Page 61 of Acceptance
“More bullets!”
Marnie screams, and Grayson moves them to the floor of the backseat to cover her. “You’ll be okay,” he assures her.
“Duck!” Lex shouts.
“You’re the only one in direct sight,” Grayson mutters.
More gunshots fly, and she turns into the clubhouse parking lot as the back tire is shot, almost causing her to lose control. The guys swarm around the stopped cars, guns aimed. Small guns, big guns, and a grenade launcher.
Where the fuck did we have a grenade launcher?
Most of the men run after the cars as they turn around and hurry away from the lot. Gunshots ring out, and it’ll be a small miracle if Julian or Travis don’t show up tonight.
“Lex!” Colt shouts.
Lex climbs out of the car and hurries to the backseat to help Grayson. “I’m okay, but Marnie’s in the back. We showed up to a guy beating her.”
They help Marnie out, and she staggers on her feet. Lex moves to help stabilize her, guiding her to the clubhouse. “He said I know something,” Marnie says, her head falling backwards. “I was just taking out the trash.”
“Let’s get her inside. Gunner, grab the first aid kit,” Lex calls out. “Come on, babe.”
“I don’t know anything,” she says, her head falling onto Lex’s shoulder. “I’m just the bartender.”
Worried she may need the hospital, Lex sets her on the table. “You’ll be okay.”
“You have glass in your hair.” Reaching out, she picks a piece out and drops it onto the table next to her. “That has to suck.”
Lex laughs and looks into her eyes, checking her pupils. “You have no idea. Your pupils are the same size, which is a good sign. What’s my name?”
“Lex Nichols.”
“Where are you?”
“The clubhouse. I’ve never been in a Chapel before. Not without getting into trouble.” Marnie looks around, her nose crinkled. “You should really look at painting or something. This is a lot of brown.”
Again, Lex laughs. It’s pretty much a running joke at this point. The fake paneling, wood floors, and brown ceilings make it brown on brown on brown.
“I’ll see if I can get Colt to agree to a change. It is rather dull, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know what he thinks I know, Lex,” she says. “Wait…”
Gunner walks in with the first aid kit as Marnie hops off the table, much steadier on her feet now, and she points to a picture of Nina on the board in the corner of the room.
“You know her, babe?”
“She’s the one.”
Venom nearly falls into the Chapel with Undertaker hot on his heels. The relief he feels nearly has him dropping to his knees, but he keeps himself steady as his eyes never leave the brunette.
“What do you mean by that, Marnie?” Lex asks.
“She’s the one who came in and asked if I could get in touch with Frances, but I don’t know anyone with that name. The tattoo, though, I remember memorizing it. She’s the one… I knew… Oh God, I was right.”
Undertaker gasps. “Right about what?”
“That she was going to die.”
“Why didn’t you fucking come to us?” he shouts.
