Marked. Part I: The missing Link (25 page)

“
Well you'd win that contest no problem.” I wasn't trying to flirt. The words fell out, but I loved watching Jay's cheeks redden. “Are you blushing?” Now I can't help but tease him.

“
Shut up,” he mumbles, focusing down at the table, the rest of his face growing red.

It's rare to see Jay being bashful. It warms my heart and my legs extend to give his a playful nudge. As I bring my legs back up he loops his in with mine. They stay locked together, making a thousand tiny butterflies shoot off inside my belly.

“So what's the plan for today?” I ask, because I'm starting to get nervous and flustered feeling and I don't want to be.

That snaps Jay back to reality and his walls go back up. He unhooks his legs from mine and sits up straighter. I knew that's what he would do. Even though that's what I wanted because it hurts too much to only get little pieces of him, it still left my body longing for more.

“We're going to Cole Private Bank and Trust, where I will meet with a man who has what I need.”

“
The dagger,” I add, which makes Jay's upper lip sneer.

“
Fuck you’re nosy.”

“
Because I listen to a conversation you're having in the bed next to mine?” I snap. I can't believe he's irritated at me over this. “I can bet anybody else would have done the same. And don't get mad at me because you're too afraid I know more than you want me to. Get over it.”

Jay works his jaw back and forth a few times before continuing, “Fine, yeah, we need this dagger from him.”

“What's so special about it?” I ask as the waiter comes over, placing our clam chowders on the table.

“
Some kind of sentimental crap.”

“
I thought you guys didn't get sentimental.”

“
We do over weapons.”

“
How sweet.”

Jay grins at my sarcasm and starts eating his soup, which is delicious. We are silent for awhile, each having an intimate moment with our food.

“You'll wait in the bank lobby,” Jay informs me, finishing off his bowl, “I won't be long, and you can't leave the building. You will be safe as long as you don't-”

“
I'm not going with you?”

Jay growls in irritation, “Stop interrupting me. And no you're not.”

“Is the person you're meeting bad?”

Jay scratches his scruff and doesn't explain more until our bowls are cleared and our Crab Louie’s are put in their place.

“Bad is such a broad term. Who he is is complicated. He's not good or bad, he deals with both.”

“
Why can't I go with you?”

“
How many times do I have to tell you I don't want you involved in my life,” Jay curses when he sees the hurt on my face. He reaches over the table and takes a hand in both of his, “I didn't mean it like that. The more people who know about you, the more stressed I get. You not meeting anyone is for your safety and my peace of mind.”

I want to tell him that I want to be involved, even if that means I can never return home and I get to be with him, but I know over time I would miss my family (Naomi and Stevie included).

He moves his hands back and we eat our crab salads. This is the first time I've had crab and it's definitely on the top of my list of best things to ever enter my mouth. Jay being at the top, followed by pumpkin pie, then would have to be this crab. I want to have a love affair with this crab.

After we finish, I glance over the dessert menu and look up to find Jay intently staring at me. He's studying my face the way he used to when we first met.

“What?” I ask, longing starting to whirlpool in my core.

“
Still trying to figure you out.”

I laugh, “I'm about as easy as they come.”

Jay leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest, “In some ways, yeah, you're everything you appear to be: sweet, nurturing, naïve, but there are parts of you that are in another dimension compared to most people. If you love someone you look past their faults and flaws, where most people dwell on them and use it against them. It isn't always in your favor, but you don't let that stop you. You can't reign in your emotions; when you feel something, you
feel
it, in every fucking part of you. I love that about you. I'm jealous you feel so freely and powerfully. You're not afraid of your emotions, you own them, and I have mad fucking respect for that.”

My heart is in full hammer mode and swelling so much in size it might break a bone. I wish I could see myself through Jay's eyes because I want to be that person. “I'm afraid of what I feel for you,” embarrassed at my honesty, I go back to looking out the window.

“Being afraid of an emotion and not letting yourself feel it is different. It may scare you, but you don't stop it. You let the emotion in and every concern that goes with it, no matter how scary or terrifying it is. I'm trying to figure out how you can feel that much but still be so strong.”

I snort, “I'm not strong-”

“Yes, you are,” he cuts me off and my head moves back to view him. The whirlpool starts again when I see the admiration in his eyes, “You may not be packed full of muscles or good at hiding your emotions, but you're strong, Lily.”

I roll my eyes and Jay's features harden, “You were able to walk away from a man you loved and trusted after he betrayed you by hitting and raping you. Four men attack you, another two kidnap you, and none of it destroyed you.”

I cringe, he makes it sound more horrific than it really was. “That's not true,” I say, earning another scowl from him, “I let Will control me for two years. I let him destroy the woman I was before we met.”

“
Yeah, but you fucking got her back, and I would bet every cent I have that you're an even better version of who you once were.”

“
Thanks to you,” I softly say.

Jay shakes his head, “I had nothing to do with it. No one can heal another, you have to be able to heal yourself. Only one's own strength can truly make the right changes to heal and grow.”

“I disagree. Maybe I would have found myself again, but you made me better. I wouldn't be who I am right now if it wasn't for you. I don't think it's a bad thing to allow a person in to help heal you. You had what I needed to restore, you offered parts of yourself that made me change for the better. So, yeah, I disagree. We can't always work everything out for ourselves, and sometimes need the guidance of another. It's not bad to find strength in another person, Jay,” am I talking about myself or him? Somehow this conversation has turned into me scolding him, “It doesn't have to be a weakness to let people in.” Yeah, okay, I'm definitely scolding, “The only reason you admire my over-emotional brain is because you fight so hard to control yours. The only emotions you freely give are ones that come in the form of hatred and anger. If you took the chance to let someone in I bet they would change you. In a sense you're right, the person has to want the change, but another person still has the ability to guide them, make them view things in a different light. You did that for me and I wish you'd let me do the same for you.”

Jay looks pissed and once again I should have kept my mouth shut. “You did fucking do that for me,” his voice is low and gruff as he sneers the words out, “but it's not as simple for me. I don’t know how to deal with emotions and still stay strong. It's easier to shut down and get shit done, especially when you're killing a man with your bare hands. That's not something you want to fucking dwell on. Not everyone has the luxury to feel every fucking emotion that passes through them.”

Fuck keeping my mouth shut, I'm sick of feeling guilty for his mood swings, “Now you're using it as an insult? Which is it, Jay? Do you like that I'm emotional or is it a nuisance? I get too many mixed messages from you.”

“
Why does every conversation have to end in a fucking argument now,” he scans the dessert menu, “We're never going to be us again, are we?”

“
I'm not really sure if we have the same definition of us, but if you're talking about how we were before you left, it's impossible,” I watch Jay's brows scrunch together and his jaw lock, “It can't be like that because you won't let it. You're trapped in your head and have convinced yourself for too long that you can never let anyone in. Your life is about revenge, and as soon as this is over you'll leave me again. I don't think you realize how badly it hurt that you left me so easily, and right after we made love. Maybe I was just a good fuck to you, but it meant more to me. That's why we fight now. I'm sick of your bullshit, sick of the secrets, sick of you pushing me away, and sick of remembering every fucking day what it feels like to be in your arms.”

“
You finished?” He growls.

“
Yup.” I'm tired of fighting too. Real tired. In fact, right now I'm exhausted and wish I could curl up in my bed at home and sleep for the next month or two.

Jay pulls out his wallet and throws down a hundred, “Lets go.”

“Do you ever wait for the bill?” I ask, feeling cranky now.

Jay stands up and holds his hand out to help me up, “Don't have the fucking patience for it.”

I sidestep his hand and walk past him, “You waste a lot of money that way.”

“
True, but I probably made the waiter's day with that tip.”

We are outside now and walking across the mini bridge to where the city's bustling with tourists and people on their lunch break.

I come to a halt, making Jay crash into my back and causing him to curse.

I whip around and poke his chest, “That right there. People with no hearts don't give two licks about making a waiter's day with a tip.”

He takes in an agitated breath, removes my hand, shoves my sunglasses back on my face, and hails a taxi. We sit in silence the whole ride to the bank, and I'm too grumpy to enjoy the sights or even remember what I saw.

When we enter the building Jay leads us to the right, where they have a waiting area. We sit on opposite leather chairs, facing one another.

“You wait here. Don't move from this spot until I get back.”

I don't answer. I'm too busy observing the inside of the place, taking it all in. It's definitely a bank for the wealthy. All the chairs surrounding us are a rich brown leather; you can smell their authenticity. The columns are made of dark woods and the floor a beautiful marble. Then there are the customers: women dressed in designer clothes and accessories, decorating themselves with jewelry that blinds you. Men with well groomed physiques, fitted suits, and freshly shined shoes.

“Are you listening to me?” Jay asks, sounding peeved.

“
Stay here. Got it.” I don't look at him, continuing to seem enthralled with the place.

After fifteen minutes of us silently sitting, I finally look at Jay. He has his shades up and is scorching me with his eyes. I pretend I don't feel them burning holes into me, “Don’t you have to let them know you're waiting?”

“No,” his voice is level, and he's hardly blinking as he continues to narrow in on me, “He knew I was here the minute we stepped through the door.”

I turn to view the door and see four different cameras angled at the entrance, “How does he know you're looking for him?”

“I've known him my whole life. Even if I hadn't, he never forgets a face he's worked with.”

I start to ask more questions – despite how pissed off I know it will make him – but four men in identical suits stop a few feet from Jay.

No words are exchanged. Jay gets up and follows them to the back of the bank, where they disappear behind a door.

Chapter 28

2:39pm

It's been forty-five minutes since Jay left me and I'm so freaking bored. If I had known it would take this long I would have brought a magazine or book.

“Holly Montoya?” A man clears his throat, “Miss Montoya?”

Oh, right, that's me.

I forgot that's the name Jay told me he will be using. It makes me feel like a stripper.

“
Sorry, daydreaming,” I smile up at the man who looks like your average business man, except for the earpiece he's wearing.

“
Please come with us ma'am.”

That's when I notice another man in an identical suit standing nearby with the same earpiece.

“No thanks, I'm cool right here,” I airily breeze out, giving them my most friendly smile.

The man's features harden and he takes a step forward, “Mr. Cole is asking to meet you.”

“I'll wait here for him,” I sweetly reply. I have no clue who Mr. Cole is and there is no way I'm not following Jay's orders. Why did he leave me out here alone?

“
We have strict orders to bring you to his office where he and Mr. Lincoln are having a meeting.”

“
I'm not moving from this spot without Mr. Lincoln,” I inform them, my face imploring them to try and make me do otherwise.

The other man steps to his partner's side and whispers in his ear.

“Mr. Lincoln wants you to know it's safe to follow us, Ms. Evans,” He responds coolly, like saying my real last name makes me trust him.

“
Well Mr. Lincoln can come tell me himself,” I raise a brow and cross my arms, hoping they will finally understand I'm not moving.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, startling me, and I pull it out, “Hello?” I don't know why I sound uncertain, only one person has this number.

“Follow the men, Lily. Vault wants to meet you,” Jay clips before hanging up.

I stay where I'm at, chewing my bottom lip, contemplating if it's safe or not. The phone, still in my hand, rings again. When I hit answer I don't speak, only wait for Jay to talk.

“I wouldn't send you up here if it wasn't safe.”

Click.

I slowly stand, growing more nervous and uneasy with every step as I'm escorted to the door I watched them take Jay. It leads to a room with elevator doors on each side. A third one directly across from me looks like it's a door made of gold, which I'm sure it's not. No one would have an elevator door made out of gold, would they? Etched on the elevator in black is a vault's spindle wheel.

The next thing I know one of the men is patting me down, removing my hat, glasses, phone, and gun. When he goes to rub down my breasts I smack his hand away.

“Don't even think about it.”

“
Ma'am, I have to check every part of you or you don't go up.”

I cross my arms over my chest, “Then I don't go up.”

Probably not the best idea to get snotty with two armed men who just took possession of my weapon.

The man places a hand to his earpiece. He looks to the other man and they both give a curt nod as if in agreement. The other man has his hand scanned and punches in a code on a screen to the right of the gold elevator. The one who frisked me does the same and then he tightly grips my wrist and places it to scan mine.

He drops my wrist and I rub it, “You didn't have to be that rough. I would have done it if you told me to.”

“
All due respect ma'am, but I don't think you would have,” he's smirking at me, seeming amused, and it makes me smile.

“
You're probably right.”

“
You've never dealt with Vault before, have you?”

“
No, why?”

“
You're in his house, you follow his rules,” now he seems anything but amused and forcefully pushes me inside. Once the door shuts we have our other hand scanned and the two men enter in a code again. There are no buttons to indicate a floor but it seems to be going all the way up.

“
How did it know my hand?” I ask, because it's kind of freaking me out.

They don't respond. Big surprise.

The elevator finally stops and the door opens. We get out, me between the two men. The hallway we go down is short and the only door is at the end of the hall, where two men stand guarding it. When we approach, one of the guards opens the door and we walk in.

Inside is a waiting room and two women behind desks facing one another. The men keep walking and the two women don't even glance in our direction. The room actually has a homey feel, but I can't help having a sense of eeriness in response to it; everyone is too calm and quiet, it has me on edge.

I don't have time to take in my surroundings, because the minute I walk through the door all I can focus on is Jay standing in front of a wall of screens, fiercely staring me down. The door clicks shut behind us and he begins tromping toward me. I stand there wide-eyed as he comes at me, looking like he's about to eat me alive. I can't tell if it's sexual in nature or anger, and I hope it's option number one.

I stay unmoving the closer he gets. The whole moment feels in slow motion to me but I know it's all happening at a fast pace.

Jay doesn't slow down when he reaches me and for a second I fear he's going to tackle me. His body crashes into me, and an arm wraps around my waist. We begin stumbling back from the impact and collide with the wall. Jay's other hand is supporting my head to prevent it from getting smacked from the collision. His lips immediately crush mine, making them immobile. He stays compressed to them a half a second more before letting my mouth go, but doesn't make a move to let the rest of me go. His eyes are burning with a hunger I recognize, but there's also a flick of irritation.

“
Damn baby, I don't know whether to fuck you or spank you,” he mutters, staring down at our lips that are faintly touching.

“
Yes to the first,” I pant out, my breathing getting heavy from wanting this man, “and you spank, I spank.”

This gets a low groan in the back of his throat as he looks at me under hooded lashes, like he can't decide if he wants to look at my mouth or my eyes. A slight grin twitches the corner of his mouth, “I wouldn't put it past you, my little firecracker. We could have some fun with that. ”

A smile breaks out across my face and his lips brush against mine before he continues, “I wasn't sure why you weren't going with Vault's men and then I realized you weren't moving because I told you not to,” he pauses to take in a breath of air and to drink me in. “Fuck, baby, I got hard off that, knowing you refused to leave because I told you not to.” His lips slash across mine again.

“
Why do you want to spank me?” I breathe into his mouth, not wanting to ever have our lips stop touching.

“
Because we're in Vault's house and you do whatever the fuck his men tell you to, not fight them on every little thing,” he stops to grin at me, “I was relieved to see your stubbornness isn't reserved for only me.”

“
Jay,” I hear a man speak not too far from us and it startles me – I thought we were alone with the way Jay tackled me to the wall. “My men are waiting for you to finish inspecting her.”

He gently places my feet to the ground, and while he does this I see his whole demeanor change. His body hardens and his eyes become withdrawn and restrained. He takes hold of my hand and moves in front of me, making his body block mine.

I see a man standing in front of the wall of screens Jay had previously been. He is insanely gorgeous. I would guess he's in his late thirties. His hair is blond and hits his shoulders at the same level mine does. Normally longer hair on a guy isn't my thing, but on this man it only adds to his sexual appeal. His eyes are an arctic blue that seem to pierce right through you. His bottom lip's fuller than the top, making you want to bite down on it and suck. He's dressed in a suit and tie that fits him like a glove. A hot, sexy, glove.

“
Vault, I told you, she's cool. She's not like us, she doesn't have anything in her bra.”

“
Humor me,” he demands in the least humorous voice I have ever heard.

Jay turns enough to view me, “You got any weapons in that bra of yours?”

I open my mouth to lie, but words don't seem to want to come out.

“
Shit, Lily! What the fuck do you have?”

I sheepishly reach down my sweatshirt and pull out one of his throwing stars that I had wrapped in enough cloth not to poke me. Jay looks shocked and I hear the Vault guy chuckle.

“Got any more in there sweetheart?” Vault asks.

My cheeks redden as I pull another one from the other side and Jay's jaw drops.

“You're killing me, babe,” Jay's jaw is grinding back and forth, and at first glance I think he's pissed but his lips keep jerking upwards holding back a smile.

The two men who escorted me in step forward and I hand them over. The one who frisked me doesn't look too pleased and darts a nervous glance at Vault. He points a finger in my face, “Pull a stunt like that again and I put a bullet through your fucking head.”

Jay immediately stands between us, “Get your motherfucking finger out of her face, or you won't have a hand to pull that trigger with, got it?”

“
Did you forget who's house you're in?” The man snarls, “We took your weapons, what the fuck are you going to do?”

Faster than I can blink, Jay has the man in a choke hold and the guy's revolver jammed into his temple. The other guard draws his gun and points it at Jay as three other men enter the room with guns all aimed at him.

Wow, shit just got intense, fast. I place a hand on my pounding heart, which catches the attention of one of the men who now as a gun aimed at me. Like a bad action movie, my hands flatten out and come out to the side of my face in surrender. It didn't cross my mind moving my hand might make them think I was...what? Going for a gun or something?

Jay notices the gun aimed at me, “Vault, tell your fucking men not to point a fucking gun at her or I'll take you all out.”

“We all know you're not stupid enough to shoot me,” Vaults says.

Jay cocks the gun, “Try me.”

Vault laughs, “Damn, you've got it bad. Leave, guys. It's cool here.” His guards don't back down, “Leave!” They reluctantly retreat and Jay lets go of the man and hands him his gun.

“
Your security sucks, Vault. I could have had both this dude and you shot before the others came in, and I'd have them down by now too.” The man snatches the gun and angrily leaves.

Vault and Jay are facing each other, eyes cold, and then they both start grinning.

“My offer still stands: Head of Security is yours whenever you want it.”

Vault gestures to the couches he has in the center of the room, and I take the opportunity to look around his office as we walk over to them. It's just as expensive looking as the lobby. To the left of the couches is a wall of security screens, with two closed doors on each end. To the right is a wooden wall, with one large piece of artwork taking up most of it and another closed door at the far right. Behind the couches is a desk, and instead of a wall behind it it's one long window overlooking the city.

Still holding my hand, Jay and I sit on the couch, opposite Vault. Jay puts his arm across my body and rests his hand between my legs, cupping under the middle of my thigh, making it sit on his fingers. It almost feels like Jay is having his arm be my armor, which it almost could be considering it's size. I have to sit up straight in order to see around his bicep. I feel like a child and I force it to move. I have his elbow rest on the top of thigh. I move his hand and clasp it between both of mine, giving it reassuring rubs with my thumb.

Before Vault sits he extends a hand out to me, “We haven't been probably introduced yet. I'm Benedict Cole, but in Jay's world I'm known as Vault.”

I accept his hand and firmly shake it. I'm about to say my name but I stop to look at Jay, not sure what name he wants me to use.

“
He already knows who you are, and now he's got your damn hand print,” he gruffly responds to my silent question.

I give Vault a friendly smile, “Lily Evans. Are you the president of the bank? Is that why they call you Vault?”

Vault takes a seat and Jay shoots me a warning glance but I pretend not to see it.

“
No sweetheart, I own the bank. I pay morons to run it for me.” I love the way he says sweetheart; it's extremely sensual and seductive, “I got the name Vault because I know a lot of people's dirty little secrets and I keep safe what ever it is a person from Jay's world wants kept safe.”

“
Like people?”

Vault chuckles, “No, they don't give a shit about people. I'm talking money, or things worth a lot of money.” Vault focuses in on Jay, “Did you not tell her anything about me?”

“No.”

“
He never wants to tell me anything.”