Page 84 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable

"Get some rest," Z says, his eyes still fixed on the screens. "I've got this."

I don't argue. My feet feel like lead as I climb the stairs. The house is quiet except for muffled voices from the kitchen where Chase and Wolf are taking a break.

The bedroom door creaks when I push it open. "Angel?"

The bed is empty. My heart skips but I force down the immediate panic. She's probably wandered downstairs, maybe even felt well enough to eat something. God knows she needs it.

I check the bathroom. Nothing.

Back down the stairs, scanning the living room. Empty.

"Anyone seen Sunny?" I call out, trying to keep the rising feeling of panic settling in my gut under control.

Rex looks up from his laptop. "Not since yesterday."

The kitchen is empty except for Wolf making coffee. He shakes his head before I can ask.

My chest tightens as I move faster through the house. "Sunny?" Each empty room ratchets up my pulse, my voice getting louder. "SUNNY!"

Z appears in the hallway, tension visible in his shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"She's not in our room. Nobody's seen her." The words come out choked.

"She has to be here somewhere." But I hear the edge of fear in his voice too.

We split up, searching every room, every closet. My calls for her get more desperate with each empty space. This can't be happening. There is no way she's gone.

When I burst back into our bedroom, something catches my eye on the bed. A folded piece of paper. My hands shake as I pick it up.

Z comes in behind me. "Levi?"

I can barely read the words through my blurring vision.

"No." The paper crumples in my fist. "She wouldn't do that. There's no way she—."

Z grabs the note, scanning it quickly. His face goes pale. "The override codes. We gave her everything she needed...”

"How long?" My voice sounds strange in my ears. "How fucking long has she been gone?"

He checks his phone. "We were the last ones to see her. Right before we went downstairs...fuck. Maybe four, five hours ago."

The room spins. Four hours. She's been with that monster for four hours while we sat here staring at blacked out fucking security screens.

"We have to find her." I'm already moving, though I have no idea where. "Now."

"Levi." Z's hand catches my arm. His grip is iron but his voice shakes. "She could've left four hours ago. She could be anywhere by now."

"I don't care." I wrench away from him. "I'm not losing her again. I can't lose her Z."

But we both know the truth. We didn't lose her. She left. Willingly.

We gave her the tools—we gave her everything she needed to sacrifice herself. We were so focused on keeping threats out that we never seriously considered we'd need to keep her in. Now she's gone. She walked right out the door and into Garrett's hands.

"I'll get Wolf and Colt." Z's voice is hollow. "Start checking traffic cams, put out alerts to our contacts."

I stare at the crumpled note in my hand, remembering how small and broken she looked these past days. How we thought we were protecting her by giving her those codes.

Instead we taught her exactly how to slip away from us.

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