Loving Marianna Book Two

Chapter Fifty- Four

Warning: animal/ creature cruelty

"Name?"

"Marianna Yanis."

"Cleared." I'm let through giant metal doors the smell of farm filling my senses along with the quiet chatter of people checking out the creatures and animals for sale/ trade.

"Be careful my love." Steve whispers in an ear piece a minimized Scott resting on my shoulder.

"I will be." I whisper back starting to look around. Seeing all of this makes me sick but I'm here for a reason and need to complete my mission, I'll come back when the job is done and help these poor babies.

I frown holding my hand up to the glass seeing a siren humming quietly hoping to give him some kind of peace, something of our people. He looks at me with sadness, and fear in his eyes and that's when I see the other, starved fragile sirens swim out looking just as frightened.

"I'm sorry I'll come back." I whisper having to walk away knowing if I don't I'll blow the whole mission.

"What happened? Is everything okay?"

"It's fine." I say not in a position to be able to explain further.

I keep looking around and shake my head not finding what I'm looking for.

Once I leave the building I walk to the car a few streets away and explain to Steve what we saw in there, he holds my hand squeezing at the more difficult parts to tell.

"We need to keep going to different places until we find a deviant." Steve nods starting the car putting the next address into the gps.

Place after place I find everything but deviants, more sirens, winged horses, all different kinds of creatures, most of which I didn't even know existed.

After another miss I open the car door and slam it behind me screaming as I hit the steering wheel making Steve jerk awake.

"You scared me I thought something was happening." Steve says relaxing back into the seat closing his eyes again.

"I think we should go home, we've been at it all day and night we missed dinner and bed time with Matteo we're tired, you're annoyed, we can continue this tomorrow, or later today technically." Scott says resting in the backseat closing his eyes.

"There's only a couple of places left, you can stay in the car and sleep, I'll be fine on my own, nothing has happened so far and I don't think that's going to change."

"No no I'll be going into everywhere with you." Scott says opening his eyes I smile and roll my eyes looking at him in the mirror before pulling away.

By the time we get there Scott and Steve are asleep.

I quietly get out making sure to lock the doors and head into the next place. Each one basically looks the same, hidden in plain sight, lots of metal, dingy. Really nothing special.

I'm let in and immediately grow nervous feeling the oh so familiar tingle on the back of my left thigh. It's very hard to ignore especially given the size of the soulmark but I do my best continuing to make my way around keeping my eyes on the different enclosures.

Turning away from a cage holding a small furry grey creature I can't quite identify but resembles a fox, I see a tall fit man and I freeze realizing who it is. The man smirks realizing my realization and I quickly turn on my heels.

"Going somewhere?" T'challas cousin Erik Killmonger or N'Jadaka says grabbing my arm stopping me from going anywhere. I yank my arm out of his grip and glare at him.

"This is not the time or place." I say walking away, he follows with a smile on his face accepting the bond. I accept the bond and don't have to look at him to know he still has a smile plastered on his face.

He follows me around silently looking at all the creatures with the same face as me, disgust, sadness, anger.

Oh Neptune. Is that truly what I think it is. Yes yes yes yes this search is finally over.

I speed walk over to the glassed in deviants and feel a pang of guilt for being excited about this, even if it's just because it's finally over or starting?

I go up to a woman holding a giant gun and point over to the deviants asking, "how much?"

"6 mil per." She answers simply.

"I'll take all three." Her eyes widen and she nods quickly rushing to get whoever is in charge.

Another woman steps out a wide smile on her face.

"I didn't think I'd ever get the pleasure of doing business with an Avenger. We only accept cash and can arrange transportation for all three beasts."

"I have transportation covered and can be back with the cash in ten minutes." I say and she smiles shaking my hand.

I quickly leave the building N'Jadaka following me.

"May I help you?" I ask rushing to the car like someone else is going to pop up with 18 million dollars for the deviants.

"Nah, just interested in what you're doing."

"And what are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be bettering the lives of Black civilians outside of Wakanda? Wasn't that the deal? From where I'm standing it didn't look like that's what you were doing."

"Maybe you should've been standing somewhere else then." He retorts smugly making me roll my eyes picking up the speed. We finally get to the car and I tell him to be quiet as I unlock it, pop the trunk and get out all the money I'll need, I also grab a few pieces of tech off of Scott being as careful as I can to not wake him up, succeeding, even managing to give him a kiss on the forehead.

I lock the door and we make our way back to the building.

"That's one of your mates?" He asks obviously knowing the answer. I nod my head.

"I could take him, easy." He smirks and I laugh.

"He comes with me and I'll whoop your ass. Remember that." I say joking but still as a warning I won't tolerate mate fighting or offing.

Once we get there the woman is waiting with a money counter and I hand her the duffel bag stepping up to the enclosure and minimize it with Scott's tech tucking the small glass enclosure into my pocket.

"Nice doing business with you." I say walking out Erik still following me.

"Are you just going to continue following me?" I ask walking back to the car.

"I don't have much else to do." He shrugs.

"What were you doing there?"

"Following a lead on a Wakandan creature being traded." He answers and I nod my head biting my lip.

"Sorry for just.. accusing you earlier. T'challa isn't your biggest fan and I've had a loooong day."

"Don't worry about it." He walks me back to the car and stands there awkwardly waiting for me to say or do something.

"Thanks for sticking around, made me forget my nerves." I say opening the drivers door.

"Can I see you again?"

"Of course." I answer.

"Can I come with you right now?"

"No, sorry. We have a kid and I don't thi-"

"You don't have to explain further." He says lifting my hand up to his lips kissing the back of it before placing a kiss on the tips of each finger. I watch his every move and feel my body heat up.

"T'challa will know how to contact me." He says, and with that he walks away into the night leaving me to sink into the drivers seat breathing heavily just from that small action.

New sexy mate aside, it's time to get to work.