Page 85 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable

"We'll find her." Z says it like a prayer. "We have to find her."

But we both know with each passing minute, the chances of that get smaller. And somewhere out there, that sadistic bastard has both her and Jade now.

I slam my fist into the wall, welcoming the pain. Better than this helpless terror. Better than imagining what he's doing to her while we stand here useless.

"I'm sorry, Angel," I whisper. "I'm so fucking sorry."

Zane

Ican'tstopstaringat the letter she left. The words blur together after reading them for the hundredth time, but I keep coming back to that one line:'I did my best to make it as easy for you as I could.'

The house feels like a tomb. Levi's rage echoes through every room. Colt hasn't spoken in hours, just sits at his station with dead eyes. Even Chase and Wolf are silent as they work.

My hands shake as I try to focus on the security feeds. The tactical part of my brain— the part that's kept us alive all these years—feels wrapped in cotton. All I can think about is her face right before we left her and went downstairs. Did she know then? Was she already planning this?

"Fuck!" I slam my fist against the desk. She had to know Garrett would never actually make a trade like that. She's too smart not to realize he'll keep them both. Which means she went anyway, walked straight into his trap to buy us time or...

The letter crumples in my grip. Something about that line keeps nagging at me. Make it easy for us to do what exactly? Tracking her phone had gotten us nowhere. He's either blocking the signal or it's been destroyed. Either way it's worthless to us.

And then it hits me.

The jacket.

Three days ago, right after Jade was taken, I slipped a tracker into her favorite denim jacket. Told her to keep it close, just in case. At the time, it was more about making her feel a little safer than thinking it would be something she’d need.

I bolt from my chair, and fly up the stairs. Our room still smells like her—that mix of vanilla and flowers that clings to everything she touches. The closet door stands open, hangers askew.

It's gone. The jacket’s gone.

"Levi!" My voice booms through the house. "LEVI!"

He appears in the doorway, eyes wild, knuckles bloody. "What?"

"The tracker." I'm already pulling up the app on my phone. "She took it."

His expression shifts from confusion, to hazy understanding to relief. "Our clever girl."

"We're not flying blind." I can't help the grin spreading across my face. "She left us breadcrumbs."

"BOSS!" Wolf's voice carries from downstairs. "Car at the gate!"

We thunder down to the security room, crowding around the monitors. A black sedan with heavily tinted windows sits idling at the newly repaired at gate. The plates are blacked out.

The back door opens and a body hits the ground hard. Black hair spills across the dirt.

"Jade." Colt's voice breaks on her name. He's already moving, chair clattering behind him.

"Colt, wait—" But he's gone, tearing through the house like hellfire.

I grab the radio. "Everyone! Keep your eyes on that car. Do not engage unless they make hostile moves. Let's not spook them while Colt's exposed. While Jade's exposed."

The feed shows Colt reaching Jade, gathering her into his arms. She's moving, alive at least. The sedan peels away, leaving rubber on asphalt.

"Wolf, get medical ready." I keep my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me. "Chase, Rex—sweep the perimeter. Make sure this isn't another distraction."

Levi grabs my arm, eyes fierce. "Z, the tracker—"

"Already on it." I pull up the app again. The signal is strong, moving steadily northeast. "She knew exactly what she was doing."

---