Sinful Longing (Sinful Nights, #3)(24)

Colin: You better not get serviced by anyone but me.

Elle: As if I need anyone else’s services.

Colin: Also, that is an awesome offer. You should take her up on it.

Elle: I know. I’m lucky that she wants me to have a booty call. Though, I don’t want you to think I’m only into your body. You have a nice brain, too. And you’re fun. :)

Colin: Why thank you. I’m honored you’ve noticed more than my cock. So does that mean you’ll grace me with your presence for, say, Thai food after said booty call? You know, since that’s fun. :)

Elle: As long as I can order the super-spicy, burn-your-tongue-off pad Thai.

Colin: Like I’d order anything else.

Elle: I can’t wait…for pad Thai and that thing I want.

Colin: Hmm…Can’t remember now…what is that thing you want?

Elle: What you said to me in the stairwell.

Colin: I think I remember. You wanted a back rub, right?

Elle: Yes. Absolutely.

Colin: Or was it a foot massage?

Elle: Please. I can’t wait for you to touch my toes.

Colin: Or maybe, it was something else? Refresh my memory, please.

Elle: Braid my hair. I want you to braid my hair.

Colin: Ah, yes. I am going to braid it so good you sing my name to the heavens.

Elle: You’re on.

*

The face was eerily familiar.

Colin nearly stopped in his tracks as he rounded the corner on his way to the game room at the center. That guy. Walking toward him. Colin had noticed him shooting hoops a few times. He’d seen him in a math tutorial a couple of months ago.

But he’d also seen him in a photo on Brent’s phone.

His eyes widened as he studied the guy heading in his direction. That was the dude who’d been stalking his twin sister. Brent had taken a picture of him outside Shannon’s home one afternoon more than a month ago.

What the hell?

The hair on his neck stood on end. A primal instinct to protect his flesh and blood kicked in. He wanted answers. Wanted to know why the f*ck a teen at the community center had been parked outside Shan’s house…more than once. The guy had dark eyes, dark hair, and ink covering his right arm. He wore jeans. His boots clunked on the linoleum floor.

Colin hadn’t yet gotten Brent to resend the image so he could forward it to Elle. Now the guy was here, and Colin was going to cut out the middleman.

“Hey,” he said to get his attention.

The guy stopped short and peered around, like he was making sure who Colin was talking to. He pointed at himself and mouthed me?

“Yeah. You,” Colin said, tilting his head. One part of him wanted to demand an answer. But the other part, the rational, logical, adult portion, told him not to jump to conclusions.

Give him the benefit of the doubt.

“What’s your name?”

“Marcus,” the guy answered, shifting on the balls of his feet.

Colin motioned him to the side of the hallway, next to the bulletin board layered with announcements for center activities. A poetry class. The free lunch schedule. Basketball leagues.

Marcus joined him. Colin scrubbed a hand across his chin, then dived into business, meeting him square in the eyes. “This might sound weird. But I’m pretty sure you were hanging around outside my sister’s house a few times. Shannon Sloan. What’s up with that?”

He answered immediately. “It’s not weird.” Marcus pulled up his right shirtsleeve. Colin flinched, but quickly relaxed when he saw the ink. It matched Rex’s arm. Protector. “I do safety patrols with the Protectors,” Marcus added. “If you saw me somewhere, that was probably why. We go to a lot of neighborhoods.”

He blinked. “Really?”

Marcus nodded. “Yup. We do. And I do.”

A smile broke out across Colin’s face. Color him impressed. “Rex was telling me about the Protectors. Like the Guardian Angels.”

“That’s where we got our inspiration from. Rex and I do patrols together sometimes. By the way, it’s nice to meet you officially.” He extended a hand. Something that looked like happiness flashed in Marcus’s eyes as they shook. Colin wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Sorry, I should have given you my name. Colin Sloan. I volunteer here. Good to meet you, too. Truth be told, I was worried you were part of the Royal Sinners. We thought you might be when I saw you outside Shan’s house. That you were targeting my sister for something.”

Marcus held up both his hands, a sign he had nothing to hide. “No. God no. I want nothing to do with them. I was just checking things out. We’ve been scoping out a bunch of neighborhoods, even nicer ones. Just to make sure.”

“Make sure of what?”

“That the streets are safe. No matter what.” Marcus tapped his arm. “Always.”

“That’s awesome. Keep it up, man,” he said. He couldn’t wait to tell Shannon and Brent that there was nothing to fear, and that this kid was doing a good thing for the community. Colin knocked fists with the young man. He started to walk down the hall, when Marcus called out to him.

“Hey.”

Colin turned around. Marcus swallowed then cleared his throat, as if he was about to say something difficult. “I sat in on one of your math sessions a few months ago. When I first checked out the center.”