake my head. “This isn’t something small. I’ll never be able to express how much this means to me and how lucky I’m feeling to have met you, all of you.’’
“Tonight, you’ll rest. Tomorrow, Hudson has called for the planning meeting. I’ll need you with a clear head because you may not see it, but you’re very intelligent, and we’ll need your input. This is your life, too.’’
“I’m just scared of messing up.’’
Her brows narrow. “Messing what up? If you mess up, we’ll clean up after you. Mistakes happen – I’ve made more than I could possibly count. But we’re family, and we’ll have your back first and foremost.’’
More tears start to flow freely down my cheeks. I can’t remember a single instance from my childhood where my mother was loving. Before she started selling me to various men to use me, she was physically and mentally abusive.
Yet, this woman in front of me is treating me like I’m one of her children. Something twists in the pit of my stomach, and my eyes gloss up from the tears. Gently, Noelle pulls me into a hug, and for the first time in what seems to be years, I break down.
My tears coat her shirt, and she just hugs me tighter, her hand softly stroking my back, while the other one rests on the back of my head. She smells so comforting, like home. She’s everything I imagine a good mother would be, with or without their business.
She pulls back after a few minutes, again wiping my tears.
“I need you to know that none of it was your fault, Blair,’’ her voice is tender, much like her touch. “Your mother was a monster, and your stepfather was even worse. You did well by killing them. You did well by surviving that hellhole. You did well by surviving, Blair. I’m very proud of you.’’
That only makes me cry harder. I hate being seen as vulnerable. I never had anyone to trust, depend on, or lean on until I met this entire family. I’d bottle up my feelings and then have a breakdown, and on repeat. I never had anyone except Arlo tell me they were proud of me, to tell me that I was right to kill my parents.
There’s not an ounce of falsehood in her eyes, and the stern look she throws my way tells me not to question her. With a simple nod, I brush off my tears, wiping them with the hem of the shirt she gave me.
No matter what, I won’t fail these people. They gave me a place to call home, somewhere I could feel safe, and a family to come back to. I won’t risk losing them over my own stupidity. Paul Simmons and Nelson Adams will regret the day they ever encountered me, the day they took part in the horrid abuse I’d been put through.
And no matter what, I won’t allow these people to suffer. I’ve finally found a place where I feel like I belong, and nothing will take them away from me. Not Adams, not Simmons – not anyone.
Even if it costs me my own life.
TWENTY-NINE
There are only a handful of people in the base. Otherwise, it’s been deserted. Hudson and Noelle are sitting at each head of the wide table, and the rest slowly start pouring in. Aria, however, is a bit further away, on the couch. It’s clear she’s there only to listen and be filled in and not to actively participate in the discussion.
Cove’s sitting next to Arlo, two seats away from me. Freya’s there, looking bored and fiddling with the ends of her hair. She doesn’t engage in any sort of chit-chat, no matter how many times people have tried to get a word out of her. Just like Cove. I don’t think he’s spoken more than four words in total in the past hour and a half since we’ve been here.
Two men, whose names I learned to be Lucas and Nikolas, Arlo’s uncles, are sitting across from me, with another two men who look to be around my age.
One of them, Raven Knight, looks like he’s a life-size doll. Dark, curly hair that reaches just below his shoulders, a build so good that I had to do a double-take. High cheekbones, arched brows, and plump lips, with a small heart tattoo right below his left eye. His eyes are in the lightest shade of blue, almost looking translucent. He’s the sniper that will be with us during the stakeout, hidden in plain sight.
Next to him is a man that could only be described as an enigma. I don’t know his name, and even his face is barely visible. He has a thick, dark hoodie on and a hat, effectively covering half his face, head hung low. He goes by the name – or latter letter – X. That’s it. Even Arlo couldn’t provide more details than that. Apparently, he’ll be sent inside Simmons’ operation as an undercover agent; hence, he’s here to listen. How they are planning to do that, I have no idea.
One spot remains empty, right next to Freya. Noelle’s phone buzzes, and with a sigh, she shakes her head, then locks the phone, putting it back in her pocket and glancing all around the table.
“Jewel won’t be joining us today,’’ she says.
