The Marked Men Series Books 1–6: Rule, Jet, Rome, Nash, Rowdy, Asa. Jay Crownover
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as we got up and headed out into the chilly air. “At the end of the day, little girl, we’re all each other has, so no matter how tough it gets for any of us we just have to power through and keep it together.”
I gave him a hug and rubbed my cold hands together. I clutched the picture close to my chest and shivered as the bitter night breeze got past my scarf. “That’s easy for you to say because you’re an ocean away. Most of the time it’s just me and Rule in an uneasy truce, with your parents breathing down our necks and mine ignoring me.”
“You said it yourself, Shaw—you’re not a kid anymore. You can figure this out. I have faith in you.”
That was just Rome. He was the protector, the one who ultimately wanted what was best for all of us. I told him to call me before he headed back to Brookside and made my way back to the apartment. It was a rare day that Ayden and I both had off so she was sprawled in the living room with books everywhere. She was studying so intently with the radio up so loud I don’t think she heard me come in. She had been giving me crap all week about Rule. While she was all for me sowing wild oats and making decisions that made me happy—and believe me, he had made me oh-so-very happy—she knew that my feelings for Rule were more complicated than I tended to let on and was convinced I was courting an even more thoroughly broken heart.
I tiptoed behind her and tapped her on the shoulder, making her shriek and whirl around. The reaction was so dramatic it made me double over in laughter. I flopped on the couch with a groan and took off my coat and scarf. She scowled up at me as she reached over to turn down the radio. “Not cool. How was dinner?”
“Good.”
“Just good?”
“He grilled me about Rule; he seems to think we can fix each other or some nonsense like that.”
“Speaking of the troublemaker, have you heard from him?”
I shook my head. “No. I know how he works, Ayd. Do you know how many sad, bewildered girls I’ve seen him ditch the morning after? I refuse to be one of them.”
“Yeah, but you guys know each other; you were kinda friends.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “That doesn’t matter to him. Women have always been interchangeable. It’s been that way since we were young.”
I ran a hand through my tangled hair and stifled a yawn. I had been studying extra hard because midterms were right around the corner and the extra weekend shift at work was starting to wear on me. Add in the fact I was waking up in the night all hot and bothered and I was a tired girl.
“I think I might go curl up with a book and crash out early.”
“I’ll keep the music down.”
“No worries, have a good night.”
“You, too, and hey, at least the hickey is starting to fade.”
I stuck my tongue out at her and went into my room. I flopped face-first on the bed and swore under my breath when I heard my phone ringing from my purse. Normally, I would have ignored it but it was playing my mom’s ringtone—Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” If I didn’t answer she would just keep calling until I did. Her time was deemed just that valuable. I rolled over and dug it out.
“Hello, Mother.”
“Shaw, I’m sorry it took me so long to get back to you about your birthday. We were in California. Jack had a business trip and since it’s so cold here I thought the kids would like the beach.”
I guess phones don’t work in California. “No problem.”
“I talked to your father. He said you seemed distracted and out of sorts. We discussed it and I really think whatever game you are playing with Gabe has to stop. You’re a mature young woman now, Shaw; you need to start making smarter life decisions. Flitting from boy to boy will just not stand any longer.”
She didn’t even tell me happy birthday. “I’m not interested in Gabe, Mom, not at all.”
“Interest is frivolous. He comes from a good family, he has a planned out future; those are things that a young woman of your lineage needs to look for in a partner.”
I blew a hiss out through my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut. “So those are the things that drew Dad to Marissa? She comes from a good family? She has a secure future? Or maybe he just likes her big ole double-Ds and the fact she does whatever he says. Come on, Mom, you’re being ridiculous. I most certainly am not going to spend time with a guy who makes my skin crawl just because you like him.”
“Language, young lady! I don’t know where you think all those smarts you have came from, but I’m neither foolish nor blind. I know that this has to do with that Archer boy. It always does.”
I rubbed my forehead where I felt the beginning of a migraine starting; she brought them on faster than anything else. “So what if it does?”
“Oh, Shaw, when are you going to outgrow this silly crush?”
“Mom, I’m starting to get a headache. Can this wait until another time?”
She was silent for a long minute and I could feel the waves of censure over the phone.
“I’m going to invite the Davenports to dinner. You need to be there.”
“No. Not if Gabe is going to be there.”
“Yes, you will be there. Do not forget your father and I pay for your tuition.”
Great, more parental extortion. Boy was I lucky. “Yeah, fine, whatever.” I didn’t even say bye; I just chucked the phone under the other pillow and hit the lights. I had no idea how Rome thought I could fix anyone, be good for anyone, when I didn’t even have control over my own life and it was making me physically ill.
I spent the rest of the week and weekend being a good college student. I studied every chance I got, finished my lab project, got a head start on one of my papers that was due at midterm. I even managed to squeeze in some time to help Ayden study since she was struggling with I-chem and I had breezed through it. I was working on a piece for one of my prerequisite classes, a speech on why assisted suicide should be legal—superfun stuff—but the apartment was too quiet and I was tired of ignoring my phone every time it rang, fearing it would be one of my parents or Gabe. So I packed up my laptop and went down to Pikes Perk to finish it. Ayden had texted that I should just come to the bar because it was slow, but I needed a less stimulating environment and a coffee shop full of hipsters seemed to be just the ticket. I had a pile of research in front of me and a caramel latte cooling by my elbow. I was so into what I was doing that I didn’t notice the chair across from me at the little round table get pulled back until the metal legs scraped across the floor.
In fact, I was so intent on the paperwork spread out before me it wasn’t until a familiar hand with a snake tattoo and a name across the knuckles pushed shut the top of my computer that I realized I had company. I blinked in surprise and looked up to find those arctic-colored eyes watching me intently. He was still rocking the Mohawk, but now it was a shocking red and he looked ridiculously good in a tight long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans that were a little baggy. I didn’t bother to hide the fact that I was openly checking him out.
“What if I hadn’t saved any of that?”
“We’ve met, remember? I know you well enough to know you probably save after every sentence.”
It was every paragraph, but whatever. “This is kind of out of the way for you. What are you doing here?” I hadn’t seen him or spoken to him in exactly ten days. The idea that he had purposely sought me out just seemed too far-fetched, so I scolded myself not to read into his sudden appearance.
“I actually went by the bar. I ran into your roommate and she told me you were probably here working on homework. Shaw, we need to talk.” I had never heard him sound so serious. It made me nervous. I needed something to do with my hands so I picked up my drink and tried to hide behind it.
“I