Unwritten Rules (Filthy Florida Alphas 3)

“Honey, you do realize Marcum has claimed you as his? The last thing you need to worry about is money. He will pay for it. The biggest worry you have is if it will even work at this point. You could permanently paralyze the chords too, that’s always a worry. But then, you don’t exactly have much use of them now. Still, it’s something you two need to discuss.

“Claimed?” I croak.

“Claimed. He’s a little old for you, honey, but I’m not here to judge. You’re a smart cookie. As sugar daddies go, I’d say Marcum is one of the best. You sure won’t have to worry about anything as long as he’s around. And you’ll have the club’s protection when he’s not.”

I stand up somewhere in her speech. My mind is whirling around and around. She thinks Marcum has claimed me? I barely get time to register that before she accuses me of using him. She’s taller than me and probably better than me in every way one could measure. I shouldn’t have pride, but ironically I do and she’s stepping all over it.

“Which is good, because let’s face it. If an enemy doesn’t get him he’s probably not going to be around much longer. You’re a practical girl. I can respect that.”

My breath almost stops in my lungs. Marcum brought this woman into his club; it’s clear he trusts her and it just feels wrong that she repays him this way. I’ve not had anyone to show me loyalty in my life, and because of that maybe seeing it so blatantly pisses me off. I slap her, mostly to stop her talking, though I might hit her harder than I normally would have because I’m angry.

I’m tired of not having any control. I’m tired of being here, I’m tired of living a life where I’m forced to be put in these situations.

I’m freaking tired!

She stops talking and stops to look at me. Her eyes are wide with surprise. I figure she’ll either kill me in a fight or with her perfection, but I’ll at least try and make a good show of it. I prepare myself for it, knowing she will strike back… how could she not?

“You bitch!” she growls, but before she can hit me the door opens.

Kasha must not care because she grabs me by the hair and yanks my head. Which seems really weak. In her perfection, I expected her to deliver a cinematic punch that would knock me out. I try to jerk away. Unfortunately, I do it just as she tries to deliver a slap to the side of my face. I miss the majority of that, but I move at just a good enough angle her large diamond ring catches the bottom of my cheek and cuts it. I stomp on her foot and I might have done worse, but before I can, Ride comes over and separates us.

“What the fuck is going on?” he yells, and I figure this is where I’ll get worse. I had a chance against Kasha even if she is a freaking Amazon. When Ride hits me I probably won’t get up easily. Let’s face it, I never did well going toe to toe against my father.

“Marcum’s latest little pet hit me,” she yells and just because she called me a pet—like I was a dog—I reach for her hair and grab it hard before Ride can stop me. I’m rewarded by taking some of her hair with me when he pulls me farther away. Kasha tries to strike back, but Ride ends it.

“Don’t move, Kasha. I’ll be back. Marcum wants Toi downstairs,” he growls, and he does it in such a way, she immediately minds him. I can’t blame her. I’m more than a little scared of him too.

So scared I leave—even when he’s taking me to Marcum and I’d rather claw Kasha’s eyes out.23MarcumThe room is pretty silent once Ride leaves. Weasel tried to say a few things, but it was pretty clear we were ignoring him and thankfully he stopped talking. I’m second guessing myself. I shouldn’t let Toi anywhere near this fucker, but I don’t want to do anything she will hate me for later.

Because apparently I care what she thinks about me.

Or at least I think I do. This might all go away if I strangle Max and I just might—if I can find a way to do it without pissing my girls off.

“Here you go, Marcum,” Ride says coming in, almost pulling Toi with him. She looks around the room. There’s a frantic look on her face, but that’s not what bothers me. I walk to her instantly and it might be my imagination, but when I cup the side of her face she seems to calm.

There’s a thin line of blood trickling from a scratch on her face.