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Ta to make sense of it all in her head when Marko answered

"We'll be at your grandmother's soon, Tony," he said in a voice softer than his usual gruff bass "We'll be staying overnight, so don't let et to call Mahty teed off if we forget"

"Whatever," Elisa said with the bored insolence that teenagers seemed to have in abundance

Ta uises were all part of stage one precautions, she knew, but it all seeht up until their waiter stopped at their table He was an older randpa froht red intertwined C and S—The Crest Society's logo—on the inside of his wrist Taaze as he filled her coffee

"What can I get you folks?" the waiter asked

Shefor her while Isaac ordered half the menu for himself By the tione The plan was inot Isaac alone in the et every little detail he'd obviously failed to tell her when he'd gone into full on silent mode in the car

Chapter 18

Marko

The Crest Society's coon It had the same five-sided shape with a protected center, and no doubt a person's level of iher the farther in you went He and Elisa hadn't evenstopped by security and ordered to park the extended-cab truck registered to one Mark Ryan Marko had co the security guards he had an appointotten out of the truck, walked over, and stopped three steps behind hi back wasn't the best idea, but he couldn't help it His gaze always seeht to her no matter what

Seeing Elisa with her eyes downcast and as silent as a good, sub to Marko—it had his fingers itching to unwind the long rope of temporarily auburn hair she'd wound around her head in so to happen though, so he shoved his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants to stop hi out to her and turned back around

The ar in front of the co on the butts of their holstered nine millimeters weren't ih the open gate, he was important Tall and lanky, he moved like a man confident that the seas would part if he wished it Marko didn't spot a gun or any obvious bulges denoting a concealed carry, but that didn't erous as a bear just out of hibernation

"Mr Ryan It's good to finally er held out his hand, co Elisa as if she wasn't any more important than a family pet

It was a typical move from one of the Crest Society's male members, but it still pissed Marko o

ff He shook Fane's second-in-co harder than necessary but not nearly asas he could re hated assholes who could onlyothers feel worse Self-worth wasn't a zero suame Of course, bullies never understood that The dumb fucks

"I second that," Marko said, turning his body so Elisa was cut off from consideration and the conversation