Page 59 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable

Her breath catches. "He's preparing for something."

"Yes." I swipe to the next screen, carefully edited to show only the essential details of the murders. "And he's sending messages."

The color drains from her face as she takes in the information. Her fingers dig into my thigh, but she doesn't look away. "These are... these were the women from the warehouse?"

"The ones we helped," Levi confirms, his voice tight with rage. "It seems he's hunting them down."

Sunny's hand flies to her mouth, and for a moment I think she might be sick. But then something shifts in her expression—horror giving way to fury. "That asshole," she whispers. "Those poor girls thought they were finally safe."

"Angel—" I start, but she cuts me off.

"No." She stands abruptly, starting to pace like Levi. "No, don't try to soften this. He's killing them because of me, isn't he? Because you rescued me? Took me away from him again."

"This isn't your fault," I say firmly, rising to intercept her pacing. "None of this is on you."

"He's recreating what he did to me." Her voice cracks, but her eyes stay fierce. "Practicing. Getting it perfect for when he finally—" She breaks off, shaking her head. "What's the plan?"

The question catches us both off guard. I expected tears, panic, maybe even that frozen state she falls into when triggered. Not this calculated anger.

"We're working on tracking his movements," Levi explains, moving closer. "The financial trails, surveillance—"

"No." Sunny's voice cuts through Levi's. "I want to know what you're going to do to stop him. Because we all know he's not going to stop. Not until he's dead or has me back."

Pride and fear both well up inside my chest as I watch her. This is my girl—a fighter to be sure. But the thought of her anywhere near Garrett makes my blood run cold.

"We'll handle it," I say, trying to keep my voice gentle but firm. "You don't need—"

"Don't." Her eyes flash dangerously. "Don't you dare try to sideline me on this. Not after what you just showed me." She gestures to the tablet. "Those women are dead because of me. Because he's obsessed with me. I won't sit back and let you handle it by yourselves while more people get hurt."

"Sunny," Levi starts, but she rounds on him.

"No. You both promised—no more making decisions about my safety without me. Remember?"

I watch Sunny's chest heave with emotion, her small frame vibrating with barely contained fury. No matter how I feel about it, she's right—we promised not to make these decisions without her.

"Come here," I say softly, opening my arms. For a moment she stays rigid, but then practically collapses against my chest. Levi moves behind her, sandwiching her between us.

"We'll find him," I murmur into her hair, breathing in her familiar scent. "And this time, we'll make sure he can never hurt anyone again."

"I can't—" Her voice breaks. "I can't have more blood on my hands. I can't have him hurt anyone else because of me. Those women..."

"Hey." Levi's voice is rough with emotion as he strokes her back. "Their blood is on his hands, not yours. Every single drop."

I tilt her chin up, making her meet my eyes. "Listen to me, Angel. We're going to stop him. We'll figure this out."

Her fingers curl into my shirt. "Promise me. Promise you won't shut me out of this."

"We won’t," I say.

"We'll have a plan," Levi adds, his hand finding hers. "A real one. No charging in blind with guns blazing, getting our people hurt. And this time we won’t underestimate him."

I feel her small nod against my chest. "Tell me everything you know. Every detail, every theory. I might see something you missed."

"First thing tomorrow," I agree. "Full briefing with everyone. Your insight's invaluable—you know how he thinks better than anyone."

She shudders slightly at that, but straightens her spine. "Good. Because I'm done being afraid. Done letting him control my life."

This is my girl—fierce and unbroken despite everything. I press a kiss to her temple, letting my lips linger against her skin.

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