Page 9 of Marked By The Filthy-Mouthed Grizzly

CHAPTER SEVEN

Erica

M aybe this is a bad idea…

I’m parked across the street from the Rourke’s Warhounds’ headquarters and it doesn’t look good.

It didn’t exactly scream welcoming when I was a kid either, but now it just feels... darker. More dangerous. I’m not a kid anymore. I know the evils that some men are capable of.

The sagging porch is cluttered with beer cans and busted-up lawn chairs.

The small patch of grass on the side of the building is wild and unruly.

A couple of motorcycles are parked out front, oil stains beneath them like bloodstains on the concrete.

The front door is half open, and music is thudding faintly from somewhere inside—some angry rock song I don’t recognize.

I swallow hard, gripping the steering wheel with both hands as I sit frozen in the driver’s seat.

“This is a bad idea.”

I think about what Magnus would say if he knew I was here. He’d probably toss me over his big broad shoulder and carry me away like a protective brute.

A part of me longs for that. But a larger part of me doesn’t think I can ever see him again. How can I be with the man who killed my brother?

A spark of defiance hits me and I burst out of the car with my heart pounding.

Take this, Magnus, you murdering asshole.

I head to the entrance with one thing on my mind—getting Mace’s silver watch.

Mace always wore it. It was one of the only things he treated with respect. I thought it would be a nice memento to bring home. It would be a piece of them. Something tangible. Something uncomplicated.

But nothing about them was ever uncomplicated.

I hug my jacket tight around me as I step onto the gravel road with a forced breath.

The second I cross the street, I feel the eyes.

A few menacing guys I don’t recognize step out of the headquarters and watch me as I walk up to the old weathered steps.

One of them sips his beer and leans on the post as I force out a smile.

“Hello,” I say, realizing that this truly is a bad idea. Now, I really wish Magnus was here. “I’m Mace and Knox’s sister. Erica.”

They don’t say anything. The one with the greasy black hair narrows his eyes on me as he takes a long drag of his cigarette.

“Banks said I could come by and pick it up,” I say, glancing back at my car. Maybe I should just take off.

“Banks!” the greasy one yells into the dilapidated building. “Get the fuck out here!”

I step back, not wanting to go in there for anything. Maybe I should just go…

But Banks walks out and the opportunity to flee has gone.

“Erica,” he says, giving me a sleazy smile. “Come in. Come in.”

He hurries down the stairs, towering over me with his lanky frame, and puts his bony arm around my shoulders.

“I got the watch inside,” he says, his foul breath washing down on me. “Want a drink?”

“I just want the watch,” I say as I grab his wrist and peel his arm off. “I only have a minute.”

He tries to usher me in, but I stop at the door. I’m not going in there. I can hear Magnus’ deep voice in my head warning me to be careful around these guys and I’m going to listen.

The other guys are still watching me, their nasty eyes violating every inch of my body.

“You know I always wanted to ask you out,” Banks says, grinning at me. “But your brothers would have killed me.”

“Hmm,” I say, crossing my arms and looking away.

“Your brothers aren’t around anymore,” he says. “Lucky us.”

I put my hand out. “The watch, Banks.”

He chuckles, low and cold. “Didn’t peg you for the sentimental type, Erica.”

I shift my weight, keeping my distance. My heart is pounding now. Why did I come alone? Why did I come at all? Is a watch really going to make me feel any better? Is it going to fix the unfixable?

Banks steps a little closer and leans against the porch post. “Word is you’ve been hanging around with those bitch bears from Heat & Stink. Especially the big one. What’s his name? Magnus?”

I flinch.

He sees it and his dark grin deepens. “You’re going against your family with that one. Going against all of us Warhounds.”

“Are you following me?” I snap.

Banks raises both hands in mock innocence. “I’m just looking out for my friends’ little sister. Is that such a bad thing?”

“Stay away from me,” I warn.

“You sure you wanna be around guys like that?” he says, ignoring me. “Bear shifters aren’t gentlemen like us. They’re straight up killers.”

I feel the heat rush into my face.

“Think about what your brothers would say,” Banks adds. “They’d still be alive if it weren’t for your furry boyfriend.”

He looks me up and down with those sunken eyes, and I feel his creepy gaze everywhere—like a snake sliding over my skin.

“Keep the fucking watch,” I say as I turn around and storm back down the steps.

“Watch isn’t here anyway,” he calls after me. “Mace probably got buried in it.”

Good. Let it rot with him.

I don’t stop until I’m back in my car, slamming the door shut and locking it with a shaking hand. My pulse is hammering, my fingers trembling as I grip the steering wheel and try to breathe.

Screw the watch.

Screw this place.

Screw all of them.

I have the tattoo. That’s enough.

That tattoo was done with care. With meaning. With connection.

A silver watch that’s probably been coated in innocent blood on several occasions isn’t going to mean shit.

The tattoo is all I need. At least that meant something.

I think about Magnus’ strong hands on my skin. His soft encouraging voice. His fierce protective eyes.

His kiss.

God… that kiss.

I can’t stop thinking about it. How right it felt. How it felt like… home.

I already miss him so much.

My body is aching to see him.

You don’t need him. He killed your brother for fuck’s sake. He can say it’s fate all he wants, but I’m saying it’s done.

I throw the car into drive and get the hell out of this nasty place.

I grab my stuff from my aunt’s house and write a nice thank you note to her. I wish I could say goodbye in person, but she’s at work for the next few hours, and I can’t wait any longer.

I’ll call her from the road once she’s done her shift at the hospital.

I’m done with this town. For good.

I march out the front door with my bags and recoil in shock when I see Victoria leaning against my car, her tattooed arms crossed over her chest.

“I was hoping I’d find you here,” she says.

I hesitate for a moment and then march over to my trunk, shoving the bags inside.

“Yeah, well I’m leaving.”

“My brother is going to be devastated to hear that,” she says with a frown.

“I don’t care.”

I slam the trunk closed and head to the driver’s door without looking at her.

“I was there that night too,” she says. “The night your brothers died.”

“The night they were killed ,” I correct.

“Yeah,” she says with a sigh. “The night they were killed.”

“I don’t want to talk about this,” I say.

“Tough,” she says simply. “You need to hear it.”

I turn slowly, arms crossed, trying to look tougher than I feel. “What are you going to say, Victoria? You’re here to convince me it was justified? That my brothers deserved to die?”

Victoria lifts her chin, her green eyes locked on mine. “No. I’m here to make sure you understand exactly what happened. Because I get it—you only knew one side of them. But I saw what they were capable of. I lived it. We all did.”

She steps forward, her voice steady and calm.

“They were going to kill me, Erica. Me and Adrian. They came to the shop looking for blood. They didn’t care who got in their way.

Your brother—Mace—he was going to rip my throat out.

I saw it in his eyes. And Knox... he laughed while it was happening. Like it was a game.”

I stare at her, heart racing. “You’re exaggerating.”

“No, I’m not,” she says, her voice suddenly shaking. “You think we wanted any of this to happen? You think my brother Magnus wanted to kill anyone? He’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever known. He blames himself every single day, even though he had no choice. He saved my life. He saved Adrian’s life.”

I look away. I can’t look at her anymore. There’s too much shame. I know my brothers weren’t great guys, but to hear they wanted to kill this girl I thought was so cool yesterday… Ugh, it’s hard to hear.

She lets out a shaky breath. “That’s not even the worst of it, Erica. They forced innocent shifters to fight each other to the death. They were sadistic.”

I whip my head around, glaring at her. I’m hoping to see a tell. To see that she’s lying. That she’s making this all up, but I only see truth. And pain. I don’t think she’s lying.

“Magnus didn’t walk away from that night proud,” she continues. “He walked away broken. Then he met you, and for the first time in a long time, I saw him smile again. Really smile.”

My throat tightens.

“And now you’re leaving,” she says softly. “Without even trying to understand it from his point of view. Without understanding that he had no choice. You’re not the only one who wants to protect their siblings.”

I blink hard, trying not to cry. “Why do you even want me to stay? I thought you’d be happy to be rid of my family for good.”

“Because you’re our family now,” she says, trying not to cry too. “Whether you realize it or not, you’re one of us.”

I want to be. I really want to be.

“And because you mean everything to my big brother,” she says, wiping her eyes. “And I know him. He’s loyal. He’s gentle. He’s a protector to the core. And he’s completely wrecked over you. He won’t be able to survive if he’s lost his mate for good.”

That word again. Mate . It echoes in my chest.

“I know what Mace and Knox were like,” I say, taking a deep breath.

“Maybe I don’t know all the horrible details, but I’m not an idiot.

I know their inner demons had a hold on them.

I knew it even when I was a kid. But they were still my brothers.

And now they’re gone, and the one person who makes me feel… whole is the one who had a hand in it.”

Victoria nods. “It’s complicated, I know. And no one is asking you to forgive us right away. Just… give us a chance. Stay a few days. Take some time to mull it over.”

I look at my aunt Jenny’s house as I hold my car key. Maybe staying a few more days wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Sometimes love is messy,” Victoria says. “I’m not here to ask you to forget what happened. I’m just asking you to take some time to try and see it from Magnus’ point of view. And if anything, to at least say goodbye.”

I stare at the ground, my heart thudding.

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll think about it.”

Victoria takes a breath of relief. “Thank you.”

“You really think he’s hurting?” I ask quietly.

She nods. “I’ve never seen him like this before.”

I let out a breath, staring at my reflection in the car window.

I don’t know why hearing that makes me so happy.

He just bought himself an extra day.