Page 105 of Tempest’s Torment

He stops pacing. "Because of you." His voice stays even. "Every time she started to trust me, you were there with your looks and your little comments and your constant..."

"Because you hurt her." I look at him. "She didn't need me to tell her that. She felt it."

Marcus looks up from his phone at that, and Evan takes a breath before continuing, "She needed protecting from herself. From the things you told her."

"Lucy was the smartest person I've ever known," I say. "She didn't need me to tell her anything. She worked it out herself. That's what you couldn't forgive."

He crosses the room and crouches in front of me, I hold his gaze. "She left because of you," he says.

"She left because she finally saw you clearly."

He stands up.

"Evan." Marcus' voice is quiet. "Stop. This isn’t why we’re here."

Evan turns. “Don’t start, Marcus.”

"I'm not starting anything. We have a plan, stick to it."

Evan stares at Marcus. "You've been fucking nagging me since you were twelve."

I look between them and that something that's been bothering me since the alley crystallizes into certainty.

"You're brothers," I say.

Marcus' eyes come to me. They’re flat and careful, whereas Evan smiles. "Half," Marcus says.

"Brothers," Evan says.

The word that settles the whole thing. They’re not employer and employee, or handler and contractor, they’re brothers. Which means Marcus isn’t here for money; he’s here for something entirely different.

I keep watching Marcus. I can't help it now that I know they're brothers. I look for Evan in him, but I don't see much. Maybe around the eyes, a little in the shape of his mouth, but that's about it, and Marcus barely looks at me. He checks his phone, looks through the window, walks into the kitchen and comes back. Pre-occupied with anything that diverts his attention away from me.

Evan doesn't have that problem; he hasn't stopped watching me.

"Are you always this fucking anal?" Evan asks him.

Marcus glances over. "Just making sure we're clear."

"We are."

Marcus nods and checks the window again anyway. Evan rolls his eyes. "Sit the fuck down, Marcus. You're making me dizzy."

"I'm fine."

"You're annoying."

"Nothing new there."

Evan comes toward me again and Marcus stops moving. Evan grabs my chin and forces my face up. "Still waiting for your biker?" I don't answer and his fingers tighten. "I asked you a question."

"Then ask one worth answering."

The hit comes fast. Pain immediately explodes across my cheek and my head snaps sideways, and a sound escapes me before I can swallow it.

"Jesus, Evan," Marcus groans.

I lift my head, and Evan looks over his shoulder. "What?"