Revenge (Galen Hooks: Hunted- Book 3)

Chapter One- Feel It Inside

Isabel smiled as she uncurled herself from against her girlfriend in their bed. They were alone and it was morning.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she whispered, kissing Camila on the forehead. "Time to get up and to the studio."

"Is she meeting us there or coming to pick us up?" Camila mumbled sleepily.

"Who, Galen?"

"Yeah."

"Well, she's coming to pick us up this morning. Rhea's going to pick us up later from the studio."

"Fine, I'll come. I want to talk to her about a few things." She sat up, sighing.

"Well, don't stress her out too much. You know she's still recovering from what happened to her before."

"Well... at least those people who did it are all dead now."

Isabel was silent as she recalled the past events that had happened. It had all happened so quickly... when Galen had been pushed out the window of a building and stunned when she hit the ground, enough for her to be captured and taken away. When she was finally found, having been raped and incredibly injured, she was sent with some paramedics to the hospital for a checkup. Unfortunately, the paramedics had turned out to be the terrorist people in disguise and had taken Galen to the coast, ready to take her to a designated island and kill her there where no one could stop them. But luckily, they hadn't been smart enough to take her phone and Galen had managed to contact Isabel and tell her where she was. She had been thrown in some type of cage and overheard talk beforehand that she was being taken to the coast. Luckily, Isabel and Camila had gotten there in time and freed Galen from the cage before she could be gotten onto the boat. The two of them had distributed the ninja stars they had among each other and fought as fiercely as they could, managing to kill all the terrorists. Galen had been horribly abused while they hadn't been there though and, along with dealing with her scars from other wounds and the terrifying traumatization of the entire ordeal, was still trying to dance without letting the stings of pain from her wounds bring her down again. She had been let out the hospital a bit early, but Isabel was beginning to wonder if it had been too early for her.

"Isabel?" She was jolted out of her thoughts by Camila's voice. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, you have that look on your face that says it. What's going on? Let me guess, you're thinking about her again."

"What...?"

"Galen. You're thinking about her again. Are you...?"

Isabel saw a flash of jealousy in Camila's eyes and quickly shook her head. "Cammy, she may be my friend, but she's also about ten years older than me. I couldn't date her even if I wanted to, which I don't. Besides..." She rolled her eyes. "Just... no. Don't even mention that."

"But that look..."

"Camila, she's gone through so much lately. Hell, she's been captured and tortured and I heard she was raped and nearly killed the last time I saw her."

"Wait, what?"

"I was the only one who saw the scars when I freed her in the forest. A few of of them raped her the first time they captured her... but the second time I think she held them off."

"Oh god..." Camila drew back in horror.

"Look, when she comes, don't mention it. The way she described it to me later at the hospital... it was horrible. She may be very sensitive about the subject."

"Okay." The two of them got ready as fast as they could and no sooner had they finished than they heard a knock on the door. Isabel rushed over to open it, casting a warning glance at her girlfriend as Galen walked into the apartment.

"How are you guys doing?" she asked passively. When Isabel looked at Camila again, she seemed terrified. "Um... are you okay?"

Isabel rolled her eyes and spoke the truth. "She found out about you-know-what and she's horrified of it."

"Oh..." Galen slipped into one of the chairs, keeping a wary eye on Camila. "Didn't I-?"

"Galen, she's my girlfriend; you think I'm going to keep a secret like that from her?" Isabel retorted. "She had to know."

"Isabel..."

"I'm sorry, but I had to tell her the truth. Anyway, I only have a little while that I can be in the studio for today because I just got cast in a new movie. I have to be on set by 3:00 exactly."

"Why... why did you tell her? Why did you feel that you had to?"

"Because she's a close friend of yours too and besides... I had to stop what she was saying."

"Wait a minute..." Galen tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What is it?"

Isabel quickly described Camila's confused thoughts and muddled accusation that she could have wanted to date her, adding that she was happy how she was and wouldn't change a thing. When she was finished, Galen looked as if she might pass out.

"D- do you need some water?"

"No. I- I just need to use the restroom."

"Okay. We'll be waiting for you."

As she left, Galen could hear Camila hissing at Isabel as she left, asking why the heck had she told her what she did, but she darted away from it and ducked into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

She hadn't meant to slam it. But it was just an instinctive reaction. Galen turned toward the wide mirror above the sink and slowly removed her shirt, leaving her only in her black sports bra.

There was something inside her. Pressing her hands against her exposed chest, she felt that it was extremely hot and inflamed. But when she looked at it in the mirror, there were no markings of any kind. Then the thoughts began to pour into her brain.

This isn't something I should ignore. And it's not something I should tell Camila or
Isabel either.

However, when she touched her chest again, she felt like... she could feel power radiating out of whatever was inside her.

I do need to tell them though. Because I can tell it's going to do something to me.

But will it turn me into something?

She wasn't willing to go back to the hospital at that time.

I guess I'll tell my friends what's going on... but I can't act like it's anything bad. I just have to tell them... what I think. That it could change me into something I was never meant to be. Something that turns me against them...

Galen sniffed, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. She put her shirt back on. Wait a minute...

"Was this your plan all along, Johanna?" she snapped at nothing. "To make me destroy myself?"

Well, I won't. She took a deep breath and wiped away her tears on a towel.

"You're dead now, Jo. And even if you're not... I will stay strong. For myself and for my friends." A brief smile appeared on her face as she quickly exited the room.