Marked. Part I: The missing Link (21 page)

“You weren't going to leave me?” Relief washes over me.

“
It really fucking pisses me off that you would think that. Fuck, Lily! Stab my fucking eye out why don't you.”

“
What was I supposed to think, considering the way you left things and how you acted at the cafe? And who's Mark?”

Jay comes to a dead stop, taking me with him by the elbow. “Don't
ever
, say that name again. Do you understand? I never want to hear that name come out of
your
mouth. Ever!”

“
O-k-kay, I won't,” I stutter out at a whisper, and them we are running again.

“
Can we slow down please,” I pant as my lungs breathe fire.

“
No.”

I have not even begun my questioning, but I won't be able to talk at the fast pace we are running. I can't fully think about all that just happened. All I can do is concentrate on running and not passing out. Jay looks like we are casually walking, where I've turned into a sweating, red, puffy mess.

I follow him into a retirement community a few miles down the road, and he leads me to the first house on the left. Jay goes to the driver's side of the parked car in front and pulls out a slim jim from the black duffel bag. I put my weight against the car's trunk to help hold me up as I bend over, gasping for air.

I hear a car door open.

“Get in.”

I look up to see Jay hop in the drivers seat, throwing the duffel in the back, but my legs are too weak to move. He gets out, picks me up with one arm, and throws me roughly into the passenger seat.

He gets back in and fiddles under the steering wheel. The car purrs to life.

“
Are we stealing this car?!”

Jay backs out and we continue in the direction of the motel.

“What if they saw us! We could get arrested!”

“
It's fine Lily, they aren't home.”

“
How do you know?!” I can't believe I just committed a felony!

“
When we passed this place I watched a couple get into a car parked next to it and drive off. We'll switch cars at the motel.”

“
We're going back there!” Panic starts up again. “We can't go back there,” I dig into his arm, eyes wild and frantic.

Jay scans me, “Why?”

“They'll come back. Please Jay, don't make me go back there.” Dammit now my throat is closing up.
Don't cry Lily, don't cry.

“
They're dead and we have to go back. I need whatever it is they have there.”

“
They’re dead? You killed them?”

“
Had no choice. Besides, they can't fuck with you and expect to get away with it.” He takes a quick glance at me, “Did they hurt you?”

“
Not really.”

“
Care to elaborate?” He asks through clenched teeth,.

“
Um...well that Sharp guy stuck his tongue down my throat, and the other one whipped my back with his belt when I tried to run away.”

Jay's skin inflames and his knuckles whiten from gripping the steering wheel. A slew of curse words fly out.

We pull into the motel and I point Jay to our room where he parks in front.

He walks to the room and makes an irritated hand gesture for me to follow him. I shake my head no. I am not going back in there. Jay repeats the gesture but I don't budge. He accelerates over to me and throws open the door, “Let me make this clear. You do what I tell you or die.”

“You would kill me?” I gasp, tears stinging my eyes.

Jay lets out a loud roar, “You really think shit of me, don't you? I meant, if you don't follow my instructions you will get herself killed. I know what I'm doing. You have to fucking trust me. Not even death can stop me from keeping you safe.”

“I seriously doubt that,” I mumble under my breath. He's not a God, although his body sure is built like one. I unbuckle and follow him in, because frankly, I don't want to die. I'm still not sure whether I can trust him, but I'd rather be under his supervision than another one of his “acquaintances.”

I step into the room and push back the memories of humiliation and pain. I wrap my arms around myself, squeeze my eyes shut, and take in a deep breath before opening them.

Jay is watching me, brows creased, causing his forehead to wrinkle, and his teeth are grating together, making his jaw compress and accentuating every facial muscle. He takes a hesitant step towards me and reaches his arm out to touch my face, but I lean back to avoid it. He lets out almost a saddened sigh and swipes the top of his head.

“
Did you see where they may have stored any papers?”

“
No, but when we got here Quake took the motel's Bible into the bathroom for a long time. He doesn't strike me as the religious type.”

Before I finished Jay was at the bed, opening the bedside table and pulling out the Bible. He opens it but it appears normal as he flips through the pages. About a quarter of the way in a small square has been carved out. He pulls something out that I can't see.

“What is that?”

“
Tiny USB,” He shoves it into his pocket, “ Anything else?”

“
They hid a briefcase under the mattress, which made me nervous because they were so secretive about me seeing anything the whole time, unless it was doling out information I asked about you.”

Jay's whole body stiffens exactly how I anticipated from my comment. I think this time around I might enjoy bringing up topics he doesn’t want me knowing anything about. If we're stuck together I might as well have fun with it. I'm past letting him frighten me. My broken heart is a way more powerful emotion. I'll let it fuel me and cultivate it into seeking vengeance the only way I know how to strike him, with the only weakness he seems to have: his past.

Jay throws back the mattress on the bed and grabs the briefcase, “Once we're back in the car I expect you to tell me exactly what you think you know about me.”

He removes a Glock from behind him and hands it to me, “What else?”

“For me?” I ask, hand wavering above it, uncertain.

“
Keep it on you at all times.” Jay grabs my hand and places the gun in it.

I tuck it into the back of my jeans, “You're letting the hostage have a weapon?”

“You're not my hostage,” a surly Jay bites out. “You're better with a gun than most, and I've seen a lot of gun action in my day.”

A mild warmth coats my skin at his praise, but I don't let it show on my face. I don't want him knowing he still affects me.

He does another sweep of the room, and we leave once he's satisfied that nothing went unnoticed.

He opens the passenger side for me.

“I thought we were changing cars?”

“
Changed my mind. There's a shopping center thirty minutes from here. We'll do it there.”

Fine, whatever, it really doesn't make any difference to me since I bet the next car will be stolen too. Oh joy.

We head further from the way we came, away from the direction of my home.

“
When do I get to go home?”

Jay scrubs his face with his hand, “I'm sorry Lily, but you won't be going home for a while. Not until I know no one else will use you to get to me.”

“How long will that be?”

“
A few days, weeks, can't say for sure.”

“
Seriously? But what about my family? People will be looking for me. Oh god, are they in danger too?” I roll down my window, needing fresh air, hoping it will help the nausea churning in my stomach. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if my family got involved in this mess that has become my life.

“
They're fine.”

“
You thought
I
would be fine!” I yell, “And look at me now! In a car with a man who has killed god knows how many people after escaping two men who kidnapped me, barely fed me, jerked themselves off to my naked body, and whipped me when I misbehaved!” I scream and punch his arm, satisfied when the car jerks from the impact, “I'm so fucking mad at you right now! You broke my fucking heart and didn't even bother to say goodbye, like I meant nothing to you, which I'm beginning to think I didn't! Then the next time I see you, you act like you could care less if I'm dead or alive! Aaahh!” I cry out in frustration, hitting him again.

He rubs his bicep and curls his lip in anger, “You finished yelling? Or is there more you need to get out?”

“That's just the beginning!”

“
That's what I thought,” his smile is coy, like he knows me so well, which infuriates me even more. What is it about Jay that makes every emotion I feel wild and uncontrolled? “If you're done for now, I'd like a turn.”

“
I don’t care what you have to say.” Okay, I do, but I'm too stubborn to admit it. Which is a new trait for me, I've always been overly passive.

“
Too bad, because here it goes.” He points a finger at me but stays focused on the road, “I'm mad at you too!” I start to interrupt but he slaps his hand over my mouth, “No talking. The fact that you would think I would let them kill you or harm you hurts more than all my scars combined. I do, however, owe you an apology. I should have listened to myself about not getting involved with you. Getting involved with you weakened me. I can't have weaknesses in my life; weakness gets you killed. I let you in and became so overly consumed with you that I slacked. I should have caught on that I was being followed. If I hadn't been selfish I would have never let you in, and now you're in this mess for who knows how long, and instead of thinking about my next move all I can think about is how those asswipes treated you and who I can punish for it, because someone will suffer for what they did to you, and that's not a distraction I need right now.” Jay stops to take in a deep breath. He smirks at me, finally removing his hand, “You follow any of that?”

My eyebrows are raised in astonishment, “You've come a long way from my neighbor who avoids conversation.”

“Well you've come a long way from my sweet, never says a bad word, next door neighbor. You swear almost as much as I do now.”

“
Nobody swears as much as you do.”

Jay grins, “You haven't met Bones yet.”

“Who's that?”

“
An old...acquaintance I guess you could say.”

“
You would think after all this,” I wave a finger around, “that I would deserve more than vague answers from you. Yet I know nothing except you're a contract killer who's looking for M...” I trail off, remembering I'm not allowed to say that name.

“
I'm not a contract killer,” he clarifies, “my father was. I only helped him out on jobs. The more you know, the more complicated this gets. If you ever want to go back to your life, you need to know as little as possible.”

“
Whatever,” I grumble. It's pointless to try and have a normal conversation with him without me getting irritated and him being vague.

“
Are you going to be mad at me all the time now?”

“
Pretty much.”

“
At least that's cleared up.” I didn't miss his astringent tone that poured out like acid.

“
It's the only certain thing between us,” I bite back.

“
No, not the only thing,” the side of his lip turns up suggestively, reminiscent of the past.

Ignoring the tickling desire his mouth provokes I cross my arms, determined to not let him get to me, “Please, what else?” I dare him, wanting him to see that I'm no longer affected by him.

“The way we kiss each other,” the words flow out rich and velvety, forming a coat around my already flushed skin.

Oh god, he had to bring that up.

“How good we are in bed,” he adds, as if the first response wasn't already turning the car into an inferno.

“
Well, I have nothing to compare it to so I can't confirm.” I remain vigilant in my intent to be unaffected, or at least appear to be.

“
Trust me, it's good.” He moves his head slightly to give me his salacious smile that always saturates my lower half, which is now clenched in thirst. Damn him.

“
Was. It
was
good,” I point out in spite.

Jay's lips curve down and melancholy sweeps through the air. He is the only person I know that has the ability to change the earth's atmosphere based on his mood.

“How many women do you have to compare it to?”

“
You want a number?”

“
Sure.” Why not.

He scratches his scruff. Crap, he actually has to think about it? How big is this number?

He gives me a light shove, “It's only been five so stop looking at me like that.”

I take a second, thinking I heard him wrong, “That's it?”