Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 39687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Chapter Five
Six years ago
“Have you heard the news?”
Marcus wasn’t paying attention to whatever asshole had decided to come to him with any messed-up news. School was a means to an end. His father wanted him to graduate even though he was a made man already. He didn’t need to be at the privately-run school. Most of the kids around him were scared of him. There were only a couple of other men who had taken up the life as a made man, and they stayed close together, but rarely interacted. If shit went down, they had each other’s back, but that was the extent of it. Otherwise, they had nothing to do with each other, which was exactly the way he liked it, and preferred it.
“He’s looking at you,” Neil said, patting his arm.
He was tempted to break Neil’s arm, but they were supposed to be allies. His father always told him who to keep close and who to cut away.
Glancing up, he saw a short kid, who was sweating, and there was a lingering stench coming off him.
Marcus had no desire to talk to him.
“What?” he asked.
“There’s rumors flying around the school that if we hear something about Laura Davis, we’re supposed to come to you,” he said.
“And?”
“I heard … Nick West is going to meet her behind the bleachers. They’re planning on going out and kissing and stuff.”
Save him from teenage drama. This was one of the many reasons he wanted to be as far away from this assholeness as possible. High school drama didn’t appeal to him. His father had other plans as he believed children helped to let certain secrets slip, secrets they didn’t even know they should be keeping.
One of his other … problems was Laura. As per his father’s request, he had to keep an eye on her, make sure no other guy messed with her.
“Is this solid advice?”
“Nick’s not here,” he said. “I think it’s true.”
Getting to his feet, without another word, Marcus walked out of the cafeteria. A couple of his guys followed. He was getting tired of having to deal with Laura. She was a pain in the ass, and he hated her.
She didn’t know when to stay gone, and he was growing tired of her.
Heading outside, he spotted Nick on his way toward the bleachers, and knew he didn’t have a whole lot of time.
Cutting across the lawn, he grabbed Nick by the scruff of his collar and pushed him out of the way.
“Hey, what the fuck?”
“You think you’re going to Laura. You’ve got another think coming.”
“How did you know?”
“I know everything. I’ve got eyes everywhere in this place. If you don’t stop seeing her, I will cut your dick off and feed it to you, and I’m not joking around.” His father had given him a job to do, and he would do it. Laura was to remain untouched while he was on school grounds.
“O-okay. I won’t go near her. She’s off limits.”
“While you’re at it, make sure everyone knows if they approach her, show any interest in her, they’re going to have to come to me. I’ll deal with them.” He let Nick go, and seeing as his job was going to get done for him, he made his way to the bleachers where he found Laura, waiting, a smile on her face.
“I wouldn’t be looking so happy if I was you.”
“What did you do?” she asked, looking at him, a little worried.
“Nick had no intention of coming here. It’s a big joke to him, seeing you hang off his every word like a little puppy dog.”
“No, you’ve done something.”
“All I did was stop him spreading rumors about what a nice, tight pussy you’ve got.” He watched her face go pale, and he stepped up close to her, trapping her between his body and the bleachers. “You need to learn not all men are nice.”
“I know. I look at you every single day and know the truth.”
He laughed. “You know nothing.”
****
Tilting her head back in the shower, Laura closed her eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to cry. There was no reason to. So she reacted to one of the men she hated in the whole world. She and Marcus had never gotten along, and they never would.
You want him.
Shut up.
You still want to be with him, and you’ve got to make lots of babies. So many babies.
She didn’t want to think about what Marcus kept saying. She wasn’t on the pill, and she knew it only took once. They’d had sex twice now. Both times unprotected and she gritted her teeth before placing a hand across her stomach. This was a nightmare. There was no way she could evade this, and it was killing her.
She wanted to run away, but he would stop her at every turn. Was there a way out of this?