Save Me by Ashley Monahan

look at me.  I’m broken.  Everyone feels sorry for me.  I just want my life back, before you and your friends decided to take a midnight drive.”
    Marc shifted in his seat.  Mercy pulled her hand from his grasp and covered her eyes with her hands.
    “Bring me home,” she said weakly.
    “You’re not broken,” Mar c said lowly in her ear.  He placed his hand on the side of her face and brought it to his face.  “You’re beautiful.”
    “No I’m not.”
    Marc wiped a tear with his thumb.
    “Yes, you are.  If I wasn’ t what I am, if I was more deserving—” he stopped himself.
    Mercy looked into his twinkling eyes.  He had a devilish smile with big white teeth.  He leaned his head forward so they were only a mere inch apart.
    “But you are what you are.”  A drug dealer.  A gang banger. 
    Marc nodded his head.  He looked like he wanted to kiss her.  Did she want him to?
    “Which is why I wouldn’t wish myself upon you.  You’re too good a person, Mercy.”  Marc pulled back and Mercy took in a deep breath.  Marc unnerved her.
    “It should only take an hour to get to Bellview.”
    “What about my car?”
    “You’ll have to get it tomorrow.  We can’t go back for it tonight.”
    Marc started the car and headed back onto the road.
    An hour later they pulled into Mercy’s yard.  Marc put the car in park and looked at Mercy.
    “Not that I don’t want to see you again, but I hope I don’t,” Marc said.
    “I know, I’m a pain in your ass, huh.”  Mercy tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear and looked at her stately colonial house.
    “Kind of.”
    Mercy pushed him, a smile escaped from hiding.
    “Ouch.”  Marc laughed and starred at her.  “You have a beautiful smile.  I wish I could have seen more of it.”
    Mercy blushed and she felt butterflies in her stomach.  Butterflies?  Someone must have drugged her.  She wasn’t the butterfly kind of girl.
    “Thank you for, ah, helping me tonight.”
    “Anytime.  And by anytime I mean don’t do it again.”
    “I won’t.”
    “I know how your promises work, hun.”
    Mercy smiled at the very bad man beside her.
    “Get inside before I chase you in there,” Marc joked.
    Mercy b it her lower lip.
    “Maybe I want you to chase me.”  Oh…my…god.  Did she just say that?  Oh, shit…
    Marc’s smile disappeared replaced by something more primal.  Before she had a second to regret the words that slipped her mouth, Marc’s luscious lips were on hers, his hands on the sides of her sore neck.  What started as sweet and gentle progressed.  Mercy opened her mouth and Marc explored with his tongue like a dehydrated man in search of water.
    “We can’t do this,” Marc said pulling back slightly.
    Mercy stroked the sides of his face.
    “Come inside,” she said softly.  What the hell was she doing?
    “You don’t want me, Mercy.”
    “Don’ t tell me what I want.”  Mercy brought her lips to his and lightly nipped his lower lip.  “Come inside.”
    “We can’t.”  Marc took a deep breath and put his hand on her leg, apparently forgetting it was gone.  He seemed surprised when he felt the metal.  He pulled his hand back and his eyes widened.
    “Right.”  Mercy unbuckled and felt a total fool.  “Just like every other man.  My leg.  It’s disgusting, I know.” 
    Mercy let herself out of the Porsche and made her way to her front door.
    “Mercy!” Marc called after her.
    She fought to get the key in the lock, then it fell from her hands into the darkness.
    “Shit,” she uttered.
    “Mercy.” Marc reached her side.
    “Go.”  Mercy rummaged the ground until she found the key.
    “It has nothing to do with your leg.”
    “Right.”  Mercy unlocked the front door and walked inside closing the door behind her, but Marc caught it before it could shut.  He followed her into the house.
    “Mercy,” he said frustrated.
    “Go, Marc.  You don’t need to explain anything to me.”  She whipped