Page 40 of Marked By Night

“Hey, Ash. I hate to cut this short, but shit hit the fan and we need to go. Likenow,” I add for emphasis when she makes no effort to move.

Her hazel eyes flash. “Come on Mer, don’t be jealous. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You said so yourself!” Uh-oh. She knows I hate that nickname and she only uses it when she’s upset with me.

“Ash. I’m freaking serious. I’ll explain as soon as we get out of here, but we’re sitting ducks right now. We need to go. This is a codepurple.” I use the code name we came up with as kids for an SOS situation.

She startles, finally seeming to realize how serious I am, and shoves Brandon off her. “Shit, did those hotties from earlier hurt you? Do we need to kill them or hide some bodies?” She pauses while pulling her pants up then looks me dead in the eye and says, “Because I know a guy.”

“How the fuck do you ‘know a guy’?” I air quote, eyeing her warily.

“I mean it’s no Benny’s pig farm but…” She shrugs, referencing a reverse harem romance by Tate James we both read and loved. Everyone needs someone they can share their favorite book recs with, and Ash is my person. We’re firmly team why choose.

“No, Dante and Kaos didn’t hurt me.”

Her eyes narrow in on my neck where I’m sure I’m already bruised. All the injuries I’ve sustained tonight are starting to catch up to me, but there’s no time to stop now. Besides, I’m no stranger to pain.

“What the hell is going on, Sadie?” Then the lightbulb goes off. “They didn’t hurt you, but someone else did?”

“Yeah, Tyler. Ben was in on it too. Now we’re being hunted by some big bads and—”

“Oh, hell no, say no more babe,” she says, gathering the last of her shit. “Those bastards are dead men. Where are they?” She whips her cellphone out. “I’ll call my guy right fucking now.”

“You’ll have to get in line, babe. Dante and Kaos went all macho alphahole on them already. It was hot as fuck.”

Her lip pokes out in a pout. “But I wanted to use my guy.”

“Uh, I’m sorry? I think.”

Brandon steps forward, drawing my attention to his totally naked and toned six-pack perfect for ogling. That’s going in the spank bank for later for certain. “You’re really going to leave?” he asks.

Ash lets out a breathy moan as she stares at him. “Best lay I’ve had in a long time,” she says.

Hello, bucket of ice cold water, meet my face.

Yep, that’s our cue to skedaddle. Ash practically makes me drag her off the bus. “Finally get dicked down by my rock star and there has to be an emergency,” she whines as I drag her away from her latest conquest. “Why does the universe hate me?”

We’re the same, she and I.

“My number is in your phone, Ashley. Feel free to call me if you ever want to hook up again!” Brandon shouts. I’ve never seen someone of his stature so enthralled with a normal girl before. It’s cute honestly.

Then again, Ash is no normal girl.

As soon as we exit the rolling den of sin, Kaos and Dante’s eyes find mine. Both of them have their crotch-knives out again and their bodies are tense. Their eyes scan our surroundings every few seconds. It’s hot as hell. They’re my version of Brandon Luck.

Ash takes one look at them with their knives out and turns toward me with her eyes wide. “What kind of trouble are you in exactly? My guy can help with that too.”

“How do you freaking know a guy?” I ask, rubbing my aching temples. Then change my mind on knowing the answer. “You know what. I don’t want to know. Yes, as I said, there are people after me. Dante and Kaos have kept me safe from them so far.”

“We’re going to continue to protect you, Little Flame,” Kaos says, his blue eyes intense as he stares me down.

“I can protect myself,” I declare, locking eyes with him until he’s prowling straight toward me. My mouth goes dry as my core simultaneously clenches. Sadly, Dante sideswipes him, breaking our trance before he can back me into the tour bus and have his way with me because that’s exactly the impression I was getting.

Cockblocked by my other mate. My fucking happy go lucky mate at that. What kind of shit is that?

You’re being hunted, Sadie. There will be time for hanky panky later, the rational part of my brain reminds me. Now I’m being cockblocked by my own brain.

Seriously, what kind of shit is that?

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