Guardian Bears: Marcus Read Online Free

from harm.
    “Always was something to look at, hey, Marcus?” Lewis asked with the slightly edgy tone of someone trying to stop a fight before it started. Marcus nodded, shaking his hand free.
    “You know her then?” Cal’s eyes were cold and hard. Shark’s eyes. “Got a history?”
    “Yeah,” Marcus admitted. “I knew her growing up. Looks like she’s turned out pretty good while I’ve been away, figured I’d pick up again where we left off.”
    “Not a chance, she’s mine now.”
    Big Jack rumbled a laugh and took a deep drink of his beer. “Don’t be unfriendly, Cal. She ain’t your old lady, so if Marcus wants to try his luck, that’s no business of yours.”
    Cal shot the big man a look of pure rage, and Marcus knew that Jack wasn’t being friendly. There was something else going on here. Whatever game Big Jack was playing, though, it didn’t matter. If it gave Marcus a chance to keep the Serpents away from Lisa, he’d take it.
    “When do we get down to business, then?” It seemed like a good time to change the subject, at any rate.
    “We aren’t going to talk about that here,” Big Jack said with a grin. “This is a get-to-know-you. Lewis here speaks highly of you, but you have to understand we’ve got to be careful who we work with.”
    Yes, you do, Marcus thought, making an effort to keep his smile from being predatory. However careful they were being, it wouldn’t be enough to keep him out. As long as he didn’t mess things up himself, that was.
    “We ought to get going anyway,” Lewis said. “Got a long ride tomorrow, after all.”
    Good . That would give Marcus time to see Lisa while the club was out of the way, and see how much he could tell her. The more she knew the more danger she was in, but he knew he’d feel unbearably guilty keeping her in the dark. Even if it was for her own good.
    If she let him speak, of course. He’d seen the shock in her eyes when she saw him, and she didn’t look happy with the company he was keeping. Not that he could blame her for that, after seeing how the Serpents were treating the town. He didn’t like that she might think he could be part of that.
    Maybe I should take it as a good sign, he thought. It means I look the part.
    It still hurt.
    The conversation went on around him, his new ‘friends’ talking away as he ignored them. He nodded enough to be polite, but his attention was elsewhere. His mind was fixed on that kiss, the sound of Lisa’s breathing, the feel of her lips on his. It was something he wanted to experience again as soon as possible.

2
    T he rest of the night was a blur for Lisa. Janet caught up with her after the short walk home, but she could hardly focus on her friend’s happy stories now. Not while her mind was full of that kiss.
    It was too familiar and too strange at the same time. She couldn’t even start to work out how she felt about it. At least Janet hadn’t seen it. That was a small mercy; it saved Lisa from having to talk about it when she didn’t even know where to start.
    Before she knew it, the bottle of wine was empty and Janet was leaving. Lisa hugged her goodbye and wished her a happy trip. As soon as her friend was out of the door, Lisa threw herself onto her bed and let the room spin around her as she tried to work out how she felt.
    The next thing she knew, morning light streamed through the window, the night long gone. She vaguely remembered dreams - Marcus with the Serpents, a deep hissing noise from the darkness of the woods, something coming for her. A terrible feeling of being trapped and crushed.
    Shuddering, she sat up, rubbing her eyes.
    I hate nightmares, she thought.
    A glance at the clock told her she’d overslept, and she rushed to shower and grabbed some breakfast before stumbling downstairs.
    Of course, the first day that Janet’s away, I’m running late.
    At least it was a quiet morning in the store, with no customers to interrupt her as she tried to wake herself with a strong