“Hey, guys.” I step back, and they walk in.
They see Marnie standing at the stove in my T-shirt and a pair of her shorts. I want to bark at them not to look at her, but I don’t. She fidgets and steps away from the stove.
“I’ll be right back.” She rushes down the hall with Oly.
A moment later, she returns wearing a bra and one of her tight T-shirts that accentuates her bust. I realize she was almost bare under my shirt, and the beast inside me is glad she went and finished dressing. She doesn’t miss a beat and starts making the guys each sandwiches too.
I help Oly with her sandwich as Wing updates me.
“Icarus took care of Jerry. Dropped him off at the police station this morning. There are a few other victims Vortex is going to search out and see if they want to help and testify against him.”
“Has Gunny called?”
“No. But I called him. He’s sitting in Prov while Quinn recovers. It’s going to be a long one, not only physically but emotionally too. Jerry did a number on her.”
“Does she need to talk to someone?” Marnie asks, and I look over at her.
She doesn’t know this girl from Adam, but she wants to help. She’s the perfect woman for me.
“Sugar, I’m not sure.”
“Well, if she lives in the Valley and wants a job, she can come by the shop and I’ll interview her. She can work with me. I’ll be flexible while she’s getting help.”
“Why?” Wing asks, and I’m about to smack the fuck out of him when she answers.
“Because I know what it’s like to be broken and lost. I want to help her, just like I was helped. It’s the only way I’ll ever be able to repay those who helped me.”
All the guys stop and stare at her. I’m staring too. That’s the most she’s ever shared.
“Who helped you?” Romeo asks softly.
She pauses, like she realized she shared too much. I watch as she softly shakes her head. Tendrils fall from her messy bun.
“It’s called Sparrow House,” she says.
I file that information away, ready to find them and learn what they know.
“You don’t know what this girl went through,” Wing says.
He’s such a pessimist. He’s trying to figure out Marnie’s angle. Thinking she’s doing it for reasons other than the fact she’s just a good person.
“You’re right. I don’t know her, but I know from what I heard yesterday that Jerry hurt her?—”
Wing interrupts her. “He raped and beat her up while she was drugged up.”
“Wing,” I bark.
He bows his head, but Marnie doesn’t stop there.
“I’m not all cookies and French pastries. I watched a man die in my arms. I was raised by a devil who I pray never finds me or Oly. I’ve never been drugged, but I know what it’s like to have to fix yourself after a man hurts you.”
I know she’s telling us some of her past and how she got her scars.
“You think I’m just a sweet rich girl who doesn’t know about evil and men who are demons. I do. I bear the scars across my body from jealousy and breaking the rules.”
I move toward her, but she holds up a hand.
“No. You don’t get to coddle me after that. I’m strong. I fought and got my daughter away from them. Every day I breathe, I live to keep her safe from them.” She swings back to Wing. “I don’t need a man like you questioning my motives. You don’t know me. But I’ll tell you this.” She holds out her arm, and I’ve felt the small scars along her skin. She shows it to Wing. Under her tattoos, they are a beacon in the dark. A moment intime I can’t change. “This is what happens when you defy a man. He punishes you. I know what she’s going through as far as the pain of a beating. I’ve had broken ribs. I was lucky I didn’t lose Oly when they found me.”
