by Samantha Bee
I shrug, “Maybe I should start leaving a calling card.” I hum to myself as I think about it, “Like a bleeding rose. That would be cool.”
Luca snaps, “No calling cards! Dammit Scar.”
“Sorry, carry on,” I wave my hand, but I see Joe trying to hold back his amusement as he throws a wink at me. Luca catches it and shakes his head but gestures for Kade to continue.
“Anyways,” I can feel Kade’s smile against my shoulder, “I think William was satisfied but I doubt Romano will be. The fact he brought his best fighter and offered him up for a fight when he thought I was off my game shows there’s more tension there than there used to be.”
Luca agrees, “They’ve never offered a fighter directly against you before and William was all too smug when he thought they had the upper hand.”
“So, what I’m hearing is Romano is becoming an immediate problem, not just a steppingstone for revenge.” I try, not very hard but I do try at least a little to keep the smug satisfaction out of my voice, but I can’t really help it. I’ve been ready to go after Romano for years and now they can’t even argue against it.
I can’t see how Kade is reacting, but Luca has a solemn expression on his handsome face like he really doesn’t want to accept this. Joe looks relaxed and slightly amused by the opposing reactions between me and Luca. He eventually nods, “Romano, Ciar and his second in command just became priority number one for us.”
“Ciar?” I ask. I’m almost positive that’s baby Romano. He definitely needs to die for what he did to Rowan. I’ll enjoy dismembering that fucker piece by piece to be honest.
“They’re the only two that will recognize Rowan or Ryder.” I knew they had to go for that risk, but it sounds like they confirmed no one else will recognize them which is a huge weight off my back. Even with our immediate list growing, they’re all problems that are going to feed the chaos of my soul and quite frankly, I’m looking forward to it.
I guess this leads nicely into what I’ve been thinking about all night, “I think we need to expand the inner circle.” For so long it was just me and Luca. Joe has been with us the longest and was the first person we ever brought into the fold to know everything we do. Kade was next. Mikey and Ronan have been around longer and know a lot, but they aren’t connected to Luca’s organization other than being known as my friends, so they don’t know everything.
I don’t think that’s going to cut it anymore for what it sounds like is coming. If this goes the way we are all dancing around, we are going to need more backup. Backup that is properly trained and we know we can trust. Of course, it’s a risky move but I think we’ve grown respect in Luca’s empire and have a lot of loyalty already behind him. It’s just about bringing on the right people.
Kade surprises me, “I’ve been thinking about the same thing. We’ve already agreed on Ryder, I think Tyler as well.”
Luca looks at me and I can see the surprise in his face that I would want to bring more people on but it’s just practical. It doesn’t mean I have to open up to anyone about the why behind our operation. I shrug, “I think Ian and Holden as well.”
Kade rears back to look at me in surprise too. I just sigh, “You guys are so dramatic. Bringing them on doesn’t mean I’ll be spilling any secrets.”
Joe nods, “I agree with Scar, they’re all good guys, loyal employees, and have never minded the shadier parts of the fights while not being total shit bags.”
“If we are heading towards war with Romano, we need people we can trust. I feel like they’ve earned our trust. They’ve been working with us for years and we are going to need them.” I don’t really know why they are so surprised by this suggestion.
Kade finally relaxes as he lets out his agreement and backs up my choices. I know he’s pretty good friends with all three of the guys so he should be the least resistant to this idea. I look at Luca and see a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I think it’s a good idea, I was just surprised you suggested it.”
I roll my eyes and stand up, “Well, let’s do this, then. I wanna go home.”
Luca shakes his head though, “You have one more set, Letty.” Fuck, I forgot about that. Luca looks me over and hesitates, “Is it too much?”
I smile and shake my head. It’s really not, I just find myself more eager to crawl into bed with Rowan than anything else. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen her. Josie has been periodically checking in, but I would just feel better being there.
“Go do you last set, we will get Ryder on board back at the house,” Luca instructs, and I wonder about the other three but he answers my question before I can even ask it. “We will talk to the other three later this week.”
I nod in agreement before grabbing more whiskey to get me through this last set. I am going to crash so hard as soon as we get home.
Chapter Twenty-One
I watch as Scar swigs back more whiskey before she heads out of my office. Her skin is still paler than normal, making her tattoos even more vibrant than usual. I’m worried about her. I shouldn’t have reminded her about the last set and just had someone make an excuse.
It’s too late now though. I know she won’t back out now that she’s remembered it. Letty has never been one to let anyone see her weakness, even more so as she’s grown into Scar. I don’t think she realizes how she’s kept her two personas so separate for all these years, but they’ve been clear as day to me.
She laughs at my boss facade and enjoys taunting me in front of others, but she has been doing the same thing for a long time. She’s just embraced her alter more so than who she used to be. I guess calling it her alter isn’t even the right way to say it.
Scar is who she is. Born from the pain and trauma of that night and all of the bullshit that has followed her since. As much as she wishes it weren’t true though, she’s still Letty. Still the loving, sweet, compassionate little girl who befriended two little boys in the park one day.
For years she tried to keep them separate, only letting Letty out in small doses in certain situations. Ever since Kade came back into our lives, I see the two blending together seamlessly. Like she just might finally be accepting all the different pieces of herself. I thought Kade was crazy for trying but he just might be onto something.
Even just a year ago, Scar never would have wanted to trust more people when it came to helping her get her revenge. Now, she’s the one suggesting it and doesn’t even realize why it would be a shock to us.
I hang back for the rest of the night as she finishes off her last set, choosing all slow songs to hypnotize the crowd with as she dips and grinds across the stage in slow, sensual moves. She’s a siren, weaving a complex melody with the swing of her hips that entrances every living soul that gets too close.
You really would never know she’s injured and exhausted with the way she moves. Even after all this time, I’m not immune to the effect of her. I’m drawn into her current like every other sad fucker in this room.
I watch her as she says goodbye to her friends. Kade was right, she’s somehow softer with Noah. I didn’t notice it when I first met him. I rub the back of my head as I think about it. I was a total ass to him, but I was just caught off guard at someone else opening her door. I didn’t think he would be of anyone of importance, just another face in the stream of distractions Scar uses.
After tonight though, I see my mistake. He soothes her in a way, smoothes out some of her hard edges. He doesn’t change her, just calms some of the anxious energy that is constantly spiraling through her, looking for a release. Kade has always had that same rush driving through his veins, he just learned how to turn it into a positive thing for himself.
Seeing her tight little body pressed between the two opposing forces as she grinds to the music, pressing herself up against both of them, was hotter than it should have been. I’ve always been possessive of her, hating every man who put his hands on her. For some reason it wasn’t as hard with Kade and now…
&nbs
p; I shake my head to myself but there’s no denying that watching her with Kade and Noah didn’t have me feeling pissed, wanting to rip her away from them. No, it had me hard and only wanting to join them. What the fuck is happening to all of us?
Kade’s harebrained scheme keeps whispering in the back of my mind. It’s absolutely crazy, not only do I not see how three guys can share one girl, but Scar is way too skittish to open up to any of us, let alone all of us.
I look back to her and see a sleepy but genuine smile spread across her face as Noah kisses her head and whispers something in her ear. Maybe I’m wrong though. She has been more centered, less erratic recently. Is it possible Kade isn’t as crazy as I’ve been making him out to be?
Scar is a storm tearing through all of our lives but there’s so much more to her than that. Maybe she’s a star, our star. She pulls us all into her orbit and we’re only balanced as we circle around her, the center of our universe.
I look down at the whiskey and shake my head again. I’ve been drinking way too much if all of a sudden Kade is the voice of reason in my head. Hopefully Kade or Ryder can drive us home because I already know neither Scar nor I will be able to get behind the wheel.
It’s rare for us to leave the club this early but I’m anxious to get home and I know Scar is too. Not only do I want to check on Rowan, but I want to get Scar into bed before she passes out from exhaustion. She’s been pushed as far as her body can handle and now, she needs a good twelve hours of sleep.
Kade walks over to stand next to me. I look him up and down but can’t recall how much he’s had to drink tonight. “You good to drive?” He throws me a surprised look, which is fair. I rarely ever drink past my limit.
He nods and I toss him my keys. At least one of us is sober. I start to ask him something but notice his eyes widening as he stares back towards the bar. He chuckles, “Oh fuck.” I turn to see what he’s looking at and flinch. This is not going to be pretty. I start looking around for Joe to handle the situation but can’t find him.
Taylor locks her eyes on us, and I hear Kade struggling not to start laughing beside me. The blonde waitress starts strutting towards us, swinging her hips almost violently so. I’m about to start praying to a god I don’t even believe in to help me out of this mess but it’s too late.
Today she’s wearing a low-cut white romper, the red lace from her bra visible through the thin material. Blue roses detail the straps and travel down across her chest. I know for a fact Joe told her not to wear roses anymore. I’m not even sure who put her on shift here, I was planning to keep her at the fights and far away from Scar.
She reaches us and looks up at me through long, dark lashes. “Hello, sir,” she purrs as she runs her finger down my chest. Her voice is low and husky, filled with lust and seduction. There’s no mistaking what she’s here to offer, unfortunately for her, I’m just not interested.
All of a sudden Kade stiffens next me and before I even have a chance to respond to the waitress, her hand is ripped away from my chest. A shrill shriek of pain escapes her as my eyes meet Scar’s as she breaks Taylor’s hand with barely any effort. “Wear roses again and I’ll do worse than break your hand,” she threatens in a deadly calm voice. I can see the rage twirling in her eyes.
She pushes Taylor farther away from me and drops her voice to a deathly whisper, “Touch Luca again and they’ll never find your body.” A shiver runs down my spine at the possessiveness in her words. Scar has never claimed me before, not once.
I’ve always kept my business far away from her and I won’t lie. A part of me was scared she wouldn’t even care but apparently, I had nothing to worry about. She definitely cares about some other girl putting her hands on me and it’s doing something for me. All of Kade’s words are flashing through my mind as I consider Scar.
Taylor is still clutching her hand to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks, staring at Scar like she’s a monster. I chuckle to myself, she has no idea just how monstrous Scar can be. Kade must be having the same thought because he speaks up. “You should leave now,” he warns Taylor.
She looks back to me with a plea in her eyes like she’s expecting me to defend her. I stay silent, trying to hide just how much I’m enjoying this side of Scar. Taylor goes to open her mouth and Scar growls at her as she moves towards her again. The poor girl screams as she turns and hurries off towards the stairs.
I can’t help but smirk, “Did you just growl?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she deadpans. Her eyes drift up and down, locking in on my smirk, “Did you fuck her?” My eyes widen as I stare at her. She has never asked me anything like this before and I’m so shocked I don’t respond fast enough. She starts shaking her head, “I should just kill her, I don't need to know,” she mutters to herself. Kade can no longer keep his shit together and starts cackling.
I look over and see Joe with Ian, Tyler, and Ryder. Now the asshole shows up. Ty looks at Joe and murmurs, “Okay yeah, I see the psychotic tendencies.”
I’d laugh but I’m still in shock over Scar’s act of jealousy. Those pain pills must be affecting her more than any of us even realized, it’s the only thing I can think of. I still smile because they must just be lowering her inhibitions and filter which means she’s always felt this way and just now losing enough composure to show it.
I put my arm over her shoulders and pull her into my side before whispering in her ear, “I’ve never touched her, Scar,” and place a kiss on her temple. She relaxes into me and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I am in this moment. A warmth fills my chest as her sweet scent invades my senses. I take a deep breath, savoring her closeness, “Let’s get you home.”
We all relax as we walk in the door and meet Josie. I think we were all more stressed about leaving Rowan than any of us even realized. Josie gives us a soft, tired smile, “She hasn’t even woken up once.”
She yawns as she goes to grab her purse. “Stay the night, Jo. It’s late.” She should know she is always welcome here. It’s hard not being able to see her more often than we get to and I know it eats away at Scar. Josie has been her realest and closest friend for an exceptionally long time. She’s the only one who stood by her when the rest of their school turned against her.
I’ve always had a hell of a lot of respect for Josie. She came from a bad background like the rest of us, but she kicked ass and earned herself a scholarship to Letty’s fancy school. She had a hard time there, being looked down on for her scholarship status but she never let that hold her back. She graduated at the top of their class and left behind all of the pretentious assholes.
Not a single one of them would probably recognize her as the same girl they bullied back then. She’s even met a few of them at galas since becoming the face of the foundation and they’ve all kissed her ass not even realizing they’ve met her before. It entertains her and Scar to no ends every time it happens.
“You have a full house,” she half-heartedly argues but I just wave her off. “You know I have the room.”
Scar wraps her arms around her from behind and snuggles into the space between her neck and shoulder, “Thank you for watching her,” she whispers. I can’t help but smile at this side of Scar. “Get some sleep, Jo,” she says before kissing her cheek and releasing her.
Josie has the softest look in her eyes as she smiles at Scar and says goodnight. I know they miss each other even though they talk and call each other almost every day. It’s not the same as when they can see each other.
As she walks back towards the bedrooms, I gesture towards the kitchen so we can all talk and fill Ryder in. Scar excuses herself to go check on Rowan quickly. By the time she comes back, the three of us are sitting at the island with snacks spread out in front of us.
She sits down next to Kade and leans on his shoulder as she grabs a bag of chips and pops a couple in her mouth. It doesn’t hurt to see her with Kade, but I am envious of the easy affectation they share. I crave to be able to touch
her so casually and frequently.
She meets my eyes and raises her brows, “It’s all you, Bossman.”
I sigh, not even sure where to start with the explanation of what we’ve grown. I look back and forth between Kade and Scar before assessing Ryder. He’s been sitting here quietly, content to just follow our lead. I know Scar trusts him and I don’t doubt that, but I still have to make sure he understands this isn’t just a job. If he agrees this is his new life.
“If you do this, you need to be serious about it,” I tell him. My eyes flick back to the comfort between Kade and Scar. I think about the warm sensation in my chest with both of them living here, even if it’s only temporary. Memories of the dinner we shared and Joe’s words earlier tonight all flash through my head. I nod with conviction as I decide this is just a fact now, “We are a family, and we will all fucking die for each other.” We may have never voiced that before, but it couldn’t be truer.
I see Scar smile at my words as she burrows further into Kade’s chest and how he puffs up in confidence. I know this is truly what he’s been wanting ever since I put him back into Scar’s life. He’s always had a void in his life that all he’s ever wanted to fill it with was a family to call his own.
Ryder nods as he weighs my words in his mind. I can see him running through his own memories as he considers how to respond to me. “Do you live for each other too?” he asks but he’s not looking at me, anymore. His focus is on Scar and I know he’s thinking about the fight he witnessed between us.
She picks her head up to meet his eyes. She takes a brief moment to look at Kade and me before she gives him a small smile, “Yeah, I guess we do.” A weight I didn’t even realize was sitting on my chest lifts and I breathe easier as she continues, “If you can’t do that, this isn’t the team for you.”
He barely spares a glance for me or Kade, “This is it for me, Scar. It’s all I have left.” His voice is heavy with pain and grief but maybe just a little bit of hope too as he focuses on the girl with green eyes and dark hair that has monopolized all of our souls. Guess we can add Ryder to that list now.
