Marked. Part I: The missing Link (27 page)

I'm relieved that none of the men escorting us out are the man Jay pulled a gun on, but I'm still uncomfortable. Not one of them looks pleased with us; in fact, they look like they would love an excuse to pop us both. I've never had enemies before, and I can say without a doubt I do now. It makes me feel a little badass.

The men return our weapons: my gun and Jay's mini arsenal of guns, ammo, throwing stars, and knives. They also return his jacket and shades, and I get back my cap and sunglasses that I automatically place back on. Once outside we find it raining steadily, clouds tightening in and showing no signs of stopping.

“Great,” I mumble. There goes our sightseeing.

Jay nudges me, “You think I'm going to let some rain stop me from showing you my favorite spots? Wait until you see the Golden Gate from Presidio Golf Course. There's a bench on a hill by the road that was my favorite place to go and think. The view is unbelievable.”

“You'll still take me?”

“
If you'll stop being mad at me.”

“
Deal,” I jump on him and wrap my legs around his waist. I take hold of his face and smash my rain soaked lips to his, “Thank you!”

He bites his lip and I'm instantly aroused. I'm glad my shades are shielding my eyes and I can freely stare at them.

“You have no idea what you do to me, baby. No fucking clue.”

“
Tell me,” I urge, wanting him to open up to me and stop being cryptic.

“
Have you changed your mind about how you feel about me?” He seems hopeful and his voice has taken on a more youthful tone, making him seem like the teenager he never got to be.

“
Never,” I promise with certainty, because he will forever be a part of me.

He appears to wince and I oddly feel sadness radiate off him, “Let's get going. We don't have a lot of time.”

I drop down and he takes my hand, guiding me to the curb while he tries to get a cab, and we get more soaked with every passing minute.

A taxi finally stops and he opens the door for me to get in. He points things out to me as we pass, but he's aloof and distant towards me the whole ride.

I'm confused once again. He seemed to want to know I still had strong feelings for him, but clearly my answer was not what he was wanting. My stomach twists and churns when I finally become aware of how assured I was when I answered him. He must have sensed that what I feel for him is somewhere in the love realm, when from the very beginning of our time together he has made it clear he doesn't want me to stay a part of his life. I mistook his comment as something deeper. With heavy sadness, I realize me jumping on him and kissing him got him excited and hard, and he made that comment because I'm too naïve to realize that would make him aroused. When I urged him to tell me what he was feeling, I thought it was closer to how I was feeling, but I understand now that that wasn't the case. I feel like such an idiot.

I need a distraction from my heart splitting in half and crumbling all over the floor of the cab.

“What's the deal with Vault?” I turn my head to Jay and place a hand to the side of my mouth, making sure the driver can't see my lips and I mouth, “Why was he so sure you wouldn't shoot him?”

Jay swipes his head and scoots to the middle seat. He lowers his head to my ear and whispers into it, “Everybody does business with him. If someone is stupid enough to try and take him out, anyone who he keeps their shit safe for will be after you. It's like writing your own death certificate.”

Wow, that's a lot of power.

“
He's a very powerful man,” Jay responds to what I had thought aloud. “Nobody messes with him. Don't misjudge him being friendly for something else, he can be ruthless if provoked.”

We arrived at Jay's favorite spot to view the bridge and it's everything he promised and more. We sit in silence, not touching, for a long time, taking it all in. I want to reach for his hand but his walls are at an all time high and I'm afraid he'd pull away from me.

Since he's already upset with me I decide to continue my questioning.

“
Why is it okay if he knows who I am?”

Jay scratches his scruff, splattering falling rain around him, “I briefly had to tell him who you were for business purposes.”

“If you were going to tell him about me, how come I couldn't go with you in the first place?”

“
I didn't want him to actually have to meet you. I thought we could discuss matters and would have you sign the papers from our hotel and I'd bring them back to him.”

“
Are you ever going to tell me what I signed?”

Jay tenses up and then lets out a long sigh, “I'm not ready to have another argument with you. I'm too fucking tired as it is.”

I need to shut it before I provoke him, but my stupid mouth doesn't know when to quit, “Why aren’t you worried about him knowing who I am?”

“
Vault is the most trustworthy man you can ever do business with. He wouldn’t be who he is if he wasn't.” He stands up and starts to walk away, “Time to go. I have work to do before we go out tonight.”

I hop up, “We're going out?”

“I need to try and find someone, and I think I know exactly where to find 'em.”

Chapter 29

10:13pm

“
Who exactly are we looking for?” I ask, eyes scanning the swank night club, drinking my vodka gimlet.

Jay remained distant the rest of the day and only spoke when he was pointing to different things or telling me about them. Much to my disappointment, we had room service for dinner while Jay worked at the desk in our room. The food was surprisingly quite tasty, but I wanted to try out another iconic restaurant. I tried getting him to let me go to the bar in the hotel, but of course he refused. I ended up watching HBO until it was time for us to come here. It had put me in a sour mood. Who knows when the next time I will be here, and I was stuck inside a room. A room with an awesome view, but it still sucked being forced to stay inside in one of the coolest cities I have ever seen. Movies don't do this place justice.

“
We
are not looking for anyone.
I'm
looking for an old acquaintance that can help me.” Jay drinks his Daniels on ice and continues to scan the bar.

I feel out of place here. It's definitely upscale, more so than any place back home. Luckily my clothes were still soaked when we left and Jay had no choice but have me wear something else. I forced him to take me into the shopping center close to the hotel; when I had picked out clothes in Yuma I hadn't prepared for the cold San Francisco weather. We spent a good amount of time arguing inside GAP about what I can buy and wear. I wanted something cute he wanted something baggy. He won, and now I'm wearing a cream colored cable knit sweater that I pared with the skinny jeans I bought at Target. He did let me buy faux brown leather boots on the pretense it was raining and the ballet flats I'd previously bought had soaked my poor, cold feet (I totally up-played that one). He also wanted me to wear another Giants hat but I refused. I refused not because I don't like baseball, because I do (it's an American classic, how can you not?), I just wanted something stylish and less boyish. I chose what the women at the store called a cloche. Jay agreed to it because it hung low enough in the front to somewhat shadow my face. I also picked up See's Candy to bring home for everyone. It's the best chocolate I have ever tasted. I almost had an orgasm in the shop from my free sample, that's how good it is. I did finally get a laugh out of Jay with how much chocolate I bought. He told me I'm the only person he knows that would think to bring back souvenirs, considering why we're here. Obviously he didn't try his free sample or he'd be right on board (naturally I ate his for him, you can't waste chocolate
that
good). I hadn't thought to wear any makeup, I keep forgetting to grab some. It hasn't bothered me; in fact, I never thought of it, but now I feel dowdy and unattractive in this club. If I had known where we were going tonight I would have put up more of a fight as to what I wore and refused to wear a hat. I am, without a doubt, the most homely, drab girl here.

“
There she is,” Jay says, standing up. “Stay here. I'll be right back.”

I watch him strut over to the bar in a confident “I own the world” strut I have never seen him use.

His hand rests on the small of a woman's back and he says something in her ear, causing her to turn around.

My jaw plummets to the floor. This woman is beautiful, beyond beautiful. She's a stunning Italian goddess and she's smiling back at Jay seductively, seeming ready to pounce on him.

I instantly hate her.

She has long, black hair that flows to the curve above her bottom and beautifully curls at the end. It shines and gleams unnaturally in the dim light of the club. Even from here I can tell her olive complexion is smooth and silky. Her eyes are a rich and sultry blown. I graze down to her juicy ripe lips and scowl. And then I take in her body. She's wearing a skin tight black dress that shows off her long, toned legs that even a ballerina would envy. It curves around her voluptuous ass and melons that are obviously real.

Jay's hand has moved to her waist and her hands are now on his biceps as they lean to talk into each others' ears. I can't see Jay's face and I pray it doesn't mirror her lust-seeking bedroom eyes. It doesn't take a genius to assess they're intimately familiar.

I think I want to become a hit-man just so I can take her out.

Wow...this is what jealousy feels like.

I had no idea it harbored so many pain inflicting, murderous thoughts.

Jay appears to be ordering drinks, then nods for her to follow. He hands her a glass as they head towards me. Now I
really
wish I had made him let me pick out my clothes. I have never felt more inadequate as a woman in my life.

Please say she's a cousin, or better yet, a lesbian.

Jay pulls out a seat for her and scoots it into the table. He's never done that for me.

Score one for her.

He takes his seat between us and drinks from the other glass he had gotten at the bar. Apparently he didn't get me anything.

Another point for her.

“Jay, you didn't tell me you had company,” even her voice is sexy, purring almost naturally, and it reminds me of what caramel would sound like if it had a voice. Her eyes (she also has outrageously long lashes, the bitch) survey me and immediately they show that she doesn't view me as a threat. This has me fired up – even if it's true. No woman’s a threat to her. I think happily married men wouldn't say no to her.

“
This is Holly. She got into some trouble and I'm helping her get home safely.”

She eyes him suspiciously, “Since when do you help a civilian?”

He takes another drink, eyes never leaving her, “She gave me something I needed. I owe her one.” He's eating her up, a fire burning in his eyes I'm all too familiar with: it's the one he uses on me when he's controlling his desires.

I need another drink.

I grab Jay's from his hand and knock it back, not caring if I look like white trash.

“
Mmm,” she nods in understanding, knowing him well enough to not ask what it was I gave him, which is nothing. He only needed an excuse why I'm here.

“
I'm Arianna,” she informs me, placing a perfectly manicured hand on her chest.

Damn, even her name is sexy.

“How do you two know each other?” I don't want to respond with “It's nice to met you” because I'm not that good of a liar.

A moment passes between them and sex fills the air around us. It's so carnal and lasciviously laced that even I feel my panties dampen.

“Gosh Jay, what? We met at thirteen?”

He motions for the waitress passing to refill our drinks, “Somewhere around there.”

He finally looks at me, but his eyes are expressionless for me. Jealousy's now pumping through my veins, giving me an adrenaline spike from the overdose of pure venomous loathing I feel for this woman.

He's
my
man. Mine.

Not really, but that’s what keeps running through my head.

Any minute now I'm going to yank out my imaginary gold-hoop earrings and yell at the girl sitting behind me to hold me back as I claw at her.

“
My dad used her parents a few times,” Jay explains, wiping out the fighting scene I had playing out in my head. I was totally kicking her ass too, it was awesome.

My stupid curiosity gets the best of me, “For what?”

“I come from a long line of con-artists,” she intervenes, “Jay and his dad only work with the best, which we are.”

I have no doubt she's good at getting any man to do what she wants. I have a feeling most women hate her, me at the top of that list.

Is it normal to already harbor such intense hatred for someone after only minutes? It's not like she's been rude or unfriendly.

“
We run into each other a few times a year, and we've worked together too,” Arianna further explains before putting all her attention back on Jay. “Ohmygod, do you remember that time in Malibu...”

They carry on like I'm not even there, and I might as well not be for how excluded I feel.

“I need the bathroom.” Jay stands after they finish reliving the past. He nods in my direction, “Stay with her and don't let her out of your sight. She has a gun on her, but I need your word you won't let anything happen to her?”

She laughs and gets the attention of every male within hearing distance. Yeah, even her laugh is that sexy. Bitch.

“You gave her a gun?”

Jay smirks at her amusement.

“Where’s she hiding it on that tiny frame, between her ass cheeks?”

Jay chuckles and I want to smack him and throttle her.

“Just give me your word.”

“
Fine, but I can't promise she won't accidentally trigger herself. Honestly Jay, you don't just hand people guns to defend themselves.”

I expect Jay to defend my mad skills but he only shrugs and leaves.

“So have you fucked yet?” She asks, leaning in, ready for the gossip.

“
No.”

Which wasn't a lie. I've only made love to him.

“Damn shame with a cock his size. Although, he'd probably break a little thing like you.”

I lean in, the pull to know more draws me in, “So you two...” I trail off, hoping she gets where I'm going.

She laughs, “
Oh, god yes.
” It sounded like she almost had an orgasm with her response, “We were each others firsts. Any time we're around one another it's like this magnetic pull to rip the others' clothes off. We once spent a week doing nothing but fucking in a hotel, never leaving.”

I so don't want to be hearing this. No way can I ever compete with her and obviously I'm not the first woman who's felt the current and been sucked in. Is that just what Jay does to women, and what I feel for him isn't rare, but familiar to so many others?

Wow, that's depressing to think about.

So, I won't. I'll finish of mine and Jay's drinks instead.

“You like him,” she states as though its obvious, which maybe it is. She rest back into her chair, “Be careful, he'll only break your heart. Guys like Jay don't do love. That's why we work so well; I don't either. Our relationship is purely sexual. I know one or two things will happen when I see him. First we will fuck our brains out and then I'll help him with a job, followed by more fucking.”

“
You two were never together?”

“
As in a couple?”

I nod yes, and this receives a loud, head thrown back laugh, “Jay's too busy seeking his revenge to ever be tied down. Even if he wasn't, you grow up never staying in one place for too long and anything long term becomes too boring and claustrophobic. Trust me, I know. We've lived similar lives, except he kills people for money and I con them. People like us can't settle, we grow too restless. We live for adventure and adrenaline; it's our crack.”

“Do you know who he's after?”

She raises a brow at me, “He didn't tell you about Mark?”

“I'm not allowed to say Voldemort's name out loud.”

Her face scrunches up in a “huh?” way.

I let out an exasperated sigh, “Never mind.”

“
Do you know anything about his scars?”

“
Only that he doesn’t want me knowing anything about them,” I sulk, because obviously she knows.

Another point for her.

What was that crap he fed me about being the only one he's let in? I call bullshit on that one. Arianna clearly knows more about him than I do. In fact, everyone seems to know more while I remain in the dark.

“
Interesting,” she mumbles, concentrating on her drink.

“
How's that interesting? I find it infuriating. He won't tell me a goddamn thing. Even now I have no clue why he needs you.”

“
Oh, sweetie,” she coos out, “he always
needs
me. I'm an itch he always needs to scratch.”

“
I'm betting you're an itch every man needs to scratch.”

She throws her head back and laughs some more, making me aware of how perfect her neckline is.

“Has he ever called you perfect?” I ask, wanting to know,
needing
to know.

“
Why? Is that how he described me?” She seems a little too curious and eager for my response.

“
No, he's never mentioned you.” I wasn’t trying to insult her, but I saw a frown flicker across her face. It leaves me wondering if maybe she cares more for him than she lets on, and I can’t say that I blame her. How can you know Jay intimately for over a decade without falling for him? “Well, has he?” I urge, because I really want to know.

“
Has he what?” Jay asks, returning to his seat.

“
Ever told Arianna she was perfect,” I say matter-of-factly because I’m not trying to hide anything.

Jay squirms uncomfortably in his seat and my stomach falls in an “I don't know if I want to know the answer” kind of way.