away. It just wasn't possible. Something dropped to his left as another round of bullets flew by the car, peppering the door.
Marcus glanced over and let out a soft grunt. Shorty.
"I thought you said this shit was a deal." The thin black man who'd been by his side for the last eight years rolled over as blood poured from his mouth.
"Oh fuck." Marcus crawled toward his friend, pulling him behind the car and pressing his hand to his chest. "It's going to be okay. I'll get you out of here."
"It's not okay. You're the one that got me in here, bro." Shorty blinked slowly before his eyes closed for good.
Marcus let out a silent scream, his heart hurting in the center of his chest. This was Billy's heritage. Death and destruction to all who got involved.
Pulling his keys from his pocket, Marcus released his friend and snuck to his car door, getting in as fast as possible and driving off with his seat leaned all the way back. Reni could fend for himself. There was no fucking way Marcus was staying in the middle of the madness any longer.
He sat up and flinched as bullets peppered the back window of his beautiful classic car. "Mother fuckers!"
After making sure he was far enough away, he pulled over and grabbed his phone, dialing Zak's number. He needed to check in, and dealing with Victor was just too much at the moment.
"Marcus. What's up, dude?" Zak's voice was gruff.
"Billy Turner is what's up. I'm back in with him as a rat. I need to see you and Victor. When the fuck are you guys coming home?"
"Tomorrow. You sound upset. What's going down?"
"Fallout. I got out of there, but Shorty didn't." He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes tightly, wishing like hell he could make it all go away.
"Park at gate E at the airport. I'll have one of the jets prepared. Join us. Get the fuck out of there so that we can provide alibis should anything come up."
"All right. Tell Kate I'm headed that way. I don't want to surprise her."
"Will do."
Chapter 13
Kate
It felt so fucking good to be near Jon, to feel him wrapped around her. His neediness was bleeding through the edges of his tough persona, and she had to be careful not to dive off the cliff with him. She was supposed to be making things tough for him, and yet she couldn't help but beckon to anything he wanted. The night before had been magical - needed.
She dressed quickly after their conversation as a new possibility sprouted deep inside of her. Could Jon, her and Marcus stay together? Forever? Just the three of them? Would she be okay if Jon found someone else that he wanted to leave her for?
No.
If Marcus did?
Yes.
Then maybe she only truly belonged to Jon. Something about the statement just didn't sit right on her though. She and Marcus had been through far too much not to consider forever beside him. She walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, needing a few minutes to get her bearings. Wanting them both was too much to ask of either of them, hell, of herself.
Sitting down on the closed toilet seat, she pressed her face into her hands and let out a long shaky breath, trying to think through her next steps in their odd relationship. Victor would be taken out of the picture soon, or they would die trying. Billy was next on the list.
Once they were free and clear to make their own decisions, what would those decisions be?
Marcus would want her in partnership in some sort of business, no doubt. It would be the drug cartel or the club. She was fine with the latter, but the former?
"Fuck..." she growled against her hands. She was too much like Jon in wanting a clean life, and yet not being quite able to hold onto it tightly enough.
Jon would want a family, a house and a future. She hadn't had a period in the last ten years. Kids were a slim possibility due to simple genetics. Her mother had a horrible time getting pregnant with her, and she simply didn't cycle correctly like she should.
Could she give either of them what they