Page 20 of Revealing Mark

His words confirmed that he had heard a lot of what we’d been talking about. How was I going to explain what had been said?

“Thirty seconds.”

“I never took you for a lying slut,” Jack viciously spat at me, and in a second Mark had him pushed up against the wall inside his apartment.

“You ever talk to her like that again and I’ll rearrange your face.” Mark tightened his hand around Jack’s neck.

“Stop it.” I tried to yank Mark’s hold from Jack but it was like tugging at granite. Mark’s glare moved from my ex-boyfriend to me. His eyes were glazed over with the intensity of his anger.

“Apologize to her,” Mark commanded, tightening his hold.

“I’m…sor…ry,” Jack managed to splutter.

“Let him go, Mark,” I soothed, trying to get him to calm down.

Mark released him and Jack slid down the wall, breathing deeply.

“Let’s get your stuff and get out of here.” In a split second, the controlled Mark was back and I was left adjusting to the change.

All my stuff was still standing in Jack’s living room. Mark took some of the boxes and disappeared while I collected some of the smaller bags with the more expensive equipment.

Jack never said another word. He glared at me from where he now stood at the entrance to his apartment. I couldn’t sympathize. He had tried to manipulate me by taking my things, and it had backfired spectacularly on him.

There was no doubt Mark was going to have it out with me as well. He was probably waiting until we got out of here before he would unleash his temper on me. I had never seen him so angry before. There had been a deadly glint in his eye that hadmade me tremble in fear. I had seen a glimpse of the guy who had seen the worst things and had dealt with them head on.

There was something different in a person whose instinctual reaction was to run to danger instead of away. I couldn’t imagine endangering my life to save someone else’s.

Mark returned minutes later to help me with the last load and he walked me out. Jack slammed the door behind us and Mark put his free hand to my back protectively. I was hyperaware of the small touch that sent tingles up my spine. I walked to my car and opened the trunk to put my stuff away. Mark loaded the boxes he carried into his car beside mine.

“I’ll meet you back at your place,” he ordered without giving me a chance to say anything.

I was anxious as to what he was going to say to me. He followed behind me all the way back to my apartment. I got out and was about to get the boxes out of my trunk to carry them up to my apartment, but Mark stopped me.

“Let me get that,” he said. I expected him to head in the direction of my building but he surprised me by going to his car and depositing it all in the trunk of his car.

“What are you doing?” I asked, but he ignored me.

He took hold of my elbow and steered me into my building and to the elevator without uttering a word.

“Mark,” I started to say, but he shook his head.

“Not now.” His jaw tightened, like he was barely containing his temper, so instead of rocking the boat I kept quiet.

Even when he closed the door after we entered my apartment, he remained ominously quiet.

“Mark—”

He cut me off with the wave of his hand. “How did he get inside your apartment, Tracy?”

I shifted from one foot to the other, not wanting to answer him as I knew he was probably going to yell at me. I didn’t likeconfrontation, it made me apprehensive. Bickering was one thing, shouting was a whole different situation.

“Tracy, how did he get your equipment from your spare room?” he repeated, watching me intently.

I chewed my lip, refusing to look at him.

“How did you know?” I mumbled, changing the subject slightly.

“You’re an awful liar, you always have been.”