by Samantha Bee
Her hips lift off the bed to meet me thrust for thrust, her tits sway with the force of our combined movements, and still. It's not enough. I lift one of her legs and let it rest on my shoulder, stretching her even wider as I move even deeper within her.
Her fists ball up the sheets as she cries out every time I bottom out into her. Every noise and cry she makes, takes my need higher. Makes my moves just a little bit more savage. I have one hand holding her hips in a bruising grip as I use it to leverage myself as my pace picks up. I release her leg with my other hand as I reach down and tweak first one nipple and then the other.
I love the way her eyes widen before closing in their desire. I'm obsessed with the way her mouth parts and her breath comes out in quick pants. I reach back and grab the leg that rests on my shoulder once more, testing her flexibility as I ease it towards her.
I groan at the way her body easily flows into the position I want her. I guess I should have known by the way she works that pole. She practically bends in half for me, her knee just next to her ear, changing the position all over again.
I can no longer hold back as I feel myself getting close. My thrusts come quicker. I release her hip and start thrumming her clit just as I yell out. I keep my movements steady even as my own orgasm rocks through me, until I feel hers crash through her.
As soon as I feel her body relax, I pull out of her and ease her leg back down. I gather her in my arms and flip us over so that she can easily cuddle into my chest. It's not an unfamiliar position after so many nights sharing the same bed.
The added intimacy of our new relationship takes it all that much higher. I've loved being Scarlett's friend. If I had any doubts that pursuing this was risking the friendship we had, I never would have risked it. But I'm a firm believer in having my cake and eating it too.
She bangs her head against my chest and grimaces. She meets my eyes and has this look of absolute dread on her face. "Ah fuck," she groans, balling her fists to her eyes. I grin, having a feeling about what is coming next. "Now we have to talk."
Called it.
“Wanna go for round two before we talk?” I tease. Her eyes light up. I laugh as she considers it. This woman is insatiable. I guess it’s good she has five men to take care of her needs.
After another moment’s consideration she shakes her head. “There’s too much we need to talk about.” The lightness in her voice is gone. I wish I could lock us in this little bubble for a little bit longer, but I know that we all need this. And time is still of the essence.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
She paces back and forth in front of us. Wringing her hands before relaxing and then flexing them out once more. Again and again.
I know I shouldn't be as amused by this as I currently am, but I can't help it. She's absolutely terrified that they won't accept her, but they're both just patiently waiting for her to give them the chance to do exactly that.
Especially after she just let D finally give her the D. It's about goddamn time, to be honest. I swear, even I was getting blue balls from watching those two dance around each other. And I get laid on the regular.
She sighs as she finally stops moving, coming to stand just in front of Declan and Noah.
"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it."
We all wait, but nothing comes out of her mouth. She just goes back to wringing her hands. Fuck. I should have made some popcorn to go with this. I've never seen Scar so unsure of herself in all the time that I've known her. Even back when she was just Letty to us. Before she became this fierce, badass criminal. She always had this quiet confidence that carried through every action, every word, every look.
It's only made funnier because they know what is coming and even they are trying to fight their expressions of amusement. If Scar got out of her head for even half a second, she would realize the atmosphere of the room is anything but tense. We are all just giving her the time to sort this out in her head. If she has confidence in anything, it should be us. None of us would be able to turn our backs on her. Even if we weren't sure about the rest. We would learn to embrace the dark for her.
Her face twists and my lips twitch. She closes her eyes and blurts, "I kill people."
I do my best to cover the snort of laughter with a cough, but by the dirty look she throws me, I know I've failed. I'll be paying for that little slip later, but for now her focus is back on the other two. At least they were able to hide their own reactions. I know for a fact I'm not the only one who immediately thought of the sixth sense kid with the way she said that.
The thought alone makes me turn away from them so I can tamper down my laughter. Ryder catches my eye and is openly grinning from where he stands behind Scar. Fucker. He's enjoying this and doesn't even have to worry about facing her wrath.
Luca looks between the two of us and rolls his eyes. I can practically hear him calling us children in his head. I school my expression before turning back and catch Noah and Declan trading their own looks. They have a silent conversation before giving each other slight nods.
They turn back to Scar and in perfect synchronization answer her. "We know."
She rears back like she's been slapped. Her eyes widen and her mouth parts open in shock. It's clear she wasn't expecting that reaction. I bite down on my fist to keep quiet. Noah's lips twitch as he catches sight of my face, but he's quick to relax his features.
"The fuck do you mean you know?" she demands, looking back and forth between the two of them.
They both shrug but it's Declan who responds first. "I always recognized you for the predator you are. The bag of bloody clothes just confirmed what I already knew."
"You saw that?" she exclaims. I'm assuming it must have been something that happened before she came back to us. I've never heard about any bloody bag. She seems to know the exact moment he's talking about though. "You acted like nothing was wrong." Her eyes narrow on him in accusation.
He smirks at her, giving her a cocky little look. "Nothing was wrong. I already knew, already accepted that part of you."
"What the fuck?" She says it so quietly, it's almost more like she's just mouthing the words. I'm sure her mind is blown right about now. She's never had anyone figure out her secrets so easily. Never had anyone been able to read anything about her that she didn't want them to see. And now, she has not only one person telling her that she couldn't hide from them, but two of them.
Declan chuckles. “There was also the whole security room thing. If that doesn’t scream criminal behavior, I don’t know what does.”
She scoffs. “Hacking is a far cry from murder, D.”
“True.” He shrugs before smiling at her with that smile I only ever see him give her. “But I saw the wild look in your eyes when you found your target.”
She sputters for a moment, but we all know she can’t say shit back to that. She was absolutely delighted to find someone to pour her malevolent energy into. She turns and pins Noah with a glare. "And you?"
"Ah, right," he sighs. He lifts his hand up and rubs the back of his neck. He can't quite meet her eyes, and he's pointedly not looking at me or Luca. I'm not too worried about it though. Scar was always going to find out we brought Noah into the fold while she was gone. He still has his own secrets he's gonna have to spill to her.
"So about that," he hesitates, staring at a wall. I can feel her frustration rising from here. "I was able to follow some of your kills when I was trying to track you down."
"Track me down?" She says the words, enunciating every letter as if it's the most fascinating thing she's ever heard. Yeah, she's about to put all the pieces together.
She turns to Luca and snaps, "Noah is the one who was hacking for you when I was gone, wasn't he?"
Noah's eyes widen, clearly not expecting her to have been able to make that jump so quickly. Luca keeps his expression neutral, not giving anything away. Scar just shakes her head, laughing. "I cannot fucking believe you told him!" The censure is definitely the
re but it's really more of an exasperated kind than an irritated or angry kind. I figure we're pretty much in the clear.
"They didn't tell me, I figured it out for myself, mostly." Noah attempts to defend us, but it's really no use. Scar has already seen to the heart of what happened. I appreciate the effort though. Always knew Noah was a good dude.
"Oh no," she scolds, rolling her eyes at him. "Don't you start trying to feed me bullshit. My kills were flawless, no way to connect them back to me unless you knew what you were looking for. It would have been impossible for you to put all the pieces together without some help."
He grimaces at the truth in her words. He put a lot of it together on his own, but he never would have been able to without the breadcrumbs we gave him. Once he did figure out the gist of what was happening, we gave him a hell of a lot more too. So yeah, she's not wrong. We all know it.
Declan looks smug as he watches the entire interaction. He's probably pleased he didn't have to be told anything, but he shouldn't give himself so much credit. Scar wasn't herself when he first met her. She's left plenty of her own breadcrumbs for him to put together. Before she ever came back and every day since she's been back. She's exposed more and more of herself to the both of them.
She shakes her head. "I can't believe you both already knew." I can see the way she's warring with herself of being impressed and proud of them and disappointed in herself. She shouldn't though. It's always going to be different with the six of us. There shouldn't be any secrets and lies left. We should be her safe space to just be herself. The fact that she gave away more to them than she ever has, shows that's exactly what we've all become for her.
Ryder is still grinning from behind her. “Why is no one mentioning the fact she’s still covered in blood? She literally fucked the both of them covered in the blood of her latest victims. If that doesn’t scream acceptance of a serial killer lover, I don’t know what does.”
I can’t keep it in. I fucking cackle. Scar’s mouth parts open in shock as she looks down at her ruined attire and winces. I don’t think she even realized the state she was in this entire time. Everyone laughs at her expression of surprise.
“I’m not a serial killer,” she mutters, but all that manages is to set the rest of us off in more laughter.
She hangs her head, shaking it back and forth at us. She presses her fingers to her temples as she lifts her head to look back at Noah. "You were really able to track my kills?" There’s an inquisitive curiosity in her tone now.
He nods, giving her a small smile as he senses that she's not going to rage on all of us. "I tracked missing person cases and suspicious or untimely deaths." He pins her with his own glare. "The senator, really?"
She grins smugly, clearly gloating. I have to say, we all knew it was her handiwork but couldn't help but be impressed by the way she pulled it off. Pinning it on Romano was brilliant. "I rather enjoyed that one."
Noah scoffs a laugh. "Yeah, I could tell."
Declan hums to himself. "Senator Frank Patterson?" Without waiting for an answer, he nods to himself. "I had wondered if that was connected to you. That was the bloody bag, right?"
She huffs. "I can't believe you both put that together." She continues shaking her head, but her amusement bleeds through.
Luca speaks up for the first time, grinning. "You couldn't just fall for a couple of idiots, could you?"
Declan scoffs, "On the contrary, I think she's done exactly that."
I throw my head back, cackling even as surprised laughter bubbles up out of Scar.
"Douche," I accuse, knowing he isn't referring to himself when he says that. He grins and shrugs and it doesn't take long until we are all laughing again.
We all enjoy it for a few moments before we settle back into a slightly more serious atmosphere. Declan looks between us all and sighs. "So human trafficking, huh?"
I'm the first to nod. He may have figured out a lot about who Scar is, but he hasn't had enough to put together the bigger picture. He probably had some idea based on the tidbits he had but it's different getting the confirmation.
He looks between all of us. "Roe?" Scar gives him a clipped nod. "Jade?" he continues, and she responds the same way. His eyes trail over the exposed skin on Scar's arms and legs. Clearly thinking about all the marks that cover her body. I can feel the way his rage grows with every second that passes. It's easy to know that our girls aren't totally whole, easy to see the damage painted on their skin, easy to know that they've been touched by the inky black tendrils of evil.
To hear what that evil was though? It takes the violence that runs through all of our veins to new heights. Every time I think about it, I feel my own ratchet up higher. Ready to rip hearts out of chests in payment for the sins committed against our girls.
"There's more," Scar admits in a small voice. I cock my head to the side, studying her. There’s no way she’s going there. "I'm assuming none of you have figured out my real name?" Fuck, no. She is going there.
I know there's no way that they know who she truly is. No way they would have been able to keep quiet if they had figured that. The missing person's case is one of the most well known ones in recent history.
The incident made national news for weeks after her family home was burned to the ground. Her photos and story were told on every platform you could find. For weeks and months, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing her name being uttered. Everyone just couldn't stop talking about the orphaned prom queen. A beautiful girl with a tragic story sells, no one stopped to think about the girl who they were all so busy speculating about.
When she vanished without a trace, her story blew up all over again. Even to this day, eight years later, people still theorize what could have happened to her. 60 Minutes even did a special on her a couple years back. It's one of the most talked about cases in American history. Fodder for conspiracy theorists and people who just like cold cases alike.
Was she kidnapped? Murdered? Put into Witness Protection?
The theories are endless and range from shockingly close to the truth to out of the realm of possibility. I always wondered about her, but I also saw just how hard it was to be The Fallen Prom Queen. People recognizing her on the street and assuming she was there to satisfy their curiosity. She had so many people constantly analyzing her, tearing her down, and trying to guess just all that she had been through.
I wasn't all that surprised she disappeared. I didn't think she would before graduation, or that she would leave without even a goodbye. I think a part of me always knew that Luca knew more than he had told me. He was always so sure and confident that she was okay. I guess I was just used to being left behind. I was always just grateful that she wasn't going to be dragged into anymore darkness. I knew she would be if she stayed with us. Ironic thinking about it now.
"Scarlett isn't your real name?" Declan's question draws me out of my own head. My chest feels tighter, thinking about just how badly broken she was back then. Scar is a formidable woman, strong in her own right, lethal to anyone who crosses her. She's a predator through and through. But back then? She was more like a wounded bird, too hurt to even spread her wings, let alone fly.
I see the shock on Noah and Declan's faces. I guess they just never really thought about it. I know Ryder has made a comment about it before, but he hasn't brought it up since. There's a healthy amount of trepidation on his and Luca's faces though.
It matches the anxiety clawing up my throat. "Letty," I whisper, my voice cracking as it tears out of me. I don't know that telling this truth is worth the fallout.
She turns to me and gives me a sad smile, understanding written all over her face. She hasn't spoken her name in the last eight years. She left that girl behind, buried six feet under black hair dye and tattoos. She shed that name like a coat that grew too small. It no longer fit her.
"It's time," she assures me. It doesn't make me feel any better though. My chest seizes, the anxiety taking hold of my heart in a vice like grip. This is so
much more than just letting all of us in. So much more than letting herself be vulnerable and opening old wounds so that she can heal.
There's a reason she suppresses her emotions. A reason she doesn't talk about what happened to her. A reason she never utters her true name. By doing this she's opening a vault that just may be better off left shut and locked.
She's letting all her demons out to play, giving them free reign. There will be no more holding back, no more staying in the shadows, no more hiding behind Luca. She's ready to take control of the empire that is rightfully hers, the five of us at her side. Ready to let everyone know just who the fuck they're messing with when they try to hurt one of ours.
No more careful moves. No more hidden agendas or assassinations.
She takes a deep breath, fortifying her strength. This moment is everything. I hold my breath and I can see Luca doing the same from across the room.
She exhales, meeting Ryder's eyes and holding them for a moment, before doing the same with Noah, and finally with Declan. "I'm Charlotte Devereaux." Her voice comes out clear and strong. The exact opposite of how I'm feeling.
Just hearing her old name has my insides twisting in agony. I don't even know when exactly I shut my eyes, but they fly open at the sound of glass shattering. The gasps barely register as I take in the look of pure anguish on Declan's face. The glass he was drinking from now in pieces on the floor.
"No." His voice is filled with such a level of torment, I instantly know he knows more than just what the news reported. The story shared with the world is awful, the story of what really happened is fucking heinous.
Even I don't fully know the details of what she was put through. Her scars tell an abhorrent story of torture and destruction. One that I don't need to spill from her lips to know how it destroyed who she was. I never want her to have to relive the tragedy that shaped her into who she is today. If I thought she needed to purge it, I would support her, but I've never felt that way. There are some things that are better left never spoken of. She's made it clear this is one of those things for her.
