Page 62 of Wallflower No More

Averting my eyes from him, I try my best to look contrite. Hopefully, Brody's ego is as "healthy" as I believe it is. "It's okay if you don't want to go up against him. I would never want to cause a rift between you two." Brody takes a key out of his pocket. Both hope and fear penetrate inside my chest. Hope because I may survive this, and fear because—how? How will I get away?

He gets down on one knee near where my feet are bound. Looking up, he freezes me with an icy glare. "If you're playing me, Scarlett, I'll kill you myself."

Shivers prickle my flesh. "Take a chance on me, Brody. Now that I know you're in it for the long game, I won't ever choose anybody else." Tears spring to my eyes because I see the key to my freedom being held before me, and there's nothing to be done but wait. I'm helplessly at his disposal. If my words can't convince him, I'm as good as dead. Brody stays still and doesn't move a muscle. He needs more. "Please think of it like this, if I had been the one that turned you down and broke your heart, then someone showed up out of the blue and gave you a piece of theirs, would you have wanted to give that up, Brody? I was hurt, and Axel filled the void you left inside me."

He smiles and places the key inside the lock. "You have me there, Scar baby. Are you going to be okay with this?"

I raise my eyebrow. I know what it means, but I play dumb. "With what, Brody?"

"This is who we are, and we will never stop." He shrugs like it's nothing that they kill and kidnap girls.

My mind can't help but feel like he's trying to set me up in a trap. "I don't know."

Brody smiles as he twists the lock open. My ankles immediately feel the relief from the sting of the cuffs. "Thank you." I move my hands forward.

"You'll have to be okay with it, Scar, and just so you know, I won't ever let you go now." The sick bastard says the words with such conviction.

Daring to move my hands even closer to him, I smile. "Just don't tell me when. Okay?"

Brody brushes a piece of my hair out of my face. "I'll make this right, Scarlett, and you'll never want for anything."

I force a giggle. "Okay. I believe you."

In the middle of him turning the key, Jenson walks in. "What the fuck are you doing, Brody?"

Brody turns around with a snarl. "You don't get to question me, Jenson. We're not killing her, and your dick isn't going anywhere near her." Brody didn't have a chance to open the lock fully, and with the way they have my hands linked together, it will be impossible for me to get myself free, but at least my feet are free to run.

Jenson comes over and gets in Brody's face. "We had a fucking agreement, Brody. Are you going to let some whore dictate what you do?"

Brody stands up. He's a couple of inches taller than Jenson. His voice is eerily calm. "Call her a whore again, and I'll put this knife through your gut."

Jenson rears back his fist and pops Brody in the temple. Brody goes after him, and their bodies clash. Cuss words fly, and blood lands on my face. That's what breaks me out of my stupor. Jenson trips Brody, and his elbow lands on the side of my face, making the jaw that's already throbbing hurt worse. It's either broken or dislocated, but something is seriously wrong with it. An all-consuming pain shoots from my ear to the middle of my chin. I sob loudly for the first time. This is bad, really, really bad. I can't close my mouth, at least not entirely. Not knowing what's exactly wrong with it increases my agony.

Getting to my knees is hard, but once I do, I begin to make my way out of the building. I’m just so dizzy and feel like I could pass out any second. Stumbling, I land against something hard. Not even turning looking to see who or what it is, I start screaming hysterically. I can’t do this anymore.

***

I've never known fury like I did tonight. No one touches what's mine. I may have failed at protecting her, but I won't ever again. -Axel Creed

After I searched her office, the app updated and showed that she was on the way to Sully's. They've taken my Scarlett, and after seeing the mess at the school, I know she struggled. Please! Let her be ok. I won't make it without her. She is my why, my different, my wallflower. It’s like a knife is being twisted in my gut, over and over. FUCK!

While on the way to the bar, I call Dex and his crew.

Dex: What's up?

Me: I need to call in that favor you owe me. And I will pay handsomely for it.

Dex: When?

Me: Right now.

Dex: Where?

Me: Sully's

Dex: How many?

Me: At least two, possibly more.