Mum reached out across the table and took my hands.
“You can always stay, you know that. And Scarlett is welcome too.”
“Thank you. Is it okay if we talk tomorrow? I don’t want to be away from her.”
Mum scrutinised me for a long moment.
“Are you and Scarlett…？”
“Together? Yes.”
“I always thought it was her and West.”
I shook my head and smiled.
“It’s a long story. One I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
“Okay. You get off to bed. My questions can wait.”
I got up and gave her a kiss on the cheek before making my way upstairs. Scarlett was dead to the world as I slid into bed next to her. I wrapped my arms around my girl and held her against my chest before I fell into oblivion myself. Things had got far more fucked up than we needed them to be. There were no two fucking ways about it. We needed to go after Stuart and bring him the fuck down. He wasn’t going to stop until we were dead. We had to get to him first before he destroyed us all for good.
Twenty Eight
Scarlett
I awoke to the sound of birdsong. Prying my tired eyes open, I didn’t recognise the room I was in. I twisted in the bed, finding it empty. My hand stretched out to find lingering warmth there. I hadn’t been alone for long.
When I looked around the room after savouring that warmth for a long moment, I found a little black cat sleeping on the end of the bed next to a larger ginger one. It made me smile. Prescott told me Rosie had six cats.
I sat up abruptly, making both cats give me evils. Last night came flooding back to me in waves. We were at Rosie’s house because Stuart was tracking us and had sent men to find me. Prescott had viciously stabbed one of them to death right after we’d gone to watch a sex show, then he’d chased me down and fucked me. It has been the rawest and most wild sex I’d ever had with him, cementing our bond with each other so deep, I could never tear him out of me. I didn’t want to. Not even after I’d watched him kill and threaten another man to protect me.
I rubbed my face and gave the cats an apologetic look. Not like I intended to disturb them, but last night’s events were fucking crazy in good and bad ways.
Next to the cats sat a pile of clothes. Presumably, Prescott had left them for me. I hauled myself out of bed and pulled them on. They were his, so miles too big for me, but being wrapped up in his scent comforted me. I tightened the drawstrings on the shorts and snuggled into his hoodie. Clearly, Prescott kept clothes here for when he visited his mum.
I ventured out into the hallway, finding an upstairs bathroom and going about my business. Then I padded downstairs, following the sound of voices into the kitchen. It was a big space with a huge kitchen table off to one side. Prescott sat with Rosie, both with mugs of tea in their hands. They looked so alike, it was uncanny.
At Rosie’s feet sat three brown Labradors, who all looked at me as I entered. Prescott noticed me next. He immediately got up and came over to me, tucking a hand under my chin and stroking my skin.
“Sweetness, did you sleep okay?”
“Like the dead.”
I crashed out the moment my head hit the pillow last night. My hair wasn’t too worse for wear this morning, still tamed by my braid.
“I noticed.”
I wanted to wrap my arms around him, hold him tight, and tell him how much I loved him. Thank him for keeping me safe last night. However, I was conscious of the fact his mother was staring at the two of us. It made me wonder what he’d told her.
He drew me over to the table, giving his mother a tentative smile.
“Hi,” I said, trying to remain calm.
Whilst Francis’ parents had been very welcoming and accepting, I wasn’t sure what Rosie would think of me being back. Not to mention her feelings on the matter of her son being in a relationship with the same woman as his three best friends. Rosie was a free-thinking spirit, but even I understood this wasn’t the most normal of circumstances.
Rosie got up out of her chair and wrapped me up in her arms. Her patchouli scent surrounded me, reminding me of my childhood spent in and out of her flat as we lived in the same building.
“It’s so good to see you, Scarlett.”
“You too,” I murmured, unsure of what else to say.
She pulled away and gave me a bright smile.
“I’ll make you some tea. Would you like breakfast too?”
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, it’s quite all right. Please make yourself at home.”
She bustled over to the kettle, leaving me with Prescott who took me in his arms and buried his face in my braided hair.