“Who knew you, of all people, could be sappy as fuck.”
Leaning closer again, I nuzzled her nose with mine.
“For you, Scar, I’d be anything and everything.”
She grinned, pressing her mouth to mine in a series of kisses, leaving the both of us breathless. Maybe I was being sappy or whatever, but a part of me had always known Scarlett and I were soulmates. I’d just been lucky enough to find her when we were young. Lucky enough to know who I would spend my whole life loving with every inch of my being.
We lay cuddled together in silence for a long while. It had been years since I had this sort of contentment in my life. There was no driving need for violence filling my insides when she was in my arms. Well, perhaps not the type of violence involving death and destruction… sex was an entirely different matter. Scarlett had given me an outlet I didn’t realise I needed until now. The way she craved degradation fed me. Instead of violence with my fists, it was with my words. It didn’t mean I wouldn’t relish killing that cunt Stuart, but I didn’t need to hurt, maim and torture quite so much when she was near me.
The balm to my soul. That’s what you are, little Scar.
I pressed a kiss to her forehead, nuzzling her hair and pulling her tighter against me. She reached up and stroked the scars she’d given me. They were healing nicely. Scarlett had taken care of them, just as she’d promised. Although, whilst she’d been kidnapped, I’d had to do it myself, not that I minded. It was painful as fuck having to pick off my own scabs, but whatever. I could take it. The pain reminded me I was hers.
“I understand why you scarred me,” she said after a moment. “Your little warrior needed a battle scar from her warring horseman.”
Even though I’d always thought that fucking moniker was ridiculous, it was fitting for the five of us. The horsemen and their warrior woman. We would ride into battle upon four horses, white, red, black, and pale, with the goddess of the night in our wake. And we would destroy our enemies for good. Nothing would be left standing in our way now.
“Will you go to war with me if I asked it of you?”
“Always.”
I pressed a kiss to her hair.
“I’ll make the world safe for us,” I whispered. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. None of us will.”
She snuggled even closer, pressing her lips to my chest.
“I want to burn his empire down and dance amongst the ashes.”
“You will. I’ll make sure of it.”
Scarlett closed her eyes and wrapped her arm around me.
“Did she ever stop fighting for me?”
She was referring to Lylah. My heart twisted for her. My poor girl never got a chance to see her mother again or say goodbye. After everything she’d had to endure, that was a fucking travesty I couldn’t forgive. I was glad Scarlett had avenged Lylah’s death by killing Mason.
“No, never. She was advocating for you until the very end. She loved you with everything she had, little Scar. There’s nothing in this world she wouldn’t have done to get you back. Nothing at all. And we continued that fight for her. We brought you home.”
She nodded, shifting in my embrace before settling down again. I stroked her arm as I watched her fall asleep. My perfect little woman in my arms. And I promised myself I would do my best to keep opening up to her. To keep being vulnerable. If there was anything in this world she deserved, it was that. She deserved to be treated like my partner. My equal in every sense of the word. If she could be open with me, I could do it for her.
I pressed one last kiss to her hair before settling down to sleep myself. And wondered as I drifted off if Stuart would enjoy the little package he would have delivered on his doorstep tomorrow. After all, it wasn’t every day you were sent a severed head accompanied by pictures of his affair with your wife. If only I could be a fly on the wall when it happened, but I would settle for knowing it would fuck with him. And we’d continue fucking with Stuart until we could end the man. He deserved nothing less.
Fifteen
Drake
I stared down at the phone for a long moment after being informed we had a guest. Well, I wouldn’t exactly describe Garrett Jones as a guest, but we would be treating him like one. After all, it wasn’t every day you had a personal visit from the Met Police Commissioner. The fact he’d come alone spoke volumes. He would have sent officers if he was here to arrest us.
Standing from my desk, I straightened my suit jacket, dusting off a piece of lint on the sleeve. I sent a group text out to the boys and Scarlett. I took a breath then strode out of my office towards the lobby where our guest would be arriving shortly. Scarlett peeked her head out of her office. I paused when she stepped out.