27. Marcus
MARCUS
“What do you think?”
My sister’s voice sounds smooth on the other end of the phone as I stop my bike right in the heart of her town.
Or specifically, near the parking lot of the club the Vipers flock to after every game.
I turn off the engine. “It sounds like you’re asking for my opinion.”
“I am.”
“No, you’re not.” I hop off the bike. “You’re just telling me that Dad might be kicking you out during a board meeting, and you need me to accept shares so I can make sure you remain at the top of the food chain. I don’t see a clause anywhere that says you care about my opinion, so drop the act.”
“And?” Her voice hardens. “Will you do it or will you do it?”
I scoff. “Hey, Serena. Did anyone ever tell you to play nice when asking for a favor?”
“That’s assuming you have a choice. I could kidnap June and—”
“Finish that sentence and I’ll join Dad’s side just to bring you down.” My voice matches hers. “You don’t want to make an enemy out of me. Believe me.”
“You think I’ll ever be scared of you?” She releases a mocking noise.
“Three potential Osborn heirs already disappeared. You can join your brothers in a heartbeat if you’re not careful enough, Marcus.
It’s you who shouldn’t make an enemy out of me, not the other way around.
I’ll give you time to think this through, and I expect the answer I want to hear. ”
She hangs up, and I let out a breath, then punch the lamppost a few times until my knuckles bruise and bleed. Then I walk between the parked cars, considering my options.
Now, I need to figure out a way to deal with her and protect Mom without raising her suspicions.
The only solution I have is Dad, and I truly, really don’t want to ask that old man for anything.
But then again, Serena is his problem. They have this weird power struggle going on between them, and I have to be careful not to end up as collateral damage like my brothers.
My thoughts and feet come to a halt at a scene taking place right in the middle of the dimly lit parking lot.
I came here with one mission—get Preston.
Drag him out if I have to.
It’s been about a week since he ran away from my place, and I figured it was time to teach him a lesson. He texted me the following day, asking if we were going to meet, and I sent a sole “No.”
To which he replied with something along the lines of “It’s not like I want to see you. Good riddance.”
Then he texted yesterday, the day before today’s game.
Preston
You done being petty?
I thought meeting regularly was part of the deal.
You know I’m hypersexual, Marcus. If we’re not fucking, I’ll find someone else.
Me
You do that, and we’re done.
You’re the one who refuses to meet me!
You’re the one who ran away.
I just went home.
You ran away. You do that again, and we’re also done.
Fine, then let’s not meet. If I have a shit game tomorrow, it’s your fault.
Apparently, he said that because he’d already decided to go with his initial plan—find someone else.
He’s now standing under the dim lighting, looking lethal in jeans and his Vipers jacket, his hair floppy and falling over his forehead.
And then there’s a girl.
Yes, a fucking girl, who’s wearing a little black dress that’s short and sultry. Her face is soft, and her coppery hair falls in waves to the middle of her back.
She’s exactly the type I’d imagine Preston having a relationship with.
This is my replacement?
I sneak between the cars, stopping close enough to hear them but far enough away to not be noticed.
“Thanks. For the water and coming along just now,” she says, her fingers shaking around the bottle of water she’s holding.
Even her voice sounds soft, and that irks me. Preston is straight, or was straight—he’s probably bi—but the reality is, he’s only ever been with women.
It’s possibly his default, and considering his categorical refusal of being gay, he’ll never start something with another dude, hence the girl.
He can try with a thousand girls, but he’ll never get over what we have.
“Anytime.” He ruffles her hair—why the fuck is he touching her hair? “I’m the big, bad wolf everyone is scared of. Woo. Stay away if you don’t have a death wish and a need for a few broken face bones.”
She looks up at him with a kind of wonder, and I’m seconds away from ripping her eyeballs from their sockets. “Are you guys all this violent?”
“Sometimes? I’m still the prettiest, though.”
She smiles, and he grins. “There. Made you smile.”
Her expression brightens even more.
Why the fuck would he want to make her smile?
I tap my thumb against my middle finger, considering all the options to make this nuisance disappear, but then Preston speaks again, dimples on full display for the fucking ginger.
He doesn’t even smile like that at me.
“What did you think of my game tonight?” he asks.
“You were great.”
“More passion, Vee. I know you only came to watch Jude, but give more importance to my godly energy on the ice.”
Vee. He calls her Vee.
Veronica? Vanessa? Doesn’t matter—the name would still look ugly on her fucking tombstone.
“Are you one of those girls who gets blind to everyone but their boyfriend?” he asks.
“Jude’s not my boyfriend.”
“Oh? Then what is he?”
“I’m not sure, to be honest.”
“Want me to ask on your behalf? Tell him to fuck off while I’m at it?”
“You don’t have to…”
“Well, fuck me all the way to Sunday. You like him that much?”
“I d-do not.”
So she’s Jude’s girl.
In that case, why the fuck is he now hitting her shoulder with his? “Is that why you look pretty tonight? Because you totally don’t like him and didn’t come to the game and club for him?”
Pretty. He called her pretty.
Not that I’m petty or anything, but he’s never called me pretty.
“Just…” She pushes at his arm. “Stop teasing me.”
He laughs, and that fire ignites deeper.
Kill her. Erase the problem from his surroundings forever.
“No clue what you see in the man,” he muses. “He barely knows how to talk to a girl. He’s so closed off, he gives me a bad name.”
“Were you also close with his previous girlfriends?”
“What girlfriends? He’s never had one of those. Don’t get me wrong, he’s my best friend, but he’s too brutish. If he gives you trouble, let me know.”
“What will you do? Punch him for me?”
“Hell yeah. I’ll be punched back ten times worse, but I’ll survive. It’ll be worth it for your beautiful smile.”
That’s it.
I stalk from my hiding spot, trying as hard as hell to remain composed as I say in a low voice, “What would be worth it for her beautiful smile?”
The girl pauses, but Preston…Preston does the exact opposite.
His smile that he was flashing to someone other than me disappears and he snarls.
I let my lips curl in a smirk as I size this Vee up. What’s the best way to make her vanish? Preferably this instant.
“Go ahead.” I stare at her, my voice emotionless. “Show me the beautiful smile so I can decide what’s worth it or if it’s worth anything at all.”
“The fuck are you doing here?” Preston growls, losing his control bit by fucking bit.
“Aw. Why so cold?” I tilt my head in his direction. “Came to celebrate your win. Aren’t I supportive?”
“You—” Preston cuts himself off, then forces a smile so fake, it pisses me off. “Wrong timing. As you can see, I’m busy with Vee.”
“Vee.” I slowly cock my head in her direction. “Why don’t you smile for me, Vee? I’m trying to figure out if Armstrong has a fucking death wish on this fine night.”
“Leave her the fuck alone.” Preston’s fist connects with my chest. “And you’re the one who seems to have a goddamn death wish, Osborn.”
Just as he’s about to remove his hand, I drape my palm over it, relishing the small shiver that crawls on his skin. “My oh my. Are you angry, my prince?”
Preston shoves me away and holds her by the shoulders, painting a grin on his lips. “Let’s go inside, Vee. Some fly is polluting my air with its constant buzzing.”
“I haven’t finished talking. Also, this needs to go.” I snatch Preston’s wrist from her shoulder and twist it in the opposite direction.
Preston releases himself and kicks me in the stomach.
“Motherfucking bitch! You just never know when to back the fuck off.” Preston kicks me again and again, but hey, I’m making him lose control in his beloved public.
In front of not-my-replacement.
Laughter rips out of me as he keeps kicking me.
Breaking apart for me.
Then, all of a sudden, he releases a long breath. “You got your five minutes of attention. Now, shoo and stop disturbing us.”
Like hell I will.
I’m about to snap her neck right in front of his eyes when a bike stops beside us.
Callahan.
He kills the engine and hops off, removing his helmet.
He flashes a heated look at Vee, then wraps a possessive arm around her waist, his attention on me. “What’s going on here?”
So Jude’s her man after all.
Still don’t like that Preston was so close to her.
But I smirk. “Just a friendly drop-by.”
“Nothing about your presence is friendly, Osborn,” Jude says.
“True.” I tap my lip. “Is Vee your girl, Callahan?”
“Her name is Violet, and yes, she is. You have a problem with that?” Jude stands taller, as if he’ll decapitate me if I take just one step toward her.
“No problem whatsoever.” I point a thumb at Preston. “Armstrong might, though, considering he was flirting with her. Keep a better eye on her, yeah? Wouldn’t want her to end up in a freak accident.”
Jude takes a step forward, his expression hardening, but Preston wraps an arm around my throat from behind, confiscating my air.
“Never mind us, big man,” he growls the words. “I’mma beat the crap out of this creep real quick.”
“Question. What’s with all the choking?” I strain the words, tapping his arm. “Is it a form of paraphilia up for exploring?”
“Just call someone to throw him out of town,” Jude says to Preston. “And don’t kill him.”
“But why not?” Preston glares down at me, his eyes so alive and green even under the dim lighting. “He’s obviously itching to meet his maker.”
“If you’re my grim reaper, why not? Yum.”
“Fucking creep.” Preston pushes me away. “Your face doesn’t even give me the urge to kill. What a turn-off.”
Jude narrows his eyes at me, then drags them to Preston. “Call someone. Don’t do anything alone.”
Then Jude pulls Vee to his bike and drives away with her glued to his back.
I wave at them with one finger at a time.
“What the fuck was that all about?” Preston grunts, surveying our surroundings before squaring up to me.
“Me telling Callahan to watch his girl if he doesn’t want her to…” I speak close to his face. “Poof. Disappear.”
“Have you lost your fucking mind?”
“You have, apparently.” I grab a fistful of his hair. “You think you can replace me, Preston?”
“Let me go,” he speaks low, looking around again as the engine of a car revs in the distance.
“Why? Because everyone will see you with me? Jude seemed to suspect something was off, don’t you think? He’ll ask you what this was all about, and you’ll lie through your teeth and say nothing.” I brush my lips against his, and a tremor goes through him. “But we’re not nothing.”
“Stop it.”
“Afraid one of your teammates will see you kissing your archrival? How about I bend you over right here and fuck you, Preston? I’ll make you scream like a common whore while you ride my cock.”
He lifts his fist to punch me but stops, a painful look passing through his eyes as he drops his arm. “Am I your bitch? Is that what this is?”
“Seems like I’m your bitch, considering you’re the one who keeps running away.”
“That’s not…” He trails off, his lips trembling before he purses them in a line.
“That’s not what?”
“Not what I meant.”
“It’s still what you do, Preston.” I release him with a shove. “And if that’s what you’ll continue to do, it doesn’t matter that I’m infatuated with you. I will match your energy. I’m holding back my toxicity, but I can only do that for so long before it feels like you’re using me.”
He runs a frantic hand through his hair, his eyes looking molten, glassy almost. “I’m not using you, Marcus. I promise.”
“Prove it.”
“Prove it…how?”
“Come with me.”
“Now?” He pauses, then juts his chin in the direction of the club’s entrance. “The guys are waiting for me.”
“Fuck them.”
“But Kane…”
“Just say no and stop making excuses.”
I turn around and head to my bike. As I hop on, I feel a heavy body settle behind me, and a strange sort of feeling grips me when he wraps his arms around my waist.
Tightly.
Until it hurts.
Because this is how Preston hugs.
“Where are we going?” he asks in a low voice, and I know, I just know this man will be the death of me.