Scorch (Black Inferno Book 4) (12 page)

“I’ve been the same. I bet everyone is sick of us.”

“Probably.” She smiles. “I say when we go home we lie in a big bed and binge on television together, then we don’t need to bug anyone.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I smile.

I look down at her leg and Paige notices. “They say it’s going to scar, but it shouldn’t be too big.”

Frowning, I shake my head. “I hate him so much for doing this to us.”

“At least we will be okay, it could have been a lot worse.” Paige looks to me, and I can tell she’s looking at all the stitches on my face.

“Is my face bad?” I ask her.

“Looks like you’ve been in the ring,” she jokes.

“I haven’t looked in the mirror,” I admit. “They keep asking me, but I’m too scared.”

The swelling has gone down a little, but Booker told me my face is fifty shades of rainbow, which made me laugh.

“Only when you’re ready.” She nods.

“Will you do it with me?” I ask her, pressing the buzzer beside my bed. Once the nurse enters, I request a mirror, and when she returns she gives me a sympathetic smile.

Paige manages to wheel herself closer to me and we hold hands. The mirror is only a small one with a handle, but it’s facing the ceiling right now.

“Are you sure?” Paige asks me.

Taking a deep breath, and squeezing her hand, I lift the mirror and I’m stunned. Maybe horrified is the right word, either way, my face is a total mess. Blotches of green, purple and red cover my face, and where there isn’t bruising it has raw looking stitching. They had prepared me for some small scars on my face, but I couldn’t have imagined my face looking like this.

I take a deep breath, and when I let it out, my tears come with it. I drop the mirror on the bed as I don’t want to look at that anymore.

Paige tries to comfort me.

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t ever say you’re sorry again.” Paige looks me in the eye, crying as she speaks to me. “You’re fucking beautiful, are you listening to me? You don’t ever say you’re sorry for that man again. We will heal, and we will do it together.”

We then cry together until the nurse comes back to get Paige and our friends waiting outside. Their faces fall, but they also smile and I quickly wipe my eyes. I wave as Paige leaves and Booker comes to my side, kissing me gently. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I whisper.

“Why are you crying? You and Paige all right?” he asks.

“I think we’re better than ever.” I sniffle and then wince from the pain that echoes inside of me.

“You’re so fucking brave.” Booker holds my head in his hands. “I love you.”

His words shock me, the oxygen literally blows out of me and a huge smile breaks out, and I don’t care about the sting of my lips as the cuts stretch. “I love you, too.”

Booker lowers his head, kisses our joining hands, and then looks back up to me. “I will not let a single thing happen to you. You are my woman to protect and love until the day I die.”

Tears burn my eyes and we share a kiss. Troy is locked away, and everyone knows about Booker and me, we can live our lives like we’re meant to be.

I’m not naïve to believe Troy will be locked away forever, one day he will be let out. But I’ll be stronger, and I have my friends and family to keep me safe. I can’t wait to start living.

The past year has been fantastic!

I’m happy to report that Paige and I fully recovered, and we were true to our word when we escaped the hospital and laid in bed all day binging on television and movies. Not that anyone let us do anything anyway, but it was nice to spend so much time together after we weren’t allowed to see each other very much. I still feel incredibly sorry to this very day, but Paige always assures me that I’m the innocent.

Troy has been behind bars for one whole year. However, he won’t be there forever and eventually the day will come when Troy is released. Sadly I’m reminded of what he did to Paige and me every day. Whenever I look in the mirror and see the small shiny white scar on my cheekbone, I think about the many punches I had delivered to my face and see Troy whenever I see Paige.

A couple of months ago, the girls were all chilling by the pool, and I caught sight of Paige’s scar on her thigh and was brought back to the day I heard about her stabbing, and I don’t think that will ever stop. Something will always remind me of Troy, and even though everyone lived that day, I know Paige is just like me. I see her eyes glaze over with memory, and when she snaps out of it, she looks straight at me, and I send her a reassuring smile. Just like she does for me, guaranteed, whenever I’m brought back to Troy, Paige is watching me and it makes me feel a little better.

However for the past three months, I’ve been on tour with Black Inferno. Lacey decided to join me, and I’m glad because the guys have been working really hard. They’re either playing a show or sleeping in because they’re so tired. Lacey is working on her laptop, so I decide to look into domestic abuse charities and how I can help, it’s something I’ve been really looking into the past year. Everyone supports me, of course, and Booker told me to lean on the band, use their fame to help my own charity maybe.

“You excited to go home?” asks Lacey from her corner.

“I don’t know, I like being on tour, but I’m looking forward to a bigger bed.” I laugh.

“For more reasons than one.” Nods Lacey, the dirty bitch.

We both laugh and the guys return from their sound test at the last arena of the tour. It’s only thirty minutes away from home, so the girls are all coming to meet us and watch the last show. I haven’t seen them for the entire tour, and I can’t wait to reunite with them. Mason has made trips back home three times to see Rox and baby Quin. Nobody can blame him, and if anything I love him more for it.

“You girls excited to go home tomorrow?” Mason asks us.

“We were actually just talking about that.” I close the laptop.

“I can’t wait,” Tate adds. “I’m sick of seeing you and Booker all over each other. There’s some things I don’t need to hear.” He pointedly looks at me and my face turns bright red.

“Hey, it’s not my fault the walls are so thin.” Booker shrugs.

“What about the weekend we spent at the hotel?” Tate frowns.

“Oh God.” I cover my face with my hands and everyone giggles. I had no idea Tate could hear us. I should have really, but when you’re in the heat of the moment, you don’t really give a shit.

“After tonight, you won’t have to suffer anymore,” I tease Tate.

Last night was amazing, the girls came, and we all danced beside the stage while we watched the band. They were truly amazing and have been during the whole tour. I’m so proud of them all.

“Are you sure?” Lacey asks Cole in the kitchen area of the bus. “Won’t you be tired?”

“No babe…” He steps closer to her. “I wanna spend time together, just me and you.”

I shouldn’t be listening, but it’s cute to see Cole talk to Lacey like this. She’s my friend, and I want her to have a man like Cole, just like I now have Booker. Every woman deserves a man like that in their life.

As soon as the estate comes into view, happiness settles deep into my gut. Booker sits beside me as I look out the window and wraps an arm around me as I settle into him completely content. Booker adds to that by kissing me on the head. “I love you, baby.”

“Love you, too.” I take my eyes away from the window and look at my man. “You happy to be home?”

“I will be when I have you ready and naked on the bed for me,” he replies, setting my insides alight.

“As soon as we get inside,” I order, and he nods.

The tour bus pulls up outside Mason’s, and we all get off. I give everyone a hug, especially little Quin, and run away with Booker. I’ve practically moved in now, but I go back to Tate’s from time to time because it does feel odd not living there anymore. Booker’s feet move fast as we walk to his house, we smile and laugh as our impatience begins to run thin. Booker keeps smacking my ass and I bite down on my lip while picturing him naked. I haven’t seen him properly naked since we went on tour. There was the few hotels, but compared to being in your own house and having privacy, there’s no comparison.

We enter the house and as soon as the door shut behind us, the bags are left, and our clothes are ripped from our bodies. Frantically kissing, we climb the stairs naked, and ready for what we crave.

The alert from my cell wakes me the next morning. Booker grumbles beside me, and I smile over at him—last night was something special. After we hurriedly had great sex, we laid naked side by side and just talked. We haven’t been able to have much time alone together, so it was nice. Soon, though, Booker began to let his hands wander over my body, and the second time around was much slower and longer but no less sensual. I think he brought me to orgasm twice because he paid so much attention to my body and what I enjoy. Booker wouldn’t let me do anything either, he wanted me to lie back and let him have his way. Tonight, though, I want control.

I reach for my cell and see I have a text from Lacey.

Lacey:
Get over here now!

I creep out the bed and begin to dress. There has to be a reason why Lacey wants me to come around right now. More than likely, she’s sent the text out to the other girls as well. Once I’m ready, I lean over to Booker and kiss him on the cheek.

“Lacey needs me,” I whisper to him and he nods, quickly falling back to sleep. He’s obviously tired himself out last night.

Roxie, Paige, and Ria are already here when I arrive.

“Hey….” Paige greets me, “…you okay?”

“Yeah.” I smile back at her. “You?”

“Better now you’re all back…” she laughs, “…it’s been so weird.”

“I bet,” I agree. “That’s why I enjoy going along with them when you stay behind it’s so strange.”

“Did something happen? Is that why Lace needs us here?” Paige asks me.

“Not that I’m aware of.” I frown, thinking back and coming up empty.

The last one to show is Lola, and as soon as she greets everyone, Lacey explains why she’s brought us all here.

“Okay girls, I’m sorry to text you all so early, but Cole is still in bed and I wanted to tell you all,” Lacey begins, and we all look at each other in excitement. It’s clear that whatever she has to say is something big because she’s bouncing up and down with a huge smile. “Last night, Cole asked me to marry him.”

She holds out her hand, and on her finger is a huge diamond, and we all scream running up to her and celebrating excitedly. We’re sure to wake Cole up, but that doesn’t matter.

Cole and Lacey are getting married!