Page 22 of Stripping Keys
With that thought crossing my mind, I shoot a glare in his direction. “That may be so, Marsh,” I sneer, using the shorter version of his name I’ve only ever used when we were alone. “But you don’t know the real Marla. The one who grew up. You knew the child version of her, not the adult. You see what you want, and that’s it. If it doesn’t fit into the perfect little mold you think fits for everyone, then you don’t want to see or hear it.”
Marshall’s eyes narrow, and he gets to his feet.
Before he can say anything else, I turn to Anna and Michael. “I swear to you, what your daughter does, I’ve always had her back. When I can’t be there for her, someone else is there. She’s good at what she does and isn’t going to give it up. No matter how much you try to talk to her about it, Marla won’t tell you.”
“She’s our daughter and we have the right to know what she does.” Michael growls.
“I know you see it that way, but in truth.” I stop and take a breath, hating myself for what I’m about to say. “Your daughter died years ago. The Marla you knew was reborn to the one she is now, and there’s no going back. Time won’t change that. She won’t let history ever have a chance of repeating itself.”
“History repeating itself?” Anna whispers. “What do you mean? What happened to my daughter? How could you say she died? She’s here alive and well.”
I shake my head and look at Anna. “That I can’t tell you. It’s not mine to share. I can assure you, though, that she might be alive and well in your opinion, but the Marla you knew doesn’t exist. Not in the way you think it does.” Turning to Marshall, I glare at him once more before leaving them all to talk among themselves.
It pisses me off that they all love each other yet hide who they really are from each other. All except Anna and Michael. They don’t hide their feelings from each other. But Marley, Marshall, and Marla couldn’t be more opposite and confrontational with one another. Like, couldn’t they get along and understand each other for once?
I thought about just leaving the clubhouse altogether, but I couldn’t leave Marla. Not just because I didn’t want to, but also because it was an order. Calyx wanted me close in case she did something that would get her ass in a sling. Something she’s known to do from time to time.
Instead of leaving, I decided just to take a walk around, needing the fresh air to calm myself before I did something irrational. Like throttle a certain man who can’t see past his narrow sightedness to what’s right in front of him.
As I make it to the tree line, I find my arm gripped. I turn in time to come face-to-face with Marshall. His face contorted with fury and rage, but I also saw a hint of something else.
“What do you want?” I demand, yanking away from him, but his grip keeps me from getting out of his hold on my arm. “You can let me go now.”
Rather than listening, he shoves me against the first tree and gets in my space.
“Marsh?” he snarls, eyes flashing rage. As he steps more into my space, I feel him. All of him. Especially the thickness that’s more than hard behind the confines of his jeans. “What the fuck, West? You never call me that in front of anyone.”
“So, what? I can only call you Marsh when you have your cock in my ass, is that it?” I snap and shove against him. “If that’s the case, then you don’t have to worry about it. I won’t call you that again because I’m done.”
“Done?” Marshall cocks a brow. “What do you mean you’re done?”
“All of it. Being your secret. Being unable to be who I am. Being . . . being . . . I’m just done.”
“You’re done,” he mumbles like he’s talking to himself, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me. “You’re not done, West. We’re not done. You’re mine, and that’s not going to change.”
“Yeah, right. I’m not yours. You can’t even tell anyone about the fact you prefer to fuck men than women.” And that hurt me just as much as everything else.
“You want people to know. Fine, I’ll tell ‘em all. You ain’t goin’ anywhere though.” Marshall ends his statement by slamming his lips down on mine. He forces his tongue in mymouth and controls my movements just as he’s done hundreds of times before.
The tension leaves my body, and I give in to the kiss. I hate to admit it, but though I told him I was done, I knew I’d never be done with him. He was my weakness.
Marshall pulls back from the kiss and stares down at me. He was still three inches taller than me and had more muscle mass than I did, but none of that mattered.
“I’ll work on what I’ve got to work on, but I ain’t letting you go, West. I mean it,” he says, giving my neck a squeeze.
“What you need to work on is how you talk to Marla and learning to leave things be,” I tell him.
“I can’t do that. It’s my job as her big brother to protect her.” Seeing the way his eyes fill with remorse, I know he’s telling the truth. If he knew there was no one protecting her, he’d be gutted, especially if he knew her history.
“She’s not a little girl anymore.” I release a breath and shake my head. “Marla’s my best friend. I’ve been there for her since she was eighteen.”
Marshall’s eyes flare, and he nods, seeming to be connecting the dots. “Whatever happened, whatever this history is, it happened then, didn’t it?”
“Yes.” I nod. “That’s the only thing I’m telling you.”
“Right,” Marshall grinds out. “She’s still my sister, and I’m not going to lose her.”
“Let her be who she is and stop trying to control the storm within her, and you won’t.” That’s what none of them seem to understand. All Marla needs is for her family to accept her for who she is. If she were to have that from them, she wouldn’t be hostile toward them as she is anytime they are around.
