Marcus sighed heavily. Yes, he silently admitted to himself, he did like her; much more than he was willing to admit–even to himself. However, he was not going down that road again. Not after…he shook the thought of Josephine from his mind and sat down across from Brianna, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He didn’t need to say the words to his friend; he knew she knew the truth.
“Marcus,” she murmured after a moment, and slid her hand across the table to cover his. She gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You need to lose the guilt and enjoy yourself a little bit. It is all right to be attracted to someone for more than just a quick romp in the hay. It’s perfectly okay to want to get to know someone, and see what happens. Don’t let something great slip through your fingers just because of some misguided sense of failure.”
“She’s mortal…” he whispered so quietly that she had to strain to hear him. “And…Christ, Bri, with everything that is going on around us, I can’t risk…” he stopped, unable to voice his fears, but Brianna nodded, her eyes filled with compassion. She knew exactly what was going through his mind. He was terrified of caring for someone, only to have them taken away.
“Just promise me that you will try and let things happen as they will,” she pleaded softly. “The universe has a way of letting things play out the way that they are meant to, so have just a little faith.”
“I’m trying,” he finally conceded, and she knew how hard this was for him. Marcus had always been the devil may care type. He went out, had fun, and moved on. The thought that he wanted to spend time with a woman, to actually get to know her, scared him senseless. It was something that he had never allowed himself to want before.
“I know you are,” she said with a small, sad grin. This man deserved so much more than he was willing to give himself. Guilt was a powerful emotion.It could cripple you to the point that you ignored a chance for happiness, and for someone who lived for eternity, that would be a very painful existence. She only hoped that her instincts were correct and that Elizabeth was the one to help him heal, to finally face the ghosts of his past and find redemption. He deserved that much.
“Just what in the hell did I ever do to deserve you as a friend?” he asked, and she blew out a breath.
“Who knows, but it must have been something pretty fan-freaking-tastic. I am pretty fabulous!”
“That you are,” he replied, his mouth lifting up at the corners. “Now, if we can only find this bloodsucker and move on with our lives,” he shook his head. “Des wants to come down here and bring everyone with him,” he told her, and watched as her eyes widened.
“But…we’re handling it!” she burst out, her entire body tensing. “We don’t need the whole damn Scooby Doo gang coming down here and getting in the way!” Her eyes spit fire as she spoke, and Marcus knew that it was because she didn’t want the leeway that they had already made put at risk. Brianna was fiercely independent and needed her space to work on these beings, in her own time….in her own way. “Besides, we can’t take the chance of anything happening to Abigail or Katrina! Did your brother forget that they happen to be carrying two very important children? We just can’t take the risk of putting them in danger with these bloodsuckers running around on the loose!” she huffed.
“Believe me, my brother’s mate is always his first priority,” he replied. “And, I completely agree. I know we don’t need Des and Lucas to come charging down here with the testosterone flying. We are building trust now; we can’t take the chance of one of those hot heads ruining that.” He sighed and rubbed his hand over his eyes. “I believe that I have talked him out of it for the time being. But Des is... well, he’s stubborn, and hates not being in control. He is a warrior by nature, and feels like he has to protect everyone.”
“Well, you just tell him to put on his big girl panties and just give us a chance. We are making progress. We just can’t risk that right now.”
Marcus burst into laughter. God, but he adored this woman! “I did,” he chuckled, “Just not in those specific words.” He could only imagine his brothers reaction if he had!
“Okay. So, Shaggy and the gang are handled for the time being,” she said, the anger left her eyes and she grinned. “Now, we need to make our plans for tonight. I’m going to head over to Sebastian’s shop and see if he has found anything else out about the murder, so the two of you will have the place to yourselves.”
“What do we need to plan?” he asked, utterly confused.
“Oh, Lord!” She groaned. Men! They were as dense as a forest! Ugh! “We need to set things up in the garden for your date tonight!” she laughed, and looked at him as if he were daft.
“It is not a date,” he objected with a scowl. “I don’t date!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she replied with a shake of her head and a dismissive flick of her hand. “Whatever you say, big boy.” She stood, and put her cup in the sink. “No worries, I can handle it.” With that, she gave him a wink and left the room, humming quietly to herself.
Liz dressed and sent Catherine a quick text letting her know that Angie never showed. She also sent Angie another text asking if she was all right, but she hadn’t yet heard from her.
As she was grabbing her purse, her phone beeped with a message from Catherine telling her to let her know if she heard from her, and she would see what she could do on her end.
Liz sighed and headed downstairs. She passed Brianna on her way out and was silently grateful that Marcus was nowhere to be found. She needed a little Marcus free time to sort through all of this. Her head was spinning out of control and she didn’t like it. Had she been completely out of her mind agreeing to have drinks with him? A part of her was excited, yet there was that long instilled fear that was telling her that she needed to stay at arm’s length.
She left the house and headed into town, hoping that a nice long walk would clear her head. No matter what she told herself, she couldn’t help but like Marcus. It seemed as if he was constantly invading her thoughts and she wasn’t all too certain how she felt about that. She didn’t need complications in her life. She had fitted herself into a comfortable routine that had served her well, and Marcus LaGrange was throwing that all completely off-kilter. No matter how much she liked the man, he was still that…..a man. And men were dangerous in her book. No matter how sweet or devastatingly handsome they were you just never knew what lurked underneath.
She frowned as she walked along, wondering just what it was about him that caused her to want to trust him. She could not remember ever feeling this way before. She felt like a silly little school girl crushing on the new guy in class. She walked through the door of a pharmacy and decided that she wouldn’t question it for now. She would have drinks with him tonight and that was all. That would be the end of this entire fiasco. She just couldn’t take the chance of liking him more than she already did.
Liz spent the day exploring the city, falling even more in love with it as she did. It was as if the people and place itself was in her blood. She felt as if she belonged–and it was strange.
As she strolled along, she spotted an adorable sundress in the window of a small boutique, and hesitated outside. She stood there, debating whether or not she should go in. She didn’t need any new clothes and especially nothing as pretty as the dress hanging there so temptingly. Yet, she just couldn’t find the resolve to walk away. It was a lovely halter style made from a beautiful, voluminous fabric in a deep sea blue. Where on earth would she wear it? It was only a millisecond later that the annoying little voice in her head spoke up, loud and clear. You could wear it tonight. Oh, hell and damnation!
She turned to walk away, but only a moment later, groaned loudly and entered the store. God! She was such an ass!
The pretty blond behind the counter looked up as Liz entered and smiled. “Good afternoon,” she greeted her happily. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
Liz hesitated, feeling like a complete and utter jackass. She didn’t need to dress up for Marcus; in fact,
it was probably a horrible idea. She didn’t want him to think that she was interested in anything more than a drink with him. She sighed, her emotions in turmoil. “I was wondering about the sundress in the window,” she murmured softly before good sense could stop her.
“Oh! What a fabulous choice,” she said, beaming. “With your coloring and shape, you’ll be a knock out!” The woman came out from behind the counter and all but ran over to a rack to her left. “Let me see…you’re what? An eight?”
Liz nodded, feeling completely like a fish out of water. Paul had always purchased her clothes for her, never trusting her to dress the way that he liked, which in hindsight had made her look quite a bit like a prostitute. After she had finally gotten away, she never bothered with worrying about her appearance. Comfort was what she went for.
The blond pulled a dress off the rack and held it up. “We do have one!” she exclaimed, practically beaming, and Liz couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. The girl’s enthusiasm was absolutely infectious. “I’m Audrey,” she laughed, motioning Liz over. “And, we are going to make you look like a million bucks! Come on.”
Liz shook her head and let Audrey take the lead, praying that she wouldn’t regret it.
Liz gazed at herself in the mirror, her mouth dropping open. Once she had tried on the dress, Audrey had insisted on doing her hair and makeup. She found herself really liking the girl. She was genuine, and fun–and her enthusiasm was like a breath of fresh air. Before Liz knew it, she was decked out to the nines.
Audrey had twisted her long tresses up in a messy bun with tendrils falling down and framing her face. Her makeup was done to perfection, accentuating her blue eyes to the point that Liz barely recognized herself as she stared at her reflection in amazement. She shook her head slowly, unable to comprehend that this woman had taken the time to do what she had done.
They had talked and laughed, and Liz found herself relaxed, as she had never been before.
“I…I don’t know what to say,” she stammered, completely stunned.
Audrey burst out laughing, her eyes dancing happily. “You are going to knock his socks right off!”
Liz felt a knot form in her stomach. Is that what she really wanted? She didn’t want entanglements, she told herself firmly. And, Marcus LaGrange would be just that. No, she didn’t need that. A moment of worry crossed her face that Audrey instantly honed in on.
“Stop,” she demanded firmly. “You’re young, beautiful, and you deserve to enjoy yourself!”
Liz couldn’t help but agree with her to a point. She had never had just the sheer enjoyment of being young and carefree. Her entire life had been about trying to survive. She sighed wearily and looked to Audrey, her lips set in a tight line of worry.
“You’re right, but I really don’t want to lead him on. I’m not looking for anything. I just can’t…I don’t want to get involved with any man.”
Audrey grunted and walked over to the counter. She came back a moment later with a silver disc necklace that she put around her neck. It settled right above her cleavage, shining beautifully against her tanned skin. “I’m not telling you to marry the guy,” she giggled. “Just enjoy yourself a bit. You look much too good to let this all go to waste.”
“Audrey, I don’t know what brought me here, but you are damn good for a girl’s ego!”
Again, she laughed, and the sound was light and musical. “What time are you meeting him?” she asked, and Liz looked outside, her eyes widening. Holy shit! It was dark out!
“What time is it?” she asked, anxiously looking around for a clock. Audrey glanced at her watch and grimaced.
“Geez, it’s almost seven! We’ve been at this all day!”
“Oh, my God!” Liz gasped. “I’ve got to get back. I told him I would meet him at eight…and I have to get dessert and…. Oh crap!”
“Don’t freak out. There’s a bakery two doors down, you can grab something there.”
Liz nodded and all but ran over to the counter. Audrey followed suit and gave her a smile. She rung up the dress and gave Liz her total, and for the second time in less than five minutes, her mouth dropped open.
“That can’t be!” she breathed. “Audrey, I owe you for the necklace and for doing my hair and…” God, she was at a loss.
“You listen to me,” Audrey scolded softly. “The necklace is on me. Consider it a good luck charm,” she said, winking at her conspiratorially. “Pay for the dress and that’s it. End of discussion! I haven’t had this much fun in a very long time.”
“But…I can’t!” Liz protested vehemently.
“Of course you can! Now, pay up and get a move on! You are going to be late. And, there is such a thing as going past the fashionably late, late!”
Liz paid her then quickly dashed around the counter and gave her a hug.
“I don’t even know where to begin to thank you,” she whispered.
Audrey scoffed and broke their embrace. “Nonsense!” she tittered. “Now, go on and enjoy yourself! Remember, you’re young, beautiful, and sexy as heck in that dress!”
When Brianna came downstairs, she found Marcus pacing the sitting room, his mouth set in a tight line and his body tense.
“What’s up?” she asked, walking over to the sofa and sitting down. She picked at a piece of lint from the black dress pants that she wore and gave him a smile. “You look like your head is about to explode. Who put the Kool-Aid in your blood bag, big boy?”
Marcus stopped his pacing and glared at her. “Elizabeth hasn’t come back yet,” he informed her, his eyes reflecting the worry that he was feeling.
Brianna glanced at the clock on the mantel and sighed. “Marcus, it’s only seven-thirty. She’ll be here.”
“I just don’t like her being alone in the city at night,” he replied, although it seemed as if he were speaking to himself.
“It’s barely dark,” she corrected him, but a part of her was glorying in the fact that he was so worried. Liz had gotten to her friend much more quickly than even she could have hoped. Perhaps the big lug had a chance at happiness yet.
“I’m just not comfortable with her roaming around after dark,” he whispered, his brows furrowing and his mouth turning down in a worried frown, “Especially not with the recent murder.”
Brianna was hard pressed to disagree with him. Something in her gut told her that this murder was closer to them than they wanted to admit. She just hoped that Sebastian had found something out to help them.
“Just try to relax,” she insisted, although now her own body was getting that creepy tingling running up her spine.
Marcus ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, “Easier said than done.”
As Liz left the sweet shop, her phone beeped. Balancing the little box in her hand, she grabbed her cell and read the text.
Can we meet tonight? At eight-thirty? Angeline
“Damn it,” Liz groaned, wondering how she was going to get in touch with Marcus. She hadn’t had to forethought to get his number. She supposed she could call the Inn and see if Brianna was there, or Marcus might even answer the phone if she wasn’t. A wave of disappointment washed over her as she realized that she would have to cancel on him. Damn! What could she say? She couldn’t tell him the truth!
She sighed as she responded to the text, asking her where she wanted to meet. A moment later, her phone beeped once again with the name and address of a restaurant. Liz typed the information in her phones GPS and headed off, hoping that Marcus wouldn’t feel as if she had ditched him. It was only drinks in the garden after all. It’s not as if she was leaving him sitting somewhere, looking like he had been stood up.
She could explain this to him. She chewed her lip thoughtfully as she walked along. She would just tell him that a client had called with an emergency.
Liz noticed as she walked along that the area seemed to be getting a little seedier. She checked her phone again and couldn’t help the shudder that ran up her spine when it said she was he
ading in the right direction. Something just didn’t feel right. She paused and sent Angie a quick message, asking her if the address was correct. She instantly felt a knot grow in her stomach when her phone beeped and she read her response.
You’re almost here. I’m waiting.
Alarm bells immediately went off in Liz’s head. How could she know how close she was? Liz’s hands began to tremble as she looked around. Was she being followed? Did Angie’s boyfriend find out what she was planning and set her up? Panic hit Liz full force and she felt the box of pastries drop from her hand. Oh, God! Something just wasn’t right. She could feel it!
“You’re being hunted, child,” Liz gasped as the voice drifted across the air. She jerked her head in the direction from which it had come and noticed an old woman sitting on the porch of a nearby balcony. She was hidden in the shadows, but enough light was present that she could see the set of gnarled hands gripping the head of a cane. “You best be getting back from where you came,” she whispered, her weathered voice raspy and rough. “It ain’t safe for you here. It ain’t safe at all.”
Liz’s survival instincts kicked in and she turned and all but sprinted back in the direction she had come, the clicking of her heels echoing through the dank street as she did. Adrenaline had kicked in and Liz could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she all but ran blindly in the opposite direction, just needing to get away.
As Liz ran along, she felt as if someone was behind her. She fought the urge to look back with her entire being, afraid of what she would see if she did. She needed to get to safety! She turned a corner praying that there was somewhere with people, and ran smack dab into a solid wall of muscle.
A scream burst from her lips as strong hands gripped her arms. Oh, God! This was all a nightmare! No!
“Shh, Liz. It’s me,” Marcus breathed, his soothing voice instantly penetrating her frightened mind.
Marcus' Mortal Embrace (Book 3) (The Supernatural Desire Series) Page 8
