Page 18 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable

She wrings her hands, staring at the table. "She... she calls out—talks sometimes. Usually right after I'm called to sedate her when she needs it. Before the meds kick in. She says two names over and over. Levi and Zane."

The room goes still, silent. My chest seizes, and my knees feel ready to buckle. The physical pain her words cause must be written all over my face.

"I take it that's you two," she says as she nods at us in turn.

"At least I can do this much for her." The words are said under her breath before she continues. "Every time I've seen her she's pretty out of it. It’s not often I’m sent in alone, mind you, but it happens. Each time I have been she’s begged me to deliver a message to you. If I ever got the chance. In case… " She lowers her eyes to the table and the words trail off. The meaning is clear.

"She wanted me to tell Zane thank you for teaching her how to breathe through the worst parts." She pauses, as if each word is a heavy weight she's finally letting go of. "And to tell Levi she thinks a lot about the day at the lake when he kissed her. She forgives you for everything. She misses you both."

The message crushes me, but it devastates Levi. He sways as if he can hardly stay on his feet. His white-knuckled grip on the counter is the only thing keeping him upright.

Colt watches us implode. "Give us a minute," he says quietly, guiding the nurse to her feet and out to the living room.

The silence is deafening. Neither of us can look at each other, both choking on her words. Thirty days of not knowing if she was alive, and now this—confirmation that rips us apart.

When Levi finally speaks, his voice is low, dangerous. "We're going to find her."

I push away from the wall, throat tight with everything I can't say, and nod to Colt. Time to get answers. He brings the nurse back.

"Start from the beginning." I pull out the chair and sit across from her. "Everything."

She sighs deeply, wringing her hands in front of her on the table. "I'm one of the rotation nurses. We handle aftercare at the houses, check on the girls before..." She swallows hard. "Before they're relocated."

"But your girl's not at any of those houses," she continues. "She's being kept in a warehouse. Here in town. It's where they bring girls who need a higher level of care for a while. Extra medical attention. More time… to adjust."

Levi looms over her. "Which warehouse? Where?"

"I—I don't know exactly. They blindfold me for most of the drive. But it's in the industrial district, past the old meat packing plant. I can tell by the smell. They're cautious." Her hands shakeharder. "I've memorized the door codes though. She's on the lowest level, separate from the others. Private room."

"Her condition?" My voice comes out rougher than intended.

The nurse pales. "She's... she's alive. But..."

She catalogues Sunny's injuries for us—bruised or broken ribs, cuts, deep tissue bruising. Systematic torture designed to break someone down without killing them. "Sometimes, more so lately, we have to sedate her. The pain—"

"Why come forward now?" Levi's teeth grind as he grits the words out between them.

"When I started, it was for the money." She looks down. "I mean it's bad what happens to those girls, but I made peace with it by telling myself that at least I was making sure they're not in pain, not suffering and are well taken care of before... "

She lowers her eyes, focusing them on her hands. "But, truthfully—I can't... I can't keep doing it. Can't keep watching what happens. Especially what he does to her. I mean all of it's bad, don't get me wrong. But with her it's… different. It's personal."

"Your kids." I dip my head, catching her eyes, bringing them up to look at me. She needs to know how serious I am right now. "You understand what happens if you're lying?"

She nods, tears spilling. "I know. But she... she doesn't deserve this. None of them do. I can't live with myself anymore."

After she leaves, we gather around the maps again. The industrial district spans several blocks, but her directions narrow it down.

"We'll find her." Colt's voice is firm. "We know she's alive. We know she's close."

I stare at the map, memorizing every possible route, every warehouse that fits the description. Sunny's message echoes in my head—thank you for teaching her to breathe. It brings backthat morning when she woke up with her head on my shoulder and I realized I wanted to be her person.

Levi hasn't spoken since the nurse left. His eyes are fixed on the photo of Sunny, taken long before Garrett took her. Before all this started.

We have a general location now. We have the codes to get inside. It's more than we had this morning.

Soon, I silently promise both Sunny and myself. Soon this ends.

Chapter Nine

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