Under Invisible Scars

Amarillo, Texas…

~Kiera~

I know that Gen sent me here to help me, but it seems to be pointless. The last place I wanted to be was anywhere near Ty. All I see is pity in his eyes when he looks at me. He rarely leaves Hayley’s side, and it seems he’s found someone new to focus his attention on. Being here is like I’m living in my own nightmare. I still don’t feel safe, even being this far away from the city and that monster. Gen didn’t know that she was sending me into my own personal hell, and if she had known, she wouldn’t have sent me here. She probably would have sent me to the Seattle location instead. I know that I should have talked to her about things, but they didn’t seem as important as the other things that were going on.

Dean has been helpful, but nothing will help unless it’s Ricardo’s head on a platter. Little did I know that I would be reliving the hell I was in when Ricardo got hold of me. Loud and sudden noises will affect me just like they did with Gen. While she had issues with anyone getting too close, touching her was also an issue for her. Being touched, hearing certain things, and certain smells will affect me. It wasn’t just me in that hellhole. I saw Brie there, too. I was forced to watch him and his men torture her, use her body for their own pleasure. I know they forced her to watch when he did the same with me.

The downside to staying here has been hearing things that cause me to relive that hell. Why haven’t I just said anything about it? Everyone here has more to worry about than making a fuss over me. They need to focus on getting Brie back, and I know that Gen has her hands full with things back in the city. Ricardo is the biggest, and the other is Moretti. No point in wasting resources on another place just for me and then having to send more guys down from the city. I’ll be fine; I just need to get everything under control again. Then everything will be fine again, just like always. I try to fight staying awake, but my body has other ideas as my eyelids close, refusing to open again.

I bolt awake with the sheets tangled around my legs, and I can feel the sweat that has soaked through my shorts and shirt. My breathing is like I just finished a hard training session, and I can feel my heart pounding against my ribs. My room is still dark, which means unless I can go back to sleep, I’m looking at another sleepless night. That’s when I hear it... Cat and Vincent in the next room. Panic is washing over me, and the need to get out of here is overwhelming.

I’m throwing the sheet and blanket off me and digging through my bag for fresh clothes. Pulling on dark leggings, a dark shirt, and my running shoes. I grab my usual go bag and quietly leave my room. I head for the side door that leads to the driveway, grabbing Ty’s keys off the key rack hanging on the wall next to the door. I manage to unlock the door and open it quietly, making sure I lock it once again. More to cover up my exit and possibly slow them down.

Heading straight for Ty’s Wrangler, which is thankfully parked on the street in front of the house. No idea where I’m going, but at this point, I don’t care. I just need to get away. I need somewhere quiet. I climb in, tossing my bag onto the passenger seat before starting the Jeep. I take off with no destination in mind. I look at the time on his radio and see that it’s almost 5 am right now. Knowing that people will be waking up soon has me heading for the closest freeway that runs through town.

~Balboa~

Staying in the room that’s in the front of the house has its perks and its downsides. I’m closer to the front door, and it’s one of the colder rooms in the house. The downside is that the people on this street are always up early for work or taking kids to school, and none of them are quiet. I’m just glad that after years of serving in the military, noises don’t really bother me. The one plus side of this room is not having to listen to Cat and Vincent when they have sex.

I climb out of bed and head out of the bedroom. I glance at the door to the room Kiera’s been staying in, wishing I could do something to help her. When she arrived here, I could already see how closed off she was. I could see the still-healing wounds, but what killed me was seeing the emptiness in her eyes. I look away from the door and head for the kitchen. No one else seems to be awake yet, so I start making coffee.

Kiera’s words still haunt me. “We both know that I’m not the one you want.” How could she even think that? The explosion that took her mom was closer to us than it was to Gen and Killian. I pulled her to the ground and covered her, using my own body to protect her from anything flying through the air. I’ve known fear before, but that is nothing compared to the fear of losing her. The day that Gen told me that monster had hold of Kiera was one of the worst. It killed me that I couldn’t get to her and be there for her. Even if I were in the city, it wasn’t going to happen. She shut me out, saying that she needed to protect herself from me.

“A little early to be brooding, isn’t it?” Hayley’s sleep-filled voice pulls me from my thoughts, but I don’t say anything.

“Brie or Kiera?” Hayley asks me, and I shake my head at how easily she can read people.

“It doesn’t matter,” I mumble, turning to grab myself a mug from the cabinet and pour myself some coffee.

“Oh, it matters.” She says as I walk past her to sit at the breakfast bar.

“What matters?” Cat asks, her voice more cheery than usual.

“Who he’s brooding about,” Hayley says while pouring herself coffee.

“Good luck with that, Hayley. I’ve tried to get him to spill, but he never does.” Cat tells Hayley, and I’m honestly glad for Cat getting Hayley off my back.

“I’m going to check on Kiera. Save me some coffee.” Cat says as she walks out of the kitchen towards Kiera’s room.

I sit here drinking my coffee and enjoying the quiet, now that Hayley has stopped talking. Cat likes to buy the bulk coffee from Roasted and was so offended when I asked about getting some from the store. So I don’t have to sit through another ass-chewing from Cat. I just found it easier to hand her cash to help with the cost of food for the house.

“Vincent! Tyler!” Cat shouts from Kiera’s room, and I’m off the stool and running.

I stop in the doorway that leads to the front of the house, while Vincent bursts through the door that leads to the added-on part of the house. I look over the room and see the tangled up bedding, but otherwise the room is empty. I’m shoving past Vincent and rushing over to where all the keys are kept… mine are missing. I have to unlock the door to get it open, and I rush outside. When I reach the front yard, I see all the vehicles except for my Wrangler.

“Fuck!” I shout, running a hand through my hair.

“Oh shit!” I hear Vincent as he comes to stand next to me.

I stand here looking at the spot where my Wrangler was parked and try to think what could have caused her to run. She’s been off since she lost her father. She was never the same after. Then finding Gen and her birth mother, Maggie, seemed to bring out the old Kiera again. After Maggie was killed, neither of them was the same. Kiera seemed more closed off, and that’s when she started shutting me out.

“Let me make a call and see if anyone has seen your Jeep,” Vincent says while he pulls his phone from his pocket.

“Don’t bother wasting their time,” I tell him as I storm back into the house.

Killian and I had installed GPS trackers in our vehicles, and we even helped Brie install one on her motorcycle. I just need to get to my phone to see where it is. As I’m storming through the house, I’m getting looks from Cat and Hayley. Dean is awake at this point, so I don’t have to worry about disturbing him when I barge into the room. I grab my phone and open the app for the tracker. Of course, it’s taking its time giving me an updated location. While that does its thing, I quickly get dressed. I traded out my shorts for jeans, pulled on my boots, and grabbed a fresh shirt. As I’m pulling the shirt on, the app gives me a location… Roasted.

“Gotcha,” I mumble as I grab my wallet and pocket my phone.

I search the house for Vincent and find him in the kitchen with everyone else. Of course, they’re all talking about Kiera disappearing. I don’t want to be in the room when Colin and Liam have to tell Gen. Hell, I know she will chew all our asses over this.

“Not a word to Gen about this,” I say to Dean and Hayley. I watch the look of horror on Cat’s face.

“Gen’s got enough to stress over right now,” I tell Cat, and she just nods in agreement.

“Vince, can I get a ride to Roasted?” I ask him.

“Which one?” He asks me.

“The one on George Street,” I tell him, and he nods.

I follow Vince out to his truck, which is parked behind Cat’s SUV. The early morning air has a chill to it, reminding me that I should have grabbed my sweatshirt. Needing to find Kiera is overwhelming everything else in me right now to care. I’m coming for you, Kiera.

Meanwhile…

~Kiera~

I got to Roasted just as it was opening. Cat told me about this place. She’s taken Hayley and I here several times. The people who work here know Cat because she’s in here every morning for her coffee. The sweet barista, Liz, is at the register this morning. She greets me with a smile and takes my coffee order. I move through the crowd inside to wait for my coffee. I watch all kinds of people walk in to get their morning coffee. When mine is called out, I grab it and move to sit at the bar that runs alongside the register.

It won’t take long for anyone to find that I’m not in my room. I know that Ty has a GPS tracker in his Jeep, and taking it while I’m trying to avoid him wasn’t exactly smart. The only vehicles at the house that don’t have trackers in them are Cat and Vincent’s. I wasn’t about to take their vehicles. I pull up the ride-share app on my phone and send the request, with a destination for one of the local hotels.

When I get the alert that my ride just pulled up, I grab my coffee and my bag. I left the keys to Ty’s Jeep with Liz and told her that my friend would be here shortly for the keys. She said she would make sure they got them. With that, I exit the building and find the ride share waiting for me. I climb into the back seat, and as soon as I get buckled in, they take off for the hotel I picked out.

Fifteen minutes later, I’m standing in front of the hotel. I walk inside, and I’m greeted by the lady at the front desk. Going through the process of getting a room doesn’t take long, and I’m heading for the elevator with my keycard in hand. Why a hotel? Why run away from people who are just trying to help? Good question, other than I just need somewhere quiet. The last time I felt the need to run was after I lost my mom, but running at the time wasn’t an option. The first time I had a need to run was after losing my dad, though no one knows that I really left. They all thought I just stayed home.

Stepping inside the room that is mine for however long I decide it is. It’s a typical hotel room, nothing fancy. I step further into the small entry that has the closet, and I find the king-size bed that takes up most of the space. I toss my bag onto the bed. I turn to my left, and there’s the bathroom, sitting close to the bed. A dresser with a TV is on the opposite side of the room from the bed. There’s a couch by the window and a desk across from the couch. Not much, and it’s simple, just the way I like it.

Meanwhile…

~Balboa~

Vince pulls into the parking lot and parks next to my Jeep. We both go inside, and it’s not overly busy. I don’t see Kiera anywhere, though. I walk over to the sunken area, but there is no sign of her. I join Vince at the counter, and he’s already ordered for both of us.

“Liz said that Kiera was here when they opened, but left already.” He tells me, and I look from him to Liz in disbelief.

“She left these. I’m guessing you know who they belong to.” Liz says, sliding my keys across the counter at us.

“They’re mine,” I mumble.

“Did she say where she was heading?” I ask, knowing it’s a long shot because Kiera doesn’t share much with anyone.

“Sorry, she sat over there for a while before she handed me the keys,” Liz tells us.

“Thanks,” Vince says to her.

We move out of the way and wait for our coffee. I know that if I call anyone, it will get back to Gen, and she doesn’t need to deal with this shit. Trying to get into Kiera’s head to figure out where she could have gone is like trying to break into Fort Knox. She rarely shared things with anyone, except for Brie and Riley. I’m pulling my phone from my pocket and scrolling through my contacts when our order is called. I start the call as Vincent walks over, grabbing our coffee.

“Hello,” Riley answers, and even she sounds like something is wrong.

“You alright, Ri?” I ask her, hoping it’s because I’m calling early for her.

“Never better.” She says, and I know that something is off, but I will get it from her if I ask about it.

“I don’t want this getting back to Gen,” I blurt out and hear her groan.

“What happened?” Riley asks. She’s always been that way, helping out while sassing about it.

“Kiera took off with my Jeep and then ditched it. No one knew she was gone until Cat went to check on her. I have no way of tracking her.” I explain to her and hear movement from her end of the call.

“Fuck.” I hear her mumble.

“You didn’t have Hayley track her?” Riley asks, her usual sass seeping through now.

“Are you kidding me? She’s loyal to Gig, and he is loyal to Gen. I don’t want to add to the shit I’m sure Gen is dealing with right now.” I explain.

“Good point, and yeah, I didn’t help things here. Kiera will be looking for a place to hide out. She could be there for however long it takes her to work through her demons.” Riley tells me. My need to find Kiera is getting stronger.

“What did you do?” I ask, not missing that part.

“I don’t want to talk about it. You didn’t get this from me, and I will deny it if you say otherwise.” Riley says as I hear the notification for my text.

“Thank you, Riley!” I exclaim.

“Don’t make me regret it, Ty.” She says before ending the call.

“Did you get anything?” Vince asks, handing me my coffee.

“Yeah, I have an idea,” I tell him, grabbing the hot coffee, and he gives me a nod before heading for his truck.

I climb into my Jeep, setting the cup in the holder before starting the engine. I open the message that Riley sent me, and then I put the info into my GPS. I pull away from the parking lot and drive to the location of a hotel Kiera might use. The drive doesn’t take long, maybe fifteen minutes or so. I’m going over what I’m going to say to her when I get there, but everything in my head ends with her words spearing me in the heart.

“We both know that I’m not the one you want.”

After parking, I take a moment to get my head on straight before walking in there. This isn’t just anyone that I’m about to barge in on... It’s Kiera. She’s one to shoot first and ask questions later, but that was before. I have no idea how she’s going to react any more than I would know how any random person will react. I take a deep breath before exiting my Jeep and heading for the front doors of the hotel.

The lobby is as generic as any other hotel lobby, nothing really special. Fake plants litter the space, a circular bench with even more fake plants sitting in a decorative planter that is in the middle of the circle. Side tables that hold useless clutter. The front desk is nothing more than a tall counter with different bits of clutter. I approach the front desk, and the guy behind it looks bored out of his mind.

“Hello and welcome-” the guy starts with a bored tone.

“I’m supposed to be meeting my girl here, but she didn’t tell me the room number,” I say, interrupting the guy.

“Name?” He asks me.

“Kiera MacLean,” I tell him, and he starts typing away.

“Room 314.” He says.

“Thanks, man,” I say and start moving away from the desk.

“Hey!” He calls out, stopping me in my tracks.

“Here.” He says, holding up a keycard.

“Thanks,” I say as I turn to take the card before heading for the elevators.

Impatiently waiting for the elevator to get to the lobby, I barely wait for the doors to open before I step into the small elevator. I press the door-close button and watch as the doors slide closed. Thankfully, they don’t have any of that crappy elevator music playing in here. It feels like this thing is going in slow motion as it takes forever to come to a stop on the third floor. As soon as the doors start sliding open, I’m pushing through them.

I see the signs on the wall in front of the elevators that show which room numbers are in which direction. I follow the sign that leads towards the room Kiera is in. As the door that she’s behind comes into view, I come to a stop directly in front of it. I take another deep breath, and sadly, it doesn’t help. I reach up and knock on the door, wanting to give her the choice to open it. I hear nothing from inside her room, so I knock again, but once again I hear nothing.

I pull out the keycard and slip it into the mechanism. As soon as the little light flashes green, I’m turning the handle. Pocketing the card once again as I slowly enter the dark room. Gently closing the door, not wanting to set her off. I scan the dark room but can’t see any signs of her from where I stand. The curtains are closed just like she had them in her room at Cat and Vincent’s house. I slowly start moving further into the room, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I spin around, taking hold of the wrist that’s raised up and the hand gripping a knife that I know is more than sharp enough to penetrate a Kevlar vest. I grip the arm that isn’t raised, but I know there’s a knife just as sharp gripped in that hand as well. I pin her against the wall and see the fear in her eyes. I’ve never seen her show fear, ever, and seeing this is like she just shoved one of those knives into my heart.

“Ty!” Her voice is breathy and full of fear.

“Kiera.” I breathe out and watch as her eyes tear up.

I let go of her arms and pull her against me, wrapping my arms around her.