Page 113 of Last Man Standing

Closing the door in silence, I listen to the trill of Scarlett’s phone ringing again, then the barked “you made it?” from Lincoln as I turn and watch her lay out her things on a chest-height table in her booth.

She better put those fuckin’ earmuffs on before she starts shooting, or I’ll smack her ass for being dumb.

“I made it,” she breathes. “Got a Glock 20, too.”

He laughs. “Had to go big, huh? Don’t punch yourself in the face with it.”

35

SCARLETT

UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS

“Inearly chickened out.” Snickering, I pull my weapon apart, just as Linc has instructed me to do every single time I practice.

If you don’t know how to disassemble and reassemble your weapon, you don’t understand it. If you don’t understand it, you shouldn’t be using it.

“The tunnels here are crazy convoluted and confusing. And dark,” I add with a shiver. “I thought I was gonna get lost and never find my way out again.”

“But then you found the shooting range?”

“Then I found the security room,” I clarify. “I figured they could help me go the rest of the way.”

“And you just…” Frustrated, Lincoln growls in the back of his throat. “You just walked your ass in and told them to get you a gun? And they did it?”

“I knocked and asked really nicely,” I counter, far calmer than I felt in the moment. “When they asked me why, I almost gave up and ran away. But then one of the guys said Sebastion ordered them to do what I wanted.”

“He…” Stunned, Linc turns still wherever he is. “He did?”

“Apparently.” I reassemble my Glock and slide a magazine in. Before chambering a round, I set the whole thing on the table and press my hands to the edge. Stop being such a fucking coward, Scarlett! “I want to tell you something, Linc.”

Oh God. Oh fuck. Oh, geez.

Way too intuitive for my own good, my brother’s voice turns to steel. “What?”

I can’t know for sure that his teeth are gritted tight. I can’t know if his entire body is strained and pulsing with adrenaline. And yet… I know.

“What happened, Scar?”

“Nothing bad. I’m safe, so take a breath and relax.”

“I’m breathing,” he snarls viciously. “And I’m as relaxed as I’m gonna be. What?”

“I don’t want to be a coward anymore.” I drop my head forward and pray no one in the security room cares enough to listen too closely to my phone call. “The thing with Roy…” I shake my head. “It got worse because I was too afraid to tell you what was happening, right? The thing with the letter on my door? I could’ve called you as soon as it happened, but I was a coward, so I kept that information to myself and cost you a couple of days.”

“Cut to the chase, Scarlett! Fuck!”

“I slept with Sebastion.” I slump forward on a squeak and press my elbows to the counter. “More than once.”

“You…” Enraged, my big brother explodes. “What?”

“Calm down⁠—”

“I’m gonna kill him! I’m gonna destroy him! I told him not to⁠—”

“I don’t regret it.” Horrified with myself, I crush the heels of my palms against my eyes until I see stars. “I’m trying to, Linc. I’m trying so freakin’ hard not to like him. But I do.” I choke out a pained whimper. “I like him so much, it’s scaring me. And the last time this happened, I was too spineless to talk to you, which, we know, eventually led to the Roy shit.”

“So you… You…” He loses himself in the million unkind thoughts pinging inside his brain. “Fuck, Scar! What? You wanna talk boys with me now? You want to discuss Tank?”