by G N Wright
“Ask Queenie here,” Jace says with a smile and Lincoln laughs.
Marcus looks between the three of us, “What am I missing?”
I exhale a huffed breath, “Chad tried to make a move against you, I just politely told him that would be a mistake,” I say with a shrug.
“I hear she broke his jaw and his cock,” Lincoln says, casually scrolling through his iPad. His tone suggests he picked up that information from the high school grapevine when we both know he would have hacked into his medical records.
“I’m sure the female population will thank me for the latter,” I take a sip of my sweet tea and scan the cafeteria again.
“The guys could have handled it, you didn’t have to step in,” Marcus replies, and I frown.
“I know how to handle myself, Marcus,” I snap back at him.
“Yeah, but you shouldn’t have to,” he says, getting louder and I huff.
“It was no big deal,” I shrug.
He pulls me closer to him and grabs my face until I look at him, “It was a huge deal you could have been hurt, baby,” he leans in and presses his lips to mine. I sigh, opening my mouth to slip my tongue inside his. When his tangles with mine, I forget we are in the middle of lunch with an audience of a hundred students. No, the only thing that matters is me and Marcus. He pulls away far too quickly and once again I’m left wanting more.
“I’m not made of glass Marcus,” I finally say, my head clearing from the kiss.
“We should finish up and get to class,” he ignores me. What the fuck?
“We still have ten minutes left,” Jace says, looking at Marcus weirdly, which isn’t ridiculous considering he is more likely to skip class altogether than be early. However, he is already standing up and sliding back into his leather jacket. I look to Lincoln who is also watching him closely.
He leans back down and pecks me on the cheek, “Catch you later, baby,” and before I can even respond he is stalking away from us and out of the doors.
I frown, “What the fuck was that about?”
Chapter 25
ELLE
The rest of the week has followed the same pattern. Marcus being overly nice, sweet, and attentive, all of which has freaked me the fuck out. I just got so used to his hot and cold attitude, one minute he was threatening me and telling me to get out of his town and the next he was slamming me against walls and using his magical fingers to fuck me. Now, I am dealing with kind and caring Marcus. One who carries my books, gets my lunch, and pecks me on the head. What's a girl gotta do to get more orgasms around here?
I mean I get it, I do, I told him my truths, and this is his way of trying to be respectful, but how do I tell him that’s not what I need? I am not some broken little girl; I may carry the scars from that night three years ago, but I don’t carry the fear. Not anymore. The only thing I feel when I think about what happened to me is revenge and love. How I am going to pay back all the ones involved in hurting me, and how I will do anything it takes to ensure my daughter is kept safe and never at risk.
It’s the weekend now and the guys are all sitting in the cinema room with me and Cassie watching Tangled. It’s pretty funny to see the South Side Rebels spending their Friday night watching a Disney Princess movie. But apparently my daughter's convincing skills know no bounds. Even Asher is here and honestly it is the happiest I have ever seen Cassie and the most settled I have ever felt. It’s pretty hard to feel worry or be scared when you are surrounded by four beautiful, brooding men willing to lay it all on the line for you.
I am sitting in the middle of a huge, curved sofa, Cass is snuggled into my right side with Ash next to her. I have got Marcus on my left side and the two other Rebels next to him. I lay my head on his shoulder and feel content at knowing almost everyone I care about in this world is under this roof right now, it's blissful. I drag my fingers up and down Marcus’ arm transfixed on how the goosebumps break out across his skin every time. I glance up and find his gaze transfixed on the same thing and I halt causing his stare to flick to mine. The blackness I find there makes me break out in goosebumps of my own. How the fuck am I meant to control myself around him? His dark lashes cast a shadow on his cheeks and the glow of the movie just highlights his chiseled features perfectly. I want to kiss him.
He turns back to the TV but I still lift my face so I can press my lips against his neck and the shiver he lets out makes me blush. I think of all the ways our bodies will respond to each other, but he has more restraint than me because he keeps his eyes on the movie.
As usual we don’t even make it to Rapunzel hitting Flynn with the frying pan before Cassie is out cold. Asher looks over at her sleeping form and then to me.
“You mind if I tuck her in?” he asks, and I smile.
“Ash, you’re her dad you don’t have to ask,” I remind him, and he gives me the same little smile he always does whenever I tell him he is her dad. It’s a smile that says he can’t quite believe how lucky he is.
He lifts her sleeping frame off the sofa and bends down so I can drop a kiss to her forehead before he turns and leaves the room. I turn back to the guys and find Lincoln staring after them, he must feel me staring because he turns to me before quickly averting his gaze.
“You like him?” I say finally realizing what all the tension from him towards Ash has been about.
“What?” Jace says looking between us.
“Superman here, has a little crush,” I tease him with a smile.
He rolls his eyes as Jace barks a laugh, “I do not have a crush,” he replies, emphasizing the word not.
“This is fucking gold,” Jace chimes in looking at Linc. “Sorry brother, but think you are shit out of luck for once, that little psycho screams big dick energy. I am sure he doesn’t swing your way.”
Lincoln exhales a huff like he is pissed off, but I can see the little gleam in his eye. My little Rebel has a crush on Ash. I pocket that information for future reference and make it my mission to find out Ash’s thoughts. We might be best friends but something he has never discussed with me is his sexual orientation. He has too much on his plate to think about such trivial things but now I am thinking I should find out.
Marcus snakes his arm under me and drags me until I am sitting in his lap. I squeal in surprise until I realize that he has dragged me into his lap, and I decide not to waste the opportunity. I turn and throw my arms around his neck and surprise him by slamming my lips against his. After a week of gentle kisses, I am ready for more and I don’t care if the fucking Rebels are here at this point. He kisses me back for a minute before he pulls away and abruptly stands effectively leaving me to fall onto the sofa.
“I erm,” he panics, looking for something to say as I stare up at him in disbelief, “I just need to grab a drink,” he says quickly, before he looks at me and pats my head like a dog and then leaves the room.
I sit stunned for a minute before I look at the two remaining guys and Jace bursts out laughing as I speak, “Did he just pat my head?”
“Yes,” he manages to choke out before choking back into a fit of laughter again.
“What the fuck am I missing?” I say to the two of them. Lincoln looks uncomfortable so I concentrate on Jace who is wiping actual tears from his eyes the little fucker.
“He is just trying to go at your pace, Elle,” he says, turning his tone slightly serious but still with a stupid smile on his face.
I frown, “What do you mean?”
“Oh Queenie, you really know nothing,” he replies, shaking his head before patting the seat between him and Linc “come and let Jacey tell you everything you need to know.”
His patronizing tone makes me want to dick punch him, but I am feeling desperate, so I move until I am between the two of them. “You’re inexperienced Elle,” he says, totally serious and I blush. Okay so we are going there, what the fuck?
“I’m gonna need you to make a point before I get stabby, pretty boy,” I huff out trying to stifle my embarrassment.
/> “Marcus is,” Lincoln starts pausing to try to find the right word.
“A manwhore,” Jace finishes for him and I grimace.
“Seriously?” Lincoln asks him but he just shrugs in response so Lincoln continues.
“Look Elle, Marcus has slept around but that was before. He wouldn’t do shit like that now, but now he is dealing with something he has never had to before.”
“What's that?” I ask with concern.
“Blue balls,” Jace pipes up with a smirk and Lincoln hits him in the head but he just laughs.
“Look, princess, Marcus wants to respect you and wait until you are ready for the next step, virgins can be tricky,” he adds, with another shrug.
“I --” I start but have no idea what to say so I try again, “And if I am ready?” I ask quietly and he smiles big.
“Oh, then you have come to the right place, pretty lady, I’ve got plenty of advice for you to get under his skin,” he winks.
I roll my eyes, “Is that so?”
“Yeah, you just got to ramp up your hotness,” he says like it's simple.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“You know, like all this,” he gestures to my body, “but more.”
“I don’t understand,” I look down at my body and back to him and he huffs out a breath.
“Okay, Elle, how fucking dense are you? Look at you. You’re so hot you’re like fucking fire.”
I squirm slightly under his glare when Lincoln speaks, “He’s right, you’re beautiful, Elle, and you guys have history so can you imagine how hard it is for him to control himself around you?”
“So hard,” Jace says with an exaggerated wink and I laugh.
“You are such a dick,” I mock punch his arm and he laughs in return, “but,” I add pausing, “tell me what to do?” I ask and Lincoln groans as Jace starts excitedly bouncing up and down in his seat.
“Yes,” he says turning to face me fully, “first lose these,” he pulls at the fabric of my oversized hoodie. “He needs to see the skin to crave it, sweetheart,” then he tugs on my ponytail, “also this, let it down, your hair has to be down for us to pull it,” he winks again, and I blush harder, yet I can’t imagine having this conversation with anyone else.
I look towards the door quickly before I ask my next question, “Do you have any tips?” I say quietly and he smirks.
“Lincoln is your guy for that, he knows his way around a guy better than I do,” he says leaning past me to pat his shoulder.
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” Lincoln replies.
“I’ve seen you suck a dick, your technique is flawless,” Jace says, jumping up onto his knees and leaning over me, to mimic sucking a dick to Lincoln, just as Ash enters the room. He takes one look at us and turns back around and leaves.
We burst out laughing at his retreating frame. I often wondered if I was missing out only having Marcus and Ash as friends when I was younger. People would find it weird that I never hung around with girls but all I felt was lucky. I feel that way again now having them both by my side and ever better my little group has grown and has two more amazing guys in it.
Our laughter is interrupted with an alert going off on Lincoln's iPad at the same time Marcus comes back in.
Lincoln picks up the tablet and quickly scans whatever is on his screen before cursing, “Fuck.”
I immediately sit up straight at the tone of his voice and the look on his face, “What is it?”
He looks at Marcus before he speaks to me, “Movement down at the docks, we have got a couple of people watching it and they just heard a new shipment is coming in,” I can tell by how serious he is being that I am not going to like what he says next.
“Twelve girls no older,” he pauses, “no older than eighteen.”
“Fuck,” Jace curses now standing and beginning to pace and I feel a pang of regret for bringing someone else into the darkness of my revenge. Greg may have killed his sister, but he didn’t have to be involved in this, probably wouldn’t be if it weren’t for me but there is no going back now.
I stand, “Well, what are we waiting for? “Let’s go,” I say but Marcus steps up gripping my arm.
“We aren’t just going somewhere without checking it out properly,” he lectures, looking down at me as Ash returns to the room. He looks at his grip on my arm and frowns.
“The fuck is going on?” he asks calmly, yet I can hear the undercurrent of rage in his tone.
I pull my arm from Marcus, “No offense, River, but I wasn’t asking permission. I have been doing this without you for months. You’re my boyfriend, not my fucking keeper, you don’t wanna join the fun, cool, you are more than welcome to stay here but I’m going.”
I don’t give him a chance to respond before turning my attention to Asher, “We have girls down at the docks, I need CCTV images and any information you have on the guys stationed there, Lincoln will get you up to speed with anything else,” I say, gesturing behind me.
I stalk away from them all without waiting for an answer. I make it to the stairs before I feel a presence and an arm wrap around me.
I know immediately from the scent that it isn’t Marcus and I turn to find Jace. “Look, pretty boy, I will say the same to you that I said to Marcus,” I start but he holds his hand up cutting me off.
“Wear your leather pants,” he smiles cheekily. “He won’t know what's hit him,” he adds walking backwards away from me and I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of me. I shake my head at how ridiculous he is as I make my way to my bedroom but that doesn’t stop me from grabbing my leather pants.
Chapter 26
MARCUS
Ican’t remember the last time I was outnumbered. Since I met the guys, we have always had each other's backs, they have been there for me no matter what. I thought they would take my side throughout anything, but ever since Elle King barged back into my life, things changed. That is how I find myself on a stake out in the car putting the girl of my fucking dreams at risk the longer we sit here.
We are parked facing the dock yard that is adjacent to the docks watching a few guards walk up and down guarding what I have been told is a container filled with young girls. There are easily over two hundred containers here, and the knowledge of what’s in this one makes me wonder what might be in the rest of them. Lincoln is sitting in the driver's seat with Elle next to him, while Jace and I lounge in the back seat. Nobody has spoken in a few minutes and the silent tension is putting me on edge.
“What's the plan?” Lincoln asks, without taking his eyes away from the scene in front of us.
Elle shrugs even though he isn’t looking at her, “In and out, keep it quiet,” she muses simply and all it does is remind me how many times they must have done this before behind my back. This isn’t the Elle and Lincoln I know, the beautiful girl next door and my quiet reserved brother, no these are different people entirely.
“Knife only,” he nods, “got it.”
“And keep her fucking alive,” Donovan’s voice hits all our ears from the tech he gave us to wear earlier and for once he and I are on the same page. I watch in the mirror as Lincoln rolls his eyes so this must be the norm also.
She ignores Asher and looks in the back at me and Jace, “You got your weapons?” she asks and we both nod.
She waltzed out of the cinema room before I could protest any further and returned ten minutes later dressed like Lara Croft. Tight ass leather pants that hugged her so snugly, I thought they might burst, and a black top tucked inside them, her tits cupped perfectly. She led us back to the secure room we entered last week and showed us a closet filled with different weapons. Watching her strap blades and a gun to her body was practically porn.
Now, here we are ready to fucking murder and not the first time for her, apparently. I wish I could say I don’t know what happened to my sweet little King, but I do. I know exactly what happened to turn her into this and I wish I didn’t. So, if getting her revenge is what will help h
er heal, then that is what I will do. We all climb out of the car silently. The adrenaline is pumping through my body as I ready myself for a fight. We use the shadows to move closer until we can hear the conversation of the two guards left outside.
“I wouldn't mind trying one. I haven’t had my dick sucked in weeks,” twat one says, and the other laughs.
“I doubt at that age they know how to suck a cock properly,” twat two replies.
“Yeah, I’d have fun teaching them though,” twat one jokes, nudging him and they both laugh.
I go to move, Elle grabs me. She looks at the three of us and uses a finger to motion shush to us. We watch as she slips out of her jacket and pulls her hair down from where she had tied it up and fluffs it out messily. She removes the gun from her thigh and passes it off to Linc before making sure the two knives she brought are hidden. One behind her back at the waist and the other at her ankle. The only thing she doesn’t move is the black knuckle duster.
“Stay here,” she whispers with force, putting her focus on Lincoln like she is communicating something silently with him. Before I can say anything, she is turning and backing away from us further into the shadows. I stand dumbfounded wondering what the fuck she is doing until she reappears a little further down.
“Excuse me boys?” she says in a voice that is breathy and flirty, and I am immediately irritated.
“Hells bells, what the fuck are you doing?” Asher hisses in my ear echoing my thoughts but I can’t concentrate on him right now. My sole focus is on these two predators in front of me. I watch as they take her in from head to toe with a sick gleam of satisfaction in their eyes.
“What's a girl gotta do to find a good time around here?” she adds, as she confidently walks towards them ignoring the weapons, they both have on their hip.
“You shouldn’t be out here, girly,” twat two says and she smiles.