I shuddered in Marcos arms, hating that they were talking about me like I was a child that need taking care of. I hated that I was so broken after everything that happened. Pulling away from Marcos, I took deep breaths as I wiped my eyes. “Maya?” Nico asked, sliding on to the bed next to us. “How you doing, Little Dreamer?”
I laughed sardonically and shook my head. “Fine.”
“Yeah,” Nico deadpanned.
Looking over at the door, I watch as Jason walked away and frowned.
“Don’t worry about him,” Nico said, trying to cheer me up.
I shake my head, not wanting to hear excuses.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Marcos asked, his voice tentative.
I narrowed my eyes on my lap, wondering if he was being serious. He’d practically avoided all conversation about anything important in the last couple of days. Even in the hospital, Marcos had been present but distant at the same time. Face value only, nothing below the surface.
Granted, in the hospital I had Nico by my side constantly, my mom and Jenna visiting, even fucking Jason read a damn romance novel to me every night. And where was Marcos? Present, but not.
It drove me up the fucking wall and I was about done with it. “Do you want to hear it?” I shot back, looking up at his handsome face. His usual trimmed, dark goatee was longer, thicker, and the beard had grown in on his cheeks. I loved how ruggedly handsome it made him look. I would have to tell him, so he wouldn’t shave it off.
His eyes flashed to mine. “Of course I do, Mi Vida.”
I shake my head and hang my head. “You say that, but then you avoid me.”
“I’m not avoidi—”
“You’re distant. You’re here, but you aren’t, not really.” I look up and meet his gaze again, his dark eyes are tortured looking—wide and emotional, glassy. “You’ve been here physically, Marcos, but you’re not really here mentally. Why? Where are you?”
He lets out a shuddering breath as a tear slipped down his cheek.
I reached up and slid my hand over his cheek, brushing his tear away with my thumb, as I wait for him to respond.
Marcos’s eyes slid shut. “Mi Vida.” My name leaves his mouth on a whispered breath.
“My life.” I murmured in return.
His eyes snap open, the intensity of his love for me pouring out of them. “I can’t stop thinking of what happened, how I almost lost you. I saw the videos o—”
I jerked away from him abruptly. “What? You saw—how?”
“He filmed you…”
“I know he fucking filmed me,” I snapped. I slid off the side of the mattress and pace around the bed from him, needing some space. I whirled back to face him. “How didyousee the videos?”
Marcos stood up slowly, acting as if I’m some cornered animal about to lash out at him. “Axel, our brother from the cl—”
“I know who Axel is!” My heart started pounding in my chest.
Marcos started talking faster, as if realizing I needed the information faster. “He got the link to the dark website that Hillcrest uploaded them to. It was through the videos that we were even able to track you down. Kevin’s brother Jack is some tech guru.”
My heart hammering in my chest, I clenched my fists and tried to steady my breathing. “So you’re telling me, that not only have you watched those videos of me being completely violated, but so has half your club? The Knights as well?” I pant as my breathing grows labored. Panic surges in my veins.
“No, Maya. No.” Marcos shook his head vehemently. “I promise you, no one else saw them but me and Jason. Jack was able to use them to back door hack into Hillcrest’s system and Axel never looked at it. I promise you.” He moved closer and my vison blurred around the edges. “Maya, Mi Vida, please. I need you to breathe. Come on, now.” His hands landed on myshoulders, sliding down to my elbows as he pulled me into his embrace.
I took a gasping breath as a sob tore out of me. Shuddering as deep guttural sobs destroyed me, Marcos wrapped me tightly in his arms. “Let it out, my love.” He murmured, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Get it all out.”
I screamed in rage as I clung to him. The idea of other people watching me be so thoroughly debased and humiliated tore at me. That the videos were floating somewhere out there on the internet forever. What if Luke somehow stumbled across those videos when he was older? My heart broke all over again as I cried.
Marcos
