Page 58 of Forever Mine

Liam: I'm going to kill him.

Me: I swear I've told you not to text me this shit. I don't want to be an accessory to murder.

Liam: I've texted that to you before? Oh, shit. Yeah. When I was dealing with the Zander bullshit.

Me: Yep.

Liam: Well, it's good to know you aren't too rattled right now since you're still able to get snarky with me.

Me: I guess. We'll talk tonight, okay?

Liam: Gotcha, crazy girl. We'll get this figured out.

I close my eyes for a moment before my phone dings again.

Unknown: I told you not to tell anyone, Monica. Change of plans. Meet me at the same bar in an hour. And unblock my fucking number right fucking now, or I'm taking Liam's kids too.

I feel vomit rise in my throat as I barely make it to the bathroom before emptying my stomach. Now he's threatening to take Liam's kids. He's obviously hacked my phone. I can't believe this.

I hear Liv grab her kids and leave, headed home to meet Liam. Emily loads up the girls to go pick up Jack from school. I take the opportunity to sneak out and drive to the bar Marcus told me to meet him at. He's already here, standing outside. I don't see his car.

"Glad you learned how to listen," he comments as I approach him.

"Where's your car?" I ask, looking through the parking lot for his older SUV.

"Oh, that piece of shit? That's not my car. I just drove that to get you to trust me. That's my car," he says as he points to a sleek blacked-out BMW. I'm horribly confused. Marcus works as a physician's assistant. No way he can afford that car. Before I can ask what's going on, his hand comes up and latches on to the back of my neck, and he pinches hard. "Let's go, Monica. I'll at least feed you first before we talk."

"I'm not hungry, Marcus."

"Well, I am. You can just fucking sit there, then."

He forces me into the bar and toward a back room. "Hey, Mitch, I want my usual. Make two. A whiskey, double. Actually, make it a triple. I'm celebrating."

"Got it, Nicky."

"What are you celebrating, and who the hell is Nicky?" I whisper as his hand tightens on my neck.

"We're celebrating the future, Monica. The future between you and me. The future where you help me get everything I was promised. Everything that was coming to me before it all got fucked up. And I'm Nicky, you dumb bitch. Nicolas, actually. Can't believe you bought it that my name was Marcus," he muses.

I whimper as he pushes me down into a booth harshly.

"What do you mean 'before everything got fucked up,' Marcus?" I ask. I don't even see his hand lash out until I feel the incredible sting across my cheek.

"What the fuck? I just fucking told you my name is Nicky. So don't fucking call me Marcus again," he snarls.

"Okay, I'm sorry," I murmur. We sit in silence as he scrolls on his phone. When I try to do the same, he yanks my phone out of my hand.

"You must think I was born yesterday. You're not letting those little bitches know where you are."

"How did you know I talked to them?" I wonder.

"I'm not revealing all my secrets yet,gattino."

"Did you just call me kitten?"

"Yes."

"Are you Italian?"

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