Page 67 of All That Glitters

Anything except join them on the plane ride.

Why had he been absent that day?

I couldn’t remember. Everything before and after the crash is a blur.

“I respected them, and it meant the world to me to be a part of their lives. My career only took off once Olivia signed with me. I owe her everything.”

Except he’s the reason they’re dead.

I’m having a hard time reconciling the gentle man kneeling at my feet with the one responsible for their plane crash, whether he knew it or not.

Marcus Ortega is at my feet.

I draw my knees up to my chest. This is all real. We’re still alive. He keeps his fingers looped around my ankle, as though touching me is his only tether to reality, and I take in his face. The dark strands of hair framing those high cheekbones. The stubble on his jaw and above his upper lip.

Something in his eyes glints at the way I study him.

“I had no idea about the crash,” he adds, as though he’s reading my thoughts. “I loved your Mom and Dad. They were great people, and I would have done anything for them. If I’m responsible for what happened to them, then I am so fucking sorry, I can’t even express.” He lifts his eyes to meet mine. “Blame me for all of it, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

“Secrets,” I manage to get out.

“I have a lot of them.” He shrugs, simply.

“You said you’d tell me everything.” At least my voice holds steady. There’s no stuttering.

“Are you ready to hear it?”

It seems to me he’s stalling for time, even though he does have a point. I force myself to nod and stare him down until my eyes burn.

“There are a lot of things I’ve wanted to tell you and haven’t been able to bring myself to. I’m not a good person, Empire.” The circles he rubbed along my skin with his thumb stall. “I told you that my past is a mess, and I’ve done what I have to do in order to keep it from you.”

“It caught up,” I whisper.

“It caught up,” he agrees, “and I did what I had to do in order to protect you, believe me or not. I’ve kept a gun in the desk on the off chance someone from Stanic’s family comes calling. And they did.”

I want to argue the point with him out of principle, because there have been good times and bad times between the two of us, not all of them resigned to one camp or the other, but various shades of gray over the years we’ve spent together. The man I’m looking at now seems the least likely to be responsible for a plane crash, in any capacity. He seems sweet and kind, caring.

He seems like a good person, generally speaking.

The way he came to my rescue during shooting the other day. The way he came for Parker today, even while recognizing the repercussions.

“I’m a very bad man,” he says.

I hug my knees tighter to me. “Tell me.”

“I’ve done things in my life that would horrify you, which is why I haven’t shared them with you or your parents. There will always be secrets I have to keep, because the more you know about Stanic, the more danger you’re in, and I’m doing my best to keep you from that life.”

“You said you’d share everything,” I argue.

“I wasn’t going to let Parker hurt you.” Marcus finally moves his hands up to my knees to pry them apart.

He unravels the towel I’ve clutched to my chest, and his gaze lingers on my breasts a short moment before he drags the shirt over my head, helping me get my arms into place.

“He came here today to threaten me and excuse his own bad behavior. Apparently, he saw your increased salary on his picture as a reason to make unforgivable cuts within his budget. When I called him out on it…how much did you hear?” His face hardens as he slides his palms down my arms.

Too much. Everything. Not enough to make full sense of the situation. I feel like I’m drowning, Marcus the one on the other end of the lifeline, and I want so desperately bad to believe he’ll hold on and bring me to safety. The way he’s acting now, it’s all too easy to believe he’s genuine, that he’ll be there to save me.

Without answering his question, I say, “You killed him.”

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