Page 77 of Savagely Scarred

I almost lost her.

Again.

My eyes sting as I inspect her. I tilt her chin up with my knuckle. Red marks line the column of her throat where his fingers pressed into her. There’s a small nick from the knife, but it’s barely bleeding.

“Took you long enough.” She smiles up at me brightly.

I let out a sound caught between a laugh and a sob, kiss her forehead, and pull her to her feet. Liv stops me when I begin to walk away. She bends and picks up something from the floor. Grinning wickedly, she unfurls my fingers and places it in my hand.

“Consolation prize,” she says and walks past me.

I look down at the gold tooth resting on my palm.

Chapter Twenty

Olivia

The dumbbells clank loudly as I set them back into the holder. I brush the stray hair that fell out of my ponytail off my face and wipe the sweat from my brow with my forearm. When I look up into the mirrored wall across from me, the finger-shaped bruises on my neck stand out against my pale complexion.

I’ve never been so close to death on the job before. I’ve certainly never ignored protocol like that. I just left Sage in the storage room to run after Victor. I knew I was chasing him into a room with no escape. And cornered animals always attack.

Walking over to the treadmill, I set my water bottle down before stepping onto it. Once it starts moving, I increase the speed to a medium paced walk. Lacing my fingers behind my head, I blow out a shaky breath.

Maybe I need a break from all of this. I’m fucking tired. I could help train the dogs in the K-9 unit for a while. At least, until all this shit is over with. Risking my life daily is just putting more stress on both of us.

I drop my arms to my sides and turn the speed down a little. My focus moves around the gym. Dorian is spotting Enzo on the bench press. Dylan and Stella look like they’re racing on the cycles. Axel and a few of his squad members are taking turns sparring in the boxing ring. Some guys from the other teams are sprinkled throughout the room on different machines. And then there’s Sage—beating the shit out of a punching bag.

He didn’t say two words to me on the ride back to headquarters. His gaze was unfocused, and his features kept twisting in pain, like he was reliving the event on repeat in his head. I never wanted to cause him any pain, but I did just that. I acted irrationally and almost paid the price for it. Another guilt he would have forced himself to live with.

Sweat has his black tee sticking to his back. He’s relentless, laying into the heavy bag. Even from this distance, I can see his face is red, and the veins in his neck and arms are bulging with every strike. He’s taking all his aggression out on that stuffed target.

Dorian stands in front me and folds his arms over the treadmill console. He reaches down, presses the stop button, and then grins at me. Sweat drips from his forehead onto the screen and my pace slows to a halt.

“Come on. It’s our turn to spar in the ring.”

Shaking my head, I place my hands on my hips. “Sorry, Dorian. I can’t kick your ass today,” I say between heavy breaths.

“Why not?” he whines. His eyes flick to my neck. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive. You’re probably just ready to call it a day.”

“Yeah, no”—I pat my abdomen—“woman issues.” I force a smile and he nods. “Besides, I don’t think he’s ready to leave yet.” I jerk my chin in Sage’s direction.

I refuse to let these guys take pity on me in any capacity. I’d rather he thinks I have my period than let him know the truth.

“When does the ass whooping start?” Enzo slaps Dorian’s back.

“Raincheck,” Dorian says and then jogs off to bother a guy on Axel’s team.

Enzo gives me a questioning look and wipes the sweat from his face with his shirt.

“You good, mana?”

“Actually—” I hop off the treadmill. “Can you help me with something?”

“Aren’t you banned from the parks?”

We walk along the paved path next to the water in Battery Park. I lean my elbows on the railing overlooking the river, and Enzo does the same.

“Technically, yes. But this isn’t the park I go to or one of the days I run. It’s safer.”