idea why she took off tonight without telling anyone.”
Marcus turned his back on her.
“Perhaps I should rephrase that,” she said, moving in front of him again. “I just spent the past half hour talking down a bunch of VIP’s. They’re pissed off that the meet and greet was cancelled. I don’t have to tell you that Mary is pretty unhappy, too. So pardon me if I’m a little irritated and not in the mood for evasion.”
Marcus folded his arms and stared down at the riled tour manager.
Sam stood up straight and returned his glare. Taking a step closer, she put her finger out as if she was going to poke him in the chest, but folded her arms across her chest instead. “She’s my best friend, Marcus,” she told him lowering her chin. “I’m worried about her. A responsible girl like her doesn’t just up and disappear. Something’s happened.” She looked back in his eyes. “And you’re gonna tell me what.” Her words were more a plea than a demand.
The room fell into a suspenseful silence.
“She walked in on me with someone,” Marcus admitted softly.
Sam covered her mouth.
“A groupie,” Dwight interjected with a frown. “A very famous kiss and tell one.”
“You have Avery and you slept with a groupie?” she asked, voice muffled through her fingers.
Marcus could feel all eyes on him. He crossed the room, the bedspread creasing as he sank down on top of it.
“She thinks that I did,” he whispered.
He’d only wanted to protect her, but instead he’d broken her. His chest was so tight he could barely breathe. Nothing, nothing in his life could have prepared him for the way he’d felt watching her look at him like that. Watching their love die.
I hate you.
Fuck.
“What do you mean thinks?” Dwight demanded with a frown.
Suddenly everyone was speaking at once.
Dwight took one long measured look at Marcus before seizing control of the chaos. “Trevor, keep working on the taxi thing. I think the sooner we find her the better.” He shifted his attention. “Sam, talk to War or someone with Tempest and get Jackson’s number. Maybe he knows something. We need to explore every avenue. Everyone keep your cells on. I’ll stay here with Marcus. We’ll work on getting this hotel room cleaned up.”
As soon as everyone left, Dwight turned on him. “What’s really going on here?”
There was a long uncomfortable pause. Marcus glared at him, watching comprehension dawn in his brother’s eyes.
“This was all just a set up. You wanted her to think you slept with Adrienne.”
“Yes.” Marcus let out a long sigh. “I just wanted Avery to get on with her life…minus me. I knew Adrienne would go along with it. She’d never tell anyone that I didn’t sleep with her. It’d ruin her reputation.”
Dwight rolled his eyes at Ray who just shook his head.
“After the accident,” Marcus explained, “I knew she’d be better off without me. But she kept pushing, wanting us to get back together. I knew that it would take something drastic to make her give it up.”
“Shit, Marcus,” Dwight exclaimed. “This is so jacked. You’re looking at it all wrong. It’s not whether or not you’re good enough, but whether or not you’re the right one for her. It’s really messed up that you took that choice away from her by doing something this stupid.”
“I had to. You know Avery. She wants to save everyone. She would have stayed with me. The only way I could be sure she’s safe is to keep her away. You weren’t there that night.” He dragged a shaky hand through his hair. “I can’t get the image of her unconscious and covered in blood out of my mind. I thought I had killed her. Every time I look at that scar I think about how close it was. I’m not willing to take that risk with her again the next time I fuck up.”
“Then you don’t fuck up, Marcus. If you love her: You. Don’t. Fuck. Up.”
“Thank God.” Bryan swept her into his arms, her own hanging limply at her sides. “When I saw that last wave take you under, I thought I’d lost you.” He slogged the rest of the way in, her body held tightly against him. At the shore he stopped, put her down, shrugged out of his leather jacket, and zipped it on her. It was so large that the hem came midway to her thigh. “Let’s get you inside.”
He lifted her again, and headed up the beach, climbing the wooden