Page 48 of Heartbreak Kings
“Good. I’ve always had a thick skull.” His pupils were the same size, at least. “Have they been harassing you?”
“Nasty emails and hang-up calls, mostly. I can handle it. Carmody’s got to go, though. Now that he’s being kicked out of any connection to the fraternity, what happens if he does anything else? He doesn’t seem to care or think about consequences, and when they arrive, they just make him crazier.”
“Depends on what he does. But we’re already gathering evidence, and Blake has spoken to his lawyer in case Carmody’s parents complain about our refusal to let him pledge again for the umpteenth year.” He winced as I cleaned a cut above his eyebrow. “Ow.”
“You’re going to have some nasty bumps and bruises. I still can’t believe those bastards did this. This is some criminal bullshit.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” he grumbled quietly as I finished cleaning his face and neck and opened up the kit. “Let me do the disinfecting,” he demanded as I pulled out the antibiotic ointment.
I hesitated, then gave up the tube. “Okay. What do I do now?”
“I came over here because it was closer than the frat house, and because I wanted to make sure those fuckers didn’t come trooping over here while they were all riled up.” He touched the back of my hand briefly. “They put one bruise on you, and I’d have to kill them.”
He took off his torn shirt, and I checked his back, seeing several more welts but no more broken skin. “Do your ribs hurt?”
“They’re not cracked or anything. I’m just beaten up and tired.” He examined the badly ripped shirt, missing several of its buttons. “What the hell is wrong with those guys?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” I sighed as I tried not to stare at his muscular back. Marcus spent a lot of time being a charming goofball and one voice of reason among the Gentlemen. He also usually dressed pretty nicely, and unlike his cousin, he was neither imposingly tall nor particularly broad. But under his shirt, he had the body of a swimmer. “They hate women. They also hate any men who are at all successful with women.”
“Short form, they hate anyone who isn’t them.” He smirked, but his eyes stayed dull. “How the hell did a bunch of misanthropic fuckups get in here? They’re way more trouble than you ever were.”
It was gratifying to hear him say that out loud finally, though he had seemed to think it all along. “Their parents’ money, remember?”
“Christ. Yeah, I know too many of us from rich families to disagree with you about how that spoils people. You know I pledged alongside Carmody three years ago? He was a weaselly little loser then, and he sure is now. I don’t even think getting laid would help his personality any.” He rubbed his bruised jawline, then went back to dabbing ointment on his cuts and scrapes.
“Nobody wants to take one for the team for some asshole who hates women anyway.” I gently smoothed his hair. “Besides, most of us are busy with guys who deserve our attention.”
He smiled up at me wistfully. “You know, when I found out about you and Nathaniel, I got kind of jealous.”
“Well, I don’t see why,” I replied gently, taking the ointment when he was done, putting the cap on it. “I’m not doing anything to make you jealous. If you guys are having issues with one another, it’s not because I’m trying to cause you problems.”
He leaned into my hand a little. “Yeah, I guess we were the ones who were trying to play mind games. I’m sorry about that.”
“Well, just as long as it doesn’t happen again,” I chided gently.
“I don’t want to drive you away,” he sighed. “I hope the bruises prove whose side I’m on.”
“They do pretty well. I want to kill that bastard Carmody. Do you really think his mother will do anything about him?” I couldn’t control my anger at Carmody right then, not with Marcus still tending fresh wounds. “The prick needs a cage. As long as he’s running around free on campus, I don’t feel safe.”
Marcus nodded slowly, frowning. “I understand. I wouldn’t either in your shoes. How about we take turns keeping you company here until this blows over?”
I tilted my head, considering, then smirked. “That would mean spending the night with me. You got an ulterior motive or what?”
He laughed, then winced. “Ow. Okay, maybe my ribs are a little sore. As for the answer to your question, I do. But that’s not the point. Well, not all the point.”
He managed a shit-eating grin despite his pain, and I had to laugh. “Well, if you can think about sex after being beat up, I’m guessing you’re fine.”
“Sweetheart, with you around, I could think about sex during open heart surgery.” He almost sounded serious.
“Well, don’t do that. You’ll make the attending think you’ve got the world’s weirdest fetish.” I sat down next to him, setting aside the first aid kit. “I’m just glad you weren’t hurt worse.”
He slipped a warm arm around me, and I felt an answering surge of heat that surprised me. “Me too. I couldn’t take advantage of being here if I was too high on the injured list.”
He slid his hand up and down my back, leaving a tingling trail behind, and I blinked in surprise as I felt the mood turning fast. “Wow. Um, you sure you’re up to this?” I was kind of hoping he’d say yes, but some of those welts were nasty.
He stared at me, then scoffed and pulled me in for an intense kiss.
I let out a soft whimper and returned it, quietly delighted. Of all the men aiming to be my new lovers, Marcus was the one I thought I could be friends with the most. I hadn’t realized just how attracted I was to him until he finally touched me.
