Marked (Marked #3) (12 page)

My eyes traveled back and forth—ping-ponging between their matching expressions. You could almost see the fire flow through their veins. How with each breath they inhaled, their mutual dislike grew.

Postures stiff, they squared off. There was no doubt in my mind that if it came to be, these two would come to blows. Talan would fuck his world up if given half a chance, something the hard set of his jaw showed me.

Problem was I didn’t understand the animosity. Did Talan know him? How was Janice the connection between them?

Raised brow and hand on hip, I stared Luke down. “He said to talk,” I interjected, and both heads turned my way. “Don’t waste our time…talk. The clock is ticking.”

Running a hand down his face roughly, he exhaled slowly before giving me his undivided attention. “Can we please take this inside? It’s a delicate matter and I have much to explain.”

“I-I don’t think—”

“No,” Talan interjected, his tone held finality, and I wasn’t going to argue on this. That request was out of the question, and I agreed. “Spit it out and leave.”

“Listen, Mr. Cox. I get that you are concerned…” Luke matched Talan’s tone, but held a hand up in a peaceful gesture “…but I’m not the enemy. What happened with my patient and Ms. Owens is both sad and could have been avoided.”

“I’m going to stop you right there.” Talan took the remaining steps between us and placed himself in front of me. His presence overpowered me, made me feel tiny and completely overtaken by him. Turning his head, he winked at me with a sexy smirk across his lips. “You okay there, Bitty?”

Biting my lower lip, I reached up and with a single finger traced his mouth. “Could be better.”

“Can we get back to why I am here?” At Luke’s exasperated tone, an angry grunt left my tatt boy’s chest. And then with the click of his gun, an empty shot rang loud and as a clear warning. “Are you fucking insane!”

Talan’s head snapped back around so fast I heard the loud crack of his neck. “No, but keep pushing me. Interested in finding out?”

“Janice said—”

“I don’t give a fuck what that crazy bitch had to say,” his voice thundered. The veins in his neck bulged, contracted as the angry rush of blood filled his veins. Face red and angry, he pressed the gun against Luke’s chest and leaned in close. “That woman has been a pain in my left nut since my father hired her all those years ago. Obsessive. Rude. Maniacal. She has done anything she could to bed me again and failed. I don’t want her. I never gave her false fucking hope. I offered her my honest friendship, nothing more, but it wasn’t enough and my girl paid that price. So, as you can tell, I don’t give a shit if her feelings are hurt or if she is in pain...not my problem.”

Luke placed a hand over his gun and tried to push it off himself. “You seem to forget about the 10-20-life law here in Florida. Maybe you need a refresher course. Pull a gun, you get—”

“Ten years. I know what that particular law entails,” Talan hissed out low, his body pressing closer, the gun now right against Luke’s rib cage. “But you, my
friend
,” he spat the word, venom coating every letter, “don’t.”

The good doctor pushed back, stumbling a bit. “What’s that supposed to mean?” His once calm demeanor vanished; hands trembling, he held them in closed fists close to his body. Too bad for him I saw the twitch—the shakiness in his limbs.

“It means that you are an unwelcomed guest in my home. That I can shoot you where you stand, no questions asked, and claim self-defense.” At that, Luke swallowed hard and nervously looked my way. Did he think I would step between them? Fuck and no thank you. “Don’t look at her,” Talan suddenly snapped. “This isn’t the bumfuck land—the laws of wherever the fuck you came from don’t apply. Here, we have the
god
and
lawful
given right to shoot you where you stand within our property if we feel threatened.”

“Look.” Another attempt to take a step away from Talan, but my tatt boy held firm. Seeing this, he held his hands away from his body to force a separation that mildly worked at best. “I came here today risking my medical license to help someone who desperately needs it. Janice isn’t well. Don’t think she has been since a traumatic event in her youth.” This man, now that I saw past his assholic demeanor, had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Like this was personal.

“Wait a minute,” I interrupted and walked around Talan, much to his displeasure. “You’re the doctor the detectives spoke about. She’s under your care at Jackson Memorial?”

“I am.”

“You care, don’t you? This is personal. No doctor I know goes this far out of his way for—”

“It is.” He would never know how much those two words changed the dynamics on our front porch.

Something about the way he spoke made me feel sorry for the guy. In some weird and very unethical way, he had grown fond of Janice. Was just trying to watch out for her best interest. Even if stepping outside the boundary of acceptable would cost him his practice.

“Maya,” Talan suddenly grunted causing me to jump, “no.” Tatt boy knew me all too well, but he should also know that I would plead my case with his weakness. Silent promises that involved my plump lips around his thick cock. Win motherfucking win.

I pouted at the brute. “But maybe he can help her. Everyone deserves a second chance, babe.” He opened his mouth as if to protest, but I kept talking over his attempt. “If he is who he claims to be, then let him try. We don’t lose anything by this.”

His eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. “Do you have any idea what you are asking of me? To just simply forget what she did—what we all lived through with you while you lay in that goddammed hospital bed and prayed you’d wake up.” Hand not holding the gun up in the air, he pointed his finger at me. “I can’t—won’t let her get away with that shit. Fuck. No.”

“That’s not what I am asking for at all, Mr. Cox.” At Luke’s interjection, my tatt boy’s body coiled tight once more. Muscles bulging under his shirt, he looked lethal. As if one more word from this man would have him lose control.

I reached out for him, tried, and failed to grasp his hand, but he was having none of it and shrugged me off. Troubled and angry brown eyes met mine; I saw his concern while he witnessed my hurt at his shrug off. They softened at once, begged me to give him a moment to get ahold of himself.

Nodding, I turned away from him and faced the partial cause of this mess. “Follow me.”

“Are you sure that’s prudent?” His eyes watched Talan’s angry pacing. Or more than likely the gun still clutched tightly in his hand.

“If he was going to shoot you, he would have done it already.”

Talan snorted, pausing mid-step for just a second. “Don’t give the man false hope, Bitty. Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s bad to lie? Naughty little habit.”

My mature reply, I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be an ass, babe.” With that, I walked in and left the door wide open for the good ol’ doctor to enter our home. Quietly he followed behind me and into the house main living room, right across from the front door, and visible to the untrusting man outside still pacing around. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Water would be great.” The bravado from before had almost seemed gone. Yes, there was still a hostile aura about him, but the gun in my boyfriend’s hand had him spooked.

“Take a seat. We don’t charge admission fees.” Taking a seat across from the love seat in a leather armchair, he sat back and surveyed the house. Almost dissecting every nook, every square foot and inch. Without taking my eyes off him, I watched his actions through the mirrored wall across from the kitchen.

The man was good looking, I’d give him that. Clean cut: no scruff and not a single hair out of place. No tattoos and a bit stiff. Not a damn thing like my man. Missing was that edge of danger about Talan that turned me on.

Pouring a glass each, I grabbed a beer before closing the door and walking back. He was still in the same spot, but this time his eyes were fixated on one spot, a singular picture frame atop the coffee table. It was taken last Thanksgiving day when we were all together. Talan’s mother and my parents...our friends, all huddled together outside by the pool enjoying the small fireplace. All smiles and glassy eyes while they enjoyed after-dinner drinks.

And in the heart of it all sat my man and me. Captured proof for all to see was his love for me. Smile wide and face relaxed, he watched me laugh at something Esther had said.

Nothing was more beautiful to me than his honest affection.

Dropping the glass atop the table, it hit harder than I intended.  A tiny bit of water sloshed over the side. “Sorry.” In truth, I wasn’t.

Luke snapped his head up at the sound of my voice, a sheepish look on his face. “Got lost in thought there for a minute.”

Bullshit.

“You know, that man outside that you are trying so hard to villainize?” He shook his head from side to side in denial, but I was no fool. Holding a hand up, I signaled for him to zip it. “Don’t insult my intelligence by denying what we both know to be true. The only reason I’m listening to your speech: one, because of him. He, more than anyone, needs a bit of peace in his life. And two, because he allowed you in here. His love for me overrode the need to kick you the fuck off of his property. Don’t confuse my—our kindness for stupidity.”

“And you thought my girl was gullible.” At Talan’s cocky tone, I smiled. Swagger in place, he walked across the room and took his place beside me. Taking my hand in his, he pulled me in close and kissed the top of my head. “Thanks for the beer, Bitty.”

Reaching out for it, he took ahold of the bottle and popped off the top with an opener on his key chain. The action caused his shirt to ride up, exposing the handle of his gun. Something Luke and I noticed at once.

“I’m all for helping those in
need
and that
want
the actual help.” After taking a sip from my own glass, I sat down and pulled Talan down beside me. Close together, I had a feeling I’d need his support to listen to whatever he had to say. “Convince me. Give me a reason as to why I shouldn’t proceed with the charges already pressed against her.”

“I’m faced with two issues, Ms. Owens,” he began to speak, but stopped to take a quick sip from the glass in front of him. “First, patient confidentiality.”

“You’re entire trip out to my home could ruin her, dick.” Talan pointed out the obvious.

“I know.”

“Then why,” I asked.

“Because not one person is trying. No one cares about the lost little girl that’s screaming for attention.”

“Okay, you’ll need to be a bit more specific. What’s the second dilemma?” At my words he sat forward, hands hanging from between his knees.

“And second…” he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly “…that you could use what I say against her in a court of law.”

“Get to the point already.”

“Are you always so—”

“Watch it.” I interjected before this fool got himself pistol whipped and tossed out on his ass.

Another sip from his glass and he placed it back down on the coaster. “When Janice was young, she lost her sister—identical twin sister—in a drowning incident.”

“Oh fuck.” At my gasp, my tatt boy tightened his grasp on my hand. “How old was she?”

“When Sarah passed, the girls had just turned twelve.”

“Shit.” Talan’s reply was the one word running through my head.
Shit. Shit. Shit.

Feeling a bit more comfortable now that he had our undivided attention, Luke sat back and crossed his leg over his knee. He gave us time: to gather our thoughts and prepare all the questions that had crawled through our emotions and settled into our heads. A constant loop of the why and how.

“I can see the wheels turning. Let me share with you what I can and then, I’ll take your questions. Would that be easier?”

“Thank you.” What else could I say? We sat there, on that couch, stunned into silence.

“When the girls were twelve, Sarah died in a freak accident at a pool party. If it was at their home or friend’s…community pool, I just don’t know. From the police reports I’ve managed to gather, her hair seemed to have been caught on the drainage at the bottom, past the six-foot mark. There isn’t a specific amount of time listed—as in length of time she was under before found, but she was already gone when pulled out.”

“Was Janice the one that found her?” I wiped the tears from my face that had fallen. Poor girls. One barely living, and the other, tragically gone so young. Identical scars that Janice now wore day in and out.

His nod was all the confirmation we needed. Jesus fuck. “Her screams and the giant splash that followed alerted everyone inside to the tragedy outside. She tried, swam down, but couldn’t pull her free. Too much time had passed by then, and the child was pronounced dead at the scene.”

No child should ever have to go through all that.

“Not to sound like a dick here,” Talan began, but stopped to run a hand down his face. It took him a moment to gather himself; this wasn’t an easy topic of conversation for anyone, especially when children were involved. “There isn’t an easier way to ask, so here it is. What does her behavior
now
have to do with what happened? I get that it’s a trauma, but her actions screams of something more.”

My head snapped in his direction so quick the fucker flinched. “Babe!”             

“Let me finish, Maya.” I nodded my consent. “The entire ordeal is traumatic, I agree, but people lose loved ones every single day due to health or car accidents…a robbery gone wrong. Why didn’t she receive the help she needed to move past this? Her reactions now—the blank looks and little-girl persona go deeper than what occurred.”

“You are right in all your assessments.” The surprise in his tone irked me.

“Just because I wake up every day to paint other’s skin doesn’t mean I’m a moron. Judging a book by its cover is both idiotic and an insult to your chosen profession.”

At that, the man actually looked perplexed. “How do you deduce that conclusion?” The haughtiness in his tone was not helping him one bit here.

“Easy.” Talan released my hand and mimicked Luke’s earlier posture; both hands hanging from between his thighs. Muscles were rippling—thick cords of flesh tightened on his forearms while he closed and opened his fists. “Your job description, as you claimed outside, is that of a psychiatrist. Seeing it
all
is part of your daily routine, is it not?” It wasn’t posed as a question, and Talan made it known when he continued to talk, not giving him a chance to reply. “Judges, politicians, doctors…” volume rising with each word that passed through his lips “…your everyday citizen; they all share the same psychological traumas or disorders. Having in common the same propensity toward certain fetishes that aren’t what society would deem normal. People that on the outside seem generic at best, but behind closed doors battle bigger demons than you and I put together. But then again, those are the ones that make the five o’clock news every day after shooting a neighbor or their wife and kids. You know the kind, right? Those that the community would call both wonderful and a doting person—would never hurt a fly, but has secretly killed swarms.”

Luke, who’d sat slacked jawed through Talan’s explanation, now wore a chastised expression. “Point taken.”

“I wasn’t done.” He nodded while I beamed. Fucker had it coming to him for his assumptions. “In and out, every single day you deal with these types, and yet you sit in my home and judge me. Hypocritical move if you ask me. More often than not, it’s those that seem
‘normal’
on the outside that are fucked up within.”

Talan sat back again, taking my hand in his and pulled it up toward his lips. I had other plans, though. With a solid pull, I moved our bodies closer and kissed his lips, pouring all the love and passion I held for this man in that single move, showing him how proud I was of both him and of being his.

“Love you,” it was mumbled around his bottom lip which I held trapped between mine.

“Always so clingy.” At his response, I bit harder, causing him to wince. “Sorry.”

“You better be.” A throat cleared across from us, and I held up a finger. Were we inappropriate, especially with the subject matter at hand? Yes, and I had no issue with it. All Talan did was defend himself without slamming the good doctor’s head through the coffee table. That deserved a small reward. “Back to the conversation we were having about Janice.”

“I’d like to apologize—”

“Save it,” I interrupted. “Not needed. Plus, we don’t believe it will be truthful. Your actions have proven you feel a certain way about him because of your patient. Don’t insult us by denying it.”

“Maya, it’s not that per se. But there is no denying that he was the catalyst to her complete meltdown. If he would’ve—”

“Would’ve what, exactly? Forced himself to love her?” Releasing my hold on him, I sat forward and slammed my hand down on the coffee table, causing both glasses to shake. Water spilled down the sides. “What exactly was he expected to do?”

“Babe, I need you to calm down.” Talan grabbed my shoulder and tried to pull me back, to no avail. Shrugging him off, I stood up quickly, wincing on my way up. “Maya, sit the fuck down before you reinjure yourself.”

“Fuck that. I need an answer, doctor.” I sneered. “What was his rightful duty? To fuck her every time it itched? To not have a life of his own or fall in love?”

“Get the fuck out.” That came from the now furious man beside me.

“Please, let’s all calm down and be reasonable.”

“If she hurts herself, I’ll take it out on you. If she ends up in the hospital, so will you.”

“Must you resort to threats for everything?” Luke bristled from across us, still sitting as if he hadn’t said anything insulting.” Don’t ask me to not judge, if you are the walking poster child for the ‘I don’t give a fuck’ lifestyle.”

Seeing—feeling the tension growing, thickening inside the room made me pause and take a minute to collect myself. Talan was already on his feet when I turned to face him, looming over a still sitting Luke.

Before I could reach him, he’d picked Luke up by the collar of his shirt and stood nose to nose with him. Not saying a word, just waiting. Silently warning him to make one—a singular wrong move to push him past his threshold of patience.

“I’m fine.” Nothing, not even a look my way. “Please let him go.”

“Quit feeding me that bullshit, Maya. I saw you wince when you stood.”

“Can I intervene a moment?” I saw my tatt boy’s intent a mile away, and before he could strike I reached out and fisted his shirt. Pulled, almost tore the cotton material in two, forcing him to take a step back. Was he happy? No, but he knew that I could hurt myself if he forced me to truly come between them. “Just let me finish and I’ll leave.”

We both simultaneously said, “No.”

He huffed. “You said so yourself, Maya. She needs help. I’m almost done and will give you time to talk and make a decision.”

“What the fuck is there to decide about?”

“Her future, Talan. That’s what I am here to plead for…Janice deserves more than the inside of a jail cell.”

Jesus, the laughter that bubbled out of him made even me take a step back. Dark. Angry. A sinister sound that made chills run down my spine.

“I’m going to stay quiet for exactly the next ten minutes. Make them count.” Looking down at his watch, he held a hand up and waited. “Start. The clock starts now.”

Without looking at Luke, Talan took my hand in his and sat us down. “You are down a minute.”

“After the accident, her parents went into a severe state of mourning. Extreme, really, for what is considered the norm. For years, she was neglected. Left to her own devices and the outgoing and bright girl she was dwindled, disappeared before everyone’s eyes. Loss of weight, school grades dropping; withdrawn…those are just some of the examples written in her school records. Nothing like the girl from before the accident.”

“Why weren’t her parents looked in to?” It had to be asked.

“They were, but hid the familial problems well. Instead, they acted concerned as well and sought out a therapist for her. People who were nothing more than legal pill pushers. Drug cartels—because that is what that business has become—that are backed by the U.S. government. Pharmaceutical companies pay these doctors to push their products for every illness they can get away with, not caring if the side effects are worse than the actual ailment. Janice fell into the hands of more than one of these professionals and was misdiagnosed.”

“What was she being treated for? And does she have the right diagnosis now?” 
How could someone do that to a child?

“Janice was given a cocktail of prescription meds to handle, not cure, her depression and anxiety. Dosages that I would never prescribe for a child, her doctor gave her what is standard to start someone who is above the age of twenty five and a bit heavier set. No child of fifteen, much less thirteen years, should’ve been approved for that. Plain and simple, they fucked up.”

“So if she isn’t depressed—” I began, but he interrupted.

“Depression is part of it, yes, but there is more to it. Janice is bipolar.”

“How about we ask the important question here?” Talan grunted beside me, the vibrations from his chest making me jump a bit. He’d been so quiet that for a miniscule moment, I’d forgotten he was here. “How do you know she’s bipolar? Are you absolutely sure?”

“Of course I am. She’s under my care.”

“Excuse me.” Now it was my turn to ask questions. Up until then I’d tried to be civil, but she was a criminal at the moment, not a saint. What kind of bullshit was this? “Explain to me, what does ‘in my care’ mean? Are you sleeping with her?”

“No,” he exclaimed, posture stiff. “I’d lose more than just my medical license if that was the case. She’s been voluntarily Baker Acted. Janice contacted me after she…after she attacked you, Maya. A crying and hysterical mess on the phone, she begged me for help. She’d become lucid sometime during the act, and it was your blood on her hands that caused her to stop.”

“Jesus fuck. My blood. Just like that. You say it like the fact that she could’ve killed me is nothing.” I had to stand up. It was either that, or throw the crystal vase Talan’s mom had placed on the table during the holidays at his head. So instead, I began to pace. “Tell me something, Dr. Taylor.”

“Yes, Maya.”

“Are you hoping that I turn the other cheek?”

“No. Not at all.” He too stood and came to stop a couple steps away from me, the entire time watching a too-still Talan on the couch. “What I came here to plead was for her to remain in my care. Out of state, if you decide. In an institution where they can help her control her rage and hurt; the manic states she resides in.”

“Motherfucker,” Talan snarled, swiftly coming to take his place beside me. “So you can dope her up with more pills and she walks away without a single negative mark on her record. I call bullshit. Not going to happen, doc.”

“I’m sorry, but at the moment I agree with Talan. My heart breaks for all she’s been through, but she could’ve killed me. While I don’t wish her ill will…”