Page 35 of A Sky of Storms
“There’s something else you should know,” he said darkly. “I saw Mark meet someone hooded too. I’m not sure if it was the same person or whether he’s working with Victoria. But he used the same meeting place.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked curiously. He’d already given me what I wanted, why was he offering more? We weren’t friends, and if he were strategic, keeping this information to himself could be beneficial down the line.
He studied me, his face betraying nothing. “Maybe I’m sick of people like them getting everything they want. Maybe I want things to change.”
Them.Interesting that he didn’t count me in that basket. I turned around, pacing thoughtfully along the dappled ground. I turned back to speak with him and blinked.
He was already gone.
It didn’t happen often, but sometimes the guys and gals upstairs smiled down on me. Thankfully, Mark was nowhere to be seen when I returned to my room, though the bathroom door was sporting a new gouge in the wood. I smirked. I hope he pissed himself before he made it in there.
I walked over to the lump in Kendra’s bed and prodded it, earning a grumble. “Wake up sleepy head.”
Another grumble.
“I’ve got coffee,” I sang, waving the takeaway cup in my hand.
Her head popped out of the covers, her long black hair all tousled. I waved the cup near her face and she followed it with her nose, eyes still shut. When she got a good whiff of the caffeine, she snapped them open and threw me a crooked grin before snatching it from my hand. “I knew there was a reason I liked you,” she teased.
I rolled my eyes. “Glad to know it’s because of my winning personality. Wanna get some brekkie at the caff before class?”
She threw the covers off and stretched like a cat. “Am I a monkey’s uncle? Yes, of course. Right after I put my warpaint on.”
“Should I grab my sword and shield?” I asked with a smirk.
Kendra raised a brow as she gathered her things. “Always. Give me a moment to shower, I still feel like an exhausted pigeon.”
I laughed as I saw the nest of hair at the back of her head. “You look like one too. Hurry up, I’m starving.”
She got to the doorknob, hanging a little pathetically, and turned. “Do I even want to know?”
I laughed. “I’ll tell you on the way.”
She shrugged, tried to close the door, then gave up when it wouldn’t click shut. I cringed. Maybe it was a bad idea to let Mark break the lock. I wouldn’t trust him not to sneak a perve at whoever was in there. After making a mental note to tell the repairman—janitor, whoever—to fix it, I decided to change and put a little paint on myself. It was a tank top and jeans kind of day, so I slipped on some ripped black jeans, combat boots, and donned a black cropped tank. Then I set to work on some graphic eyeliner, mascara, and a little blush.
Kendra stepped out decked in a check mini skirt, knee-high boots and a black top with cut-outs, her hair in those trademark space buns and her eyes drawn like mine. “Time to slay,” she remarked, looping her arm in mine.
“The breakfast foods don’t stand a chance,” I agreed. “To the caff!”
I told her about my incident with Mark along the way and filled her in on what had happened with Noah and me, but before she could respond, a sound coming from around the corner of the caff met our ears.
We exchanged glances, wordlessly deciding to check it out. My stomach instantly dropped.
Mark.And he wasn’t alone. “Stop being such a tease,” he was saying as he pressed a girl against the wall. “I know you want me.”
“Please,” the girl said, wriggling her wrists where he’d pinned them both beside her head.
In the shade, I couldn’t see her face enough to tell what she was thinking, but the tone of her voice wasn’t promising. We crept closer.
“It won’t take long. Just a quickie,” Mark replied, kissing up her neck.
The girl just squeezed her eyes shut. “No,” she breathed.
“Don’t be such a bitch, Jemma. You can’t lead me on and leave me hanging. Just close your eyes.” One hand slid down her body, to her thigh, then began creeping up again.
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat.Enough.
“She said no, Mark.”
