Page 80 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable

She starts rocking slightly, a movement so subtle I almost miss it. But Levi sees it too—his face goes white.

"I should just go to him." The words come out mechanical, rehearsed. "Before anyone else gets hurt. Before he—"

"No." Levi's on his feet, panic clear in his voice. "No, Angel, don't talk like that. Don't you dare—"

This is exactly what Garrett wants—to break her spirit, make her believe she has no choice but to go back to him. And watching her slip away like this, seeing her retreat back into that shell...

"You're not going anywhere." I make my voice firm, commanding—the tone that usually centers her. "You hear me, Angel? We're not letting you go. Not now, not ever."

But she just keeps rocking, keeps staring through us like we're not even there. And for the first time since we found her, I'm truly terrified. I don't know if we can reach her this time.

Levi catches my eye, his face a mirror of my own fear. We both know what's at stake. Both know that if we lose her to this darkness, Garrett wins, and we may never get her back. Neither of us knows how to fight an enemy we can't see—the voices in her head telling her she deserves this, that it's all her fault.

"Wolf needs me in the security room." I hate to leave her like this, but we need whatever lead he's found. To Levi, I add quietly, "Don't let her out of your sight. Not for a second."

He nods, settling back beside her chair. But as I head for the door, I hear her whisper again:

"You need to let me go."

Chapter Thirty-Five

Sunny

Ifloatsomewherebetweenwaking and sleeping, time slipping past me like water through my fingers. The ceiling above me blurs, comes into focus, blurs again. My body feels heavy. Someone's talking in the hallway—updates about another dead end.

Three days. Jade's been gone three days.

I close my eyes against the burning sensation of tears I can't shed anymore. The mattress dips beside me, and Zane's familiar scent wraps around me as he pulls me up against his chest.

"Angel, you need to drink something."

I hear the words but I don't care about them. I know I should respond, should take the water he's offering, but my muscles don't want to obey. Everything feels too hard, too heavy.

"Please, sweet girl."

The glass touches my lips. I swallow automatically, the cool liquid sliding down my throat. Somewhere downstairs,something crashes. Colt's voice rises in frustration, followed by the sound of breaking glass.

His pain? All that wasted concern? My fault. All my fault.

I want to tell them I'm fine, that they shouldn't waste time worrying about me when Jade is out there somewhere withhim. But the words stick in my throat, trapped behind the crushing weight of reality.

How stupid I was, thinking I could have this—have them. Thinking I deserved love, safety, family. Garrett's voice echoes in my head, years of whispered truths I've fought so hard to deny—to not believe.

But, I was wrong. About all of it.

You're mine or you're dead, Princess.

I've always belonged to him. Always will.

Later, minutes or hours, I can't tell—I'm in the shower. Levi's hands are gentle as he washes my hair, but I flinch anyway. Not from him—from the memory of other hands, cruel hands. Hands that have owned me for as long as I can remember.

"I've got you, baby." His voice breaks on the endearment.

But he doesn't. Neither of them do. They never did. They only thought they rescued me. I've never been anything more than a puppet, dancing on the strings that Garrett pulled. Every moment, every breath, everyeverything—he was there.

The water turns off. Zane wraps me in a towel, helps me dress in soft clothes that smell like him. They're so careful with me, and I know they love me, but…

I'm toxic. Contaminated. I'm destroying them little by little just by existing. I shouldn't be here.

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