Page 122 of Awakened by Sin

“Wouldn’t that be weird?”

“No. Come, you can see it now.” He grabbed her hand and towed her toward a silver Audi.

“Um, okay.” She turned and hollered, “You have my keys?” to Mickey who gave her a nod as she ducked into the passenger seat of Marcus’s car. This was an interesting turn of events.

“Why are you involved with the Black Viper gang?” Marcus wasted no time asking as they left Cimarron Elementary.

She hesitated and then said, “Wrong place, wrong time.” She didn’t want to bring up the fact that Angel took her there. She was sure Gavin and Marcus would both be pissed about it. They wouldn’t understand that in his own fucked up way, Angel had been trying to help.

“Why’d you kill him?”

It was only a matter of time before someone gunned him down. She tried to hang onto the bliss of climax and not the slap of rage that threatened to blow her high.

“He said something about Vinny, and I snapped.” She felt his quick glance and stared straight ahead.

“Blaine never respected women. Not surprising that he underestimated the wrong one.”

She didn’t like hearing that his name was Blaine. It made him sound more human and less like the leader of a violent, notorious biker gang. “My dad killed his. We have history.”

“Your dad’s the one who shot Cannon?”

She stared at him. “How do you know all this shit?”

“I grew up in Conklin.”

She straightened. “The housing projects? Are you serious?”

He flicked her an amused glance. “You didn’t think I was born into this, did you?”

“I did, actually.” He wore power like a second skin and had the manners of a fine gentleman. She couldn’t imagine him in a rough neighborhood. Not even cops wanted to answer calls in that area. It was gang infested and poverty-stricken. “How is that possible?”

“Long story,” he said and reached for his phone when it began to ring.

She sat back as Marcus drove. Unlike her and Angel, he was cautious and controlled. It made her grin. She closed her eyes and listened to the rumble of his voice as she basked in the afterglow of great sex.

Twenty minutes later, they entered a private community with its own shopping center. There was a massive golf course and lake that the homes were built around. Marcus drove up a picturesque street lined with trees and generous properties before he pulled up to a house with a stone front. He parked in an empty three-car garage. She got out of the car as Frederick and Mickey parked in the driveway. Marcus unlocked the front door and waved her in as he continued his conversation on the phone.

She wasn’t sure what to expect. She paused in the foyer and surveyed the space. Directly before her was a nice living room filled with light. A short staircase led to an upper level where the kitchen and dining room were. From where she stood, she could see everything, including a short hallway on the second floor that must lead to the bedrooms. There was no furniture or decorations. The only room had anything in it was an office. Marcus kicked aside some boxes to get to the computer as he talked.

She walked up to the second level and looked out at a surprisingly well-maintained backyard with a bench, trees, and shrubs. The house had three bedrooms, two bathrooms. The master had a bed, nightstand, and not much else. The closet held a handful of suits, workout clothes, and shoes. The second bedroom was filled with boxes, and the third was empty.

Carmen looked out at the views of the lake and golf course. The house had been designed with beautiful stone accent walls, built-in shelves, and a corner bathtub in the master that invited her to take a load off and soak. This place had a sense of peace and tranquility about it. It wasn’t something she would have considered in the past, but at this point in her life, it was perfect. Charisse expected her to choose a super luxe home comparable to what she had with Vinny. This… this felt just right. Both she and Marcus could afford something much grander, but maybe he had felt the same sense of calm well-being embedded into the walls.

She walked back to the dining area and leaned on the metal railing and surveyed the first floor. She was already mentally decorating when Marcus walked out of the office and pocketed his phone.

“I’ll buy it from you,” she said immediately.

“Buy?”

“You said you’re never here.”

“My stuff is,” he said as he climbed the steps.

“I can put it in storage and help you find another place.”

“You like it,” Marcus surmised.

“Yes, it’s perfect for me.”

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