Strength (Mark of Nexus #1)

by Carrie Butler

  I let out a deep breath. It felt good to be back in my own car, under my own power, having the freedom to do as I pleased. Everything seemed brighter, more colorful. Maybe I’d taken too many things for granted before.

  A couple of hours later, we pulled in behind our dorm. It wasn’t even noon yet, so the lot was sparse. Just like any other Saturday, most of our fellow Reid residents had yet to return from their Friday night exploits. We snagged two spots near the front.

  As I got out and locked up, I couldn’t help but notice an overwhelming sense of rightness in the air. The breeze felt cool as it whipped between buildings, mussing my hair. It was good to be home. This home, at least.

  Wallace slowed his stride to match mine as we met on the sidewalk. “So, uh…” He had his hands shoved in his pockets again, probably to eliminate the possibility of interaction. Nothing like a little standoffish body language to protect the innocents. “Have you thought about what you’re going to tell your friends?” he asked.

  I groaned, hunching forward as we approached the side of the dorm. “I spent most of the trip trying to come up with a decent scenario. They’re vultures, so it’s got to be believable. Of course this”—I pointed to the bandage on my neck—“doesn’t make it any easier.”

  “Or that,” he said in a flat voice, nodding toward my hand.

  I was quick to dismiss the slight discoloration from our breakthrough session. “It’s nothing.”

  “It’s everything,” he muttered, looking away.

  There would be no mention of the bruise from the warehouse. He didn’t need to dwell on things like that. Not after we’d made so much progress. No, if anything, I needed to keep reinforcing the hurdles we’d already passed.

  Swallowing my nerve, I reached over and tugged on his arm until I’d freed his hand.

  He shot me a questioning look.

  “Baby steps,” I teased, lacing our fingers together.

  His hand went rigid as we walked hand-in-hand to the door. “Rena…”

  I swiped my card and he opened the door, perfectly in sync as we breezed through the lobby. Neither of us said anything until we were in the hallway, waiting for the elevator. It wasn’t exactly the kind of conversation to be had around random bystanders.

  “Are you okay?” he asked quietly, leaning against the wall.

  “I’m fine.” I squeezed his hand, struggling to downplay the lightheaded rush of ecstasy that followed. It was the truth. He wasn’t hurting me in the slightest.

  The numbers over the elevators glowed as the cars raced to the ground level. A second later, the middle doors chimed open, and we stepped aside so people could file out. Wallace caught the door and I slipped inside, avoiding the straggler in the corner.

  “Oh my gosh, you guys!”

  My head snapped up at the familiar tone. “Gabby?”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Gabby’s eyes bulged out, fixated on our intertwined hands. “What’s this?” She gestured in disbelief, shaking her head from side to side. “Wait. Were you…did you guys spend the night together?”

  Our hands darted apart like opposing magnets and I blinked, scrambling to reformat my story. “Hey,” I said, plastering on a grin. “What’s up?”

  She reached over and jabbed the button for seven, disregarding whatever her previous plans had been. “This oughta be good. Let’s get Aiden.”

  A bead of sweat dampened my brow and I scoffed, looking at her like she was crazy. “What do you mean? This?” I nodded toward Wallace with a quirked eyebrow. “What’s wrong with us holding hands?” Please, please act nonchalant.

  He moved closer as the doors closed, probably waiting to follow my lead. Too bad I didn’t have one.

  “Are you guys…together?” she asked, still gaping.

  “Are we together?” I snickered and glanced up at Wallace. “Did you hear that?”

  “I heard it.”

  I rested my arm on the wall, trying to laugh it off like it was nothing. “Geez.”

  Gabby’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh. You are. You are, aren’t you? That’s why you’re always defending him.”

  His eyebrows shot up to his hairline, and I reached around him, punching the button for four.

  “You can go see Aiden,” I said. “But I’m going to take a nap. I didn’t get much sle…” I trailed off, realizing how bad it sounded.

  A suggestive grin twisted her features as the doors opened with a loud ding. “Okay, we’ll let you get caught up. I told Aiden we’d go to Sam’s for lunch later, anyway.” She leaned in. “Why don’t you come too, Ace?”

  Wallace faltered, throwing a questioning glance in my direction. “Okay?”

  The poor guy didn’t know what to do.

  “Great!” She grabbed my arm, dove out into the hallway, and waved back at the closing doors. “Meet us in the quad at one.”

  I was in trouble.

  I spent the first hour evading her questions by hiding in the bathroom. Sure, I’d wanted to shower, brush my teeth, and change my clothes, but I also needed time to sort my story out. If she found one crack, one hairline fracture, I’d be in for three months of interrogation.

  After that, I attempted to ward against her curiosity by means of hibernation. I stretched out, face down on my bed, ignoring the fact that I’d just gotten myself clean and wrinkle free. Of course, that didn’t deter her. She sat on the edge of the mattress, waiting to get the latest tidbit.

  “Come on,” she goaded, poking me in the side.

  “I’m sleeping,” I murmured, my voice muffled by the soft down.

  She gave my shoulder a little shake and whined, “Ree…” The neckline of my shirt shifted, and I heard her gasp. Crap.

  Her fingertips brushed against the tape that held my bandage in place. “What happened to your neck?”

  I slowed my breathing and made every effort to remain still. Maybe she’d think I was—

  “I know you’re not asleep yet,” she growled, rolling me onto my side. “You’ve got me all worried now. Just tell me, and I’ll leave you alone.”

  I groaned and stared up at the ceiling. “Fine.”

  She leaned in, appearing in my line of vision. “So?”

  I opened my mouth to speak and she shrieked, covering her hands with her mouth.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Wallace is a vampire!”

  “Are you kidding me?” I snapped, moving to sit up. “A vampire? I got cut trying to get into the car. I ran into something sharp.” Truth. It just happened to be a needle that Cole was holding. And then a blade. “For Pete’s sake…”

  “Oh.” Her shoulders slumped. “Well, there goes that theory. What about the rest of your weekend?”

  “It’s only Saturday. What’s there to tell?” I hugged the pillow to my chest, giving a little shrug. “I had a few things to do in Columbus. I spent the night. I came back.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “What about the note and the late night phone call, huh?”

  “It’s called being considerate. You know, like when people let other people take naps.”

  Her dark gaze was calculating, like she was lining up my testimony and plotting three moves ahead. “You sure you didn’t go see brother boy?” she asked, tilting her head. “’Cause I’m pretty sure you can run closer errands.”

  Okay, I thought this might happen. Just stick as close to the truth as possible, without giving away anything incriminating. I took a deep breath and tried to appear sheepish, like I was embarrassed she’d caught on. “I guess you got me there.”

  “No shit?” She leaned forward, ready to pounce. “Does he look like Wallace? Is he hot? Where does he go to school? Does he have crazy headaches? Why are they fighting?”

  Thankfully, I’d also anticipated this barrage of questions. “No, they’re fraternal twins. Cole is a little shorter and a bit more compact in terms of muscle. He’s got his hair buzzed short.”

  “Ooo! Dibs!” She clasped her hands together. “What else?”


  I grinned. Maybe this was just the distraction I needed. “He doesn’t have cluster headaches, and I think he’s done with school. As for why they’re fighting…” I paused, giving myself a second to line up my story—omitting things here and there. “Well, you know brothers. They got into it over winter break and were both too stubborn to apologize.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Men.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed, luring her in. “So, Cole texted Wallace, and he met us somewhere in town. I don’t really know where, because I wasn’t driving. Do you believe I got a flat on the way there? Cole had to come save me.”

  “Too cute!”

  “I know.” Gag. “So, they duked it out, and by the time they were finished, it was really late. I was afraid to drive back on that donut, so we took my car to a garage and spent the night at their grandma’s house. The end.”

  When I finished, I almost wanted to give myself a high-five. I really hadn’t lied at all. How on earth did that happen?

  “Wait. You got to spend the night with two, gorgeous brothers? Girl, I might have to hate for a while.” She fanned herself. “Please tell me you slept between them.”

  “Gabby!” I laughed, shaking my head. “I slept in Cole’s bed, Cole slept on the couch, and Wallace slept in his own bed. Nothing happened. Geez.” I paused for a second. “Oh, and in case you’re wondering, they were raised by their grandparents. Their parents were killed by a drunk driver, so don’t bring it up.”

  Her eyes rounded. “Aww…”

  “I know.”

  “Okay,” she said, leaning back on the other end of the bed like she’d just had a big meal. “I’m with you on all of that, but how on earth did you two end up with the P.D.A. in the hallway?”

  Good point. “Okay, first off,” I said. “Holding hands hardly qualifies as a public display of affection. Second, we were just having a little—I don’t know—close moment. We’ll never know what might’ve happened, because someone interrupted it.” I gave her a pointed stare as she sat up again.

  “That’s so flippin’ sweet,” she gushed and pointed so close my eyes crossed. “You guys would make beautiful babies.”

  “None of that!” I covered my ears and bent to bury my face in the comforter.

  She threw her head back and cackled.

  Things were back to normal. Or at least, they would be for the next hour or so. There were no guarantees beyond that. Not with Gabby involved.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  I slid into the booth first and squirmed when Wallace angled in beside me. The benches were far from spacious in Sam’s Diner, and we were practically on top of each other. How was I supposed to act cool, pressed to his side like that?

  “Welcome to Sam’s.” A thin girl with a shag of black and purple hair sidled up to the table, fiddling with the ties of her apron. “Can I get you started with some drinks?”

  Aiden, Gabby, and I gave her blank stares while Wallace glanced around the table with evident confusion.

  “You’re new,” I said, stating the obvious.

  The girl rolled her eyes, her lips caught in half a sneer. “Yeah. The name’s Lexie. How about those drinks?”

  About that time, Sam brushed past en route to the kitchen. “Aw, c’mon, kiddo. These are my kids here.” He clamped a hand on her shoulder and gestured around. “We got a water, a Diet Coke, and an ice tea comin’. I don’t know about that guy there. He’s sittin’ a little close to my girl, lookin’ a little suspicious. I might have to come back here and have a talk with him.”

  I wanted to smirk at the waitress, but I restrained myself.

  “This is Wallace.” Gabby gestured across the table, stepping in where I should have. Oops. “Wallace, this is Sam. He owns the diner.”

  “You have a nice place here,” Wallace commented.

  Sam wiped his hand on his apron and reached for a handshake. “I don’t wanna see nothin’ funny over here, okay? You treat these ladies with respect.” He spared a quick glance at Aiden and shrugged. “And that one too.”

  Aiden cowered in his seat and gave a little nod. He’d been quiet since we met in the quad, and I was pretty sure it had something to do with his suitemate tagging along.

  Wallace reached out and took Sam’s hand in a quick shake, paler than he’d been a minute ago. “Yes, sir.”

  I patted his leg under the table.

  Sam snorted. “‘Yes, sir,’ he says. Heh. I like this one. We might be okay back here, table one.” Something crashed behind closed doors, and I heard him curse under his breath. “All right, you kids enjoy your meal. I gotta go deal with a buncha dumb-dumbs back here.” He muttered to himself and went about his business, shaking his head in disgust.

  “I’ll get your drinks,” Lexie said, letting out the breath she’d been holding while her boss was around. Without another word, she spun on her heel and walked away. Miss Congeniality.

  As soon as she was out of earshot, Gabby leaned forward and I grinned, ready to hear her rip into the new waitress. Sure, it was wrong, but at least the conversation would keep her occupied. No more talk of babies.

  “I think she likes me,” Gabby whispered, shooting a furtive glance across the diner. “Did you see the way she was looking at me?”

  Aiden blinked. “She was looking at Wallace.”

  “What?” I spat, craning to catch another glimpse. “When?”

  Wallace shot me a wicked grin and I faltered. Ah, hell. Mr. Empath had his wires crossed. To him, my little spike of protective outrage probably felt like jealousy. Well, it wasn’t. She could stare at whomever the hell she wanted, for all I cared. I just wanted my damn water. Where was that anyway? I sank down in my seat, crossing my arms.

  “I’m sorry,” Lexie spoke again, and I jumped. She crouched down beside Wallace with a timid smile. “I forgot to ask what you wanted.”

  “Oh, water’s fine,” he said, his rich timbre a little too reassuring.

  She nodded, practically running to get his order. Pathetic.

  “Do you really think she was looking at you?” Gabby asked, looking a little miffed as she stared at him from across the table.

  “I wouldn’t know.” Wallace shrugged, flipping a menu open.

  “What do you mean you wou—”

  “Where’s Maverick?” I cut in, raising an eyebrow. “I figured he’d tag along.”

  Gabby scoffed. “He took off in a hurry this morning. Said he had somewhere to be.”

  “Is something up?” I asked. “I didn’t see him in Social Policy Analysis on Thursday.”

  She threw her hands up in frustration. “Like I know. Boy’s been actin’ weird lately.” No wonder she was ready to pounce on new game. Conflict resolution wasn’t her strong suit. At least, not in her own life. “I’m done with dick.”

  Somehow, I didn’t believe that.

  Our drinks arrived and, to my chagrin, Wallace was served first. The rest of our glasses were slid across the table with haphazard consideration. Huh. So it was true. Lexie the Waitress did have a thing for him. Great.

  “What can I get you?” she asked him, pencil poised and ready over a small tablet.

  He smiled up at her inquiry, shutting the menu like the stupid gentleman that he was. “I think I’ll go with the double cheeseburger.”

  “Fries?” she purred, brushing his hand as she took the menu.

  He nodded, and I felt my temperature raise a few degrees. Seriously? Could she be any more obvious?

  I leaned back and stiffened, realizing that Wallace was resting his arm on the back of the booth. Awkward. Should I move?

  “And you?” she asked in a bland tone, giving me the stare down.

  A slow-spreading smirk found its way to my face, and I realized I didn’t have to move at all. No, I’d press even closer. How about that? “Turkey club, no tomato, side of fries. Thank you.”

  “Right.” She turned her attention to Aiden. “You?”

  “Um…” He pushed his glasses up on his nose. “Could I get the to
mato soup with grilled cheese?”

  “‘Kay.” She scribbled it down on her pad and turned to Gabby. “And what would you like?”

  I couldn’t even look at Wallace. I was probably emitting vibes like the green-eyed monster. “I’m protective of my friends,” I whispered under my breath, knowing he could hear me.

  “Of course,” he replied, and I felt a tremor up his side. He was laughing at me. That jerk was laughing at me.

  “What I want isn’t on the menu.” Gabby pressed her fingers into a shy steeple, peering up through her lashes.

  “Try me.” Lexie spun the pencil through her fingers.

  Gabby hesitated for a moment and sighed, slumping forward. “I’ll just have a salad with ranch and onion rings.”

  Lexie nodded, overlooking the strange display.

  “Got it.” Flashing a quick smile at Wallace, she turned and strutted away. “Back soon,” she called over her shoulder, shaking her hips as she walked. Gag.

  “Sure you didn’t want to order chicken, Gabby?” Aiden teased before she swatted his arm. “Ow!”

  “I just wasn’t feeling it, that’s all,” she grumbled.

  “Yooooou still like Maverick,” I sang out, giving her a taste of her own medicine. “That’s cute. You guys should make babies.”

  Gabby pursed her lips and met my gaze with a fiery vengeance. “Yeah? Well, why don’t you piss on Wallace before she comes back? We won’t have to watch you mark your territory every two seconds.”

  Wallace, who had been taking a long swig of his water, choked and sputtered in a struggle to get it down. I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head.

  My face blazed, and I pulled away from him, plastering myself to the wall. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You stupid, skank-faced whore bag.

  “Uh huh,” she said.

  “Girls,” Aiden warned, used to mediating our catty squabbles. He reached inside his pocket and produced a small bottle of hand sanitizer. “Chill.”

  Gabby met my eye with a treaty shrug. “Sorry, I’m just…eh, forget it. You guys up for a quick trip to the mall after lunch?”