Page 125 of Wicked Ends
“No, it’s human.He’sawful. And I guess karma is real, because he’s messed with the wrong people now. He thought he was juststealing from you—but he stole from the Hounds.” Sally shot me a grin. “It’s poetic. He sealed his fate.”
I swallowed the knot of tension in my throat and nodded. The fact that people stronger and far more capable than me were finally going to deal with Dale was too good to be true.
I’m not alone in this anymore.
“But again, I get the feeling it’s not the MC you’re worried about going to take care of Dale. It’s Marcus, isn’t it? A certain Hellion has gotten under your skin.”
My cheeks grew hot as I stared out the front window. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Sally laughed. “Yeah, right! If I hadn’t suspected already, then that guilty expression would have confirmed it. You and Marcus. Wow. I can’t believe it, though I can. He’s gorgeous, funny, fun… you deserve someone to make you laugh.”
“He’s a student!” I reminded her. “He’s five years younger than me.”
“If he doesn’t have a problem with it, I don’t see why you should… though I heard there was some kind of commotion in your class the other day.”
The memory of the presentation and the sudden appearance of those damning pictures flashed through my head.Fuck.That had been awful.
“Though funny and hot, Marcus can be a little nuts. All of the Ice Gods have that kind of reputation. Are you okay?”
I shrugged. “I can’t say I didn’t deserve it. I lied to him about Dale, and all of it. I started this stupid bag game.”
“Not without provocation, I’m sure, don’t forget.”
“Yeah, but he let me in… and I didn’t reciprocate. I didn’t know how, and now… I gave Dale the space to get between us.”
“Does he know everything about your past now, you think?”
“He can guess, I suppose, what my life was like before Hade Harbor.” I waved a hand over my chest. Just the thought of Marcus, and Cole, and his MC guys seeing the evidence of what my brother had done made me want to cry. So much for not wanting to be seen as a victim.
“Okay, he’s seen the bruises, but does he know everything? Have you told him all of it?”
I shook my head.No.Even now, showing the darkest parts of myself didn’t come easy. I didn’t even know if I was capable of it.
“Well, you might want to start there,” she suggested.
“What are people saying about those photos at school?” I asked, needing a subject change.
Sally snorted. “Not much, except it was hot. Marcus’ face wasn’t in the photo, and they’d never dare make claims about Marcus Bailey that they couldn’t back up. Actually, most sane people don’t mess with the Ice Gods, period.”
“Glad to have the confirmation that I’m officially insane,” I sighed.
“I don’t know … maybe you needed someone like him to burst through those high walls you’ve got going on. We met not that long ago, and I got immediately that you were sweet and smart, and kind… but guarded. It seems like Marcus’ tactics broke through where no one else succeeded.”
“He didn’t really give me a choice,” I said.
“He’s a determined guy, or obsessed, take your pick. So, what are we going to do when we get there?” Sally asked.
I glanced at the GPS. We were getting close. Nerves pushed my worries about Marcus out of my head. “I don’t know. I need to make sure Claire and Lulu are safe.”
“And Marcus, right?” Sally slid me a sideways glance.
“Please, he exploded my life, and he hasn’t given me a moment of peace since we met. He’s like a tornado in your living room. I got his brother hurt, and he probably got me fired. We should maybe call it quits now, before we accidentally burn the town down.”
Sally shook her head, a smile on her lips. “I think Marcus might have a different opinion on that, but we’ll see… He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy to give up something he wants, though. Or someone.”
Marcus
When we parkeda block away from the blinking dot on my phone, I finally answered Ari’s call. She’d been calling nonstop for hours, and honestly, I couldn’t take hearing her plead with me not to go, and ignoring her worry. I was going. I was here. It was too late.
