Rome: A Marked Men Novel (2 page)

celebrate the cohabitation of two people I adored and the recent wedded bliss of two more people I loved

and considered my own. My group of friends was quickly pairing off and to me that was worth throwing a

party for. I knew how hard it was to find a perfect match, and I loved that people I cared so much about

were doing exactly that. Captain No-Fun better get with the program real fast or it was going to get ugly.

“None of this is good for anybody. I don’t know what I’m doing here. This is all such a joke. None of

you know what you’re doing or what the real world is like.”

I saw Nash blink in surprise. I saw Rowdy climb to his feet and I knew instinctively it wasn’t Rome he

was going to go after.

I narrowed my eyes just as those baby blues swung my way. Maybe he thought I was safe because I

probably only came up to his breastbone. Maybe he thought I was sweet because I had on a bright pink

halter top and short, white shorts and looked like I was unassuming and nonthreatening. Maybe he thought

I was meek because I hadn’t bothered to say anything to him since he’d thundered in and proceeded to ruin

my lovely holiday. I lifted the eyebrow that had the pink crystal in it and met him glare for glare.

Whatever he thought or was thinking, I’m sure I proved him wrong as I calmly got to my feet, leaned

over in his direction, and upended the last of the beer that was in the can I had practically crushed in my fist

over his head. The beer slid down his shocked face in slow motion as I got so close our noses were

practically touching.

“You are such an asshole!” I knew the volume of my voice carried all the way across the yard, and I

could hear feet running in our direction. Those electric eyes blinked at me and I could have sworn I saw

something break through the thundercloud lurking in there. I was about to launch into a lecture on manners

and respect and being a jerk for no apparent reason, but a heavy arm locked around my waist and hauled

me back against a hard chest.

The big guy climbed to his feet, but before he could make any move in my direction, Rowdy stepped

between him and where Nash was hauling me bodily toward the deck and away from the soggy, frowning

giant.

I pointed a finger in his direction and watched as he flicked boozy moisture out of his eyes. “We don’t

need all that negative, Captain No-Fun. Why don’t you go spread your gloom and doom somewhere else?

Hell, you can take that crap back to the desert, for all I care; we were all getting along just fine without you.

Just because you can’t find anything to be happy about doesn’t mean you need to crap all over what

everyone else is trying to do here today.”

I let out a huff when Nash gave me a none too gentle squeeze that was a warning to pipe down, so I

returned the favor by jabbing an elbow into his ribs. He grunted and deposited me on the deck in the spot

Shaw had just vacated. We all watched silently as Rule got up in his brother’s face. I wanted to holler at

Shaw to stay out of it, but if Rule went loco, she was the only one who was going to be able to put that fire

out. I felt kind of bad for stirring the pot when I didn’t even really know the guy that well.

Loud male voices exchanged ugly words, and we all held a collective breath when Rule reached up and

shoved Rome back a step, knocking over the lawn chair. Rowdy scooped up Shaw and moved her out of

the way and I felt a twinge of guilt for starting such a scene when we were supposed to be at a celebration.

The brothers were fairly evenly matched in height, even if I knew Rule had his older brother dead to

rights in the bad attitude department, but Rome was undeniably taller and built like a beast. If he really

wanted to put a hurting on Rule, it was going to get unpleasant and the other guys were going to have to get

involved. I bit my lip and tried to wiggle free from Nash’s iron grip but he just squeezed me tighter.

“You poked the bear, Tink, so you better hope someone can put him in a cage.”

I gasped and fought the urge to cover my eyes when Rome simply reached out and shoved Rule to the

ground with a palm on the center of his chest. He lowered his voice and said something that none of us on

the deck could hear, but I saw Shaw burst into tears and turn into Rowdy’s chest. I could have sworn those

blue eyes sought out mine before he turned on the heel of his heavy black boot and stormed out of the

backyard. The gate he exited through rattled on its hinges, and the roar of the motorcycle engine drowned

out any other noise as Rule got to his feet and collected his crying girlfriend.

Nash gave me one last squeeze and finally let me go.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you, Cora?”

I crossed my arms defiantly over my chest and took a seat next to the only member of our little group

who seemed unfazed by the drama. It probably didn’t hurt matters that he was in a full walking cast and still

had a whole slew of broken ribs and bumps and bruises from his epic beat-down. Asa Cross was an

enigma and had enough of his own drama that ours probably seemed silly and uninteresting to him.

“He’s an ass.”

Nash shook his head at me and his periwinkle eyes looked reproachful.

“No, he’s not. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but ever since he got back and got out of the

army, he’s been acting weird. He’s a good guy. You know I wouldn’t defend someone that I didn’t truly

believe that about.”

I rolled my eyes.

“He’s being terrible to Rule and Shaw, and I’m not going to just watch.”

“That’s a family matter. Rule can fight his own battles, and he isn’t going to let anything happen to

Shaw. Just calm down, okay. We got this. Rome isn’t … whatever this is, all right?”

I sighed and took the slice of watermelon the golden-eyed heartthrob that I had inherited as a roommate

within the last month handed me. I winked at Asa and waved Nash off.

“I love you guys. He needs to pick on someone his own size.”

My hair got ruffled as Nash made his way off of the deck to go check on his friend.

“Like you?”

“Is that a short joke?” I didn’t get an answer as he disappeared down the deck steps, but his deep

laughter followed him. I made a face as Jet and Ayden, the two newlyweds I shared a house with along

with Ayden’s wayward brother, caught my eye. They were snuggling and too cute to ignore.

“See … like I always said, you two are just perfect. That’s what I want.”

I knew I sounded wistful, but I couldn’t keep the longing for that kind of love, that type of connection,

out of my voice. I thought I had had it once, and when I realized I didn’t, it nearly broke me.

“I keep telling you that your expectations are too high.” Jet tried to sound lighthearted about it, but he

didn’t know about my broken engagement or the fact that my ex-fiancé was planning on getting married at

the end of the summer.

“Love isn’t perfect. It’s hard work and sometimes it’s more effort to be in love than it is to just run

away. If you keep looking for perfect, the real thing is going to pass right by you.”

I waved a hand at him because I knew he was speaking from a place of experience. His road to Ayden

hadn’t been without a pit stop or two in Stupidville, but they made it and I could only hope for such a

beautiful outcome. I took my seat back by Asa and I could swear he was mentally taking notes on all of us.

Those gears behind his gold eyes always seemed to be turning.

“I’ll know it when I see it.”

I said it to Jet, but really I was reaffirming to myself that I would know it this time when it came along.

I wouldn’t be fooled by a pretty face and promises of devotion. I wouldn’t end up anyone’s joke or castoff

ever again. The fact that so many of my friends were stumbling headfirst into their happily-ever-after gave

my tired heart hope that I couldn’t be far behind.

When the wedding invitation Jimmy had cruelly sent in the mail landed in my hands, it was a wake-up

call. I had loved a guy who had cheated on me, lied to me, made me a laughingstock, with everything that I

was. I wanted to spend my life with him, build a business with him, and have children with him. All of it.

He, on the other hand, had wanted to have sex with his tattoo clients and lead me on for as long as possible.

If I hadn’t had to go back to the shop one night because I forgot something and walked in on him with a

girl who was barely out of her teens, there was a good chance I would be married to the rat bastard right

now.

Still, to this day what hurt the most was that everyone knew. The people I thought were my friends, the

coworkers I thought of as my family, they all knew and no one had said a word. They let me play the fool,

let Jimmy put me at risk, use me and humiliate me without so much as a peep. It was awful. If my dad’s old

buddy Phil hadn’t come to town to visit him when all of it was falling to pieces, I don’t know where I

would be now. The guys at the shop had saved me.

“Ayd and Jet just snuck out through the side gate. Looks like you’re gonna have to get the gimp home.”

I looked at Asa and then at the gate, which was indeed swinging shut. I made an offhand comment

about being newlyweds but didn’t get much further because Shaw plopped down next to me on the patio

furniture and wiped at her wet cheeks with the back of her hand. The rest of the guys followed, carrying the

now-burned remains of the barbecue Rule had been working on.

I reached out to pat my friend on the leg. Shaw was a beautiful girl. She had this ethereal, otherworldly

beauty that took a minute to get used to. It made my heart twinge in sympathy to see her big green eyes look

so sad. No one wanted to make Shaw cry, it was like kicking a fairy-tale princess when she was down.

The guys all gathered around the food and popped the tops for another round of beers. It looked like

they were going with the time-honored, male way of dealing with things by ignoring the entire thing. Not

that I could blame them. None of them seemed to want to call Rome out on his ridiculous behavior and I

knew all of them well enough to know that stubborn didn’t even begin to cover how they acted when they

made up their minds about something.

“You okay?”

Shaw blinked at me and gave me a lopsided grin. It was just her way to always want things to be okay

for everyone.

“I’ll live. Part of me thinks they should just beat the crap out of each other to get whatever is going on

between them out in the open. But I don’t think Rule would know when to back down and I think Rome

could kill him if he lost control. I don’t know what happened to him this last tour, but that guy is not the

guy I grew up with.”

I lifted my eyebrow and took the plate Rowdy handed me as he sat down across from me and put his

feet up on the arm of my chair. I made a face at him, but he was forgiven when he tossed me a beer.

“You know, everyone keeps saying that, but I met big brother a few times before and he never struck

me as a barrel of laughs. The guy has always been wound up pretty tight.”

Shaw took the plate Rule handed her and scooted over on the bench seat to make room for him next to

her. They were an odd pair at first glance but the love they shared was a tangible thing and I tried really

hard not to be jealous about it.

“It has to do with more than Remy.” Rule’s deep voice was gruff and I could tell he was stewing over

the latest run-in with his brother.

I cracked open the beer and offered my own two cents. “Who cares what it has to do with? He’s a jerk

face for no reason. Screw him.”

Rowdy shook his head at me and Shaw and Rule both rolled their eyes. As usual, it was up to Nash to

be the voice of reason.

“We don’t just write off people that we care about, Cora. You know this.”

I did. This group was fiercely loyal and honest to a fault, which is why I loved them like I did. I just

hated to see one person causing so much strife with so many different, wonderful people.

“I gotta say I’m glad he doesn’t have your temper, Rule. I think one solid hit with those mitts of his and

I would’ve ended up like Asa over there.” Rowdy indicated the southern playboy with a tilt of his beer.

Asa had taken a beating so bad that he had been in a coma for several weeks. It was a miracle he had

come out of it as unscathed as he had.

Rule grunted and put his free arm around Shaw as she leaned into his side. They really were too cute

for words. I had to bite back an envious sigh. Rule glanced at the gate Rome had just stormed out of and

stated, “He’s never been much of a brawler. I mean, when we were younger he would wade in when Nash

and I started shit, but he was never the type to start anything himself. That’s why I don’t get what is going

on with him lately. I’m about sick of it, though.”

Nash snorted a laugh and pointed at me with the end of his fork. “To be fair, Tink kind of started it

today. Was dousing him in beer really necessary?”

I tried to look innocent. It wasn’t really a look I could pull off very well, so I gave a helpless grin.