Page 30 of Marked

“I’ve told you enough about my past. Tell me something about you.”

He puts his drink down in the cup holder and crumbles up the burger wrapper to toss in the bag. He hesitates briefly before turning to look at me. “Alright. My father cheated on his wife with a woman who was also married. His mistress ended up pregnant with me and went through with my birth but didn’t want anything further to do with me.”

I polish off my burger as he speaks, listening intently as he continues. “My father’s wife forgave him, and they decided to take me in. The husband of his mistress, my biological mother, however, was not so forgiving. In his rage, he murdered my father.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” I offer lamely. I mean, what else can I say?

Jack lets out a soft sigh as he leans forward and rests his elbows on the steering wheel. “I think that’s why I became so involved with death.”

I tilt my head at him. “You mean that’s why you wanted to become a homicide detective?”

He blinks and looks at me. “Yes, I suppose. I wanted to have a role in convicting evil people. Sinners shouldn’t get a pass just because they don’t get caught at the time of the sin.”

“Do you think I’m evil?” I blurt out the question before I can think better of it. At his questioning look, I drop my gaze to my lap. “I sin. I indulge in alcohol, sex, and swear like a sailor.” And mark people for hell with a kiss of my lips.

He reaches out and touches my shoulder. “No, I don’t. I already told you I think you’re good,” he says firmly. “You do none of those with an evil intent, Valkyrie. You are not evil. Yes, your aura is tinged with darkness, but it’s not malicious. Honestly, I suspect it’s from you dying.”

He has no idea how close he is to the truth.

I try to push away the sudden wave of pity I feel. “Well, okay then.”

Jack’s smile is easy. “As far as first dates go, this wasn’t so bad.”

I can’t help but laugh. “If you ignore the jealous ex-fuck buddy, I suppose not.”

He laughs again. “Where do you live? I’ll drive your truck there, so you don’t have to.”

I shake my head. “And how will you get back? I’ll be okay to drive so go ahead and take us back to the station.”

“I wasn’t offering, Valkyrie. I’m telling you I’m driving you home.” He starts the truck and throws it into drive before looking at me with an expectant look. “Taylor gave me your address, but I haven’t looked it up. So, where am I going?”

I sigh in defeat before listing off the directions to my apartment. “I’m across the freeway from Downtown on Martin Luther King and Alta, by the hospital.” He nods and we drive in silence, but it’s easy and comfortable. I realize that I like being around Jack, despite his blunt personality.

“What building and floor do you live on?” Jack asks once he pulls my truck into my assigned space.

“Eighteen and the second,” I answer as I grab my purse from the backseat and throw open my door. I shoot him an exasperated look when he holds it open for me. When I see him reach for me, I swat his hands away. “I can walk!”

“No, you can’t,” he argues. “Your feet are all torn up. If you walk on them right now, you’re going to make them worse.”

“They’ll heal!” I really don’t want him to carry my ass all the way to my building, let alone up a flight of stairs like some prince charming.

“Why are you so stubborn?” He huffs as I slide out of my seat and tentatively set my feet on the ground. I had slid the flats back on, but there’s hardly any cushion in them and I feel each cut throb in protest.

“Because I can be,” I mutter.

Jack shuts my door for me and locks the truck before handing me my keys. He holds his arm out to me and I reluctantly take it, letting him take the brunt of my weight as I lean on him. I’m not ashamed to admit that I rely mostly on him to help me along the sidewalk that leads to my building. I most definitely lean more on him when I hobble up the stairs. I’m stubborn, not stupid. When we get to my unit, I release his arm so I can unlock my door.

“Um, thank you,” I say awkwardly as I turn to him. “For everything.”

He smiles down at me, and I feel it shoot straight down to my core. “You’re welcome. It was an interesting day.”

“It was,” I agree with a soft chuckle.

There’s a beat of silence that’s thick with a mix of uncertainty and longing. I think that last one may just be me, but then he takes a step towards me, closing the distance between us. Years of denial have me automatically raising my hands between us, pressing them flat to his chest, but I don’t push him away like I need to.

“I respect your boundaries, Valkyrie,” he states in a soft whisper before pressing his lips to my forehead.

A pang of longing grips my heart so tightly a small gasp escapes my lips. He goes to pull away from me, but my hands have fisted in his shirt. I’m staring at the sliver of tanned skin that’s peeking out from the undone buttons at his throat, my heart hammering. “Again?” I end up asking in a small, pitiful voice.

When he kisses my forehead again, I feel his smile in it. I swallow thickly and squeeze my eyes shut as his lips lightly brush over my skin before pulling back again. I force my hands to release him as embarrassment hits me hard. Dropping my gaze to my feet, I nod at him. “Thank you.”

Long fingers lift my chin, and I’m met with a soft smile. “No, thank you. I’ll see you on Monday.”

Unable to form any words, I nod, and he steps back from me. With another smile, he turns and disappears down the hall. I watch him go before finally going into my apartment. After showering off the day’s events and redressing my wounds, I sink into bed with my latest Patricia Briggs book. When sleep finally claims me, it does so without the help of a bottle.

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