"Think quickly," Marly said with a smirk. "You stink and I'm going to need a bath after dealing with you."
"Why, you … " Marly felt the knife press deeper across his neck, and a trickle of blood run down his neck, as he heard Trent yell out his name. Looking up, he saw Trent standing beside the same man he went to earlier, the older man had a restraining hand on Trent's arm.
"I've got this," he yelled back, trying to ease Trent's concerns. He knew Trent couldn't help him, but honestly he didn't need it. Still grinning in Trent's direction, Marly brought up his left hand and grabbed the knife arm of his attacker. At the same time his other elbow connected with the man's guts. As the attacker lurched forward with a grunt of pain, Marly used his hold on the knife arm to swing himself away from the man's body kicking the man squarely in the balls as he did so.
The man fell to the ground, but Marly still held onto his knife arm, causing the attacker's shoulder to crunch, the sound satisfying Marly's wolf. With a loud yell, Marly used his leverage on that same arm, and swung with his boot. Seconds later his attacker was on the ground unconscious. Marly slipped the knife out the man's loosened grip, wiping it on the man's shirt and then slipping it into his boot. He had a feeling he might need it.
Standing upright, Marly turned and found himself staring at the chest of his mate. Although every instinct had him wanting to cuddle into Trent's big arms, Marly knew this was neither the time nor the place and he took a step back.
"Are you okay?" Trent asked, searching his face intently.
"Yep, barely a scratch." Marly smiled, trying to reassure his mate without touching him. He knew that Trent's instincts would be screaming at him to hold and sniff him, to take care of the blood on his neck. He could see the tension in Trent's shoulders, and the pained look marring his face was hard to see, but he didn't dare offer the comfort he knew Trent needed, and he desperately wanted. He was reminded of why he couldn't when the older man who had restrained Trent came and stood next to his mate.
Clive, because Marly didn't see how it could be anyone else, looked him up and down, and then up and down again.
"You fight well for a young one," Clive said, his brown eyes finally resting on Marly's face.
"Practice," Marly said shortly. What else was he meant to say?
"Nevertheless," Clive started, but then a voice that Marly knew well yelled out, "what's that faggot doing here?" Clive turned and Marly could see Bob running over, stopping beside Clive.
"Helping out, by the looks of things and I'm damn glad of it," Clive said, turning his attention back to Marly.
"Helping out how?" Bob yelled again, and Marly could see that everyone in the yard was paying attention now. "He's one of the faggots me and Todd got in town. He's got no right being here."
"He's also the same man who took you and your seven friends to the cleaners in the alley behind Cody's the other day as well, or did you forget that bit," Trent grumbled loudly, coming to stand so close to Marly that their shoulders were touching.
"You did that?" Clive asked, watching Marly's face as though trying to size him up. Marly shrugged. He figured the longer he kept quiet, the quicker he could get out of the place.
Clive, though, seemed to have no problems speaking for both of them. He grabbed Bob by the scruff of the neck, and shook him. "You tried to tell me that the Black Skulls were responsible for the attack, you lying piece of shit. Instead you got taken out by someone who would look pretty good in a dress?"
"He had friends with him, lots of friends," Bob babbled, trying to get lose from Clive's grip.
"He was on his own, and you fucking know it, Bobbie. If you can't stop the lying shit falling out of your mouth, then shut it," Trent said firmly.
"Is this true?" Clive yelled, looking at some of the men that Marly knew were in the alley with Bob that day. No one would meet Clive's eye and there was a lot of shuffling feet involved. But Clive seemed to get the idea, when no one spoke up. Swinging a beefy arm at Bob, Clive knocked the man out cold and let him fall to the ground.
Turning back to Marly, Clive said formerly, "It seems my club owes you an apology and a debt of gratitude. That man you took out with the knife is the head of the Black Skulls, Jeff Read. Thanks to the help you and Trent gave, it's unlikely he will be coming after us again any time soon. If there is anything the Epitaphs can do for you, as a club we owe you a favor and I will see it honored."
Marly looked up at Trent who was alternating between glowering at the unconscious Bob, and watching Clive.
"Thanks, but no thanks," Marly said looking back at Clive. "Your men have caused enough damage to me and my friends. If your favor extends to leaving off the gay bashing in town, it would be appreciated, but otherwise, you've got nothing I want."
"Consider it done," Clive said, holding out his hand. Marly looked up at Trent who nodded imperceptivity. Shaking hands with Clive, Marly wondered if the man's word held any weight, but he didn't hold out any hope. Still, anything was better than nothing if it meant that people like Michael didn't feel the need to move out of town.
A wave of perfume washed over Marly's nose, and his nose twitched as he fought back a sneeze.
"Is this the little sub that has been keeping you enthralled?" The voice was female, and if Marly had to hazard a guess, this would be the infamous Stephanie. Not wanting Trent to get into any more trouble than he already was, Marly said quickly, "Trent's a friend of mine, nothing more." They were the hardest words he had ever spoken.
Marly felt Trent stiffen beside him, but he refused to look into Trent's face again. He knew his face would give too much away, and the situation was still volatile, although most of the club members had lost interest in them and were now picking up bodies, and helping red patched men to a group of black SUVs that were parked by the compound gates.
"Well then," Stephanie said, as she maneuvered her body between Marly and his mate. She reached up and whispered into Trent's ear, but Marly's wolf hearing could pick up every word.
"I spoke to my father about the BDSM thing. He said I have nothing to worry about. That as a sub I would hold all the power. So if you want, we can, you know – there's a room free out the back. I'll do whatever you say. I even picked out a safe word."
Marly growled, and he turned to face Clive, who was watching Stephanie and Trent with an impassive look on his rugged face.
"If there's nothing else, I think it's time for me to leave," Marly said to Clive.
"You came with Trent … "
"Who seems to be busy, and will probably be busy for some time," Marly snapped. In his peripheral vision he could see the woman was still hanging onto Trent like a limpet, and he had to get away before he did something completely stupid. Like rip the silly woman's head off.
Clive looked at him for a long moment, and then nodded. "Let me give you a lift into town," he said, heading for a bike in the center of the compound. Looking back at Trent, who seemed to be whispering frantically to the woman who was still draped over him like a fucking shroud, Marly hurried after Clive and hopped onto the back of the bike. Seconds later they were roaring out of the compound and Marly's last sight of the place that was so important to his mate, was Trent's stunned face as he watched Marly go.
Chapter Fifteen
When Clive pulled up in front of Marly's apartment building, Marly was surprised when the man turned his bike off. Sliding off the bitch seat, Marly said a hurried, "thank you," and turned away.
"Hang on young man, I want to come up with you for a minute if I may," Clive said, getting off his own bike and coming to stand by Marly. Thinking quickly, whether or not there was anything obviously Trent's in the apartment, Marly nodded, and ran up the steps. He didn't know what Clive wanted, but he had a feeling that Clive was going to warn him off of Trent, and if that was the case he would rather it was done in private.
Clive waited patiently while Marly unlocked the door. The small apartment didn't look any different than it did when he and Trent had left it just a few hours before. Indicating that Clive should sit on the couch, Marly perched on the side of the armchair in his living space and tried not to fidget.