49. Marcus
49
Marcus
“Yes or no, Marcus. That’s all I need.”
I glance over at Gabriel, his eyes trained on the dimly-lit road, grip tight on the steering wheel. He has barely said a word since we left his apartment an hour ago, and while I’m relieved he finally broke his silence, the answer he requires is not as simple as he’s making it seem. My answer will lead to more questions, which will eventually lead to the truth that will break us apart.
Dark, thick forest lies on either side of us, enhancing the tension in the SUV. I blow out a breath, rubbing my hands on my thighs. “Yes.”
“So Lauren came to see you. What for?”
Just as I thought. More questions. “I don’t know.”
Gabriel’s head twists at me. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“She was there for about a minute, and then she left because...”
She saw Harper doing that fucking striptease. My stomach twists from memory of that hurt in her eyes.
“We didn’t get a chance to talk,” I finish.
“Marcus, that makes no sense. Why would Lauren leave like that? Twenty minutes later, she gets snatched, and I’m trying to—”
“Wait a minute.” Realization dawns on me. “Are you blaming me for what happened?”
“What? No! Something just doesn’t add up. Andrew has been on the ball this entire time, and I can’t wrap my head around someone pouncing on him like that. For someone to get close enough, he had to be distracted. Something happened between your apartment and that sidewalk.”
Unease gnaws at my insides. I groan, rubbing my face. “It is my fault,” I mutter. “I’m the reason Lauren got taken. She must’ve still been upset from seeing Harper at the house tonight.”
Silence.
It feels like an hour has passed—though it has only been a minute—when Gabriel mutters, “I don’t understand. Why the hell would she be upset?”
“Marcus,” Noah speaks up for the first time from the backseat. “This can wait.”
“What can wait?” Gabriel’s head swivels to Noah then back to the road. “What aren’t you guys telling me?”
Noah squeezes my shoulder warningly. It’s already too late to hold back. “I slept with Lauren,” I say.
Dead silence. Gabriel keeps steering, his eyes trained on the road. For a moment, I wonder if he heard me.
“ You have got to be motherfucking kidding me .”
Yep. He heard.
“My sister? My sister , Marcus? You can’t be fucking real. No fucking way.”
“Maybe you should let me drive,” Noah offers.
“I warned you not to. You promised me you wouldn’t cross the line, and you fucking did it anyway. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Or maybe we should switch seats, Marcus,” Noah suggests.
I ignore him. “Gabriel, let me explain— ”
“What the fuck are you going to explain, huh? Now everything makes sense. Lauren went over, saw you with Harper, and left upset. Chances are, she was crying, distracting Andrew and putting her life at risk. Anything happens to my sister; I’ll never forgive you.”
“Can you just hear me out?”
“I don’t want to hear shit,” Gabriel snaps. “We’re going to focus on getting Lauren back, then I’m done with your ass.”
“Come on, man,” Noah calls from the backseat. “We have a company to run. Isn’t that excessive?”
“Excessive? He used my sister, Noah!” Hard-faced, Gabriel quickly glances back at Noah then returns his eyes on the road. “Marcus knew he and Harper were getting back together, and still—” His words stop abruptly, and his fingers curl tightly around the steering wheel. I have a feeling he wishes it was my neck.
“It wasn’t a deliberate act, okay? I didn’t plan it. Fuck, I tried to resist her—”
“You probably should stop talking, Marcus,” Noah says wisely.
“For what it’s worth, Harper and I aren’t getting back together. What Lauren saw was a misunderstanding—”
“Marcus,” Noah growls warningly.
I clamp my mouth shut.
We drive in tense silence for the next twenty minutes as we make our way further uphill.
“Why couldn’t you leave her alone, dude?”
The question seems directed at me, but it comes in a whisper from Gabriel’s mouth. “You could have any woman you want. You’ve had every woman you wanted. Fucked with their heads, broke their hearts. That’s your trademark. Even knowing that, you still messed with my sister. ”
An answer flies back down my throat at the sudden appearance of lights—house lights specifically. I reach for my phone and check the coordinates. We’re in the right place. Gabriel steers the SUV off the path, and we get out, keeping to the edge of the property. There’s only one truck in the driveway, one that can hold about six people, which means being mentally prepared for five men.
There are no signs of life anywhere, which is strange and also worrying. I try not to fear the worst as I approach the first window on the side of the house. Gabriel and Noah keep watch as I peer inside.
“Anything?” Gabriel whispers as I scan what looks like a living room. About to shake my head, I spot a hand on the floor. My insides twist with fear. I peer closer, temporary relief filling me as I make out short, curly hair. Not Lauren. Not even a woman.
A pair of legs suddenly dart past my vision. “Lauren,” I gasp. She was wearing those same pants when I saw her tonight. “She’s running the other way.” I point ahead while running towards the back.
As we turn the bend, her scream pierces the night, fading. Noah flicks his flashlight on, training it toward the sound, and my stomach tightens at the sight of the steep slope.
Gabriel groans. “Lauren!”
Silence.
A stinging pain runs across my stomach as I breathe harshly, hands on my knees as I peer down, the sight of sharp-looking rocks enhancing my fear. Dipping into my waist, I pull my own flashlight out. “I’m going down there.”
“I’m coming too,” Gabriel says. “Noah, check if there’s any signal around here. We should alert the cops—”
“Listen.” My hand squeezes Gabriel’s shoulder. “Did you hear that?”
We all turn toward the slope as a faint, “Help!” comes right at us.
“Lauren!” Gabriel call out, rushing forward. “We’re coming! ”
He takes his flashlight out and, together, we train the lights to guide our way as we take delicate steps down the rocky path. One wrong move, and we could go hurtling down.
“Help!” Lauren calls again.
“That way,” Gabriel says, pointing right. “Sit tight, Lauren. We’re coming!”
He moves in that direction, and I carefully follow, resting my foot in the grooves made by rocks. The further we get, the steeper it is and the more we slow down. Anticipation makes it even harder to breathe. I’m dying to get to her.
“Fuck,” Gabriel grunts as his body lurches forward. Reflexively, I reach out to grab his arm, but it’s already too late. Gabriel’s deep grunts fill the air as he goes sliding down the slope. I breathe a relieved sigh when he stops not too far away.
It feels like hours before I get to where he sits, gripping his ankle, wincing. “I think it’s broken,” he mutters painfully.
“Fucking hell.”
“Go. Get Lauren,” he whispers. “I’ll stay here.”
Inching past him, I gingerly make my way toward the sound of Lauren’s rising whimper. I find her lying at the bottom of the slope, twisted at a painful-looking angle. Dropping to my knees, I run the flashlight over her. Holy fuck, she’s not wearing a shirt. Even in this pale light, I can see the scratches and bruises on her torso.
“Marcus?” I hear the disbelief in her whisper.
“Hey.” I brush the damp hair away from her face. “How do you feel?”
“Like a truck ran over me. My right leg hurts like hell,” she gasps.
It’s likely broken. My mind is already calculating how to get her out of here.
“Where’s Gabriel? I thought I heard his voice. ”
“He twisted his ankle on the way down,” I explain. “Can you move at all?”
“My upper body, I think,” she replies.
“Okay.” I stand, blowing out a breath, mentally preparing for the journey back up. “I’m going to help you get on my back, understood?”
“Yes,” she replies as I stick the flashlight in my mouth.
Crouching, I tuck my hands under her armpits. She groans as I gently lift her. Using the side of my body to hold her weight, I slowly turn until her chest rests against my back.
“Put your left leg around my waist,” I instruct her, and she follows.
It’s a slow, tense, painstaking trek to where Gabriel still sits. By now, Noah is making his way down for him, so I keep going until we finally clear the last groove on the slope and get to the top. I gently rest Lauren down then collapse beside her. Noah’s encouraging tone and Gabriel’s painful grunts soon announce their arrival. Panting, they both lie beside us.
“I found an unconscious guy with a bottle of scotch near his head,” Noah breathes. “Good job, Lauren.”
“Thanks,” she half-chuckles.
“I tied him up with some red ribbons just in case. The cops are on the way.”
“We can’t wait for them. Gabriel and Lauren need the hospital, ASAP,” I say, pushing to a sitting position.
Gabriel eases up, and as I’m about to stand, he grabs my arm. “Thanks, dude. I owe you one.”
I pat his hand. “You owe me nothing. Lauren means the world to me too,” I reply.
Lauren gives me a long, speculative stare before taking the hand I offer her. As she stands, her arms wrap around my waist, surprising me. “Thank you. I won’t forget what you did for me tonight.”
Why does that sound so… final?
She backs off with a sad smile, one that evokes a similar reaction inside me. “Noah, can you help me to the car please?”
Ouch.
Gabriel pushes to his feet as she limps off, Noah gently guiding her. “I guess it’s you and me,” he says.
“Yeah,” I reply glumly, throwing his arm over my shoulder.
I glance behind me before moving off. I’d rather take another trek up and down that slope than face the pain of what’s to come.