with you.”
Silence.
Yeah. I can throw out my one-eighty shit, too. “But Chloe knew what you were. Oh, sure, perhaps you fooled her at first, but she eventually saw through you. She always sees through the monsters, doesn’t she? She found evidence that proved what you really were. A criminal defense attorney…who was a criminal.”
Again, more silence. So Joel plowed on. He took what he’d learned and pushed. “If Chloe had wanted to be on that yacht, she would have been. You knew when she canceled, that all of your plans were about to fall apart. She had incriminating evidence on you. Enough to ruin your life.”
“I didn’t leave evidence behind,” Morgan snapped out. Definitely not sounding so controlled any longer. “Chloe had her guesses. That’s all.”
Joel smiled. “Chloe doesn’t guess, and we both know it. So when she wasn’t there, you knew that you had to disappear. Faked your death. Got to say, that seems rather dramatic.”
“You have no idea who you are dealing with. You’re an amateur. A fool who got lucky because he didn’t die when he was tossed in a grave. You don’t understand Chloe, and you will never understand me.”
“No? Well, news flash. I don’t give a shit about understanding you.” He’d be happy to never see the man again. “But when it comes to Chloe, I think I’m starting to figure things out. And if you were listening to us tonight—the way I suspect you were—then you know that Chloe loves me. That pushed your buttons, didn’t it? It’s what drove you to seek me out. It—”
“You left her crying. Chloe cries for no one.”
Her tears. His chest burned once more.
“She didn’t even cry when she killed her own brother,” Morgan said. “Didn’t shed a tear.”
His heartbeat was too loud.
“You won’t last.” Morgan took a slow step back. “I’ll make sure of that.”
Joel thought the bastard was going to dive for the gun. He surged toward it, too—
But instead of going for the gun, Morgan yanked out a knife. He lifted it up high with his left hand and brought it down toward Joel’s body as—
Another knife flew from the darkness. Spun end over end until it lodged in Morgan’s shoulder. He dropped the blade he’d been holding. It clattered to the alley’s floor.
Joel’s head immediately whipped toward the thick darkness at the end of the alley.
Morgan barreled past him. Bleeding, swearing…
Joel wanted to rush after him, but what other threat waited in the alley? Had that knife been meant for Morgan or for him and what did—
Footsteps crunched over loose gravel. Marie strolled out of the darkness. “I was aiming for him, in case you were worried.”
The gun was near his foot. Joel started to pick it up—
“Nope. You should leave it there. Knowing Morgan, it was probably used in a crime and if you touch it and get your fingerprints on it, then you’ll be hauled to jail.” She waved a hand vaguely around the alley. “This whole scene is probably a setup. He wanted the cops to catch you assaulting him, so it’s a good thing you decided to let the jerk get out of here.”
It didn’t feel like a good thing. It felt like a terrible mistake. “The bastard faked his own death. I’m sure the cops would like to know he was here. Why he faked it. And—”
“He’ll have a complete new identity. Chloe told me once that no one would ever be able to prove who he really is. So if Morgan was out, in public, and he was luring you to this alley, it was all so he could spring a trap on you.”
As if on cue, a police siren screamed.
“We should leave,” Marie advised. “I think they’re coming here.” She took his elbow. Tucked her arm through the crook. “Looks like we’re a couple this way.” They walked out of the alley, arm-in-arm, all casual-like. “Nope. Not going for your ride.” She steered him away from the motorcycle. “Morgan probably said the guy who assaulted him was riding that beast.”
“When would he have said that? He just ran out. He didn’t have time to call the cops—”
“I’m sure he alerted them before he ever said hello to you. Then his entire exchange with you was calculated. Designed to draw you out and get you exactly where he wanted you. Chloe told me that he was always very good at predicting behavior.”
“Chloe didn’t tell me jack shit about him.” Well, except for the fact that he’d been psycho.