Strength (Mark of Nexus #1) (35 page)

Someone was going to pay for this.

Chapter Forty-Two

Gabby cracked the door open and shielded her eyes. “Girl, you two better be dressed and de-stressed, ‘cause I can’t take those geekers any longer.”

“Just get in here and shut the door,” I hissed, still reeling from the incident.

She uncovered her eyes and blinked, looking around the room. “Kinky.” Without breaking stride, she jerked the scrunchie off the door handle and slipped inside. “Where’s Ace?”

“He had to go. Come get these off.” I held up my wrists. “
Please
.”

She tossed her stuff on the floor and knelt down, making quick work of my bindings. “Are these my scarves?” Her eyes widened. “What’d you two get up to last night? Oh my gosh. Don’t tell me. You didn’t…” She undid my wrists and stared into my eyes, trying to gauge my reaction. “You did, didn’t you? You dirty, little—”

“We didn’t,” I corrected, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice. Time was ticking away, and I had a bad feeling about what was at stake.

“How far did you get?”

“Second base,” I admitted. “…ish.”

She shrieked and covered her mouth.

A grin tugged at my lips as I bent, freeing my ankles. Like any other red-blooded female, I found a sense of accomplishment buried within a little gossip—especially when it involved me and my new hunk of a boyfriend. I just didn’t have time.

I handed her the scarf, and she gave my body an appraising sweep. “Sharpie?”

“Huh?”

She nodded toward my arm, and I froze.
Shit.

“Did he draw on you?” she asked, turning my arm to stare at the jagged lines. Thankfully, the colorful mirage had faded with the light of day. That was one less thing to explain, not that it made things any easier. “Is he an artist?”

“Actually…”
Crap.
What could I say? If I lied and said it was temporary, she’d know within a few days. “We, uh…got matching tattoos last night. This morning, really.”

“Are you serious?” She dropped my arm, stunned. “My little bestie is growin’ up and markin’ her body for a hottie?”

I stood up, rubbing at my wrists. “Afraid so.”

“Rena Elizabeth Collins!” She leapt to her feet, ready to hound me for details. “Where? When? Why?”

“You’re forgetting ‘who,’ ‘what,’ and sometimes ‘how.’”

“Shut up.” She smacked my other arm and collapsed onto her unmade bed. “Now tell me all about it. I can’t believe it’s not red or anything.”

“Me neither.” I bit my lip and turned around, moving toward my dresser. “Guess I lucked out this time.”

“And?”

“And we decided to try the whole
together
thing, okay?”

“No shit? Wow. Were you guys drinking?”

“His parents were killed by a drunk driver, remember?” I sighed and dug through my clothes, snagging a tank top and a pair of jeans. “No drinking.”

“So, what do they mean?”

I tossed some undergarments onto my pile.

“The tats? Well, I guess they’re kinda like…promise rings.” That sounded stupid. “You know, like, to keep us faithful to each other and who we want to be as people.”
Worse. Stop talking.

“That’s so sweet and…really out of character for you, girl.” She leaned back and put her arms behind her head. “Maybe he’s corrupting you.”

“No doubt,” I mumbled, headed for the shower. I needed some time to think.
Alone.
“How’re Aiden and Josh doing?”

“Oh, oh!” She sat up again, too excited to say whatever it was lying down. “Get this. Aiden’s date for Wednesday night? Tutoring session.”

I paused by the door to the bathroom. “Aww. I was kinda excited for him.”

“Pfft
, don’t feel too bad for the guy. Those tutoring sessions can get pretty hot sometimes. Once, I made out with a rocker chick during a Spanish lesson.”

“Why would
you
take a Spanish lesson?”

A wicked grin lit her features. “Exactly.”

My eyes rolled so far back in my head, I worried they’d get stuck.

“Like you can talk. Gettin’ all kinky and tied up, without even goin’ all the way.” She waved me off. “I still can’t believe he left you there.”

My face grew warm. “We’re…playing a game. You know, like hide-and-go-seek,” I explained, wrenching the door open. “Joke’s on him, because I’m going to shower first.”

“You and Ace got some closet freak goin’ on.” She lay back, not even noticing someone had slept in her bed. “I think I like this side of you two.”

“I’m thrilled,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ll be back.”

But I didn’t plan on sticking around.

After I finished getting ready, I left Gabby with the impression that I would be spending the night with Wallace—which was more or less true. I just didn’t have any idea when, or even if, I’d be home.

No. I couldn’t afford to think that way.

My hug caught her off guard. I felt her stiffen as I pulled away, but there was no time to dwell on it. I squared my shoulders, took the elevator down to the lobby, and made for the parking lot. I was the rain-tinged breeze. I was momentum. I was strong.

Puddle water splashed my boots as I marched toward my car. Over the past hour, the Mark of Nexus had developed separation anxiety. My arm ached with loss every time I thought about Wallace, pulling my soul toward his. Its urgency bled into mine, and before I knew it, I was a woman on a mission. A real mission.

I would find Wallace Blake, whether he wanted to be found or not.

It wasn’t that I didn’t understand his reasons for leaving me behind. A little distance from the situation had cut through his act with embarrassing transparency. He was trying to shield me. Again. But the thing was, I never signed up for the Wallace Protection Program.

His intentions were sweet, noble even, but I couldn’t stand the thought of being locked away in some tower. His problems were mine now. I wanted to be on the frontlines with him, staring down the barrel of whatever life had thrown our way. Didn’t he get that? He didn’t have to face things alone anymore.

If the situation were reversed, he wouldn’t sit idly by, waiting for me to endanger myself. He’d come barreling in like he did at the warehouse, and God help whoever had come between us. So, why was it different for me? Was it because I was a girl? A human? The more I thought about it, the more it didn’t matter. For once in my life, I was going to take a chance on something I believed in.

Us.

I unlocked my car and scanned the lot. No sign of Wallace’s truck or Cole’s SUV. Apparently, they didn’t ride together. I got in and cranked the engine over—or, at least, I tried to. Nothing happened.

“Are you kidding me?” I turned the key again, missing the familiar rumble of power. “Not today,” I murmured, and ran my hand over the dash in an attempt to soothe the car. “C’mon, Beast. I need you to work for me.”

Another try. Nothing.

“Damn it!” I slammed my fist against the steering wheel and jerked the door open. “Why today, of all days?”

“Rena?” I got out and turned to find Aiden staring at me with a mix of horror and amusement etched into his freckled face.

“Oh, hey.”

“Hey,” he echoed, eyeing me as I gave the door a hard shove with my hip. “Car trouble?”

“It won’t start.” I glowered at the sky. Honestly, what had I done to piss off the universe this weekend? Could one thing go right? Just one?

“Looks like you picked up some new dents, too.”

“Huh?”

“The hood.”

I followed his gaze, and lo and behold, there were a few dents marring the silver finish. My feet moved of their own volition, carrying me to the front of the car. Those hadn’t been there before. I would’ve noticed them. Though currently in my possession, The Beast was still bound to Drew in spirit. If anything happened to it, he’d have my head on a platter.

I ran my fingertips over the surface. “What the hell…?”

“What?” Aiden asked, starting to come closer.

“Nothing,” I said in a rush. “Hey, do me a favor and pop the hood.” At some point, there had to have been something pressed into the underside. There was a bump between every dip in the metal, and they were evenly placed. Had something snapped off while I was driving?

He gave me a puzzled look, but complied anyway. Seconds later, the hood sprang up, and I slid my fingers underneath. That was when it hit me.

The dents were a handprint—a big, stupid-ass handprint. I tightened my grip as I raised the hood.
Wallace...

“See anything?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin when Aiden came around the side, inspecting the mess of boxes and wires and other things I didn’t understand. “What?”

He cocked his head to the side. “I thought you were trying to figure out why your car won’t start.”

“Oh, yeah, that.” I scanned what I assumed to be the engine and shrugged, slamming the hood back down. “No clue.”
Aside from the missing battery
.

“Valiant effort, anyway.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, locking up. “You leaving?”

“Nah, just have to grab a book I left behind. Why? You need to go somewhere?”

His words triggered an idea, like a flash of lightning in the miserable, pewter sky. I would find my way to Wallace, one way or another. “Yeah, actually, I was about to leave town. You see, a…
friend
of mine is about to lose someone close to him, and I don’t think he’ll be able to handle it on his own.”

It was the truth. If I didn’t get to wherever the hell Wallace was racing toward, he was going to lose what was left of his humanity. A gentle guy like him, in a situation where he might have to take another life? There was no way he’d recover from that. Not this time.

Aiden’s mouth pulled down in sympathy. “Aww, man. That’s awful. You know you’re more than welcome to borrow my car, if you need to.”

I crossed my arms over my stomach, trying to contain the guilt gnawing at my insides. Why did I feel bad when I wasn’t even lying about the situation? Not technically. I tucked the useless keys into my jacket pocket and gave him a sheepish smile. It was something I’d have to worry about later. “You wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course not,” he said. “It’s you.” He gave me a crooked grin, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “I trust you.”

“And I appreciate it.” Tears welled up in my eyes, filthy with shame and regret. I took a few steps forward and threw my arms around his neck. “You’re a good friend, Aiden.”

He stiffened and patted my back with a nervous chuckle. “It’s just a car.”

I laughed, wiping at my eyes as I pulled away. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Just let me grab my book.” He shook his head and made for the second row of the lot. Oblivious to everything, as usual.

I followed close behind, hating myself for what I was about to do. What could I say to soften the blow? “Hey, you should wear your green shirt for that date on Wednesday.”

He turned around and quirked an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah, you look good in it.”

“You know it’s just a tutoring session, right?” He looked down and shuffled toward his Jetta. “I mean, I’m sure Gabby told you.”

“Pfft
.” I dismissed his explanation with a wave of my hand. “When is a tutoring session ever
just
a tutoring session? Anything could happen.”

He snickered and threw a glance at me over his shoulder. “Now you sound like Gabby.”

I cringed. “Oh, great. I better get out of town before she shows up to gloat.”

We both laughed, and I did my best to ignore the weight sinking into my chest. What was I giving up to rush into some battle that wasn’t even mine to fight? My steps slowed, and I stared at the cracks in the pavement beneath my feet. This wasn’t a game. It was a matter of life and death, and there’d be no turning back after this.

Was it worth it?

“Got it,” Aiden announced, and jogged past me, book in hand. “Be careful, okay?”

He tossed me the keys, and I nodded, forcing myself to smile. “Thanks.”

That was it. All I could take. I turned away, letting everything I held dear and familiar fade into the background. This—standing at Wallace’s side—was what I’d said I wanted.

It was time to prove it.

Chapter Forty-Three

“Where am I going?” I muttered, watching my knuckles turn white as I gripped the wheel. If I were Wallace, the damn thing would’ve cracked by now. Cold weather, my ass.

I’d been driving for hours, playing hot and cold with the Mark of Nexus, and it was starting to get to me. I’d already turned around twice, trying to follow its weak pulse. Now I was driving around the boonies, and for what? To save my knight in distress?

Maybe I was delusional.

Considering the fact that I’d freaked out and called home a while ago, it was likely. My family was one of the only aspects of my life left grounded in reality. Before I rushed into some supernatural battlefield, I’d needed to hear their voices again.