Truth or Dare?

Sleepy whispers

Marcus's POV:

It was painful to feel her grip tighten around me but it was a pain I'd take over and over just to know she was safe with me.

How the fuck they thought I'd be able to sit back and watch that. My mind was a mess and my heart was hammering so hard I was worried it'd never calm.

"Marcus, shhh. I'm fine. Honestly, he didn't really hurt me. It was more of a shock." Her voice is like water onto the fire inside of me and I feel pieces of my body start to relax. When her little fragile hands reach up to grip either side of my face and pull me towards her, I feel like I'm being pulled closer to the gates of heaven.

"Shhh baby, I'm ok. We're ok. Just breathe." It didn't escape my notice that she was the one calming me down in this fucked up situation but if she let me go I think I'd probably try to kill Jonah with my bare fucking hands.

I can sense the men standing behind me rather than see them. I'm going to slaughter them!

Before I lift my body off of hers, her arms circle around my waist and her mouth is pressed to my ear.

"I know you want to lash out. Hell, I want to bloody lash out at their stupid method to see what I would do, but you need to remember that they wouldn't hurt me purposefully. This is my training and I'm sure you got a few bumps and scrapes when you trained."

My face twists into a look of pure horror as I think of her enduring some of the things I endured while training. Especially for the Shadows. Some of the methods for specialist training should be banned but I know she'll never know that if I can help it.

"You won't experience that Fliss. This is only a precaution. I'm not letting them train you like I'm trained. Fuck that!" She giggles. She actually fucking giggled! Did I miss the joke because I see nothing funny about all this?!

"Calm down Marcus. I promise, if it gets too much I'll say. I really want to be able to protect myself when you're gone. When you're here I promise I'll let you be my bodyguard." Her eyes shine with humour and I feel my lips twitch at her statement. I know she's trying to ease my tension and I guess it was working a little.

Her arms leave my body slowly as if she's testing my strength to remain calm. How fucked up this must look to the guys. I'm normally the calm and controlled one. The one who tells everyone else to think straight and not let our emotions rule our judgements.

Fliss makes me see differently. I just can't control any emotion around her. Good or bad.

My steady breathing must act as a green light for her because she lets me go and walks towards the guys. I'm about to walk towards Jonah when I see her stop in front of him. His smirk makes me more angry than it should.

Before I can open my mouth, Fliss speaks to them for the first time and I almost have to ask her to repeat what she said before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"You know Jonah, you're good but I thought you could do better for a special agent." She smiles a heart breaking smile at him and he shakes his head while laughing along with the guys.

"I got you good though!" He doesn't look angry with her and I realise that they have developed their own little friendship. I'm glad she's not scared of the guys but I can't help but notice she's a little more timid around the others than him.

He grabs her arm and pulls her in for a hug and my body tenses. Her arms wrap around his body and she laughs as she hugs him back.