Page 71 of Wicked Ends
He shrugged. “I don’t want to talk about that right now. Let’s talk about it later.”
“Okay.” I hoped his strange mood would shift over dinner. I reached out and took a long drink.
“So, what was Polly telling you? Pulling her old-timer waitress/therapist act?”
I shook my head. “Not much, just that you lived with your older brother for a bit.”
“For a bit,” Marcus repeated. “For a bit, after a group home. Did she leave that out?”
“No, she didn’t.”
Marcus’ eyes narrowed as he considered me. “What else did she say?”
“That you’ve never brought a girl here before,” I said, quickly hunting through the nuggets of info that Polly had shared for one that wasn’t too explosive.
Marcus nodded slowly. “True.”
“Why not?”
“Why should I?” he wondered. “My friends come here; Asher, my roommate, works here; my brother is here. I don’t have any need to bring a woman here.”
“I’m here,” I pointed out.
Silence fell.
“You are proving to be an exception in every way.” Marcus sighed.
I took another drink. For some reason, as soon as I’d started to drink, my tongue felt like a desert. I hoped I wasn’t getting sick.
“That’s not a compliment, is it?” I mused.
His mouth pulled up, but it was only a shadow of his usual grin.
“Just a fact. What’s wrong?” he asked when I went to set my drink down and nearly missed the table.
I managed but found my head heavy, nearly too heavy to lift.
“I-I feel strange.” I tipped my head back to lean it against the booth behind me.
“Don’t worry,” Marcus said calmly. He stood, slid into my side of the booth, and wrapped an arm under my shoulders. “It’s the sedative I slipped into your drink taking effect.”
“What?” I demanded, but it only came out a weak plea. “What have you done…” My words slurred, and the world slowed to a crawl.
He pulled me into his chest, cradling me closely, like we were lovers about to kiss. A finger rubbed across my lips, gentle but firm. His eyes were the last thing I saw. Green fading into golden brown.
His voice felt like a lullaby as I was dragged under.
“What I had to. I told you, baby, I always play to win. I’m sorry you’re going to find that out the hard way.”
Marcus
Ari wasn’t heavy.In fact, I could have carried her all fucking night as she slept soundly in my arms. Last night, my brother had delivered the news that in order for my dad to get parole, I needed to show up at court, in a shirt and tie, and beg for my father to be released. If I did that, there was a good chance he’d get out.
And then… my life would be over. My dreams would turn to ash. Everything I’d worked for would be gone; he’d take it. He always did.
It had been quite the fall from absolute fucking euphoria with Ari at the motel, to my brother’s slumped figure at The Clutch.
“It’s all down to you, Marcus. You have the chance to change everything for him.”
