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I check both Marcus and Jacob, and when I see they too are uninjured, I tell her as such.
“I’m sorry you were caught up in our mess,” Liam says, looking more angry than apologetic.
I know the feeling well. They may not have been aiming for us, but those fuckers still shot at my family. It’s a bloody good job they’re dead, as if they were alive, they wouldn’t be for much longer.
Marcus clears his throat, dusting down his suit as he puts his gun away. His expression is as blank, as usual, giving nothing away, but I can see the maelstrom of emotions in his eyes. “It’s not your fault. Go home to your family.”
The Doughtys leave quickly, and as soon as their car pulls away, I click the button and open the car doors. Indie is quick to rush out, tears streaming down her cheeks as she drags her gaze over both me and Jake, making sure for herself that we’re not injured.
Jake pulls her into his arms, hugging her tight as she cries, and my heart aches as I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around them both. While Jake comforts her, Marcus stomps around to the passenger side and climbs in, slamming the door behind him.
After I help Jake and Indie into the car, pleased that she has him to hold and comfort her until she’s able to calm down, I climb into the driver’s side and start the car.
We’ve not been in the car for long when Indie falls asleep, breathing softly as she rests her head on Jacob’s shoulder. He keeps his arms wrapped around her protectively, and I watch the two of them through the rearview mirror, my stomach flipping that I can’t be the one to comfort her.
We make the journey in silence, and it’s not until we reach Blackthorn that Marcus finally breaks it. He doesn’t even look at me as he says, “Drop Jake and Indie off at his house, and then we can go back to mine.”
“But, I?—”
I start to argue, to tell him it would be a good idea for me to stay with them to make sure Indie is okay, but Marcus glares at me, cutting me off.
“We have work that needs discussing.” The tone Marcus uses leaves no room for discussion, so I don’t bother.
I drop Jake and Indie off as discussed, a pit forming in my stomach when I have to leave them. I want to be there for them both, to hold them and make sure they’re okay. But Marcus’ expression makes it clear I have a job to do.
As soon as we reach his house, Marcus is still oddly silent, and his posture is stiffer than usual. He strides out of the lift, down the hallway, and into his office without saying a word, making it clear he expects me to follow.
For a moment, I wonder where Chloe is, but he doesn’t seek her out the way he usually does, so I’m assuming he knows she’s not here. He slams the door to his office open with more force than is necessary, leaving it wide for me to follow behind him.
As soon as I’m inside, he kicks the door closed, the loud crash reverberating around us, as the mask Marcus has been wearing since the gunshot finally slips. He stares at me with his piercingblue eyes, his nose wrinkling as his brow pulls, his lips twisting into a scowl.
To say he looks angry would be a fucking understatement.
“What the fuck happened back there?” he shouts, glaring at me with a dangerous venom I’m not used to seeing aimed at me.
Is he implying I didn’t do my job properly? That I should have seen the shooters? Or…maybe it’s something else, something I was rather hoping he’d missed.
“What do you mean?” I ask, hoping it’s one of the other questions, not the latter.
Marcus’ eyes flare with anger as he takes a menacing step towards me, clearly not happy with my response. “Don’t fucking lie to me, Miles. Tell me what the fuck is going on!”
He’s yelling so loud, my ears are ringing. Then again, the shots from earlier probably haven’t helped with that either.
Before I can respond, the office door flies open and Chloe comes rushing in. She’s wearing black leggings and a baggy T-shirt that looks like it belongs to Marcus, with blotches of flour covering her.
Her long dark hair has been pulled up onto the top of her head into a messy bun, with rogue strands flying all around her face.
Her eyes are wide, and she looks terrified as her gaze flicks around the room. She’s desperately trying to take in and understand the scene in front of her.
Marcus must be pissed if he knew Chloe was home and came into his office first without greeting her.
“What’s going on in here?” she asks frantically. “Why are you yelling?”
Marcus’ expression doesn’t soften, even from hearing Chloe’s voice, and that instantly has me on edge. If she’s not able to dampen his anger, I’m really fucked.
He takes a small step forward, raising his finger to point at me as he scowls, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. “I’m asking my best friend, the man who I trust above all others to protect my life, why, when shots were fired at us earlier today, did he throw himself in front of Jacob, leaving me to take care of myself.”
Fuck! Of course, he noticed, and is pissed at me.