Page 69 of Thunder

Fuck him.

Panting, sweat dripping from my brow, I turn to Lia.

She's trembling but unharmed. Our eyes lock, and it's as if time stands still. Relief floods me, followed by gratitude and a profound love that threatens to consume me whole.

"Marcus..." she whispers, her voice shaking. “I was so scared.”

"Lia, you're safe now," I say, rushing to her side, pulling her into my arms. Her body trembles against mine, and I hold her tighter, refusing to let go. Our lips meet in a deep, passionate kiss.

"Thank God you're here," she murmurs against my mouth.

"Always," I breathe, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. "I've got you, and I'm never going to let you go."

"Marcus, I love you," Lia whispers, her lips crashing into mine with a need that steals my breath. Our tongues dance together, a sensual battle mirroring the chaos of moments ago.

A low groan interrupts our passionate exchange, and we both turn to see Brian stirring on the floor, his battered face a testament to my unyielding rage.

"Shit. How the hell is he still conscious?" Lia gasps, her eyes wide with concern. "We need to tie him up.”

“No, I need to finish what I started,” I growl.

Lia shakes her head, tightening her grip on me.

“No. Marcus, he has the information we need, and you and I are going to make him talk."

"Fine. I’ll take care of him. Stay back," I warn her, pushing her gently behind me as I stride toward Brian. I drag him to his feet, wincing at the sticky blood coating my hands. With a quick glance around, I spot an extension cord and snatch it up, swiftly binding Brian's wrists together.

"Think you can walk?" I snarl at him, my fury simmering just beneath the surface. Then I laugh, bitter, when he shakes his head. “Think I fucking care?”

"Fuck you both," he spits out, his words slurred.

"That’s no way to speak to your captors," I shoot back, tightening the makeshift bonds. "Not unless you want to turn this interrogation into an execution."

"Marcus," Lia calls softly from behind me, her tone urgent. "We have to find out what he knows."

"Right," I agree, turning my attention back to the man whose life now rests in our hands. This is it, the moment when everything changes. I shove him into a chair and stand over him. From my pocket, I pull a knife, let the blade shine in the dead glow of the overhead fluorescent lights. With the tip of the blade, I trace a thin line against his cheek, so light it’d make the kiss of a butterfly seem like a punch in the face. “It’s time for you to tell us everything you know aboutMar y Tierra, or I’ll make you wish you’d never been born.”

Chapter Thirty

Amelia

This room, once my peaceful, after-work sanctuary, once the blush-inducing place where I first made love with Marcus, now feels like a prison. Cream-colored walls close in on me, suffocating me like a tightening noose; shards of shattered glass from the lamp Brian broke catch the light, shimmering ominously; specks of red—blood—decorate the walls and my bed with an almost artful spatter print.

"Stay behind me, Lia," Marcus commands, his voice low and measured. He stands between me and Brian, who is securely bound to a chair with a power cord, his face an unsettling blend of blood and defiance. “You don’t need to watch this.”

I nod, swallowing hard as I try to keep my fear at bay. My heart races, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

"What are you going to do?"

"Find out who sent him," Marcus says coldly, his piercing green eyes locked on Brian's bruised face. "And make sure they never come near you again."

"Good luck with that," Brian sneers, his gaze flickering between Marcus and me. "You really think you can protect her?"

"Watch me," Marcus snaps, his fist connecting with Brian's jaw.

The sound of bone meeting bone reverberates through the room, making me flinch.

“You’re in over your head, you arrogant prick,” Brian says.

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