Marked By Pain (The Marked #2)(23)

He narrows his eyes on me. “Of course it isn't funny, I'm worried as shit. What made me chuckle was Locke's comment about the doctor looking like he just shit his pants. You're a scary fucker, Daniels, to most people anyway,” he replies. I let out a breath and grunt. Maybe I did take it too far with the doctor?

Looking at Kenzie one last time before I leave the room, I decide there isn't a ‘too far’ here. I would do anything for her. I send off a silent prayer to whatever gods may be listening. Please let her be okay.



Once I am far enough away from the compound, I pull over on the side of the road and pull my burner phone out. I dial my contact at the council.

“I need to speak to Mrs Curwood, now. It's important,” I snap as soon as he answers.

“Nice to talk to you too, Daniels,” Miles' voice responds sarcastically.

“No fucking time, transfer me now,” I snap.

“You're always such a pleasure,” he snaps back, and then before I can reply, I hear the transfer hold music. Who fucking thought people waiting on hold would want to listen to this crap? I almost smash my phone to escape the awkward 90s music. Like anyone wants a reminder of that.

“You have news?” Mrs Curwood's voice comes down the phone.

“Kenzie and Kelly are injured. They’re with healers and should be okay, but we cannot do the move tonight. It's off. Call it all off,” I say quickly.

“Call it all off? Our team is already in position, and ready to go on your signal. We have been planning this since she was taken, and now you are telling me we have to put this off?” she replies. I grip my steering wheel with my free hand tightly.

“Did you miss the part where I said both Kenzie, and your daughter Kelly are injured?” I say, hoping she meant to say something

“Surely we can pull this off, even if they are injured,” she says plainly.

“They’re not in a fit state to travel. I'm telling you it can't be done,” I growl. “Are you not the least concerned about your daughter?” I snap.

“I'm sure Kelly will be fine, as you said, she is being looked after by healers, is she not?” she replies, and I grit my teeth to keep in the reply. That woman is an emotionless robot. I've hated her from the moment I'd met her at the council building in London last year. She cares only about results, never what it takes to achieve those results. I wasn't surprised when she had so easily agreed to allow her untrained daughter to take part in such a dangerous mission, but this is a whole new level of low. How can someone be so uncaring towards their family? Does she not realise how lucky she is?

“Daniels, are you still there?” she asks.

“Here, but I'm going. Don't send them in under any circumstances. Trust me, if you attack without my help from inside, you will fail. I'll call tomorrow.” I hang up the phone before she can reply, and then I roughly throw it at the windscreen. I cringe when I see the chip it's caused there. Fuck, that's gonna spread. I'll be avoiding potholes like my life depends on it.

I get out of the car, slamming the door behind me and just walk for a bit, stretching my legs. So much adrenaline is coursing through me, I need an outlet, I need to do something. I call my protection mark, and then I call forth my wolf, shifting easily. A quick run in this form should do the trick nicely.





Chapter 14





Mackenzie





“Enzo?” I ask, hearing him talking to me, or maybe he’s talking to someone else, but everything is blurry as I just about croak out his name.

“Take it easy, I'm here, Crowe,” he says, his voice soothing as I feel a finger tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear as I blink my eyes open. The room is bright with the artificial lights on the ceiling, and everything looks so white. From the white walls to the white sheets I'm tucked into.

“What happened?” I ask, turning my head to the side of the bed where Enzo is sitting watching me. He looks worn out, with big dark bags under his eyes, his hair looks like someone has rubbed their fingers through it a million times and his clothes are wrinkled.

“Do you not remember?” he asks me, taking my hand in his and squeezing tightly as everything comes back to me in fast flashes. Verity using her air mark on me and Kelly. Kelly's face turning blue, her eyes panicked, the feeling of suffocating.

“You're okay, relax, Crowe,” Enzo says, but I can't stop thinking about the pain. The feeling of being so desperate to live, the twelfth power taking over without me calling it and how it burned each one of my marks. It hurt so much, my marks still feel sore from it as I feel them on my body. Enzo leans over me, pulling my head to face him and kisses me. I'm in shock for a second as he moves his lips against my own frozen ones, before I relax into the sweet kiss and return it.

“Get out of that head and be with me, Crowe. I will keep you safe, I'm never going to let you down again,” he promises me when he stops the kiss, but he keeps his lips close to mine. Our eyes are locked together and I feel, the promise in them. I feel everything as I stare at him, the emotion, the pain of nearly losing me, the anger and something else I can't even think of. Let alone say out loud, so I just stare into his dark eyes, wanting to get lost in the darkness of them.

“Enzo,” I whisper and he grins.