Marked. Part I: The missing Link (4 page)

“
We'll see.” My ears must be deceiving me, because I could swear his voice sounds excited.

The man on the left lunges forward and so does my protector. Sheer panic courses my veins as I watch the other two men circle in around him.

The next few seconds happen so fast I can't be sure what I see. My neighbor turns into some kind of ninja. He has the first man knocked out in a single punch. The next man he headbutts and tosses onto the hood of the car, denting it underneath him. The third man starts approaching from behind. I'm about to yell out when he gets back kicked and sent crashing into the ground, head cracking against the concrete. They all wobble to their feet and scurry to the car.

“
Take this piece of shit with you,” my neighbor yells after them, kicking the man he grabbed through the window in the ribs, eliciting a soft groan from his lips. “He's not going to die here.”

They obediently come and carry him off.

“Oh, and guys,” my neighbor speaks to them like they are old friends catching up, “If I hear you were near this bar again, I'll kill you. If I find out you so much as look at her,” he nods his head at me, “I'll make you choke to death on your own balls. Got it?” His eyes have turned cold and murderous. A chill runs through my body.

The car squeals off, leaving tire tracks on the road.

He faces me and I swear his eyes turn darker; I truly fear him.

“
What the fuck just happened?” He growls at me in a voice that does not match the warmth it usually carries.

I try to speak, but no words come out and my whole body starts shaking uncontrollably. I fall to the ground and he is next to me in an instant, kneeling beside me.

“Shit.”

I black out.

Chapter 3

Wednesday, January 1

12:01am

The sound of cheering and people crying out, “Happy New Year!” jars me awake.

“Lily, Lily, are you okay?” The familiar voice of Naomi rings in my ears and my lids slowly flutter open. I try sitting up but my head is pounding and the room starts to spin. I groan and clench my eyes shut. “Lily, can you hear me?”

“
Yes,” I croak out, my voice dry and hoarse. Why does my body ache so much? My eyes reluctantly open and my surroundings are not at all familiar. I appear to be in a small office, next to a desk, “Where am I?”

“
You're in The Recovery's manager's office,” Stevie’s voice says in the distance. I think she's at my feet. “Is she okay?” I hear the panic behind her words, but I don't hear a response.

“
Why am I here?” Why does my throat feel so sore and scratchy? I cup my hand around my throat and memories of tonight’s events flood into my mind. I shiver in fear.

“
Where is he?” My raspy voice asks.

“
Who?” Naomi leans over me and gently strokes my cheek, “Does this hurt?”

“
A little,” I wince. “Where is he?” I ask again. Naomi looks confused, which irritates me.

“
I think she means me,” a calmness washes over me when I hear the soothing warmth of my neighbor's voice.

“
Are you okay?”

He chuckles and the sound is beautiful, “Are you seriously asking if I'm alright?”

I slowly lift my body up to sitting with Naomi's help. I lock eyes with him and all coldness from before is gone, replaced by something else. Concern? No, I'm too familiar with that look lately. It's worry mixed with another emotion I can't place. His face scans mine and cringes, letting out a grunting noise before closing his eyes and massaging the bridge of his nose.

“
Are you hurt?” My raspy voice makes me sound like a ninety year old smoker, but I guess that will happen when you scream for your life.

“
Fuck, stop asking me that,” he moans. “Are you okay, are you hurting anywhere?” He has his hands on his hips now, head hung low while he stares at the floor. Why is he avoiding looking at me?

“
A little achy, but no real damage.”

“
Can you remember what happened?” Stevie probes, handing me water that I guzzle down.

“
Unfortunately, every detail.”

My neighbor's head snaps up, “I think you guys should let me take her home. She needs to rest. She can fill you guys in on the details tomorrow.”

“Is that what you want, Lily?” Naomi asks, appearing to not like the idea. “I can bring you home just as easily.”

“
No, it's fine.”

Stevie and Naomi help me up.

Stevie wraps her arms around me in a hug, “I'm so sorry. Jay told us some guys tried to attack you but ran off when they saw him coming. I'm so so sorry, it's all our fault. We shouldn't have let you go outside alone. I'm so sorry.”

I hug her back, “It's not your fault. Please don't blame yourself for something only those dickheads should be blamed for.” I tilt my head back, “Who's Jay?”

My neighbor clears his throat, “That would be me.”

Now I have a name.

“I'm ready to go home,” I inform him.

He nods and opens the door. We follow him out and Naomi leans in to whisper in my ear.

“You sure you're safe with this guy?”

“
Positive.” What he's capable of and the dark evil look his eyes posses may frighten me, but I know without a doubt he would never harm me.

“
'Kay, and you promise to call me tomorrow?”

“
I promise.”

We walk them to Stevie's Jeep, and once Naomi drives off we go to his truck. He opens the passenger door for me and helps me up. I try not to think about how big and strong his hands feel on my waist.

We drive in silence while I stare at him, studying his face and the scar that's facing me. I reach my arm out and run my thumb across the smallest one along his temple. His body stiffens  against my touch.

“
Thanks for saving me.”

His hands tighten around the steering wheel, “You want to tell me how the hell it got that far?” His tone is soft and I don't take offense to his question.

“I needed air and went out the exit into the ally. Three of them approached me and I tried opening the door but it was locked...” I wrap my arms around myself like a blanket.

“
Never mind. Don't tell me. It will only make me want to hunt them down and rip their fucking heads off.”

“
Good. I don't really want to talk about it,” a light sob escapes the back of my throat and I feel like a wuss. It's not like anything happened. It never got that far. A tear runs down my cheek and I brush it away before he can see. I want to lift my legs up and wrap my arms around myself but I don't want him to see how much tonight has affected me, it's pitiful. I settle for twirling my hair and chewing on my lip, which hurts...a lot. It feels huge in my mouth and I can feel the broken skin with my tongue.

“
Don't do that,” Jay reaches over and tugs on my chin, releasing my bottom lip. “It's swollen and bruised. You'll make it worse.”

I'm disappointed when we arrive home. I like being in the safety of his truck and the soothing roll of a moving vehicle.

“Do you think we can drive around for awhile?” I can't believe what a child I'm being.

He doesn't respond, just flips the truck around and keeps driving.

“I know you wanted to drive me home because you didn't want me to tell my friends how easily you whooped those guys asses. Why is that?”

His hands twist around the steering wheel and I can tell he's thinking how he wants to explain it to me, “I'm afraid if they know what I did they will tell others, and word will get around about what I can do. I try very hard to go unnoticed.”

I let out a small laugh from his comment, “You
have
seen yourself, right?”

He lets out a laugh as well, “Touchè.”

“I don't mean just these,” I say, running the pad of my thumb over the scar on his temple. “You're huge and your eyes are scary at times; it's impossible to forget them.”

“
Do I scare you?” His voice is barely above a whisper.

“
A little. The first time I saw you and after you fought those men I was. It's the color your eyes take on. Like you're soulless.”

A sharp intake of breath cuts through the air and I feel guilty for being so honest. The man just saved my life, or at least prevented me from becoming a shell of a human being, and I insult him.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out so harsh.”

“
Don't ever apologize for being honest with me.”

We drive around in silence for another thirty minutes and I don't protest when he pulls into his driveway.

He tells me to wait and comes around to help me out. Once my feet are safely planted on the ground his eyebrows knit together and his hand strokes the cheek that was slapped.

“
You should ice this when you get home.” For how big and rough his hands are, they sure feel gentle and soft against my skin. I close my eyes, leaning into his palm. The second my lids shut, tonight’s events play out and I feel panic again. I step back against the truck in fear, hitting my head against the door.

Jay backs away from me, “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have touched you.”

“No, it wasn't you. I liked that. It was when I closed my eyes,” I look at the ground in front of my feet. “I could see everything, all playing out like a movie.” A tear drops, and Jay's hand is back on my cheek to wipe it away. “I'm sorry, I'm being silly.”

He lifts my chin up to look at him, “Stop telling me you're sorry, and you’re not being silly. I only caught the tail end of what happened in that car, and you have every right to be upset.” He steps back and the empty space between us feels miles long. His hand comes out for me to take, “Let me walk you home.” He smirks, “It's a long journey.”

I crack a smile but shake my head no and his face falls, “I feel stupid but I'm afraid to go home now and go to sleep. I'm afraid I'll have nightmares or my mind won't stop reliving it all.”

“
Huh,” he scratches the scruff on his face. “I might have some sleeping pills in my bathroom?”

“
Okay.”

“
I'll be right back.”

Jay heads inside and I follow. No way am I waiting out here alone.

He looks over his shoulder as he unlocks his door and I'm relieved when he doesn't protest me following him inside. The house is dark when we enter but he doesn't turn on any lights as he heads down the hall. It's hard to make out the living room, but I can tell he has a couch and I lay myself down on it, curling up and wrapping my arms around a pillow cushion. I feel exhausted and I want to close my eyes, but I'm still afraid. I hear him come back in and stand over me, but I don't look up at him or make any indication that I plan on moving, because I don't. I feel safe here.

“
I can't let you sleep on my couch.”

I tuck my knees up higher in defiance.

He scratches his scruff, “Seriously, it doesn't feel right having you sleep on my couch.” He lifts me up in his arms. There isn't a single nerve in my body that doesn’t feel the gratifying pleasure it brings me.

If he wants me gone he'll have to carry me home, but to my surprise he brings me down the hall to what I assume is the master bedroom. The room has a king size bed in it. He lays me down and removes my shoes before pulling a blanket over me. He goes to leave but I grab his hand, pulling him to me as I scoot back.

He starts shaking his head but I speak first.

“
Please,” I plead, “I don't want to sleep alone.”

“
I'll sleep on the floor.”

“
Please,” I whisper softly.

He curses under his breath and I can hear him removing his shoes before sliding under the covers with me.

His whole body is stiff as he lays flat as a board on his back, arms firmly at his sides. I lift the arm facing me so I can snuggle up and I rest my head on his chest. His muscles are strained and tense under me. With every breath he takes his body loosens up and his arm slowly creeps around me. He starts stroking my hair, and within minutes I'm asleep.

Chapter 4

8:24am

Soreness can be felt all over my body. I moan as I turn onto my back in bed, but it's not my bed. This bed is much wider, and the sheets are cotton where mine are flannel. Once again I remember what happened. I sit up and my muscles feel like they have been through the ringer, all tight and sore. I take in my surroundings, which aren't much. A king size bed with a burgundy and gold comforter with swirling designs you can find at any department store. To my right is a bedside table with a lamp. The window behind me acts as a headboard and is completely bare. That's it. That's his entire room. Strange.

I see a note on the pillow next to me and I pick it up to read:

I'm in the living room. I didn’t want you to wake up and be scared to be sharing a bed with a strange man.

Jay confuses me. I've never met anyone like him. He's raw and menacing, but he has a softness to him, a sweetness that tugs at my heart. Remembering the way he dismantled those men is seconds makes my body shiver.

I get out of bed with the need to pee. Badly. Once in the hall, I'm glad to find the bathroom directly across from me.

The fan clicks on when I turn on the light, startling me. I'm extra jumpy, which doesn't surprise me after last night. That's when I see my face. The side that was slapped is bruised and swollen along my cheek near my lips. He hit me harder than I thought. I'm thinking it was more than a hard slap. My lip is slightly puffed and the skin is broken, but I think it's cut from me biting it.

I step all the way in and lean over the sink to get a better view. I touch the puffed out skin. It's definitely tender.

Jay appears in the door frame behind me, leaning the side of his body against it.

“
I thought he only slapped me, but this doesn't look like something a slap can do,” my voice is still raspy and sore.

Jay's lips tighten and his jaw sets. I see the muscles in his arms clench, “No, that's definitely not from a slap. That's what happens when somebody hits you.”

I lean in closer, my nose almost touching the glass. “Why didn't it feel like a punch? Shouldn't it have hurt more when it happened?”

“
Adrenaline, it can dull the pain.”

That makes sense. I had a shitload of that last night.

I stand up straight and take in his appearance through the mirror. He barely looks touched. In fact, he doesn't have a mark on him.

I whirl around, “How did you go unharmed?”

A dark chuckle vibrates the room and goosebumps form on my skin. Eerie darkness returns to his eyes, “I've fought a lot more men than that at once, and they knew what they were doing. The guys last night hadn't a clue. They were weak and slow. I could have taken them out laying on my back.”

“
Now you’re just being cocky.”

“
No, I'm not.”

I swallow from the seriousness of his tone.

He scratches his scruff. I notice that his knuckles are broken and red. I glance at his other hand to see it just as banged up.

I close the gap between us, grabbing the hand on his face to examine it. Wow, it looks bad. Red, raw, broken, and painful. “Are you okay?”

He yanks it away, “Quit asking me that.”

“
I'm only worried about you,” I fire back.

“
Don't. I made coffee if you drink it.” Jay leaves me and retreats down the hall.

I quickly go to the bathroom before heading to the front room. It's just as bare as his bedroom. A couch, a coffee table, a flat screen mounted on the wall. Underneath is a small console with an XBOX and a cable box. In the clear cabinets of the console I can see DVDs and XBOX games. To my left is an open kitchen with an island where he has one bar stool. No dining table or pictures on the wall, that's all there is to see. It only makes me more fascinated by him, which I know is dangerous. I'm not exactly the best judge of character.

“If you’re done analyzing my place I can pour you a cup of coffee. I have orange juice too, if you prefer that,” Jay's gruff voice startles me.

He's standing on the other side of the island, back facing the kitchen, drinking from a mug.

“Coffee, please.”

He goes to work filling me a cup.

“I don't like it when you use that tone with me,” I state, watching him pull out creamer.

“
What tone?” His face contorts in question.

“
That mean, low throat one. I like your normal voice, it's warm and comforting.”

He snorts, “I think you're the first person to use those two words to describe anything about me.”

I grab the creamer and pour it into my coffee, then take a seat on the bar stool. “It's true, I could listen to you talk all day.”

“
You're strange.”

“
So are you.”

Our eyes stay glued to each other as we drink our morning caffeine fix.

“How old are you?” I ask, breaking the minutes of silence.

“
Twenty-five.”

“
Hmm.”

“
What does 'Hmm' mean?” Jay refills my cup and pours in more creamer.

I shrug, “You look older.”

He leans his back against the refrigerator, “I've lived through more than most do their whole lives. That probably has something to do with it.”

In that moment he has sucked me in. I want to know who he is, what he's thinking, and everything about him.

“You’re looking at me weird. It's kinda creeping me out,” he shifts uncomfortably from my stare.

“
I'm creeping
you
out,” I laugh at the absurdity of his words.

A true smile forms on his face. Stevie's right, if you take away the scar and put a little light into his eyes, he's beautiful.
We go back to staring at each other, absorbing the other in. Normally this would be unbearably awkward, but with Jay it's not. I'm beginning to like the way he looks at me, analyzing me, studying my face. I feel like he sees me, as cheesy as that sounds.

“
Did you sleep okay?” He asks, cutting in on the silence.

“
Yeah, I did,” I realize, surprised. “Maybe last night had no effect on me now and I'm fine.”

“
Just do me a favor and don't pretend you're okay if you're not.”

I nod my head in consent.

“I'm serious.”

“
I know, I can tell.” The hardness in his features says it all.

“
Good.”

We go back to silence, but this time we look anywhere but at each other.

I finish my coffee and I know I should leave, but I don't want to.

“
Won't your family be worried where you are?”

“
No,” I answer him, “My mom is staying over at her boyfriend's, and my brothers could care less. Is that your way of politely asking me to leave?”

“
No.”

A delighted smile crosses my face and he rolls his eyes, which I find cute – it makes him appear more his age.

“Happy New Year by the way.” What a crazy way to bring in the new year. I hope it's not foreshadowing how this year will be, and just more of a shitty farewell to a crappy year, “I think my purse got left at the bar.” Which completely sucks. I'm low on funds, as I have yet to find a new job. I only had a twenty in it, but I need every cent I have. Plus, my cell phone. How am I going to pay for a new one?

“
Your friends grabbed it for you. It's on my couch.”
I twist my head and relief washes over me when I see it laying on the far cushion. I decide to ask him the questions I've been holding back.

“
So, about last night...how did you know I was in danger?”

“
You make it sound like I'm your protector or some shit. I heard a faint scream. Decided to check it out. Found a car not too far down behind the bar. Four men. Car rocking. Shouting. I checked it out. Saw some girl struggling inside. Got closer. It was you. I saw red. You know the rest.” He states it all so matter-of-fact, as if he's filing a report.

“
Why did you break the window instead of opening the door?”

He rubs his hand on the top of his head. I think it's an old habit from when his hair was more of a buzz cut. “The door was locked.” He lets out a long sigh, “Well, shit, that's a lie. I actually didn't know that until after I broke the window. I was just so fucking pissed when I saw you in there I needed to break something, and the window was there before the guy.”

“Oh.”

“
I think it's time for you to go now,” the hardness is back on his face.

I try not to let my disappointment show, but I know it does, “Thanks for saving me, for helping me, for letting me crash here...for the coffee.” I get up and grab my purse, shutting the door softly behind me and stealing a glance over my shoulder before it closes all the way. Jay is bent over the island, hands clutching the edge, his head hung low.

It's hard to leave and go home, but I think its for the best. Jay is unnerving and he unsettles me in a way I can't describe. I want to know all of him but I also know the smart thing to do is stay away.

It's past nine so I decide to take a long, hot shower. Then I clean my house to keep myself busy and distract myself from thinking about my neighbor, who's consuming way too many of my thoughts.

Mid-morning both Stevie and Naomi call, wanting to know what happened. I keep it simple and basically say what Jay told them: he saw the three men grab hold of me on the street, he scared them off with his colossal size, and I fainted from the drama of it all. They wanted to know all about the car ride home, but I lied, telling them we never talked and I went straight to bed. Both girls apologized for our argument at the bar and for letting me go outside alone. I told them I was serious when I said not to feel guilty, and that I truly wasn't mad at them.

I spend the rest of the day trying to read, but I can't seem to concentrate. I keep thinking about Jay and replaying last night's events.