Page 70 of Black Heart

“I’m not sure,” Shayne admitted, which wasn’t exactly comforting at the moment. “Maybe ye should make a run for it, lad.”

Tristan glared at the bastard. “How exactly is that helpful?” he demanded in a harsh whisper as his eyes darted back to the top of the stairs to make sure that they were still alone.

“That’s all I have right now, lad,” Shayne admitted with a heartfelt sigh.

“It’s not very helpful,” Tristan said, slowly exhaling as he considered his options.

“It is what it is, lad,” Shayne said, shrugging it off.

“Well, it isn’t much,” Tristan said, deciding that he’d rather get this over with. He didn’t want to do this, but he’d hurt her, and he’d do anything to make this right.

He forced himself to walk up the stairs as dread filled him.

“Don’t let me fuck this up,” Tristan prayed as he made his way upstairs and headed towards his room.

When he didn’t find her in his room, he turned around to leave only to frown when he spotted her shoes on the floor. A few feet away, he spotted her nylons and a few feet away from those, he spotted her pinstriped skirt lying in front of his bathroom. More than a little curious, he followed the trail of clothing and pushed the bathroom door open and found her blouse on the bathroom floor. A few feet away from that was her bra and-

Couldn’t help but groan when he spotted Marty surrounded by bubbles in his tub as she absently twirled a pair of lacy pink panties on her finger. When she saw him, she gave him a teasing smile as she sent the panties flying in his direction with a simple flick of her wrist. He caught them as he leaned back against the door.

“I thought you wanted to talk,” Tristan said, wondering just how much she was going to want to know and if he would be able to tell her without losing his fucking mind.

“Not unless you do,” Marty said as she leaned back against the tiled wall and closed her eyes.

“I don’t,” he admitted softly.

“Then, there’s nothing to talk about,” she said, shrugging it off as she shifted to get more comfortable.

“What do you want to do instead?” Tristan asked, wondering where they were supposed to go from here. Thankfully, Marty had an idea.

“You could start by getting me a Coke,” she said in a teasing tone that relaxed something deep inside of him.

“A Coke?”

“Mmmmhmmmm, ice-cold,” Marty said with a satisfied sigh while he stood there, wondering how he’d managed to win over a woman that he clearly didn’t deserve.

* * *

“Help me, please!”a woman cried, startling Marty awake.

She opened her eyes and glanced around the large bathroom only to frown when she didn’t see anything. She swallowed hard as she settled back against the tub even as she listened for a television or a radio, anything to explain the goosebumps racing over her skin and the tiny hairs standing on the back of her neck.

After a moment, she shook it off, telling herself that she’d imagined it. She started to relax when she heard movement in the bedroom.

“Tristan?” she said, wondering what was wrong with her.

“Sorry it took so long. Mom called and wanted to know if we wanted her to bring over some food,” Tristan said, chuckling as he walked into the room, carrying a Coke as self-preservation kicked in.

“You told her no, right?” Marty asked, already moving to climb out of the tub and make a run for it just in case.

“I told her that you were curled up on my couch, fast asleep,” Tristan said as he pulled his holster off his belt and placed it on the counter next to the Coke.

“And she believed you?” Marty asked, debating the odds of making a run for it before Beth showed up with a casserole.

“No, but you should probably know that Denny tried screwing us over so that he could make a run for it,” Tristan said, chuckling as he toed off his shoes.

“That rat bastard,” Marty said as she slowly sat back.

“Yes, he is,” Tristan said, chuckling as he pulled off his shirt and revealed an incredible chest, but that’s not what had Marty hungrily licking her lips. It was that smile of his, that bad-boy-make-her-blood-boil smile of his. She was glad that the stressed expression that he wore earlier was gone. As she watched him remove his pants, Marty couldn’t help but wonder if that smile was because of her.

---