Unwritten Rules (Filthy Florida Alphas 3)

“I want you to eat with me before I have to get some work done.” I color at his words and he actually laughs. “I mean to eat food this time, Toi.” I gasp in shock and that just makes him laugh harder.

Before I can reply he gives me a kiss. It’s quick, but intense, and his tongue invades my mouth like a solider on a quest. When we break apart, he stays close for a minute, kissing my forehead.

“Marcum…”

“Don’t keep me waiting, Toi. I want you downstairs.”

“But—”

“And wear this when you do,” he orders gruffly and walks out the door.

I’m left holding his cut, the heavy leather warm to my touch, and staring after him, wondering exactly what I’m going to do with this changing Marcum…. A Marcum I like—even if I shouldn’t.39Marcum“We need to talk, Marcum, honey,” Cherry says the minute I sit down.

“Don’t see why,” I grumble, annoyed that she’s here. I should have her locked up and monitored. After interrogating her some last night and talking with the men, I decided against it. I looked to Topper and Ride for guidance on this one, because I’m not sure I can be impartial. Our final decision was to let her believe we somewhat trust her, just to see what her next move is. My only request is we keep her from the kids, so I’m not sure how the fuck this is going to work full time. Hopefully Cherry will be gone soon.

I’m probably a stupid fuck, but she was a decent woman before. I don’t think she’s lying about the reasons she was helping Weasel, but something does feel different about Cherry.

Fuck. Maybe it’s because I’m not thinking with my dick.

“You’re angry with me,” she sighs. I look at her then, appraising her. Honestly, I haven’t paid her much attention. She hasn’t changed a lot. Her hair is shorter these days, her makeup a little heavier, but mostly the same Cherry she was before. The same one who told me she couldn’t live with me knowing I killed another woman so easily. The same woman who apparently never understood me from day one.

How could she, if she thought that I would let Jenna continue to draw air after knifing Max and the club in the back? She fucked with my son and got Tess shot. I almost lost them both because of her. Jenna knew what would happen; she wasn’t a fucking stranger to this club, to the rules we lived by. If I hadn’t retaliated, I wouldn’t be sitting here. Fuck, I wouldn’t be breathing. My world sniffs out weakness and if they find it, you’re fucked.

“You came back to help out an enemy of my club,” I start.

“I didn’t know he was an enemy, honey. When I was here, he was one of the crew.”

“Weasel was never one of the crew.”

“He helped you sometimes. You used his skills and he had club privileges,” she argues.

“I’d buy that from anyone else, but not you, Cherry. You lived behind my walls. Fuck woman, you slept in my bed. You knew how shit was done, and you still did it.”

“I thought I was helping out the club.”

“You want to help the club, you come to me,” I shrug, as one of the club girls puts a plate of food in front of me.

“We didn’t exactly leave things on good terms, Marcum, honey.”

“That’s a good reason for you to walk away and not get involved.”

“Marcum, I still feel loyalty to the club and to you. I can’t just turn that off. I don’t want you angry with me.”

I lean up on my elbows and look at her, really look at her. I didn’t love her, but I should feel something… and yet, I don’t.

That probably makes me a bastard, but it doesn’t change the truth.

“I’m not angry with you, Cherry. If I were, you wouldn’t be inside the walls of my club, sitting at my table.”

She smiles at my answer and something flashes in her eyes that I do not like. I don’t know what it is, but it’s different than any other emotion I remember from her and it sets off warning bells.

“I’m so glad, Marcum. I think we have a lot to talk about.”

“If I was angry, you wouldn’t be breathing right now. Then again, you know that. That’s why you left,” I remind her, driving my point home hard, because I’ve always been a firm believer in going with my gut. And, right now, my gut is telling me to keep an eye on Cherry.

Her face pales and it damn well should. My mood is soured, but luckily that’s the moment Toi comes down the stairs.

She’s walking a little tenderly and I can’t help the cocky grin that spreads on my face. I wasn’t easy with her, and I’ll probably continue to be that way. Toi’s like a drug that goes straight to my head.