Page 20 of Made For Ruin

His hand tightens on my thigh, and I can feel the tension radiating off him.

“Security.” His tone is measured, but there’s an edge to it—a warning not to push too hard. “Reign and I run a company together. ”

I bite my lip, torn between curiosity and self-preservation. “Is Reign the guy you were with at the diner yesterday?”

“Yeah.”

“So, what’s it like? Working security, I mean. Must be nice not having to clock in every day like the rest of us.”

He glances at me briefly, then back at the road.

“A lot of sitting around, waiting for something to happen. But when it does, you have to be ready.”

“Sounds intense.”

“I don’t think about it too much. Just do what I need to do.”

I nod slowly, trying to picture him in that world—stoic, focused, always one step ahead.

“Is it just you and Reign at your company?”

For a moment, he doesn’t answer. Then he lets out a low breath, and I catch the flicker of something in his expression before it’s gone.

“Yeah,” he says finally. “Just us.”

There’s more to that answer. I can feel it. But the way he says it—like he’s closing a door—makes me think twice about pushing further. Instead, I let the silence settle between us, the hum of the engine filling the space as we wind our way deeper into the woods.

As I watch the trees blur past in the darkness, a pinch of fear creeps in. My stomach twists, and I realize how insane this is.

I barely know Marcus. And now here I am, letting him drive me into the middle of nowhere, my body humming with something I can’t quite name but can’t ignore either.

I shift in my seat, trying to shake off the unease, but it clings to me like a second skin. My throat feels dry when I finally speak, my voice light but laced with nerves.

“You’re not going to hurt me or anything, are you?”

The words hang in the air for a beat too long before Marcus pulls the truck over onto the shoulder. The engine idles as he turns to face me, his amber eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that makes my breath catch.

“I would never hurt you, Lainey.” Each word falls with deliberate weight. “Ever.”

I believe him.

I don’t know why, but I do. Still, there’s a part of me that feels like I should be running—should be opening this door and bolting into the woods like some kind of heroine in a horror movie. But instead, I stay rooted in place, my heart pounding as he reaches out and brushes a strand of hair from my face.

“Okay,” I tell him.

His gaze drops to my lips, and for a moment, I think he might kiss me again. Instead, he lets go of my chin and shifts the truck back into drive. Then we merge onto the empty road, surrounded by darkness and towering pines.

I glance out the window, watching unfamiliar trees flash past in the moonlight.

“Um, my apartment is the other way.”

“I’m not taking you to your apartment.”

The city lights fade completely as we drive deeper into the mountains. I’ve lived in Cooper Heights my whole life, but I’ve never been this far into the wilderness. The moon hangs heavy and full above the pines, painting everything in silver light that catches on Marcus’s harsh profile. His jaw remains set, thoseamber eyes focused on the winding road ahead, but his thumb never stops its maddening circles on my thigh.

These aren’t the manicured slopes of Fit Mountain or the familiar trails behind the diner. This is true wilderness. Ancient. Raw. The trees press closer to the road, their branches creating dark tunnels that swallow us whole. Now and then, I catch glimpses of eyes reflecting in the darkness -- creatures watching our passage through their domain.

I know exactly how they feel. I’ve been watching Marcus for months too, pretending I wasn’t prey recognizing a predator.

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