Page 57 of Robin and Marian
He straightened, finally getting it. “You owe Guy a debt?”
“And he’s calling it in—he’s calling it in for everybody now. None of this would’ve happened if it hadn’t been for you. But what do you care? You’re off partying at the big house.”The big house—with difficulty he kept himself from saying anything. “So yeah, some people have everything because they cheat and lie and steal! But I have nothing! Nothing!Ifollow the rules! I guess that’s why my car can’t keep up with yours.”
Robin knew what it looked like; Guy bled them dry and bought up extravagant cars with what he made off of them, and now Robin was driving up in a big fancy Porsche like he worked hand in glove with him, but none of this was his anymore. He literally had nothing to his name. He couldn’t help her. Robin put his hands out to her, trying to find a way to reach her. “I can change a tire. Just let me change your tire.”
“Right.” It was a small, tired sound. He didn’t like hearing her hopelessness, but she didn’t fight him this time. He got the tire out, and Marian stepped from the convertible, talking softly to Sierra and her daughter. The mother sat there and cried, but the child took interest in a keychain Marian pulled from her purse.
It took him less than ten minutes to change the tire and send Sierra and her child on their way. She couldn’t look at him, and knowing what she believed, Robin didn’t blame her. He couldn’t fix that as easily as he could a tire. He retreated back to the Porsche, and Marian got in beside him. He looked over at her, seeing her pull her coat closer to her, her shoulders slumped.
He’d been selfish to drag her into this life with him, even as his arms ached to hold her. He studied each and every freckle on her face, wanting to settle kisses on them all, but as the cold reality of his life seeped into focus, he wondered what sort of future he could possibly offer her? What if he wanted to marry her and have children like they should’ve years ago; was that even possible?
The familiar feeling of helplessness overcame him just as it had in the beginning when the sheriff had first clamped the cuffs over his wrists. He couldn’t help his sister; he was powerless against whatever Guy was planning; he couldn’t get within ten feet of anyone who could aid them. Their joy ride had turned joyless, just like everything else.
Even Marian looked drained, and she stared straight ahead. “We have to go back. Tuck took my… stuff. It wasn’t in my purse.”
He didn’t ask what was stolen. The tires screeched on the Porsche as he viciously switched directions. At least now he had something to fight. They reached the parking garage in half the time it had taken them to leave it. Luckily for Tuck, he wasn’t in the way or Robin would have run him down. Parking the Porsche one last time, Robin hopped out and found Tuck lounging in a Ferrari. Alone. The redhead must’ve figured out he was crazy.
Marian followed him, but acted reluctant about it. “Robin, just let me talk to him.”
What was she talking about? He had this. Tuck took one look at Robin’s face and winced for him. “Rough night?”
Sierra must’ve left her mark on him. Robin didn’t take the bait. “You took something from Marian.”
That pulled a laugh from the man. “And she thoughtyoudid it?”
“No, but if you don’t want your face to match mine, you’d better cough it up.”
“I just wanted to see it,” Tuck said defensively, but he knew Robin was serious because he wasted no time reaching into the glove compartment for it. Marian called Robin’s name behind him, but he couldn’t figure out what she was saying before Tuck tugged out a necklace rife with jewels. It clanked loudly together.
Robin pulled back in surprise the moment he saw it. “Where’d you get those?”
“He got those from my purse.” Marian snatched them away before he could get to them.
“That’s not what I meant,” Robin said. He recognized those. “Where’dyouget those, Marian?”
Her cheeks had flushed to that pink that he loved, but he sensed something more serious behind it. “Guy gave them to me, but I’m returning them. I just didn’t have a chance, yet.”
“When?”
“Tonight.” She stuffed them in her purse like she was trying to hide them from him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He knew it sounded petty since he’d never told her that he was innocent, but this felt different. What was Guy doing withhisMarian?
“You don’t have to worry about it.” She got huffy. “I don’t want anything from him. I’ll get these back.”
“No, you won’t.” Guy had no right to them. “Give them to me.” She looked shocked and he hurriedly explained, “They belonged to my mother.” They would’ve been a part of his inheritance someday. And there was more where these came from. A lot more. Robin was furious. His cousin thought he could take his mother’s things too? “Did you notice other jewelry?”
His words had shocked her, and she pulled them out of her purse. “These were in the safe in his study, but I didn’t see anything else.”
“He got her alone,” Tuck said, like he had predicted the whole thing.
Robin’s gaze shot to her and he saw it in her nervous eyes—something had happened. Had Robin put Marian in danger? He’d told Guy that she knew what he’d done. Robin wanted nothing more than to protect her, but for the second time that night Robin began to question whether he was good for her. This was becoming too big for him, and it could crush her too.
“It’s fine!” she cried. “I’m fine!” She pushed the necklace at Robin, folding his fingers over it. “I wanted to tell you. It didn’t feel like the time—he keeps offering to take me riding. That’s it.”
Why was she trying to brush this off? There was more to this than what she was saying, and he knew Guy had done something to make her afraid. The anger that filled him made it so he could barely think straight. And staring down at the necklace, he suddenly realized everything that he could do with it, especially if he found the rest of his mother’s jewelry. He looked over at Tuck. “I’m up for an adventure, how about you?”
Tuck tensed in excitement. For once, Robin would need his sticky fingers. Guy was calling in his loans? Well, Robin knew how to help Sierra and everyone else in this town. “I was thinking of robbing the rich to give to the poor tonight. What do you say about that?”
