Page 57 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable

Zane

Ileanagainstthewall, still riding the high of watching Sunny's training session. The sound of the shower running upstairs provides a steady backdrop to our conversation. My chest swells with pride when I replay it in my mind.

"She's a natural," Chase says, sprawled across the armchair. "It's amazing how quickly she picked everything up."

"The way she powered through that chokehold drill..." Ty shakes his head. "That took guts."

I exchange a look with Levi. The tension in his shoulders has eased since Sunny went up to shower, but he's still unusually quiet

"You were right," he admits. "She needed this."

"Like there was any doubt." I smirk, earning an eye roll from him.

The familiar creak of floorboards signals Colt's arrival before he appears in the doorway. One look at his face and the tension is back. All these years working together means I can read thesubtle shifts in his expression—the tight line of his mouth, the controlled breathing.

"We have a problem." Colt's voice carries that deadly calm that precedes catastrophe. "A big one."

The temperature of the room seems to drop. Chase and Ty straighten in their seats while Levi pushes off the wall he was leaning against.

"What kind?" I keep my voice level, though my pulse raises as Colt pulls out his tablet.

The shower upstairs has stopped running, and I catch myself tracking Sunny's movements through the ceiling—a habit I've developed since bringing her home.

"Wolf and I have been monitoring Garrett's finances," Colt starts, his fingers dancing across the screen. "Looking for any slip-ups, any pattern we could use."

"And?" Levi's voice carries that dangerous edge I recognize from our darker jobs.

"He's liquidating everything." Colt turns the tablet, showing us transaction records. “Over the past forty-eight hours, he's started converting almost everything into crypto. Properties, accounts, investments—all of it."

Chase leans forward. "That's not exactly subtle."

"Because he doesn't care about being subtle anymore." My jaw clenches as I study the numbers. "He's preparing for something."

"That's not the worst part." Colt's thumb swipes across the screen, and a pit settles into my stomach. Crime scene photos fill the display—three women, laid out like broken dolls. The cuts are precise, methodical. Left clavicle to right rib, just like—

"I recognize these women," Ty breathes. "They’re ones we helped relocate and reunite with family after the raid."

I remember each of their faces from that night—terrified, but hopeful as we helped them escape. Now they're being used to send us a message.

"Strangulation," Colt confirms what I can already see. "Then cut. Same pattern as—"

"Don't." Levi's voice cracks like a whip. We all know what he's going to say.

"He's cleaning house," I say, my mind already racing through scenarios. "Making sure there aren’t any loose ends, no witnesses. But he's also—"

"Making sure we know he's there," Levi finishes. The rage in his voice mirroring mine.

Footsteps on the stairs make us all freeze. I catch Colt's eye and he quickly switches the tablet off as Sunny appears in the doorway, hair damp from her shower. The sight of her—alive, healing,ours—makes the crime scene photos even more horrific.

"What's wrong?" She asks, immediately reading the tension in the room.

I cross to her, placing myself between her and Chase and the grotesque evidence he's gathered.

"Just some business," I say, letting my hand rest on her hip. The contact centers me, helps focus me on what's at stake.

"Liar," she says softly, but doesn't push.

Sunny stretches up on her toes, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. The gentle trust in that gesture makes my chest ache with everything we're keeping from her.

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