Page 19 of Marked by the Pack (Crooked Point #2)

Tuesday

Zoey

There was no way in hell that I was going to stop seeing Otto and the twins. Not when Elias had almost just been killed by a vampire. And when King’s warning was still stuck in my head: Once a villain, always a villain.

The three guys I was dating were the only reason I wasn’t having a heart attack every night. I needed them. And I wanted them.

I tried to adjust the choker around my neck to hide the hickey that Ace had given me, but it was no use. It was almost as bad as the bruises and cut marks on Emma’s neck. Almost. Since mine weren’t given to me by a vampire.

Speaking of vampires…I hadn’t seen Emma since yesterday afternoon. I shot her a quick text asking her if she wanted to meet up for coffee again or maybe lunch. And letting her know that Bennett was coming back to town today. All I really wanted to text her was: ‘Are you alive?!?!’ But, I resisted.

I shoved my phone into my purse and adjusted my breasts in my push-up sports bra.

I needed to look my best today. Because I had a new man to win over.

A man that so far had completely denied all my advances.

The manager of the local bank – Bennett Moore.

His name was as sexy as the rest of him.

Normally I had men wrapped around my finger. But not Bennett.

I grabbed a coat and pulled it over my sports bra and my tightest yoga pants. Usually I’d put on a tank top or something…since unlike everyone assumed, I wasn’t sleeping with my clients. But I was pulling out all the stops for Bennett, in hopes that I would be sleeping with him soon.

The fall air was getting more crisp by the day. I hugged my jacket tighter around myself as I made my way toward Main Street.

Honestly, three men was a good solid number to juggle.

But I could handle more. And I wanted to handle Bennett and Titan too.

Bennett was actually the first of the five guys I’d noticed.

He was six feet of sexy, lean muscle. And his blue eyes reminded me of the ocean. It was so easy to get lost in them.

I turned onto Main Street. In a few weeks the decorations would change from fall décor to holiday lights.

I couldn’t wait. I’d first moved here in the winter because the town practically looked like it was from a Christmas movie.

A safe family town, perfect for a cam girl to go unnoticed.

If only I’d known Crooked Point was full of monsters.

A chill ran down my spine. I turned around…but there were just a few people walking down the sidewalk. Nothing unusual. I swear it felt like someone was watching me though.

For some reason I found myself touching my choker. As if it could protect me from someone dangerous lurking in the shadows. I dropped my hand and shook away the thought .

I’d feel better once Emma texted me back. And once I got to the bank. I walked past the doors of the coffee shop and then I backtracked.

Bennett was sitting there all alone drinking a cup of coffee. Ah, perfect! It would be better to talk to him one on one anyway. No distractions. Just come clean about everything. I opened the door to the coffee shop and Bennett’s head turned in my direction.

I pretended not to notice him as I pulled off my jacket and tossed it over my arm. My exposed stomach looked great. My breasts looked even better. And my ass in these yoga pants? Get ready to drool, Bennett.

I walked over to the line, still ignoring him.

And…he ignored me back. He didn’t say hi or anything even though I knew for a fact that he’d noticed me.

I frowned and ordered my coffee. A million thoughts were running through my head.

Were Bennett and I suddenly not supposed to be friends because Emma dumped him?

Or…did he already know I hooked up with Otto and the twins and he was pissed?

Or…did he just hate me as much as Titan did all of a sudden?

Maybe he was mad at me for setting him up with Emma in the first place.

My eyes landed on the éclairs in the glass display case. I bit my lip, remembering that Emma had compared Bennett’s dick to an éclair. Yum.

The checkout girl gave me a weird look. “We’ll bring it to your table. Just sit anywhere.”

I’ve been here before! Don’t give me that sass. Clearly I was just having a moment. I plastered on a smile and turned around. I pretended to look for an empty table.

Bennett was just sitting there ignoring me .

Screw this. I walked up to his table. “Hey, you’re back. Do you mind if I sit?”

He looked up at me with his gorgeous blue eyes. “Hey, Zoey. Of course.” He gestured to the empty seat.

“Look, I’m really sorry things didn’t work out with Emma.

I swear I didn’t know Callum was going to come back into her life.

I had zero idea that he was living here.

And I’m hoping that none of what happened effects our relationship at all.

” I put my elbows on the table, making my breasts look even better.

“We’re good.” He took a sip of his coffee.

He wasn’t giving me anything to work with here.

But at least he was staring at my breasts.

Wait.

Nope.

He was staring at my necklace. Or maybe my hickey.

I cleared my throat. “So…”

Bennett’s eyes darted back to my face.

“Now that you’re not dating Emma, are you ready to hop into the dating pool again?”

The sassy barista walked over and set my coffee down on the table. “Anything else I can get either of you?” she asked. But she was smiling flirtatiously at Bennett.

Shoo, barista!

“I’m good,” Bennett said. “I was just about to head out anyway.”

She gave him one last smile as he stood up and grabbed his jacket.

“Wait,” I said. “I need to talk to you about something important.”

The barista stopped like I was speaking to her. Not you. “I’m talking to him,” I said and pointed at Bennett .

She walked away.

And Bennett ignored my request as he shrugged on his jacket.

“Bennett, please, it’s important,” I said.

“Zoey, I’m really not looking to date anyone right now.”

“Not about that.” Well, kind of about that.

“I’m going to be late for work. I’ll catch you later.”

This couldn’t wait until later! “I know your secret!” I said way too loudly. A few heads turned in our direction.

Bennett looked over his shoulder and then back at me. He leaned forward, dropping his voice. “How could you possibly know about that?”

“Secrets, really. Plural. You told Emma about the whole robbery thing and she told me,” I whispered.

“Oh.” He sighed. “That. Are you planning on reporting us to your friend Officer Davis?”

“No. Of course not. And I’m talking about the other thing. The big secret. The one you’re so worried about everyone in Crooked Point figuring out.”

He looked over his shoulder again before sitting back down. “And how exactly do you know about that? Because Emma can’t tell you that one.” His eyes searched mine. “And why are you so calm about it?”

Why did everyone always ask me that? “I found out. And I’m into it.”

He lowered his eyebrows. “You’re… into it?”

“It’s so hot, Bennett.”

He gave me a weird look. “What part exactly?”

“All of it.”

He just kept staring at me .

I couldn’t tell if he was pissed off or just confused. “I think I’m finally ready to settle down. I honestly think the whole reason I haven’t already is because the thought of being with just one man for the rest of my life kind of freaked me out.”

He lowered his eyebrows even more.

“But being with five men?” I whispered. “Bennett, I’m definitely into that.

I have no idea why you keep it a secret.

I’m so into it. And now I totally get why you fingered Emma on the Ferris wheel.

You really were trying to tell if she liked an audience.

Because you like an audience. Right?” The twins said that Bennett usually chose the woman they were with.

Which meant he was the one in charge. And I had a feeling I knew exactly what he was into.

Bennett leaned back in his chair and smiled. “Oh. That secret.”

Not the reaction I was expecting. But I could work with it.

“And don’t be mad at Otto, Huxley, and Ace for telling me about your big secret.

It all kind of just happened the other night.

And they only just told me that you usually choose the girl.

And…I’m hoping you want to choose me. Because I know you said you were looking for something serious.

And I want to be serious. With you. And them. ”

“So the necklace…it’s from Huxley?”

I was kind of hoping he’d react to my wanting to be serious with him. Not ask about Huxley’s gift. I touched the gold choker. “Yes, he gave it to me last night.”

“And the hickey is from Ace I’m guessing?”

I nodded. If anything the choker just highlighted the mark on my neck.

“And you were with Otto too you said? ”

“Yes. Otto invited me over for dinner and…everything kind of just happened from there. I don’t think any of them planned it out.”

Bennett sighed. “Of course this started with Otto. So he invited you over to dinner? At our place?”

“Oh, you live there too?” Everything was starting to click. “I actually invited Otto to dinner at my house first. And then he invited me to your place the next night.”

“That first dinner with Otto…did anything happen then?”

I figured Bennett would have questions. But I didn’t think he’d be so direct. “Things may have gotten a little heated under the table.”

“Was it just the two of you? Alone?”

“We were doing this kind of double date thing with Emma and Callum.”

Bennett shook his head. “Well, at least you weren’t alone with him.”

I pressed my lips together. Why did it matter if I was alone with Otto? “Callum dating Emma has kind of freaked me out a bit. Otto’s been coming over most nights to hang out with me. To make sure I’m safe.”

“To make sure you’re safe?” Bennett looked truly shocked. “Just Otto?”

I nodded. “Last night he couldn’t come, so Huxley and Ace came instead.”

Bennett sighed. “I really need to get to work. Don’t hang out with Otto alone anymore.”

What? “But…”

“It’s for your own good, Zoey.” He stood back up .

“Bennett, I really like him. Huxley and Ace too. I…” my voice trailed off. “What is your problem with me?”

“I don’t have a problem with you.”

“Right. You just forbade me from seeing your friends. That doesn’t exactly scream that you and I are okay.”

“Zoey, you don’t understand. Being alone with Otto is dangerous.”

Seriously…why did everyone keep saying that?

! “Okay great. So I can’t date your friends.

Understood.” It was stupid, but I could feel tears welling in the corners of my eyes.

It wasn’t just that I was used to getting what I wanted.

It was that I actually liked Otto, Huxley, and Ace. A lot. I stood up.

“It’s nothing personal, Zoey.”

“Really? How is it not personal? Emma was good enough for you and I’m not.”

“That’s not…”

“It’s fine.” I pulled my jacket on. Of course I wasn’t good enough for him. I wasn’t Emma. I walked around in a sports bra, flirted with all my clients, and had a MyFanatics account. If he liked Emma, he wouldn’t like a girl like me. I’d never be like Emma.

“Zoey…”

“Just pretend this conversation never happened. And good luck finding another Emma.” I walked out of the coffee shop. I should have asked for a to go cup. Pounding caffeine felt like a really good idea right now. Especially if it was spiked.

Fuck, I hadn’t even gotten a chance to ask Bennett about the coin with an Anubis head.

And now I never would because I honestly couldn’t face him ever again.

That was humiliating. Like being turned down by five guys all at once.

I sighed. I guess that technically was what had just happened.

I should have just asked him about the coin.

Making sure Emma was safe was the most important thing. Not my sex life.

But even just thinking about it made me want to actually cry. It wasn’t just sex. I really liked them.

I made it two steps down the sidewalk before Bennett grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his chest.

“Zoey, I’m sorry. You just took me by surprise. I wasn’t comparing you to Emma. I was just…”

“It’s fine,” I said again. “And don’t worry, I’m not going to tell anyone your secret.” I tried to pull away but he tightened his grip on my wrist.

“That’s not my secret.”

What?

“You really like Otto, Ace, and Huxley? You’re serious about this?”

That was a weird segue. “Yeah.”

“Then come by the bank tonight. I have something I need to show you.”

I just stared at him.

“9 o’clock. Okay?”

I found myself nodding even though I really just wanted to slap his perfect face.

“Keep that on.” He reached out and ran his fingers along the choker. “It’ll help keep you safe.”

I nodded again, even though I didn’t really understand what he was saying.

His fingers fell from my neck. “See you tonight, Zoey.” He crossed the street and hurried over to the bank .

Bennett’s words finally registered in my brain. If him liking to share women wasn’t his secret...what the hell was?