'Til Death: Volume One
Page 21
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“I . . . I . . .”
I raise a fist and drive it into his nose. A sickening crack rings out and he screams, blood filling his opened mouth. I shove him so hard his head slams back onto the wall.
“Now,” I roar. “Tell me where the fuck he is.”
“I don’t know!” he squeals again. “I haven’t heard from him for days.”
I drop him. I can tell by his expression he’s telling me the truth. Fuck. Another dead end. Lucas is avoiding me, and I know why. He’s up in my business, shoving his nose in my clients, and fucking around where he shouldn’t be. He doesn’t want me on his back, but unlucky for him, I’m already there.
“Tell him Marcus is looking for him,” I say, staring down at his body. “Fuckin’ pitiful.”
Then I turn, disappearing out of the alley.
This is proving difficult.
~*~*~*~
KATIA
“Oh my God, you look gorgeous,” I cry, hugging Santana.
She pulls back, hands on my shoulders. “So do you. How do you get your hair to curl like that?”
“With great difficulty.” I laugh.
She giggles just as Ash and Jaylah join us.
“Katia.” Jaylah laughs, throwing her arms around me. “Long time no see.”
I squeeze her. “Thank you for coming tonight.”
“We needed a night out. I was glad when you suggested it.”
I nod, turning my attention to all the guys. I’ve just met Maddox, Krypt and Mack, the members of the Jokers’ Wrath MC. Krypt is with Ash, and he’s freaking smoking hot, all broody biker with dark hair and stunning eyes. Maddox is with Santana, and he’s tall, huge and scary. He’s also extremely attractive. Mack is with Jaylah and he’s Native American—all this long hair and chocolate eyes. These girls got lucky.
I turn my attention to Marcus.
So did I.
“Marcus looks fine tonight.” Jaylah giggles in my ear.
I laugh softly, hooking my arm through hers. “Right? Let’s get a drink.”
“I’m all over that.”
We head to the bar and order shots. Santana and Ash join us, but neither of them are drinking, so Jaylah and I down them. After four, we’re giggling and laughing about random shit. A set of tanned arms go around her waist and I look over to see Mack leaning over her, his face in her neck.
“Baby, you’re behaving, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” She giggles.
“Is that your first?”
She giggles again. “No, honey.”
He kisses her neck and my eyes skitter over to Marcus, who is laughing with Maddox. He’s not even looking at me. I don’t think he’s turned towards me once. My heart aches, probably induced by the alcohol. I wish I could shake the empty feeling but I can’t; I love him so damned much I want him to do those things to me.
Normal things.
I want him to call me baby, just once. I want him to stay in my bed. I want him to ask me how many drinks I’ve had. I want him to glare at men that walk by, like Maddox has been doing with Santana for the last hour.
“Dance with me, Katia!” Jaylah grins, planting a kiss on Mack’s lips before pulling me onto the dance floor.
Maybe Marcus will notice now.
The alcohol is in my head, swirling around, making me giggle even when I don’t want to. Jaylah and I dance, wiggling about, swaying our hips and throwing our hands in the air. A young man shimmies over during the fifth song and puts his hands on my hips. Part of me wants to jerk away—the other part is drunk, stupid, and wants to see if Marcus will notice.
I let him dance with me, holding my hips, swinging my body with his. Jaylah gives me a confused look, and her eyes flicker to Marcus more than once. When I look at him, he’s watching me, his jaw tight but he doesn’t move. Not once. Not even for a second. My heart slowly breaks to pieces, and it hurts. God, does it hurt.
I shove away from the man and rush through the crowd, out into the cool night. Jaylah is on my heels and when I stop, she slams into me. I spin, my eyes brimming with tears, my heart aching.
“Honey,” she says, putting her hands on my shoulders. “Are you okay?”
I shake my head. “You saw that, Jaylah; you saw it with your own eyes. He didn’t care.”
“I . . .”
“Don’t tell me he did; he didn’t.”
“He looked pretty pissed off, sweetie.”
I shake my head, and a tear falls.
“Honey,” she murmurs, wrapping me in a hug.
“Can you get Santana to take me home?”
She pulls back and stares at me. “Don’t you want to ask Marcus?”
“No,” I say firmly. “I just want to go.”
“Okay, I’ll get her.”
Ten minutes later, Santana arrives.
Half an hour later, I’m curled in my bed with an aching heart.
CHAPTER 14
THEN
Katia
“Get me what I asked for!” Robert bellows.
“I am,” I say, closing my eyes and struggling for calm.
“You wonder why you have to work so much. If you did your job properly then you wouldn’t screw up, therefore you wouldn’t have to work this often.”
Screw up. Screw up.
I don’t make damned mistakes, I live and breathe this job, doing everything this weasel wants me to and no matter how hard I try, he’s up for abuse most days of the week.
“I said I’d do it, Robert, and I will.”
I raise a fist and drive it into his nose. A sickening crack rings out and he screams, blood filling his opened mouth. I shove him so hard his head slams back onto the wall.
“Now,” I roar. “Tell me where the fuck he is.”
“I don’t know!” he squeals again. “I haven’t heard from him for days.”
I drop him. I can tell by his expression he’s telling me the truth. Fuck. Another dead end. Lucas is avoiding me, and I know why. He’s up in my business, shoving his nose in my clients, and fucking around where he shouldn’t be. He doesn’t want me on his back, but unlucky for him, I’m already there.
“Tell him Marcus is looking for him,” I say, staring down at his body. “Fuckin’ pitiful.”
Then I turn, disappearing out of the alley.
This is proving difficult.
~*~*~*~
KATIA
“Oh my God, you look gorgeous,” I cry, hugging Santana.
She pulls back, hands on my shoulders. “So do you. How do you get your hair to curl like that?”
“With great difficulty.” I laugh.
She giggles just as Ash and Jaylah join us.
“Katia.” Jaylah laughs, throwing her arms around me. “Long time no see.”
I squeeze her. “Thank you for coming tonight.”
“We needed a night out. I was glad when you suggested it.”
I nod, turning my attention to all the guys. I’ve just met Maddox, Krypt and Mack, the members of the Jokers’ Wrath MC. Krypt is with Ash, and he’s freaking smoking hot, all broody biker with dark hair and stunning eyes. Maddox is with Santana, and he’s tall, huge and scary. He’s also extremely attractive. Mack is with Jaylah and he’s Native American—all this long hair and chocolate eyes. These girls got lucky.
I turn my attention to Marcus.
So did I.
“Marcus looks fine tonight.” Jaylah giggles in my ear.
I laugh softly, hooking my arm through hers. “Right? Let’s get a drink.”
“I’m all over that.”
We head to the bar and order shots. Santana and Ash join us, but neither of them are drinking, so Jaylah and I down them. After four, we’re giggling and laughing about random shit. A set of tanned arms go around her waist and I look over to see Mack leaning over her, his face in her neck.
“Baby, you’re behaving, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” She giggles.
“Is that your first?”
She giggles again. “No, honey.”
He kisses her neck and my eyes skitter over to Marcus, who is laughing with Maddox. He’s not even looking at me. I don’t think he’s turned towards me once. My heart aches, probably induced by the alcohol. I wish I could shake the empty feeling but I can’t; I love him so damned much I want him to do those things to me.
Normal things.
I want him to call me baby, just once. I want him to stay in my bed. I want him to ask me how many drinks I’ve had. I want him to glare at men that walk by, like Maddox has been doing with Santana for the last hour.
“Dance with me, Katia!” Jaylah grins, planting a kiss on Mack’s lips before pulling me onto the dance floor.
Maybe Marcus will notice now.
The alcohol is in my head, swirling around, making me giggle even when I don’t want to. Jaylah and I dance, wiggling about, swaying our hips and throwing our hands in the air. A young man shimmies over during the fifth song and puts his hands on my hips. Part of me wants to jerk away—the other part is drunk, stupid, and wants to see if Marcus will notice.
I let him dance with me, holding my hips, swinging my body with his. Jaylah gives me a confused look, and her eyes flicker to Marcus more than once. When I look at him, he’s watching me, his jaw tight but he doesn’t move. Not once. Not even for a second. My heart slowly breaks to pieces, and it hurts. God, does it hurt.
I shove away from the man and rush through the crowd, out into the cool night. Jaylah is on my heels and when I stop, she slams into me. I spin, my eyes brimming with tears, my heart aching.
“Honey,” she says, putting her hands on my shoulders. “Are you okay?”
I shake my head. “You saw that, Jaylah; you saw it with your own eyes. He didn’t care.”
“I . . .”
“Don’t tell me he did; he didn’t.”
“He looked pretty pissed off, sweetie.”
I shake my head, and a tear falls.
“Honey,” she murmurs, wrapping me in a hug.
“Can you get Santana to take me home?”
She pulls back and stares at me. “Don’t you want to ask Marcus?”
“No,” I say firmly. “I just want to go.”
“Okay, I’ll get her.”
Ten minutes later, Santana arrives.
Half an hour later, I’m curled in my bed with an aching heart.
CHAPTER 14
THEN
Katia
“Get me what I asked for!” Robert bellows.
“I am,” I say, closing my eyes and struggling for calm.
“You wonder why you have to work so much. If you did your job properly then you wouldn’t screw up, therefore you wouldn’t have to work this often.”
Screw up. Screw up.
I don’t make damned mistakes, I live and breathe this job, doing everything this weasel wants me to and no matter how hard I try, he’s up for abuse most days of the week.
“I said I’d do it, Robert, and I will.”
