Marcus grins. “You really hate her.”
“I don’t possess any emotions in order to feel anything for her, other than she is a mosquito that needs swatting.”
“You’re asking me to dig into her life so we can find weakness to give you leverage to go against her, right?” Marcus says slowly.
“Yes. I want him to see her for what she really is.”
Marcus studies me like he’s deciding whether I’m fascinating or terminal.
“God,” he murmurs. “You’re beautiful when you’re this honest. If only you had been interested in little old me, we would’ve been a true power couple.”
“Absoluely not. Our alphas would clash and you’re not sexy enough for me.”
“Hey, I’m sexy.”
“Can we do this or not?”
“Okay, no need to get angry. I’ll look into it for you.”
“Good, thanks.”
“I like watching rich men ruin themselves over love,” he says as he stubs out his cigarette.
“This is not love.”
He laughs, not convinced, but that’s okay. “Sure.”
I turn back to the window. Below me, a man starts a motorcycle. The sound vibrates through the bones of the building and I gulp it down, dying to ride one of those things again.
“You know,” Marcus says, “most people just cheat.”
“I don’t share.”
“Most people also don’t plan to rewrite someone’s entire life.”
“I’m improving his.”
Marcus’s tone softens, just slightly. “You could let him go.”
I look at him with enough venom to hopefully kill him on the spot with such a suggestion.
“No.”
“Just teasing. I didn’t think you would,” he says as he stands, and walks toward me.
“I’m keen to watch this play out. I might even learn something. So, you really think you can just… take him?”
“Yes.”
“And he won’t break?”
“Everyone breaks, that’s the beauty,” I say and Marcus smiles faintly at me with an understanding and claps a hand on my shoulder.
“You’re a monster, but I got you, Ethan. I’ll leave no stone unturned. You’ll get your man.”
“Good.”
“Be honest,” he says. “Is this about wanting him… or owning him?”
