Then he heard the cries coming from outside and saw the door that opened out onto the balcony. They made their way up the steps, and Lucas saw that Emery was trying to go over the ladder on the side of the building. She froze when she saw them, and Lucas had tried to put her at ease by putting up a hand and then placing his finger over his lips. She nodded and then jerked her head to where Scarlett was pinned underneath a man.
Lucas raised his gun, but was terrified he'd hit Scarlett, so he started towards them, just as he saw her lift that knife and stab him in the kidney. He had no idea how she’d known where to strike. Maybe it was just dumb luck.
Now she was in his arms, and he knew he would never let her go. He loved her. And the thought didn't scare him. It made sense that he would love this hot-tempered redhead who made him want all the things he thought he'd lost when Laura had died.
Gabriel had commandeered some thick, hotel-style robes and was wrapping Emery in one. She ran towards Lucas when she saw Scarlett in his arms.
"Is she ok?" Her voice was laced with worry.
"I think so. She's in shock."
"She saved me. Kept me safe. Kept him from—doing things." Her face pinked, and Lucas wasn't surprised to see the common trait between the sisters—their fair skin that showed every emotion.
"I'll take care of her," he promised. And he meant it. He'd take care of her now, and for the rest of their lives. There was no way he'd live without her. He just hoped that Scarlett would feel the same way.
Chapter 27
Two weeks later
Scarlett took a leave of absence after her kidnapping. She couldn't afford it, but she wasn't prepared for the trauma that followed. Emery was a mess. The time they’d had her hooked on heroin was enough to make her body crave it. Em had explained that it was the only time during her abduction that she felt warm and happy. She knew it was a false feeling, one brought on by a drug-induced haze, but it was hard to forget.
The emotional toll weighed heavily on them. They'd been rescued, but the nightmares had them reliving those moments every night. The feelings of utter desperation, humiliation, and fear came back with a vengeance with each dream.
Scarlett and Em had pushed their beds together, so that they could be close at night. One would cry out, and the other would scoot closer, holding her tightly.
Scarlett knew that a large part of the lingering fear was the fact that Damon was still out there. They'd taken down Luftar's operation, but Damon had disappeared before they had returned from Puerto Rico. Lucas assured her that they'd find him. He told her he'd keep her safe.
She sighed aloud. She left the comfort of her old couch and went to the kitchen to start dinner. Soup in a can and dry toast. Scrumptious.
Emery walked into the kitchen. She was returning to school tomorrow. Scarlett had already spoken to the principal and her teachers, and they all agreed that Emery needed some normalcy in her life. It would be a few weeks before Emery would go back to track, though. Scarlett wasn't ready to leave her alone in the afternoons.
"Do you have everything ready for tomorrow?" Scarlett asked.
"Yeah. When do you go back to the diner?"
"I'm not."
"But how—"
"I'd rather use the money we have set aside and keep you safe, than save it all for college. I'll work two jobs when you are safe on a college campus."
"But Scarlett—"
"Not arguing about it now, Em. We'll figure it out. But I want to be here in the evenings when you get out of school. I can pick you up from practice, too."
Scarlett had told Ron that she wasn't coming back. Maggie had been sad, but they’d promised to stay friends.
Scarlett’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out. Lucas.
"You can't avoid him forever, you know," Em piped up.
"He doesn't seem to get the hint," Scarlett grumbled. Scarlett had been keeping her distance from Lucas over the last couple of weeks. He'd stayed by her side while she was in the hospital recuperating. He'd barely left to eat and shower. But the guilt she carried, and the scars she hid, were just too big to overcome.
"He loves you," Emery said softly.
"He does not."
"He does. I saw it that night when he was carrying you. I'd give anything to have a man look at me like that." Scarlett raised her eyebrows at Em's words.
"Not now, of course," she amended. "But when I do find him, I won't be so stupid as to throw it all away."
It wasn't that she was trying to throw it all away. He had risked everything to find her. The whole team had put themselves in danger on her behalf. She was grateful, and she knew there was no way she could ever repay him. But she loved him enough to want to protect him from her baggage. She wasn't even sure she could ever again stand the touch of a man.
She had realized she loved Lucas the moment she’d seen him on that roof, coming to her rescue. But was loving him enough? He didn't deserve the kind of love she had to offer, tainted by the hands of Damon and Luftar.
Scarlett served the soup into two bowls and placed the toast next to it. Chicken noodle tonight instead of tomato. Progress.
She and Emery ate in silence, something they did more of these days. There wasn't a lot they were willing to talk about yet. So much had happened. The words left unspoken were like a third person living with them. Maybe some day they'd be able to talk about it—work through it. She would be sure to get some counseling for them both.
Her mind jumped to their rescue and to Lucas again. She was still amazed that Lucas had had the forethought to put that tracker on her that night at the diner. He said he’d done it because he knew he was leaving her unprotected that night, and he knew Damon was getting desperate. It was his safety net. Since all the team members were supposed to be taking Damon and Luftar down that night at the pier, he knew they wouldn't have enough manpower to keep her safe while he was away, should something happen. If he hadn’t done that—Scarlett didn't want to finish that thought. She would have died that night. Luftar would have raped her and then killed her. She felt no remorse for taking his life. Her intent had only been to get away.
Her phone buzzed once more. She looked at the screen. Lucas again. Emery sighed loudly. Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll take the call." She caught Em's grin as she answered the line.
"Hello," she said.
"Where are you?" Lucas asked, his voice tight, and she could tell something was off.
"I'm at home, of course."
"Get out, now!"
"What? What are you talking about, Lucas?" Fear stirred in her belly, and she tried to regain control. Fear would not rule her anymore.
"Take Emery, and get out of the apartment, now. Damon's back, and rumor has it that he's out for revenge. I’m on my way."
Scarlett ended the call, glancing around the apartment. The shadows falling through the windows now seemed menacing. She had to get Em out of there.
"What's going on?" Em asked.
Scarlett didn't say anything, not wanting to scare her yet. "Just get in the car. I'm right behind you."
Scarlett opened the door and handed Emery the car keys. She turned back to get her purse, setting the alarm and pulling the door closed. She walked towards the steps leading down to the parking lot and stopped. Standing at the top of the steps was Damon. His arm was around Emery's chest, holding her tightly, and a gun was pointed at her head.
He didn't look well. His hair was disheveled, his clothes grimy. It was as if he'd been on the run, and maybe he had. Anger burned brightly in his eyes.
"Hello, Scarlett," he sneered.
"Can't you just leave us alone?" Scarlett's hands were shaking. She couldn't let Damon take her sister. Not again.
"I don't know how you managed to get away from Luftar, but you won't be so lucky this time. It's time I got paid for all my trouble, and, since he's dead, I'll take it out of you."
The sound of tires crunching on gravel drew Scarlett's attention to the parking lot. A black Jag
pulled in, and Lucas jumped from the car, his gun drawn. Scarlett yelped when Damon suddenly ripped the gun away from Emery and fired a shot at Lucas. The bullet hit the ground in front of him, spewing dirt and gravel. Lucas ducked back behind his car.
"Let them go, Damon. Let's settle this once and for all," Lucas called out.
Damon laughed, his lip curling in disgust. "Are you still sore over Laura? She was a lousy lay. All she wanted was the dope."
Scarlett knew Damon was baiting Lucas, and she was worried he'd succeed. She took a couple of steps closer, trying to close the distance between her and Emery.
Damon whipped his head back around, pointing the gun at Scarlett. "Don't move," he said. Scarlett stopped, her hands up in front of her.
"Let the girls go, Damon, and I'll consider letting you live," Lucas shouted.
"Not a chance. I plan to take every penny I'm owed out of their hides. And when I'm done, I'll sell them again. Make a little money off them. Although once I get finished with them, I doubt they'll fetch much of a price." Damon's gun was now back on Emery. She knew that if she could get her away, Lucas would have a clear shot.
Damon's hold had loosened some. She could see that Emery was trying to pull away from him without drawing too much attention to herself. He was distracted, keeping an eye on both Lucas and Scarlett.
Scarlett took another step forward, and he swung the gun around again.
"I said don't take another step." His voice was cold, emotionless. Any humanity Damon had once possessed had died a long time ago.
Scarlett caught Emery's gaze and nodded. At her silent command, Emery twisted out of Damon's arms, stomping on his foot as she did so. Damon roared and fired his gun. Fire burned in Scarlett's chest as she watched Damon's body jerk once, twice, and then fall. Blood oozed from the gaping hole in his center, his eyes open and sightless.
Lucas stood at the top of the steps, his gun still outstretched. His face was full of pain as he rushed to her side.
"Scarlett," he said. Emery was beside her, tears flowing down her face. Scarlett realized she was on the ground. How had that happened? She looked down, seeing a red stain grow wider just above her left breast.
She was mesmerized by the color. The red staining the pristine white of her t-shirt. She found Lucas's eyes and knew it was bad. He had his phone out, shouting out her address to whoever was on the other end of the line.
Lucas was there, and suddenly Scarlett couldn't remember her reasons for staying away.
She stretched out her hand, taking Lucas's in hers.
"Take care—of Em," she said. Her breaths sounded gargled, and she could feel liquid bubbling out of her mouth. It was hard to breathe, and she knew she didn't have much time to say what she wanted to say.
"Stay with me, Scarlett. You're going to be ok," Lucas said.
"Promise me," she tried again. Lucas nodded, leaning down and brushing a kiss on her forehead. Emery was on her other side, holding tightly to her hand.
"I love you," she whispered to her sister, afraid it would be the last time that Emery would hear those words from her.
"I love you, too," Emery said back. Her body was shaking from her sobs, and Scarlett hated that Emery had to lose everyone she loved at such a young age.
Her eyes closed, the desire to sleep too overwhelming to ignore.
When she opened them again, she could hear the sirens close by. Em was no longer sitting with her, but Lucas was still there, his hands on her chest, pressing hard.
"Scarlett, stay with me. You're going to be ok," Lucas said, tears glistening in his eyes and making their dark brown color even darker.
Scarlett smiled sadly at him, sad that they didn’t get their happy ending.
"I'm glad I met you," she said.
"Don't talk like that. This isn't goodbye.”
"I love you, Lucas."
"I love you, too, Scarlett."
She gave in to the desire to sleep and closed her eyes.
* * * *
The sounds of machines and beeps woke her. The smell of alcohol and rubber gloves filled her nostrils. She tried to sit up. Tried to open her eyes, but her body was heavy. Pain radiated from her chest, and she cried out.
"Shh, Scarlett. Take it easy." The voice she heard was music to her ears.
"Lucas?" she croaked. Her throat was dry and scratchy, and her voice was hoarse.
"It's me, baby."
She opened her eyes, the bright lights of the room blinding in their intensity. A moment later, they were dimmed, and she stared into the eyes of the man she loved. The man that had saved her more times than she could count.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Damon shot you. Hit you in the chest but missed your heart. He punctured a lung. They did surgery and removed the bullet. You're going to be just fine." His hands brushed her face, carefully pushing her hair back.
"When I saw him shoot you, when I saw the wound, I—" Lucas's hands began to shake, his eyes filling with tears. Scarlett reached up and touched a lock of his hair that was falling over his forehead.
"I'm fine. I'm hard to kill," she said, remembering the words he had uttered to her about the security team. "Emery!" Scarlett tried to push herself up, wincing at the pain in her chest.
Lucas gently pushed her back down. "She's fine. She's with Isabel." He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips.
"Good," she whispered, already tired from the short conversation.
Moments later, a nurse came in, syringe in hand. It was only seconds before Scarlett felt relief from the pain. Her eyes were heavy, and she closed them. She felt Lucas pull away, and her eyes popped open again.
"Don't leave me," she pleaded.
"Not a chance,” he said. Pulling a chair close to her bed, he took her hand in his.
"Sleep, Scarlett," Lucas whispered, and she did.
* * * *
It was several days before Scarlett was released from the hospital, but she didn't go home. Lucas brought her to the warehouse and had no intentions of ever letting her return to her crappy apartment. He wasn't sure yet how he would convince her to stay. She'd said she loved him, but he wasn't sure she remembered saying it. People said all kinds of things when they thought they were dying.
He rounded the corner to his room, a tray with Isabel's soup in his hands. Scarlett was propped up on pillows, a book in her hands. Her color had returned, and she was beautiful.
"Oh my gosh! Is that Izzy's soup?" Scarlett asked, setting the book down beside her. Since when did she call Isabel “Izzy”? It fit her, and he realized that Scarlett had become a part of them—a part of this dysfunctional family that meant so much to each of them.
"It is." He set the tray down over her lap, joining her on the bed. He faced her, watching as she greedily ate the soup. Pushing a lock of her hair back, he was overcome with how much he loved this woman.
She looked up from her food, noticing the look in his eyes. "What?" she asked, that telltale blush coloring her cheeks.
"I love you," he said. Her blush deepened, and she moved the tray to the side.
"I wondered if you'd just said that because you thought I was dying," she admitted.
"I love you, Scarlett, and I'm not sure when it happened. Maybe it was the first day I laid eyes on you. Maybe it was that blush that stole my heart. But I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, showing you just how much." He touched her cheek, watching as her eyes filled with tears.
"I want you to come stay with me—you and Em." Her gaze dropped to her hands folded in her lap, the smile fading.
"I can't, Lucas," she said. His heart froze. She didn't love him back.
"Why can't you?" he asked, almost afraid to hear her answer.
"Emery. I need to set a good example for her. Us living together, unmarried. It's just—my parents were old-fashioned, and I kind of adopted that, too. It was how they raised us, how I want Emery to be raised." Lucas's face lit up with a smile. Reaching behind his back, he pulled out
the small box that he'd bought the week after he'd rescued Scarlett in Puerto Rico.
He held it out to her, opening the lid.
"I got ahead of myself," he said. "When I asked you to come live with me, I meant as my wife." His heart was hopeful as she lifted her gaze from the ring to his face. "Tell me you love me, Scarlett. Tell me you'll be my wife."
She nodded, tears rolling down her face.
"Yes! Yes, I love you, Lucas. And yes, I'll be your wife."
He pulled her close to him, stroking her hair as he held her. Now all he had to do was convince her of a quickie wedding, and Lucas would have everything he'd ever dreamed of.
Epilogue
Six months later
"Em! Your ride's here!" Scarlett called out. Emery was going on a final shopping spree before she left for college. Her last few months in school had been much different from those before her kidnapping. She had friends now. Although Scarlett was certain that she still held them at a distance, it was good to see her hanging out with girls her age.
Emery had secured a full ride to the University of Oregon, and Scarlett was thrilled that her dreams were coming true. She'd done well this last semester, and Scarlett had Isabel to thank for that. She'd worked with both of them, helping them to put away the demons that threatened to steal their joy. They'd come a long way and still had a long way to go, but Emery had made great strides, and Isabel agreed that a change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered.
Em ran down the hall, sliding to a stop in front of Scarlett. "Bye, Scar. Love ya!" she said, planting a kiss on Scarlett's cheek.
"Be safe," Scarlett whispered, and their gazes caught. Em's face turned serious. They had both realized that life was fragile and that, in a moment, it could be taken from you.
"I will," she whispered back, squeezing her tightly around the shoulders. Then she ran out the door, slamming it as she went.
Lucas walked down the hall. His jeans hung low on his hips, and he wasn't wearing a shirt. She'd had a hard time keeping her hands off him the last five months, ever since they'd married and moved into their house in Arlington, Virginia. It wasn't large, but it was perfect for them.
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