Marked (Marked #3) (9 page)

Clawing at my throat, I tried to take in huge gulps of air. Nothing. Not a goddamned thing.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

“Talan, I think she’s having a panic attack!” 

The world went black.

“What were you thinking, Talan?” What was my mother doing here? Her voice was faint—low and muddled, but I could still make it out through whatever hazy fog I was under. That tone pulled me closer to the edge of consciousness. It was disappointment mixed with slight anger. It was familiar. I’d heard it more than once while growing up. “Having her go through this when she’s only been home for—”

But why at Talan? Made no sense.

“Linda, honey, you need to calm down. This isn’t his fault.” Dad? “It’s part of procedure to have the victims interviewed as soon as possible. You were explained this at the hospital…quit the blame game because it isn’t going to help your case.”

“What case?” Talan spoke, and his unhappiness at the turn of events was clear. Concise. There was a certain edge to his voice that caused a shiver to run through me. Pleasure and peace. Safety. Having him near me was enough to calm my semi-conscious mind from the warning thoughts trying to break through. “Don’t hold back now.”

“Why wasn’t she taken back to the hospital?” Mom changed the subject.

“EMT came and assessed her while both detectives were here. It wasn’t a panic attack—she passed out. Her ribs are sore, and breathing became difficult due to the fact her body coiled tight. Her vitals were normal and she was awoken briefly by one…she responded in a normal fashion, but as you can understand, was tired. Hence, we are letting her rest.”

“Son, I think we should take this conversation outside.” Dad tried to reason, he himself seeming worried about something I wasn’t privy to. “I don’t want Maya upset.”

Why would I…

“We want to take her back home.” Silence. Deafening and suffocating silence filled the room, our room, if my favorite serenity sleep Febreze diffuser was anything to go by. The only thing that could be heard was harsh breathing—Talan’s—and someone shuffling their feet closer to me.

My immediate reaction was to panic, and I tensed, movement that was not lost on the man I loved more than my own life. His presence overwhelmed me in the best of ways, calmed my racing heart, and before the first gasping breath left me he was at my side.

The mattress dipped beside me and his scent infiltrated my senses. “There’s my sweet little Bitty,” he crooned, nose nuzzling the side of my neck in between soft kisses. “You okay, baby girl?” All I could do was nod. “Can you open your eyes for me?”

“Too bright.” Hoarse, my throat was dry and my lips felt chapped. What the fuck happened to me?

“Sorry,” he whispered sweetly before reaching the remote for the light and dimming them. “How about now?”

I was in pain. Every single muscle hurt. My head, right at the site of my stitches, pounded away as if a steel drum played beside my pillow.

“Don’t rush her.” My mother’s voice was close. If I had to guess, I’d say the foot of our bed. “Honey, there’s no—”

“Linda, back off.”

“But, Matt, she needs to—”

“What I need is for everyone except for Talan to get out of the room.” I’d heard enough of her crap. I got it. She was scared…worried, but that didn’t give her the right to interfere in my relationship with the man running his fingers through my hair in a calming manner. No one, not even my mother, would get between what we had.

“Maya, baby,” she began, her hand taking a hold of my left one and giving it a soft squeeze. When had she come closer? “We think it would be best if you came home for a while. Get away from all this craziness. Just a few months to let things calm down, and who knows, maybe you might be happier—”

“Are you out of your ever-loving mind, Linda?”

“Are you out of your mind, Mom?” We answered her in unison. My eyes snapped open and focused on the fuming man almost lying beside me. The quick movement hurt my head, but he had to see my truth. I kept my eyes attached to his while I made my decision even clearer. “Not going to happen. I’m happy here. Have everything I’d ever need and then some.”

“Talan understands it’s temporary, Maya. Don’t you, son?” If she thought her pleading with him would help, she was mistaken and his silence confirmed it. “Mathew, can you help me here! She needs—”

“For you to get out.” At his answer, I looked over at him and gave him a small smile. He, more than anyone, understood that in times like these, you needed your loved ones close. United front. Talan was my someone. My home.

“Mathew?” Dad looked over at Talan and nodded in acknowledgement. “Please understand that what I am about to say is not in disrespect and that I do care for you both.”

“Understood, but I won’t tolerate being insulted or cursed at.”

“Fair enough.” Kissing my lips once, he pulled back and stood to his full height. Not to intimidate, but to make his stance clear. “If either of you suggest she leaves again, I will kick you out. No excuse. Her place is next to me as mine is with her. You’re worried…then come and stay here with us while she recuperates. Stay with her while I am at work. But here, in our home, not yours. Understood?”

“It’s not your decision to make, Talan. What if Maya wants to come back with us?” Mom was now grasping at invisible straws.

“What part of I’m not going anywhere don’t you understand, Mom? Not going to happen,” I snapped, sitting up fast enough to make a wave of nausea roll through me. Clutching my head, I tried to breathe through the nasty feeling and focus on Talan’s presence coming closer.

“She’s clearly not thinking—”

“Mathew,” Talan’s angry snarl caused my mother to squeak. “Get her out now. I won’t have Maya stressed or put in an uncomfortable position just so your wife feels at peace with this insane fear that’s choking her. Enough already.”

With a terse nod, Dad pulled an offended Mom behind him. Before closing the door, he turned back toward us and gave us a weak smile. “Just so you know, I don’t agree with her.”

“Thank you, Mathew.” Another nod, and our door was closed. Talan lay down next to me and with care, pulled my body against his chest. My head on his arm. I was cocooned, and felt at peace. As if I could breathe.

“Well that was a load of fun.” His body shook in silent laughter.

“Not funny, dork.”

“No, it’s not, but it’s the only thing I can do at the moment.” Those sweet lips of his trailed the shell of my ear while he whispered the words. “I’m sure this isn’t the last we hear about the ‘going back’ bullshit.”

“I do get my stubbornness from somewhere.” Snuggling closer, I let the exhaustion I felt lull me into a state of unawareness.

“That you do.” Even half asleep, I managed to elbow him. “Ouch, babe.”

“You deserve it, you ass.” Closing my eyes once more, I matched my breathing to his. It calmed me down almost instantly. “Now sleep with me. We will handle her and the detectives later.”

“Whatever you need, baby. Sleep now, I got you.”

“Maya, are you sure about this?” Mom asked for the tenth time since I’d woken up a few hours ago. She was worried, or at the very least trying to control a situation that was out of her hands. Don’t get me wrong; I loved the woman, but if she questioned my decision to stay or to meet with the detectives once more, I’d lose my shit. “You should be in bed taking it—”

“I’m hurt not an invalid.” She reeled back as if I’d slapped her. “Stop babying me. Enough already.”

“Sweetheart, I’m not trying to control you here, but as your mother I shouldn’t be dismissed as if I were a nuisance. Am I scared? Yes. Any parent who loves their child more than their own life would step in and prevent their hurt. Let it be physical, mental, or emotional. I love you…” A strangled gasp left her and the woman I knew to be a complete badass crumbled. “Please reconsider coming home…at least until she’s behind bars.”

Wrapping my arms around her slender shoulders, I ignored the pain in my side and pulled her in close. Cried with her. Just like Talan, I needed to remember that this incident touched everyone in a different way. With her, it created fear.

“Mom.” Pulling back a tiny bit, I kissed her forehead and looked her in the eyes. “Stop.”

“But, baby—”

“Stop.” Squeezing her shoulders once more, I took a few steps back and took a seat at the edge of the bed. Patting the space beside me, she took the invitation and grasped my hand in hers. “For the next few minutes, I need you to listen. Really listen. Don’t let what happened continue to cloud your judgement, and take to heart what I have to say. Can you do that for me?”

Her shoulders dropped. “Yes.”

“Thank you.” Lying back, I pulled her down with me so we could look up toward the ceiling. An action that was quite normal for us when we had to have serious conversations. “Before I begin, I need to know one thing, okay? Need an honest answer.”

“No, I don’t blame Talan.”  Mom let out a long sigh before turning her head to look over at me. “It was never about him, more the situation you were mixed into by association. He loves you and we him. We all see it, but I can’t get past that scared emotional state that’s been eating me alive since we received that phone call.”

“Good. I’m glad you realize this isn’t his fault. That man carries so much on his shoulders. Too much. Add to his natural protective tendencies the fact that he ‘believes’ this is all his fault—it’s breaking him down. You might not see it, but the way you’ve behaved since the Brian incident hurt him. Something that to me is unacceptable.”

“That man could’ve gotten to you…”

“But he didn’t. Did he?” She shook her head no. “And that’s thanks to whom?” I didn’t wait for her reply and laid it all out. This time, my tone came out filled with all the frustration and anger she’d created within me with her behavior. “The same person you are condemning. He’s the one who has been by my side through it all. He’s the one that comforts me when that day replays in my head. He’s the one that would
kill
…” Mom gasped and clutched a hand over her heart, and I ignored her “…if it meant I’d find peace again. Talan would give his life for me. Makes me happy and I would never give our love up for anyone…not even you. So quit the bull and suck it up. This isn’t about you.”

“Maya, I…he…”

“I understand that this is scary, but unintentionally you are making a difficult situation harder.” Patting her arm once, I stood up, walked over to our bedroom door, and pulled it open. “Shit, babe! You scared me.”

Slightly watery eyes met mine. He’d heard; the love and passion that radiated back at me almost bowled me over. How could anyone try to deny us our happiness? Fuck that.

With one hand, he reached out and pulled a curl that had escaped my bun behind my ear. “The detectives are here for your statement, and I was sent to get you. Are you ready?”

Always worried about my comfort.

My possessively perfect tatt boy.

Looking back at my mother on the bed, I arched a brow and dared her to say a single word. She didn’t. Instead, she came to my side and held one of our hands in each of hers, squeezing down as if in solidarity.

It was a start, for now.

Before I let it go, she’d need to apologize to him.

Releasing her hands, I pulled down a smiling Talan and pecked his lips once. “With you by my side, always.”