Page 11 of Marked By Night

I shake my head waving my hand in the direction of the thunderstorm outside. Typical Kentucky weather. “Nah, I think I’ve had enough for tonight. I better head on home before the storm gets worse.”

“All right, I’ll drive you home. Let me grab my keys.”

Unease slithers up my spine. “No need. Besides, I’d prefer to walk.”

He huffs, reaching out for my wrist. “Come on, Sadie. You could get struck by lightning or swept away in the storm.” For some reason, his statement makes me snort. I’m more likely to get abducted in this neighborhood, but of course, he’s worried about the likelihood of lightning striking me from the sky. What a tool.

Still, he doesn’t look like he’s willing to let me go. I sigh. I really don’t want to reveal my cards to Ben, but I will if that’s what it takes. I’m ninety percent sure my extra strength will at least let me knock him out.

“It’s fine, really. I like the storms.”

Which is not a total lie. There’s something so calming about the chaos to me.

Yanking my arm from his hold, I quickly cross the gym, making sure to keep him in my line of sight. I snatch my ratty backpack from its cubby and unplug my phone from the speaker, cutting off an I Prevail song.

My eyes catch on Ben’s from across the room. His face contorts into a snarl and he looks seconds away from marching over to strangle me where I stand. “Fine. Have it your way,” he says.

My instincts are screaming for me to run, but I know better than that. Men like Ben—like my ex—love the thrill of the chase and that will only set him off.

“You have a good night. Call me when you want to train again, and we’ll make it happen.” Without another glance, he stalks off.

Sheesh. Whiplash much?

The lights flip off, spurring my stunned ass into action. I bolt for the door. Once outside, I slip my switchblade out of my backpack and run my thumb over the cold metal. The worn grip on it gives me a sense of comfort as I walk. I’m not defenseless. A fact I’m constantly reminding myself of. Bad habits die hard, unfortunately.

My ponytail sways with the wind as I rush through town working up quite the sweat. When I crest the next hill, and my dingy duplex is finally in sight, I can’t help but let loose a sigh of relief. Until a clap of thunder startles the crap out of me and I squeal, clutching my chest to stop my heart from leaping out of it. Then, as if the Gods themselves are angry and trying to pour all their frustrations down on me, the rain starts and it pelts me mercilessly.

Seriously, it’s like Forrest Gump sideways rain out here.

My eyes snap closed and for one quiet moment. I bask in the pure chaos because it reminds me of my dad. One night, right before he died, I crawled into bed with him and told him I was scared because of the storm. Instead of holding me and stroking my hair like usual, he took me outside and we danced in the rain for hours.

Probably not the brightest idea looking back on it, but my dad was far from a normal parent. That night, he showed me a storm is not always scary if you know how to make the best of it and I’ve been fine ever since. But now they remind me of him, and of everything I’ve lost.

A double-edged sword, really.

After jogging the remaining distance, I slam the door behind me with a frustrated groan and lean all my weight on it, replaying today’s events in my mind. I can’t believe Cruze fired me and acted like it was all my fault. And the way Ben acted tonight was so strange. But then I smile, remembering my red-haired hero, and the two strangers from the lake.

Then the realization dawns on me that I didn’t even remember to grab Red’s number to thank him. I truly am an idiot! Even my vagina silently scolds me for being so clueless and careless. I let three totally perfect men slide through my fingers today. One of which handed me an envelope of money.

Well, let’s at least find out how much he gave me,I think with a sigh.

As I’m flicking through the cash, my thumb snags on a small piece of paper hung between two of the bills. I unravel it and the sight makes me laugh as relief tumbles through me.

Whirling around, I yank my phone out of my back pocket and dial the number scribbled on the slip of paper in large, looping handwriting. His deep chuckle reaches my ears, making butterflies explode in my stomach. “So, you found it? Took you long enough.”

That cheeky fucker.

4

Sadie

“Hurry up! You’re going to make us late!” Ashley whines from the living room. I swear I can see her pouting through the dang walls.

“I am hurrying!” I yell back.

I don’t know why she’s complaining. Usually, she’s the one making us late because she’s a bit of a perfectionist. And when I say perfectionist, I mean she’s freaking anal about everything. As for me, I’m more apt to slap on a semi-clean shirt and jeans and call it decent. Mainly because I don’t care what others think about me.

Since my car is acting up on me, I’ve been tinkering on it all morning. I’m fairly certain the starter is going out, but that’s beyond my level of expertise and I can’t afford a mechanic. I’ll take what I can get out of it and make do with the rest. Hopefully, we will make it to the festival in one piece.

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