Page 147 of Shattered Pieces

“Are we taking the bike to the warehouse?” I asked instead, making him nod.

“Yep. If you’re ready, let’s go.”

I’d combust if I had to press against him on the bike again, and I almost wished I could sneak off to deal with my horniness too, but there was no way I was doing that, so I agreed and followed him out to the garage to open the door for him.

I couldn’t exactly wear the jacket again, but I flinched when he offered me his.

“I can’t wear your crew jacket,” I hissed, and he rolled his eyes.

“Just put it on. You’re on the back of my bike, the jacket won’t make a difference in anyone’s assumptions.”

“But—”

“Put it on,” he sighed, forcing my arm into the sleeve and helping me with the other.

It was way too big, and a familiar memory hit me of wearing Skeeter’s. Something like a jacket shouldn’t have bothered me, but it stung to know how much things had changed.

I was suddenly crushed against Marco’s chest, his voice full of understanding.

“I’d say it gets easier, but it doesn’t. That prick kind of leaves a big hole in your chest. C’mon, shake it off and cry later.”

I nodded but hugged him back for a second to ground myself, then I pulled back and grabbed my helmet to get ready to leave. He climbed onto the bike so I could get on behind, then we headed straight to the warehouse without a problem.

Hunter was watching the cage as two guys trained, but he spoke the second we approached. “Have fun?”

At first, I thought he’d had a camera inside the house and had witnessed our moment on the couch, but Marco replied, reminding me about the murder. “Had a blast, actually. She’s coming with me more often.”

Hunter’s eyes finally slid to mine, his voice calm. “Did you ice your throat before running off to play assassin’s sidekick?” I winced, and he gave Marco a dirty look. “You had one job, asshole.”

“My bad,” Marco mumbled, genuinely looking apologetic about it. “I’ll go and⁠—”

“She can sit in the office while you play in the cage. Go.”

“Can I stay down here?” I asked, taking a small step towards Marco, who backed me up.

“Let her watch, man. You know she likes violence.”

Hunter sighed like he was tired of us already. “Fine. Get her an ice pack out of the bar freezer, but she’s not to step foot inside that cage. Do you both understand?”

I nodded, and Marco mumbled a yes boss on his way to the freezer, returning with two ice packs for me. He made sure the jacket was zipped right up before tucking the ice packs into the front of it to rest against my throat.

“There, hands free. C’mon, I’ll put on a show for you,” he grinned, taking my hand and pulling me closer to the cage. He grabbed a chair on the way past, placing it close by and motioning for me to sit. “What do I get if I win? A kiss?”

“I’m not giving you⁠—”

“No talking,” he tsked, leaning down and making sure the ice was in the right place. “Be a good girl and stay put. Don’t come in the cage if I zone out. You’re lucky I snapped out of it last time without hurting you.”

I narrowed my eyes on him and he tickled me under the chin before stepping back to tug his shirt over his head. He dropped it on my lap, giving me a wink on his way into the cage, and I watched as he got to work training some of the guys.

Some of them had potential, others would get killed in a death match within seconds.

Marco really was a weapon, his moves all thought out and calculated somehow even when he had less than a second to react. He was always two steps ahead of his opponent.

Since they were just training and no one was being punished, there thankfully wasn’t a lot of bloodshed this time, and when Marco decided he was done, he motioned for me to join him.

I’d been icing my neck so long the ice packs had gone warm, so I placed them on the chair as I stood and wandered inside. Hunter had gone upstairs to the office, so unless he was watching the cameras, he wouldn’t know.

“I’m not allowed in here,” I stated as I approached, his mouth curving into a smirk.