Willow in the Woods: Guarding the Willow

Chapter 32

Marcus

Loading everyone into the Hummer should have been far easier than it actually was.

The child was the easiest. Noel called "SHOTGUN!" and that's where she sat. Buckling herself in, sitting patiently and waiting quietly right up front. Marcus owed her an ice cream, or a sucker, or something you give a child for good behavior.

It was the adults that caused Marcus to take off his belt. The belt was actually used to hold Marcus's leather jacket together so that Willow would quit stripping it off. He had it zipped up but Willow was drunk, and Willow didn't want the jacket, she wanted to "Set my ladies free!" He had considered hog tying her again, but if she got sick there was no way for her to get the window down, and he did not want that in his floor board. If it was on the outside of the Hummer he could just take it through the car wash. If that was the case, he considered strapping her to the top to clean her off too. That was just being efficient.

With Willow causing so much of a problem in the beginning she got the back seat all to herself. She was demanding the extra space just in case they needed to pick up any more spirits.

"I hate to tell ya darlin, but that's not happening tonight. I think you have done more than your fare share of helping others cross over this evening." He said as he finished buckling her in while she was still tickling him. Marcus was a little ticklish just along his ribs, and now she knew. It had formed a problem getting onto her, and smacking her away, while laughing and trying to get her situated.

"But what if they needed me? I'm willing to do anything to help someone. Not everyone is like that." She said with her best pouty face. She was so damn cute.

"Ya, babe I know you are." Marcus stroked her cheek. "And that scares the hell out of me."

Getting Drew in the car was difficult for a whole other reason. Noel had been first in and ready to go. But Drew was being unnecessarily picky.

"Why does the child get the front?" He complained when Marcus opened up the back of the Hummer which lead to a couple little side seats that Drew could sit on, and buckle up.

"Because the front seat is for those who won't piss me off. Now hop on up and strap in." Drew scowled. Of course he was pissy. Marcus would be too if it looked like he was growing two horns out the side of his head. The one above the far side of his left brow was from Willow's boots. (Marcus supposed he was lucky she decided to keep those on.) The knott above the far side of his right brow was from the cement wall. And with his arms crossed over his chest and that menacing look in his eyes, Drew reminded Marcus of a pissed off little demon who really didn't want to play these games with him tonight.

"Well he's smaller than me. He can fit on these bucket seats better than I can. And you owe me for assaulting me over a stupid joke that Willow probably doesn't care about, and damn sure won't remember in the morning after everything she drank tonight." Drew continued his protesting while onlookers, walking into the parking garage, began to stare. With the way this place was made, conversations could be heard echoing all throughout the garage, if they were loud enough. And Drew, growing more and more impatient, was most certainly getting loud enough.

" He is a she." Marcus corrected him in a soft voice, hoping Drew would take the hint and keep his damn voice down. "And she gets the front seat because this is my car and I damn well say she does. Got it?"