Page 47 of Marked By Night

“This isn’t supposed to happen,” Bedi says, looking around the room frantically. Like something will jump right back out of the shadows and gag her again.

“I’m so sorry, Bedi! I don’t know who would do this to you or why.”

After I cut both of her arms free, she grabs mine with surprising strength for someone her age and rises from her chair. She stares at me so intently I can’t look away and a small gasp escapes me when her lavender eyes turn black. Even the whites.

“I do.” She lifts the gag off the floor, pointing to a silver symbol in the center of a scrap of cloth, like it’s supposed to mean something to me but it doesn’t. No, not a scrap—a handkerchief.

“They may want you alive, but they don’t care what condition. I need you to leave and never return here.” A lead weight settles in my stomach with the finality in her words.

“I don’t understand,” I say.

“Stay with your men,” she tells me while shoving the handkerchief into my hands. “Show them this and know they will guide and protect you with their lives. They were made specifically for you, you know.”

“I can protect myself!” I defend.

“Out of all that—that’s what you took away from what I said?” Her eyes narrow when I nod. “Of course you can, but it never hurts to have more people in your corner. You—of all people—should know that.”

Her words strike a chord within me. What I wouldn’t give to have met the guys when I was younger and have someone to protect me from the shadows back then. Skylar was my only cheerleader, but he was going through as much as I was, if not more, than me.

“I’ll send word for you when it’s safe to do so. We have much to discuss,” she says, backing toward the door.

“Wait! How will I know it’s you?”

“You’ll know. Trust your instincts. They haven’t steered you wrong yet, have they?” Then she’s gone. Disappeared into thin air. Poof.

“Yeah, like that’s helpful!” I shout into the now empty room.

I suppose that answers my question about whether or not Bedi is a human though, but makes me wonder, what is she?

A sense of urgency snaps me back to reality and I hastily snatch my backpack out from under my nightstand. Somehow they didn’t overturn it and my backpack is still there. As I’m walking out, I eye my stash of vibrators spread across the room longingly. Even they were not spared from the wrath of whoever trashed my room.Maybe the guys will let me buy more… hmm.

Checking the time reveals it’s been nine minutes since I left Ash. Knowing her, she’s probably going out of her mind with worry. When I’m sure that I have everything, I take off running and don’t stop until I’m standing next to my car.

Bright headlights assault my vision, making me flinch from their intensity. The sports car glides into the parking space next to us. When the rumbling engine shuts off, the night becomes quiet once more. No one in this neighborhood drives anything that fancy and it’s too late to run.

“Who is that?” Ash asks, having hopped out of the car to join me.

I huff, irked she didn’t stay in the car as I told her. She’s stubborn as a mule sometimes, but I know if there’s a fight, she’ll back me up no matter what.

“I have no idea. Do you still carry mace?”

“Yep, I’ve got it right here,” she says, pulling the small canister out of her pocket. I don’t take my eyes off the blacked-out windows of the fancy sports car.

My entire body tenses when I hear the click of the door opening, and I ready myself for the inevitable. I really should’ve stretched tonight. Not to mention the adrenaline is slowly wearing off and all my injuries are starting to make themselves known again.

To my utter surprise, Kaos hops out looking like a freaking mess. His eyes are panicked, and his clothes are slightly torn. Those stormy eyes meet mine as he rounds the front of the car.

“There was a bit of a scuffle,” he says. “Elian and I handled it.”

In two long strides, he reaches me and wraps me in his protective embrace. A feeling of rightness resonates within me as I inhale his tangy masculine scent. I sigh, snuggling into his arms, and resting my head on his hard chest. Every single thread in my entire body vibrates like I’m a damn magic bullet. The vibrator kind, not the Weaver kind. Kaos is alluring, like a magnet and I’m the piece of metal that’s drawn to him.

Fate pulls us together, him and I.

“Tell me what happened,” he demands, holding my face in his large, weathered hands. Likely worn from handling weapons his entire life. The thought sends a thrill through me. I’m sure he has much to teach me.

“I went in to grab our go-bags and I found our neighbor tied up in my room. Speaking of which, I think she might be someone orsomethingelse entirely.” I pause taking a breath. “Before she poofed into thin air, she told me that she’ll send for me when it’s safe and she told me to stay with my men because they would protect me. Oh, and she gave me this. It was her gag.”

I hand him the handkerchief, watching as he runs his hand over the symbol and his eyes crinkle in confusion.

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