Marked Heart (Marked Heart #3)

by M. Sembera

  Lightening the mood, she asked, "Do you starve your hostages? Or is there food here?"

  "I got you covered," he assured as a smile spread across his face.

  Walking to the kitchen, Braden opened the ice chest next to the pantry.

  "We've got, frozen burritos, corndogs and toaster streusel."

  Stepping into the kitchen, Liv replied, "Great. How are you going to cook 'em?"

  Braden gave her a curious look before glancing around the kitchen. Liv couldn't help laughing as he kept turning in circles with a baffled expression on his face.

  "There's no stove."

  Letting out a loud laugh, she enlightened, "I hope you know how to make a fire."

  "Guess that was poor planning on my part."

  "I'm sure your next kidnapping will go much smoother."

  M23H

  Braden burnt one of his corn-dogs and lost another in the fire before Liv took control of heating them over the fire. It was only fair since he did build an excellent fire for them. This was his first time to have campfire corn-dogs, but he had to admit they weren't too bad.

  There was a crisp chill in the air and although it was warmer next to the fire, it was colder than he expected. Alternating between holding his hands out towards the fire and rubbing them against his own arms as the sun started to set.

  Grabbing his arm, Liv quietly warned, "Don't move."

  Slightly panicked, he took a step back.

  "Be still or you're going to scare it away," she fussed in a hushed tone while looking straight ahead.

  Following the direction of her eyes, Braden saw a deer cautiously making its way through the clearing less than twelve feet away from them.

  They watched the deer, as it stopped with a jerk and stared right at them. Liv's hands tightened around his arm as they stood there silent. Looking at her as she focused on the deer, Braden couldn't keep still. He wanted this to be the beginning of something, not the end. Reaching with his other arm, he placed his hand on the side of her face, gently turning her focus to him. When he leaned in to kiss her she let go of his arm and tilted her head away from his hand.

  "We should put out the fire and go in," she stated, her voice causing the deer to dart off into the trees.

  Braden knew she was right but that didn't lighten the sting.

  "Just like that?"

  Shaking her head at him, she questioned, "Just like what?"

  "I gotta admit, Liv, I'm feeling a little used."

  He wasn't. Not in the slightest but that was the second time she turned away from his touch and he wanted to piss her off. He wanted her angry, maybe even hate him a little. Because that was how he felt.

  Liv appeared surprised at what he said before her expression settled into exactly what he was going for.

  "How does it feel?" she asked with a hint of animosity in her eyes.

  "I'm not gonna go off and dye my hair and get covered in tattoos."

  Her hand quickly flew at his face catching him right on the outside of his eye.

  His face burned but it felt better than the sting of her turning away so he egged her on, "Was it the longest revenge plot in history or you just wanted to make sure you were good enough to finally give it up to Pat?"

  Another hard slap in the exact same spot brought Braden closer to reason.

  "Hit me again," he growled at her, wanting the physical pain to out-weigh everything else.

  Taking a step back, Liv held out her hands.

  "You've got issues."

  Braden could feel the emptiness returning as the cold air around them soothed the side of his face.

  ~

  Standing there staring at the man in front of her, Braden seemed unfamiliar. He appeared sick with need. Liv could feel the anguish in his eyes creeping into her chest. It was painful and miserable. That was when she realized, it was how he must have felt when he found her drunk and in the bathtub that night. She was responsible for this. The hollowed despair had been temporarily filled by one another, only as long as they were together. They had used each other to stay broken and in pain. It was wrong.

  There was nothing more to say as Liv walked to the glass doors. She hesitated but only for a second. Opening the doors, she went straight to the couch. Staring through the glass doors from the safety of the couch, she watched Braden put out the fire he built. He stood there staring at it until she could no longer see the flames. When there was only darkness on the other side of the doors, she heard them open and turned away.

  Hearing Braden's footsteps, the familiar heal-toe swooshing sound stopped right in front of her.

  "The only time I feel anything is when I'm with you."

  Liv closed her eyes and shook her head. This was too much. The burden was too great. She looked up, but he was already gone.

  ~

  Closing the door behind himself, Braden started to feel hot. His breathing picked up as he sat on the end of the bed. Pulling his shirt off he laid back against the bed until his head started to ache. It was time to surrender to defeat and lick his wounds. Sitting up, he grabbed his shirt and stood. She didn't want him.

  The sting of reality weighed heavily on him as he turned to look in the mirror. Staring at his reflection, the area around his eye was pink and sore to the touch. An involuntary smile pulled at the corner of his mouth when he thought about her hitting him. He was being an asshole and he'd deserved it. His eyes wandered down to the mark on the left side of his chest. He deserved that too. A reminder of bad decisions, wasted time and opportunities.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, Liv was watching him through the mirror, cautiously walking up behind him. She reminded him of the deer they saw outside as he turned to face her. Stopping with a jerk, she froze in place, staring right at him, ready to bail at any second. Her focus wasn't on his face though. Liv's eyes were fixed on the lily that covered the left side of his chest.

  Her eyes were open. Not because she was looking at him, because they seemed to be waiting for the answer to a question, that was yet to be asked.

  "Don't." Liv breathed as Braden started to pull his shirt on.

  Lowering his arms to his sides, he let go of his t-shirt.

  Taking a step forward, she placed the palm of her hand against his mark, whispering, "Braden."

  He had no idea what was happening. Liv seemed to covet the lily on his chest as she spread her fingers across it before resting her forehead against the center of his chest. Similar to when she slapped him, Braden's body burned at the feeling of her hand against him. Slowly, he reached his arms around her. Holding her to him, if she pulled away he felt as if she would pull his heart right out of his chest. She lifted her other hand up, resting it against the back of his neck in response. He wanted to say something but the silence between then was so beautiful, he couldn't bring himself to break it.

  Tension swelled inside him as Braden leaned his head down and kissed the top of her head. As she slowly tilted her head back to look at him, he took advantage, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, her cheek and then against her lips.

  "Take me in bed," she murmured against his mouth. "Slow."

  Braden slid his hands to her sides and removed her shirt. The feel of her bare breasts brushing against his chest as he walked her back to the bed was almost too much for him. 'Slow' he reminded himself as he leaned her back onto the bed. Running his hands down her sides, his fingers glided against the curve of her waist until they stopped at her hips. He leaned down, following her waistband across her stomach with his lips. Unfastening her jeans, he slid them down her legs. He stared at her socks, almost leaving them behind, when the thought of her completely naked compelled him to push them down one at a time until her calves and feet were bare.

  Standing up, he took a step back, removing his jeans and underwear as he gazed down at her. Completely naked with her eyes still open, she bit down on her bottom lip. The tension he felt was overwhelming as the word 'slow' echoed in his mind. Climbing o
n the bed, he hovered over her. She nodded as his eyes swore there was no going back from this moment. His lips met hers with passion and love as he sank down into her, relishing every sound and movement they created together.

  She was the purpose in his meaningless life and although he still didn't quite understand, holding her against him as she slept after making love to her gave him reason.

  M24H

  The bitter sweet ecstasy of Braden moving against her in the morning light, pulled every one of Liv's emotions to the surface. He had woken her with soft kisses, caressed her body lovingly, until every part of her surrendered to him. They were tied to one another in so many ways, being bound to him like this only seemed natural. But they had already spent too much time relying on one another. Using the other to enable themselves, for it to last.

  Another kiss proceeded by a smile followed by a touch that enticed a moan kept them in bed most of the afternoon. They were wasting time, killing time, savoring it and fighting it all at once. Inevitably time got the best of them and they packed up and headed home.

  Braden carried her bag to the door once they reached the farmhouse. They hadn't said a word to each other the entire drive there. As Liv took her bag from him, she placed a hand on the side of his face and kissed him.

  "Goodbye," she sighed, turning away from him.

  There was no reply as she opened her door. Pausing for a moment, she pushed through her reservations, stepped into the house and closed the door behind herself.

  Straight to her room, Liv dropped her bag on her bed and picked up her phone. Of course it was dead. Walking out of her room, she stepped into her half-finished library, sat down on the floor and cried.

  ~

  Braden stood there staring at her door for a while before finally stepping off of the porch and getting in his car. She couldn't have really meant goodbye... But he knew she did. His chest hurt and he felt sick. He wanted Liv. The more he thought about her the more he knew, he'd felt this way about her longer than he'd realized. Without her everything that was holding him together was gone.

  He'd spent his life being easy going, giving in and letting everyone else have their way. With no idea where to start, he had to find a way to keep her but he didn't know how. Charlotte instantly came to mind. She might be able to tell him what to do. Her and his brother's relationship was insane when it started, and somehow he managed to convince her to stay. She would know what it took to change a woman's mind. Plus, she was close with Liv. They were friends, and he was desperate.

  Pulling up to The Dog House, it was Wednesday night and normally slow, he was glad to see not many people were there. Braden thought about going in through the back and going straight to Charlotte's office, but at the moment, having a beer first sounded better. When he reached the bar, Auggie had a pint of Guinness waiting for him.

  "You alright?"

  Shaking his head, Braden replied, "Nah, man. Pretty far from it."

  "Need an ear? I've got two?" Auggie replied with a genuine look of concern.

  "I was needin' to talk to Charlotte." Braden said just as she walked up.

  With an interested smile, she questioned, "About what?"

  Braden glanced at the scowl on his brother's face before deciding to just go ahead and confess to both of them.

  "I've been messin' around with Liv."

  Charlotte's eyes lit up as she turned to Auggie, gloating, "Told ya, now pay up."

  Appearing disgruntled, he pulled out his wallet and handed her some money.

  "Y'all were betting on my personal life?"

  "Don't get all offended, it was just one little wager," she insisted before adding, "Oh, wait. Does she wear the socks when y'all... Ya know."

  "Are you kidding me?" Braden griped in disbelief.

  Frowning slightly, she sighed, "Sorry."

  "So what's the problem?" Auggie asked.

  "I took her to Uncle Brennen's cabin Monday night. We got back today."

  They both stared at him, obviously waiting for the issue.

  "She doesn't want to be with me."

  Confused, Charlotte questioned, "Then why did she go away with you?"

  "She didn't know we were going."

  "How could she not know?"

  "She was passed out when I took her."

  Auggie instantly fussed, "You kidnapped her?"

  Charlotte looked at Auggie teasing, "Does that sorta thing run in your family?"

  "That was a pair of shoes. This is a person we're talkin' about here."

  Sidetracked, Braden asked, "You kidnapped a pair of shoes?"

  "And held them for ransom." Charlotte added.

  Auggie turned to her and argued, "First off, you left them in my truck. Not kidnapping. Second Liv is a person. Which is an actual crime."

  "You didn't drug her, did you?" Charlotte questioned in a concerned tone.

  Growing agitated, Braden snapped, "No. She'd been drinking. Now can we move on?"

  Taking a long sip from his beer, Braden questioned why he even tried talking to his family.

  The look on Charlotte and Auggie's faces showed they were waiting for him to drop the bomb of 'I tied her up and left her in the closet for two days'.

  "The problem is, I want her."

  Charlotte gave him a sympathetic smile as she shared, "Sometimes people want different things."

  Staring at her, that wasn't what he thought she would say. It was possible he wasn't explaining himself clearly.

  "I want to be with her."

  Sympathy turned to pity as she replied, "Braden, she may not want to be with you."

  "Look, man, sometimes sex is just sex." Auggie said trying to emphasize his wife's statement.

  "It's not that way with her," he insisted.

  Braden knew Charlotte was just trying to make him feel better at this point by saying, "You're a relationship guy. Maybe she's not a relationship type girl."

  "She was married for like ten years," he argued, not understanding why they were making this so difficult.

  "Maybe that was enough for her."

  Pushing away from the bar, he didn't want to hear anything else either of them had to say.

  All he wanted was a little advice. Something to keep his spirits up. A word or two to urge him on. That all hope wasn't lost. Why did he expect good advice? They didn't understand. No one did. Except Liv.

  Sitting in his car, Braden stared at his phone. He wanted to call her. No, he wanted to drive to her house and kick in her door and tell her it wasn't goodbye. With a heavy sigh, he decided to send her a text.

  B: Am I fired?

  He was surprised when she immediately responded.

  L: I appreciate everything. I'll send your money with Penny.

  B: I don't want your money.

  It took a few minutes for her to respond.

  L: I'm not giving it to you. You earned it.

  Getting to the point, he didn't care about her library or her money, he wanted to see her.

  B: Tomorrow is Thursday.

  Braden sat in his car, staring at his cell, in disbelief.

  L: It's just another day.

  M25H

  A slow day at the shop gave Liv time to reflect on what took place between her and Braden at the cabin. While Penny worked on her sketches, and Jimmy setup an online ad for help, Liv sat there visualizing the lily on Braden's chest. Yesterday she was sad, heartbroken even, but today she wanted to be mad. The problem was, she wasn't sure who she should be angry with. Kieran for giving the tattoo, Braden for receiving it, or herself for letting it get to her.

  The bell at the top of the shop door rang, causing Liv to sit up and take notice of who walked in the door.

  "How goes it Jimmy?"

  "Pat."

  Looking him over, Liv thought Pat looked good, but not as good as he did before last week.

  Without greeting him, she ordered, "Jimmy, go get the checkbook out of my office."

  Jimmy gave Pat an almost delightful smile before tur
ning and walking to the back.

  Making his way over to Liv, Pat looked down on her with a questioning expression.

  "What's up?"

  Pat appeared disappointed as he replied, "Guess nothin' today."

  Nodding, she put on her best smirk saying, "It's just that way sometimes."

  Penny's voice interrupted their conversation as she informed, "Braden said text him back or he's coming up here," from her corner across the shop.

  Liv started to smile at Braden's aggressiveness, then quickly caught herself as she glanced at Pat.

  "Guess I can't beat those Caffrey's, huh," he remarked as he turned and walked out.

  This was the second time since she'd known Pat, she blew him off for someone else.

  Irritated because now she felt bad on top of the way she was already feeling, Liv stood up.

  "Tell your brother, I'll have Jimmy kick his ass right back out if he comes in here."

  "Are you serious?" Penny replied as if she wanted to laugh.

  "Damn right I am!" Liv snapped, passing Jimmy on the way to the back.

  Continuing to the office, she heard Jimmy say, "I couldn't find the checkbook."

  "'Cause it's not in here," she said to herself as she stepped into the room and sat down.

  Although it wasn't the worst day of her life, it was far from being a good day, and it sucked even more that there was nothing to look forward to.

  ~

  There was no point in making pizza. It was just her. Sitting at her kitchen table, playing solitary, Liv sipped her drink. She tried listening to her music but every song only made her feel worse. Wondering if this was what her life was going to be like, solitary, her phone vibrated with a text.

  B: Can I come in?

  She tried to ignore his text like she had been all day, but this particular one gave her cause for concern.

  L: No.

  Waiting to see if he would text back, she wanted to check and see if he was outside. Did he really show up after she told him not to? If he was, something had changed. This was different.

  B: Don't say no.

  Liv felt a certain excitement in her curiosity as she hopped up and walked to the door.