Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 110664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
“This is merely the beginning, Marcus,” Aiden said softly.
Marcus could only nod. He needed to speak with his brothers. They needed to come up with a plan to protect themselves. To protect their mother.
It was after one in the morning when Marcus sat on the edge of his bed, holding his phone in his hands. He’d just gotten out of an extremely long shower, scrubbing away Cain’s blood from every inch of his body. He might crave blood for his survival, but that didn’t mean he longed to bathe in the sticky substance. His lingering human side still demanded that he maintain some semblance of civility.
Luckily, the suit he’d been wearing hadn’t been one of his favorites, because the damn thing needed to be incinerated.
He hadn’t heard yet how many other vampires had been slaughtered at the club, but he knew he’d be hearing from the American Ministry about the deaths of Meryl and Cain. Aiden had already said that he would handle that matter, and Marcus could only grunt his agreement. He didn’t want to worry about standing before the Ministry for an accounting of their deaths. Not that he was overly worried about it. Meryl had gone out of her way to threaten Marcus in his home just days earlier. He and Aiden were protecting themselves. The matter had been concluded outside the view of humans. Nothing needed to be resolved. Case closed.
Before his shower, he’d taken the time to call all three of his brothers to give them an update on his conversation with Aiden and to give them warning that more threats were likely to come their way.
Yet, his family was not on his mind as he sat staring at his phone. He wanted to call Ethan. Since stepping out of the club and climbing into his car, he had an overwhelming need to go to Ethan, to talk to Ethan, to reassure himself that he was safe. At first, he’d argued that he couldn’t go to Ethan while he was covered in blood. That would only cause the young man to panic.
Now he was clean, and the world was quiet. Rational thought was kicking in again to battle the feelings trying to command his actions. His heart was demanding that he throw on the first clothes he could find and rush over to Ethan’s apartment. It wanted to not only know he was safe, but to gather his small body against his own, to feel his heart beat and soak in his warmth. He wanted to taste his mouth and listen to his needy sounds of pleasure.
But going to Ethan was a mistake. He was bringing danger and potentially death into Ethan’s world. His family had already been stolen from him. Somehow Ethan had managed to escape such a horrible fate and deserved a chance to live a long, productive life doing whatever his heart desired.
Marcus refused to risk Ethan’s life.
There was no tomorrow for them. There would be no more kisses. No more lingering looks and little touches that sped up his heart. And if he was smart, no more lunches filled with Ethan’s laughter and brilliant mind.
His world was slipping back into the pale gray it had been before he met Ethan. As it should be.
What he’d told Rafe so many nights ago was true. Vampires were not meant to find love.
Chapter Fifteen
Ethan pushed up to his feet slowly after sealing the last box. Everything fucking hurt—his face, his ribs, his guts. He hadn’t wanted to crawl out of bed this morning, and he’d winced at his reflection in the mirror as he was getting ready. His face was swollen, and he could barely see out of one eye. He moved like a fucking old man. Packing up Marcus’s stuff and stacking it was proving to be miserable work.
It was no less than what he deserved for hooking up with Carl and his band of nutjobs. At least he put a stop to it before anyone got hurt. He’d never be able to live with himself if his actions harmed Marcus or any of his family.
Pulling out his phone, he checked on the time. It was a little after two in the afternoon. Marcus was usually up and moving around by now. Since Marcus had kept the third floor mostly locked up until recently, Ethan had worked around him, completing the fourth and second. He was now ready to start making some serious headway on the third floor. Luckily, it looked like that floor had fewer rooms. He was praying it meant less stuff as well.
Of course, working on the third floor mean there was an increased chance of seeing Marcus, and Ethan was considering hiding out on the first floor until some of the swelling went down. He didn’t want Marcus seeing him like this. Not that he’d be able to hide it when they had lunch together.