Page 75 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable

The routine feels almost normal now—Jade and Colt's nightly whiskey, the rotation of security shifts, the constant vigilance that's become our way of life. Through the cameras, I watch Chase take up his position on the north corner of the roof while Ty takes his team and heads out to patrol the perimeter. Sometimes I wonder how long we can keep this up.

My fingers move automatically across the keyboard, cycling through different views, different angles. The property looks peaceful in the dark, but I know better than to trust appearances.

"Thermal's clear on all quadrants," I report, more for the log than Levi's benefit. He can see the screens just as well as I can.

The door opens behind us, and Wolf steps back in briefly. "Team's in position. Rex is taking point on the east side tonight."

I nod without looking away from the monitors. Another night of watching, waiting. My coffee's already cold, but I drink it anyway. The bitter taste keeps me alert.

Through the cameras, I watch Colt greet Jade on the porch—right on time. Everything's running like clockwork, exactly as it should. Just another quiet night.

I lean back in my chair, watching Colt and Jade through the security feed. It's good to see Colt so genuinely happy. It's been a long time coming for him. I watch as he leans in to whisper something in Jade's ear. She tosses her head back laughing before pressing her lips to his.

That's when movement on one of the monitors catches my eye.

A delivery truck barrels down the access road at full throttle. It doesn't slow as it takes the turn into our drive, tires lifting as it takes the corner. The reinforced metal gate—three inches of tested hardened steel—crumples like aluminum foil as the truck punches through.

Alarms shriek to life as I lunge forward, fingers flying across the keyboard to cycle through camera angles. On screen, our security team scrambles for cover as the truck plows forward, spitting gravel and twisted metal in its wake.

"Contact, front gate!" Chase's voice crackles through the comms as the truck grinds to a halt. "Two on foot, heading east!"

My fingers pound the keys, tracking the suspects through different camera angles. "Copy that. Rex, Ty—intercept from the east. Do not let them circle around."

The truck sits abandoned in our driveway, smoke beginning to curl from under its hood. Something about this feels wrong. Too easy. Too obvious.

"Everyone clear the area around that vehicle," I bark into the comm. "Chase, fall back. Now."

Levi's already coordinating with Wolf, his voice tight with controlled urgency. "Get eyes on those runners. They're pushing us somewhere."

The explosion lights up every monitor in violent orange and yellow. The blast wave sets off another round of alarms, and I know we've only got minutes at most before local law enforcement responds.

"Colt," Levi snaps into his comm. "We need you out front. That explosion's going to bring every cop in three counties."

Through the porch camera, I watch Colt gesture sharply at the door, clearly ordering Jade inside. She hesitates for only a moment before complying. I see her reach for the keypad, fingers moving to enter the code. Satisfied she's safe, I switch my attention to other feeds.

"Status report, all positions," I demand, cycling through thermal imaging. The runners have disappeared into the tree line.

"East sector clear," Rex reports.

"North roof secure," from Chase.

I pull up the underground sensor grid, checking for vibration patterns. Nothing. But those runners moved with purpose, like they wanted us to follow.

"Wolf, coordinate with Rex and Ty. Grid pattern sweep of the east woods, but maintain distance. This feels wrong."

The radio crackles with acknowledgments as I split my attention between multiple camera feeds. Local police will be here any minute. The explosion site is still burning, casting long shadows across our normally secure compound.

Some of the tension leaves my shoulders, but I keep scanning feeds, coordinating our men. The attack was too precise, too calculated. This had to be about more than breaching our perimeter.

Through the monitors, I watch Colt position himself at the front gate, already preparing his story for the approaching sirens. Our security team maintains their sweep pattern in the woods, but I know they won't find anything.

I grab Levi's arm as he moves toward the door. "We need to handle this first."

"Like hell. I'm checking on Sunny." His muscles tense under my grip.

"She's safe upstairs. Three cameras in the hall, motion sensors on every window." I pull up the feed showing her room's exterior. "The threat isn't there right now."

"Z—" His voice carries a warning.

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