Page 13 of Mars

She nodded and sighed.“Maybe.Crush is the computer person for Grim Road.Dad kept me away from men in Grim Road and I never knew more than their road names, but I met Crush a few times.”She lowered her gaze and looked away.“Right before Dad gave me to Hammer and we ended up here.”

I looked up at Stitches, whose expression had hardened.It was sounding more and more like Claw had sold out his daughter.I knew I was supposed to reserve judgment until Wylde gave us as many facts as he could, but this whole situation was fucking jacked up to shit and back.

“How about we take it one step at a time.All right?”Stitches gave her a reassuring smile, but I still bristled.Once again, I couldn’t stop the growl that emerged from my throat.

Scarlet’s smile was quickly smothered, but not before I noticed.“You think this is funny?”I wasn’t certain I kept from scowling at the poor girl, but she didn’t seem to mind.Instead, she gave me a full-on smile, one she gave up fighting.

“Maybe a little.”Her voice, though soft and a little tentative, wrapped around my heart and squeezed.“But I promise I’ll be scared if it will save your reputation.”

Stitches outright guffawed at that.I ignored him and gave her a crisp nod.“See that you do.My brothers’ll never let me live it down if they knew you laughed at me.”

“Well, if you promise not to leave me alone, your secret’s safe with me.”She still smiled, but now her lips quivered slightly as if she were trying to fight off tears.

“Baby.”I brushed my finger along her cheek, catching one tear that fell from her eye.“I’m with you as long as you need me to be.”

Without another word, Scarlet reached for me.I gladly pulled her into my arms and held her while Stitches met my gaze and nodded.

“I’ll tell Sting.If you need me, you know where to find me.I’ll set up the X-ray for later tonight.In the meantime, see she drinks plenty of water and gets some rest.”

“Tell the old ladies she’ll need some shit.”I stood with Scarlet’s arms wrapped tightly around me.I couldn’t say I didn’t cling to her, though I tried to be mindful of her bruised and battered body.

“I will.I’ll have them leave everything outside your door.That way she won’t be disturbed.”

“Text me when you’re ready to go for the X-ray.”

“Will do.”

As I took her to my room in the clubhouse, I murmured to her, rubbing her back with one hand as we went.“I promise I’ll be with you, Scarlet.I won’t let you out of my sight for any reason.”

She didn’t answer and I could feel her body trembling.Dampness bled through my shirt and I knew she was crying.

So help me God, if it was the last thing I did, I was gonna murder that fucking fuck stick, Hammer.In unspeakable ways.

“Baby, I swear to you, Hammer’s gonna endure every single thing he ever did to you.That’s how he’s gonna die.What he did to you will be done to him three times over because he’s three times your size.”

“You don’t --”

“Hush, baby.I know I don’t have to.But I’m gonna.He’s gonna bleed.Then he’s gonna die.Hard.”

She didn’t say anything else until we stepped inside my room and I shut the door.Then she pulled back slightly to look at me.

“All right.”

“All right?”

“Make him die hard, Mars.Hard as you can.”

“I promise.I’ll do it with my bare hands.”

Chapter Seven

Scarlet

Sting didn’t hear back from my father.Not in the week I’d been with Mars in the Iron Tzars compound.It was surprising, as well as painful as hell.The longer things went on, the more I was convinced Claw had known exactly what was happening and didn’t care.I was starting to question my whole life to this point.Thank God, the X-ray Stitches had taken didn’t show any broken ribs or a punctured lung.It was one of the few things that had gone right, it seemed.

The only thing holding me together was Mars.The man hadn’t left my side and I was growing entirely too dependent on him.And I wouldn’t have it any other way.At first, he’d treated me like he was afraid I’d break at the drop of a hat.But as the days went by, my injuries healed and I grew more comfortable around everyone in the compound.Lemon and Apple were also not far from me most of the time.Only when they had to go to school, and they always made a point to come find me when they got home.Sting had decided it best I stay at the compound until they found Hammer and took care of him, and I agreed.After experiencing what it was like to truly be cared for by a man, I knew I’d die if Hammer took me back.Literally.

“How you doin’, honey?”

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