Page 55 of Wicked Ends (Hellions of Hade Harbor #4)
Arianna
I couldn’t remember the rest of the day. It passed in a sickening blur. Once the others from Marcus’ class had gone, I knew that the rumors about those pictures would spread around the campus, probably by the end of the day.
I sat in my empty classroom and stared out at the woods beyond the campus grounds.
Everything had fallen apart like I’d known it would when Dale had shown up. I’d been an idiot to think that maybe there was a way that it wouldn’t.
I kept turning over Marcus’ words in my head.
He knew my real name, which meant he’d met Dale.
It wasn’t surprising; my brother was exactly the kind of vindictive person who would seek out a way to destroy my life, even if he was leaving.
But Marcus saying I was using him? What could he be talking about?
I checked my phone. Nothing. I’d called and texted him about twenty times and gotten no response. He didn’t want to talk to me. My attention strayed across the desk to my keys. My car key and the Night Owl Motel were together on the same ring, as well as my key for the bus station locker.
As soon as my gaze fell on the key, I knew.
No. No. No.
I shot up and grabbed the keys, making for the door.
Ten minutes later, I was parking outside the bus station and running inside.
There was police tape around the locker area. My stomach dropped. An employee walked past, and I whirled on them, giving them a fright.
“What happened here?” I asked in a rush.
“Some insane person broke into one of the lockers late at night when no one was around.”
“You have him on CCTV?” I wondered, looking around.
The employee shook his head. “It’s always breaking.”
I stepped away, panic and devastation working up my throat. I headed for the doors and pushed out of the air-conditioned cool onto the rainy street, threw my head back, and screamed. I couldn’t hold it for one more second.
I screamed until my throat was raw. It didn’t last long, and in it was every single bit of fear, anger, and disappointment at how my new life had turned out. Luckily, the back alley behind the bus station was deserted, so no one had to witness my meltdown.
Dale had stolen Marcus’ money. Dale had obviously followed me, watched me to see where I was going to get the money from, and I couldn’t have made it easier, taking the bag out of the locker and then stowing it again.
He’d taken Marcus’ money—and Cole had paid the price.
Cole Bailey was in the hospital, and it was because of that bag.
No wonder he hated me. I hated me, too. Guilt hit me, so thick, I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t stand it. Marcus clearly thought I’d given it to Dale willingly. Just the thought of that was too much to bear.
I got in my car and drove back to campus.
The Hellions’ dorm was as busy as usual when I entered, going upstairs toward the apartment that I’d stayed in last week.
It felt like a lifetime ago. I’d stopped caring who saw me and what they thought.
Worrying about people finding out about us seemed so pointless now.
I knocked on the door and waited. When I started to think no one was home, the door opened.
Asher Martino stared at me, his dark features tightening when he saw who it was.
“Is Marcus here?” I asked when he failed to acknowledge me.
“No,” Asher said and started to push the door closed.
I stuck my foot in the gap to stop it and shoved it back open.
Martino watched me with a raised eyebrow.
“Where is he?” I asked.
“With all due respect, Professor, why should I tell you?” he asked, his voice full of threat.
I swallowed the knot of frustration and shame in my throat. “Because I need to speak to him, it’s important.”
“Unless you can take back his brother’s brain injury or conjure up one hundred grand, I don’t think it’s that important. Now, fuck off,” he said cruelly and slammed the door.
I banged on it. “Please, I need to speak to him.” I needed him to know I hadn’t done it on purpose. I needed him to know I’d never betray him like that.
Silence met my cries. No one opened the door. I was shut out, literally.
I didn’t sleep at all that night, instead lying awake and staring at the ceiling. I needed to speak to Marcus; I wanted to know how Cole was. I’d gone to the hospital to try and find out for myself, but they hadn’t given me any information.
Early in the morning, I decided to give up trying to sleep, got dressed, and went back to the dorms. This time, no one even came to the door when I knocked. Should I go to the cabin in the woods where I’d met his brother? Try the hospital again?
I drove out of the main gate at HHU and turned the car toward town. On a long, lonely stretch of road that was near The Clutch, the bikes appeared. Motorcycles, five of them. They sped up behind me, and two of them passed by close enough to touch.
Tension slid down my spine with the way they slowed in front of me. They wanted me to stop, clearly.
I pulled over, having no other choice. A tall, broad figure got off one of the motorcycles and walked toward my window. He had a helmet on, but still, I knew it wasn’t Marcus. He didn’t move like him. He tilted his helmet toward the window, and I rolled it down.
“Follow us.”
It wasn’t a request. Fear hit me in the gut, but I followed the bikes toward The Clutch. This had to be the Harbor Hounds. Maybe Marcus would be there. I didn’t really have a choice but to go along and see what they wanted.
I veered into the lot outside the dive bar where it had all started and killed the engine.
“You can conquer hard days… with the power of positive visualization,” Horace’s voice spoke from the dash.
I’d missed him. Thanks, Horace, but I didn’t think any amount of imagining a happy life was going to get me out of this shit show.
My door opened before I could reach for it, and then there were five bikers surrounding me. Real fear flooded through my veins.
“This way.”
Clearly thinking I might make a run for it, they flanked me as we made our way to the building.
It was dark, the windows mostly covered by shutters since the place was closed. The lights behind the bar were on, but that was the extent of it.
“Why have you brought me here?”
“Because I don’t feel up to trailing all over town searching for you. So, thanks for coming to me.” Cole Bailey sat in a booth near the back.
He hardly looked less intimidating than the guy I’d met the week before, except for the bandage on the side of his head.
“Please, sit,” he said shortly.
When I hesitated, he sighed.
“It wasn’t a request.”
A hand pressed down on my shoulder, and I sank into a chair opposite the MC president.
“Offer our guest a drink,” Cole commanded.
Someone passed me a glass of water. My mouth was dry with fear and my voice scratchy. I gulped the liquid down quickly and wet my lips.
“You know, when Marcus fucked you here, I didn’t think that much of it. My brother is a popular guy. Sure, he’s never screwed around at the bar before, but there’s a first time for everything. But then he took you to the cabin. That—that’s something else. Then, I started to pay attention.”
My mouth was dry again already. Someone refilled the glass from a water pitcher, and I drank deep.
“I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t let Marcus hurt himself for you. He’s the only good thing to come out of my family—ever. You understand, don’t you?”
I nodded, distracted by the slight tingling in my tongue. It was going numb. I could barely feel it. Then my face started to tingle.
“Did you g-give me s-something?” I managed to slur through my slack lips. My gaze fell to the empty water glass.
Christ, could I be any dumber?
I’d drunk whatever they’d given me like an idiot.
“The question is, Professor, did you take something? Something of mine?”
I slumped against the chair, my head spinning.
Somewhere in the distance, a commotion. My brain felt warm and melted somehow. Content. I relaxed completely. All the worries of the last week slid off my shoulders, and it all stopped mattering. It was a relief, honestly.
“What the hell is this?” a deep, familiar voice called.
Joy leapt up inside me.
Marcus was here. It was the last thing I registered before everything faded to black.