17. Chapter SeventeenDaria
Chapter Seventeen
Daria
T urns out the drop-off spot was a diner well outside of Baltimore in what I would call the countryside. You know, a lot of land between neighbors and not much of a turn up at night.
I sat in the diner, stressed. It took all my control not to reach out to Marcus as the hours passed. It was already late in the evening when we got to the gang, and now it was after 10 pm, and I was getting antsy. We'd been at the diner for over three hours. I tried to eat, but for the first time, in as far as I could remember, I couldn't.
There was hardly anyone in the place beside a couple of truckers, a waitress, and a cook, and I only assumed that it was still open because of yet another hook-up of Marcus or one of his people. I looked across the table at Trish, who was reading a book. I had my e-reader to occupy me and could chat with Angie, but it was barely helpful to my anxious mind. "Is it bad that he's not here yet?"
Trish looked up from her book, a friendly smile on her face. I wasn't sure if she actually was friendly or just giving her best customer service since she was likely being paid. Either way, she didn't feel like a bad guy. "Don't worry. It will take him longer because he isn't taking the straight drive here to ensure he isn't being followed."
"How do you know? Did he contact you?"
She gave me a sympathetic pout. "I would have teleported him here if I could reach him, but I do know he insisted I stay here with you. He plans to reunite with you."
The door to the diner opened, and I held my breath, straining my neck from our seat toward the back to see who was entering. It'd become my usual move every time that door opened. However, I’d been let down each time.
But this time, two green orcs appeared. One was my orc. Marcus. Relief flooded his eyes, and I felt the same, my heart thumping so loudly I could barely breathe. I jumped up and ran to him, practically mowing him down when I threw my arms around him and squeezed. "You bootyhole."
He sucked in a breath and then gave a shaky chuckle, rubbing his large hands up and down my back. "That wasn't exactly what I expected you to say."
I backed up and inspected him. His clothes were a little torn and bloody. I could already see bruises on him and slash marks. "You're hurt."
He shrugged. "I'm fine. My healing abilities are already kicking in."
Sam leaned forward. "I, however, am hurt. I got stabbed in the back." He twisted sideways to show me an ugly gash on the lower left side of his back through a hole in his shirt. He gave me a pitiful pout, and I was confident he was the brat that Marcus pegged him to be. He looked a little like Marcus, except softer. He was tall, maybe an inch shorter than his brother, with a slightly smaller build. Orcs weren’t a small race, so even smaller ones were still large compared to humans. His hair was short, cropped on the sides, and longer on top. He also had blue eyes, except they were lighter than Marcus’, almost an icy blue.
Marcus shoved him on the shoulder. "It's just a tiny prick. You'll live."
Sam mocked being in pain as he rubbed his arm. “By the way, we didn’t get introduced. I’m Marcus’ better-looking younger brother, Sam.”
He offered me his hand, and I shook it. “Hi, I’m Daria.”
He grinned, displaying the same smile as Marcus as he elbowed his brother. “Oh yeah, I would have folded, too.”
Angie appeared next to me. “Folded?”
“It means caved, gave in,” I replied.
Sam squinted his eyes. “Talking to your ghost friend?”
“Yup.”
Marcus squeezed me close to his side, and I enjoyed being in his hold. I was still undecided about how I felt about being forcefully claimed, but I couldn’t deny my feelings for him. The relief I felt when he walked through that door felt overwhelmingly good. He had gotten into my soul, and I liked him there. I felt his lips on my head and smiled at the connection.
“Aww, who would have thought the Exterminator would have a heart,” Trish stated, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at us with a grin.
I raised a confused brow. “The Exterminator?”
“Yeah, that was his nickname back when he was still a hitman.”
This was the second time today someone had reminded me of Marcus’ violent past. I tried to ignore that for now because it made me uneasy.
Marcus looked past me to Trish and tossed her some keys. "You can take the car we came in on. All our stuff is in my car."
By stuff, he meant the bags he'd packed for me originally and his own things, some for Sam, and some groceries and other items.
Trish gave him a salute, heading to the door. “It’s been real, children.” She turned to face us before leaving. “You two look cute together. I hope it all works out.” She pointed at Sam. “Don’t fuck up again, loser.”
She then twirled away.
Sam nodded. “I deserved that.”
Marcus grabbed my hand. “Let’s go. I’m taking us to a safe house. We’ve got to plan our next move because Death Mask and that abomination you had to raise aren’t going to let us go without a fight.”
I let out a shaky breath, feeling both exhausted and depressed at the same time. Why couldn’t this be over? “No going back to my normal life?”
He squeezed my hand. “Not right now, sweetheart. But I’ll get you back there. It’s going to take a little longer.”
Sam stretched his arms and yawned. “Can we get some food first? I haven’t eaten a good meal in over two weeks.”
Marcus looked down at me, raising a brow in question. He was looking for me to answer. While I was a little, okay a lot, annoyed that Sam didn’t seem as remorseful as I thought he should be, the idea of getting some food to go while we were on another lock down didn’t sound like a bad idea. I nodded as I side-eyed the younger brother.
We got to the safe house an hour later. I had no idea what I expected, but it fit. It was a cabin in the woods in the middle of nowhere. Some people might find that peaceful. I found it creepy. Although the large home looked very fortified both magically and physically. Marcus gave me a quick tour and discussed the defenses, including wards, alarms, cameras, and bulletproof windows. It wasn’t very large, but had two bedrooms with their own ensuites on the top floor. On the ground floor was a large kitchen with an island and an open dining and living room area filled with dark leather and wood furniture.
Once we got our things in the house and locked up, I stood awkwardly in the living area with my suitcase. “Sooo, which room is mine?”
Marcus gave me an exasperated look. I could see and feel how exhausted he was, and he was still healing. I knew my question annoyed him, but were we at the sharing room stage? “You are sharing a room with me. Angelica can get the other room, and Sam gets the pull-out couch.”
Sam mumbled something about it not being fair he didn’t get his own room, and Marcus flipped him his middle finger.
“Sam can take the other room,” Angie stated.
I nodded but decided to delay sharing that message so Sam could sweat it out a little more.
Marcus took my suitcase with his own things and walked up the steps. I noticed he was moving slower than usual, favoring his left side. He was hurting and covering it up.
Sam chuckled. “Don’t bother arguing with him. He’s stubborn and is attached to you. Never seen him like that with a woman before.”
I walked to the rectangular dining table next to the kitchen and sat down, eyeing the food we’d ordered at the diner. “Did he tell you how he forced a claiming mark on me?”
Sam followed me and sat down on the other side of the table. His face twisted into a shocked grimace. “Well, now he left that bit of information out. That’s reckless as hell but unsurprising. Guess he wanted to protect you. My brother’s a good guy. Stubborn but ultimately dependable. Way better than Harris. He’ll do right by you in the long run.”
I took the food out of the bags and spread it on the table. Then, I looked up at the ceiling and heard the shower running. “Is he really okay?”
Sam opened a container with burgers and French fries inside. “He’s tough. But that fucking demon, man, he almost got him. For once, I was happy the police arrived. This gang and that Rorrick guy are going to be a problem.”
I looked down at my food: a chicken cheesesteak and fries. I was hungry now, but I also had so many questions. What were we going to do? Could I call my family? Who was Marcus, really? He’d told me about his life, but there was more. That demon knew who he was. Trish said he even had a nickname in the criminal community. My mind wondered if I should be scared of him, but my heart, our connection, knew better.
“That demon,” I began. “He knew Marcus and seemed impressed. Was he that bad?”
Sam lowered the burger he’d been holding and looked past me to the staircase. The shower was still going. “Marcus isn’t a violent guy by nature,” he replied, still looking at the stairs. His eyes seemed far off as if he were remembering something. “Our father made him that way because he’s the biggest and an alpha. And I think my dad thought he was too soft and believed making him an enforcer would toughen him up. He tried it with me, but my mom protected me and sent me away.”
I chewed at the inside of my cheek, still uneasy. “But he was a child. Lopez said he was thirteen when he first killed someone?”
Sam sighed, leaning back in his seat. “Yeah. But it wasn’t like how you’d think. We were all heading home from dinner. Someone was waiting for us. They’d taken out our two guards in the front. We’d dropped to the ground, but I’d gotten hit in my shoulder, and my mom was hit in the arm. Dad told Harris to get us inside. I was 9, and Harris was 16. He should have been the one to go with Dad. But Dad pulled Marcus to come with him. They took off after the shooters, who were on foot. My dad was strapped and usually paranoid. He’d had a gun on him and an extra one in the car. All I remember was my mom screaming; maybe I was crying as well. Then I heard a lot of gunshots. When my dad and Marcus came back, things had changed. They got the shooters, but Marcus looked different. Besides being bloodied, something haunted his eyes. He wasn’t the same after that. He got colder. Less playful. Older somehow. Harris was already like that, but that was because Dad had been preparing him to take over from the start. Marcus had been not just my brother until then but my friend. After the shooting, he grew distant and irritable.” He raised his shoulders and then grabbed some fries. “It sucked.”
It more than sucked. I hurt for the child that was Marcus. His father should have never put him in that situation. Things made so much more sense now. Marcus was made by a parent who used him as a tool for destruction when that wasn’t his nature. I could only imagine the constant pain he was in as his family’s hitman for twenty years. It broke my heart.
“Aww shit,” Sam stated, mouth full of food. “He’s going to kick my ass for telling you all this. You look like someone stole your dog. When he comes back down, can you not look like that?”
I glared at him. “Really?”
He gave me a wide smile. “You’re practically my sister-in-law, so I’ll call you sis. Sis, be good to my brother. He’s sensitive, but he won’t admit that.”
“You be good to your brother as well. Try not to have him kidnap anyone else to save you. You owe him big time.”
He lost his smile, eyes suddenly desperate. “He’s gonna let you go. You know that, right? And when he does, are you going to report him? He can’t go to prison because of me. And that’ll open the door to all his other past crimes. They’ll never release him. I can’t have that. Please.”
I shook my head slowly. I wanted my old life back, but that didn’t include risking Marcus' freedom. I knew it was more than the bond. I’d liked him before then. We’d have to think of another way to spin this story. “I’ll protect him. Don’t worry.”
He dropped his shoulders, slouching, his face appreciative. “Thanks, sis.”
He really was a charming brat. Unsurprisingly, Marcus didn’t come downstairs, and when I called it a night after eating and went to my room, Marcus was already in bed asleep. Sleep was the best way to heal faster, so I understood that he’d probably used the last of his energy to get us here. I took a quick shower, changed into my pjs, and slid in next to him on the bed. And it felt right.
***
I woke up the next morning to heavy limbs surrounding me. Marcus had thrown an arm and leg over me and was squeezing me like I was his favorite stuffed animal again. It was cute but also suffocating, and I was sweating.
I tapped him on the arm. “I’m dying,” I wheezed out into his chest.
He opened an eye and quickly removed his leg from me, leaving his arm. “Sorry, little flower. I think I got carried away.” He yawned, stretching his legs.
“Feel better?”
He looked down at his chest, and I saw fresh scars beneath his tattoos. “Good as new. I think it’s our connection.”
“Well, I guess squishing me worked.”
He kissed my cheek. “Thank you. Sorry I fell asleep last night. Did my brother harass you?”
“No, he was on good behavior. Even double-checked all the security before we went to sleep.”
“How responsible of him, even though I did that before coming upstairs, but it’s a start.”
I adjusted so that I was lying on top of him. “So, what’s the game plan?”
“First, I’m giving you your phone back. Your family should know you’re safe.”
I sat upright, eyes widened in surprise. “What do you want me to tell them?”
He moved an arm behind his head, his face neutral. “Whatever you need to. My brother is safe. You’re safe, and I want to keep it that way.”
“My family will want to take me away. Maybe the police might want to put me in witness protection.”
“This is the safest place you could be.”
I got out of bed. “Where’s my phone?”
He pointed to his duffle bag. “In the side pocket.”
I dug into it and grabbed my phone. I turned it on and kissed it. “Oh, how I’ve missed thee.”
I jumped back on the bed and immediately called my family. I already had a story that would protect Marcus, but I found it curious that he didn’t ask me first. He really trusted me. That pleased me.
When I got hold of my mother, she was in hysterics. I told her that I had been marked by Death Mask to help them raise a demon and learned that Marcus’ brother was kidnapped. I made a deal with him to protect me if I helped him get his brother back. Of course, she thought I was a fool for not calling them or the police, but I explained, as Marcus had to me two weeks ago, that it was too dangerous. She seemed to buy it but clearly thought I was reckless. I told her I’d contact the local coven for help to keep the gang away from me. She insisted I come home, but there would be no safe option for me that didn’t involve killing Rorrick. I also told her not to come to me in case she was being watched but that I would call the police, although I knew she was going to do the same. Ultimately, I could only get her off the phone by promising to consider another safe house they found for me themselves and allowing my dad to speak to Marcus. It sounded like a tense conversation, but Marcus handled it well.
Next, I called my job and gave them a high-level explanation of the danger I was in and that I would have to be out for a bit longer. Lila had already returned from the fae realm. She was unsurprisingly understanding when she learned of my disappearance and was handling things. After all, she’d gone missing into the fae realm and had the experience of being detained for her own safety while there. Of course, that resulted in her ending up with three new boyfriends. But that was a story for another time.
The final call for the morning was to Devin. I put that call on speakerphone so that Marcus could hear and speak to him. I gave him a full recap of everything; well, I maintained the non-kidnapping version.
Devin let out an audible breath. “This is a lot, Daria. You got me on speaker, so I’m guessing you’re with Marcus.”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Look, man,” Devin started. “I know exactly who you are and your people. Daria could get in trouble for disappearing like this and wasting police resources to find her. You gonna let her go down for this?”
I opened my mouth in shock. Could I get arrested for hiding? I didn’t fake my own kidnapping. I just went M.I.A.
Before I could say anything, Marcus leaned toward the phone, a stern look on his face. “We both know she didn’t do anything wrong, and pursuing any taxpayer resources on this is a waste. What we need to focus on is the gang that took my brother and forced her to raise a demon. And that demon will be a problem.”
“I agree. You need to bring Daria back so we can protect her. We aren’t going to press charges. No one’s going to waste time digging into your story. It sounds plausible, and I’ll ensure it stays that way.”
My orc growled with a frustration that startled me. “I’m not bringing her back. We both know you can’t protect her any better than I can. The police force is full of corruption. Even her family agrees.”
For now , I thought.
“The only other safer place would be the fae realm.”
Why hadn’t I considered that? It certainly was a safer option, assuming they didn’t have their corruption, which was a long shot.
I could ask Lila about it. Getting access to the realm was incredibly challenging.
“That would be a good option,” Devin stated, breaking my thoughts. “I’ll see if I can arrange that. But I still don’t think Daria being there without official police protection is smart.”
I raised my hand, although I knew he couldn’t see me. Force of nerdy habit. “Another thing, which I didn’t tell my parents and please don’t as well, is I’m claimed. Marcus claimed me. It was consensual, and I wasn’t angry at all.”
Silence met me on the other end. Marcus gave me a quizzical look, shaking his head, but I ignored him. Devin was a friend, and something told me he might shift his resistance to us if he knew this extra fact.
“Uh, hello? You still there?” I asked.
“The way you said it sounded real suspicious,” he cracked. “You been doing a lot. Well, seems like you’re fine with it. Should I say congrats?”
“Is that what you’re supposed to say?”
“Not sure. I claimed Shante in two different ways. The first time she was pissed at me for it, even though it was to save her life. I could see how being claimed might add protection, especially with someone with a rep like Marcus. And I’m assuming Marcus would protect you with his life, and since he’ll always know your location, that’s an added tracker. And now you got a power boost.”
Marcus gave a tender squeeze of my thigh. “I’m not letting her out of my sight. Her life means more to me than my own.”
My heart fluttered, and I met his eyes, exchanging a gaze so loving I had to look away from the overwhelming feeling. I couldn’t have felt more cherished.
“Ah, that’s sweet and shit,” Devin said with a playful tone. “Fine, stay where you are. No one has more incentive to protect you than your mate. Especially a mate with resources like you have, Marcus. I’ll assume you’ll be using all that you have. Not a fan of some of your family’s dealings, but they’ve been protected so far. Let’s keep that going with the new member of your family, Daria. In the meantime, don’t leave wherever you are. For now, don’t even tell me, but I will be checking in regularly, and Daria, if you don’t pick up when I call, then we’re going to have a problem.”
Marcus nodded to the phone. “You won’t have a problem.”
“Good. I’ll work on finding this Rorrick guy and any Death Mask leads. If we arrest them, we will need you to testify to keep them in prison. By the time our people got to that warehouse, the top guys had bounced. We got flunkies, who we’ve been questioning. I’ll keep you posted. It became a priority in the human police force because of the Rorrick demon being back. That fucker was a menace.”
Panic struck me. This might be a bigger problem than I thought. “Do they know it was me who raised him? Could I get arrested?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it. Stay safe.”
When we got off the phone with Devin, Marcus lifted me onto his lap, and I lay my head on his shoulder. I still couldn’t believe that such a short time had passed, and yet it felt so normal to be around him. We weren’t peeing with the door open close; I wasn’t sure we’d ever get that close, but the man had detangled my hair without giving me a bald spot. If I could get him to oil my scalp, I’d make an honest man of him and put a ring on it. That visual made me smile, and I chuckled to myself.
“I did pack that rosemary mint oil I found at your place. I need to try it myself,” Marcus stated in an unbothered tone.
I straightened up and lightly slapped him on the shoulder. “Stop reading my thoughts!”
He gave me an apologetic shrug. “I got an image of me oiling your scalp in my head. Is that what you were thinking about?”
“Maybe. I’ve got to learn how to block my thoughts better. I like our connection, but there are limits.”
He squeezed me closer to him, and I didn’t resist. “We’ll get the witches to help with that, too. If they can pause the bond, that’ll resolve that issue.”
I felt a little funny thinking about dampening or freezing our bond, assuming such a thing was possible. I liked being connected to him. However, the logical part of me understood that if we were ever to have a chance after all of this mess ended, there had to be no doubt that our love came from something real, not something forced.
Marcus sighed. “Sorry if I’m coming off too clingy, but you’re letting me hold you, and you seem to like it.”
I rested my head against his shoulder again. “It’s only because I’m claimed,” I joked. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’d been falling for the guy for a while now. The claiming made me all in. Now, I was beginning to like it. I liked him.
“Shh, don’t ruin the moment with lies,” he joked.
I giggled and wrapped an arm around his back and squeezed him in return. “So, what’s the plan? I know you aren’t going to leave it up to the police or the witch coven to find Lopez and Rorrick.”
“Absolutely not. First, we’re going to eat breakfast, and then I’m going to reach out to contacts and get to searching.”
I heard his stomach growl, and I was reminded that he skipped dinner. “Well, let’s go feed my orc.”
“Say that again.”
“Say what? Let’s go feed you?”
He narrowed his eyes. “You know.”
I grinned. “My orc.”
He growled, my pussy instantly squeezing with lust at the sound. He then flipped me onto my back, and I yelped in surprise. “I want to do one thing before we leave this room, my human,” he said, moving between my legs.