Page 113 of The Butterfly Killer

“What do you say?” Lucas grinned as he looked at Roman with a sparkle in his eyes. He knew he had Roman pinned exactly where he wanted him. But Marcus didn’t know if Roman really cared that much about him. They’d spent only a couple weeks with each other. Had they grown that close? Or was it all in Marcus’s head?

Marcus looked Roman in the eyes. “You don’t have to do this. I’ll be fine.”

There was no guarantee. Marcus might end up dead tomorrow. But he would have been dead weeks ago if it wasn’t for Roman saving him from Michael. But he wouldn’t have been in that position if it wasn’t for Roman in the first place.

Still, when Marcus remembered how he’d danced with Roman, how he’d watched Roman pin insects like it was a work of art, and how they’d held each other as Marcus got off to the fact Roman hadkilledfor him, he knew he wanted Roman to take this deal. He wanted him to live.

Roman reached out for him. Marcus met him half way. The sirens were getting louder. They were as loud as his pounding heartbeat.

“Come here, butterfly,” Roman whispered it like a prayer.

Marcus couldn’t resist. He came to Roman, two magnets finding each other after being apart for centuries. When they met, lips crushing onto one another, Marcus felt the whole universe being creating all over again. He felt as particles, gasses, and dark matter expanded and condensed to this single moment.

Inevitably, it had to end.

Marcus forced himself to pull away. He had to make the choice, had to be the one to put an end to this first because he didn’t know if he’d recover if Roman made it known he didn’t see Marcus as the center point of his life like Marcus viewed Roman.

Marcus began to turn away, but Roman grabbed his arm. Still, his eyes were lowered to the floor. The tears were in the back of his eyes. He wouldn’t let them fall. Roman couldn’t see him breaking down. He wouldn’t allow it.

“Look at me.”

The tone of Roman’s voice caught his attention. With wide-eyes, he met Roman’s gaze. There was no doubt Roman didn’t want him like he wanted him. There was a connection between them that scared Marcus. He’d never felt like this before and he didn’t believe he would feel like this ever again.

The anguish was real in Roman’s eyes. Even as good as an actor as he was, Marcus had become familiar with cardingthrough the lies and finding the embedded truth that not even Roman could hide.

“Promise me you’ll be safe.”

Marcus started to shake his head. Roman shook him. “Promise me!”

Marcus squeezed his eyes and nodded. “Yes.”

The sirens were even closer. They had run out of time.

“Okay.” Lucas severed the frayed ties between them. He grabbed Marcus and steered him to the door. “Go greet your friends.”

Marcus dug his heels into the carpet and turned to say one last thing to Lucas. He said it low enough that he hoped Roman wouldn’t be able to hear him.

“You fucking make sure he’s safe, got it?” Marcus didn’t care if he’d turned his back to the morals he’d upheld for all his life. He didn’t care if he was throwing away his life as a cop or his future as a detective for just one man.

Without justice as his purpose, he didn’t know what to devout his life to, but Roman seemed like a good place to start.

Lucas had that amused look on his face though tinged with a hint of annoyance this time. Marcus knew these moments were crucial for both Roman and Lucas to get out before the FBI showed up, but Marcus needed to know Roman was going to be safe with Lucas. For his conscious’s sake.

“You have my word.” Lucas dropped all the humor. His face was serious and his words even more serious.

Marcus believed him.

He ran out of the pool house and toward the main residence. He heard the squad cars reel into the driveway, the sirens deafening loud now. He wasn’t even through the main house when the doors were kicked in.

“FBI!”

Marcus froze with his hands up. The men with helmets and guns were a blur and so were the agents that came in behind them, weapons drawn.

The house was empty. Cortez and his men were gone. Long gone.

Minutes later when Marcus was escorted out of the house, he heard that there was no one else besides him.

Roman was gone.

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