The door to my office opens gently, and I look up. Leo. And from how pale his face is, he has been listening at the door. His eyes scan over Marcus before looking at the file in his hand then redirecting his attention back onto me.
“How long have you been planning this?” he asks quietly.
Marcus glances between us, but I don’t lie.
“Not long.”
Leo steps inside and closes the door behind him.
“What exactly are you planning?”
Marcus speaks gently. “You weren’t meant to hear this, Leo. The less you know, the better,” he says, but Leo ignores him.
“Ethan, you said she would be out of our lives.”
“She will be, but circumstances have changed, considering she doesn’t listen.”
“You’re talking about ruining her life.”
“Yes, and if you have a problem with that, you should leave so I can continue my meeting with Marcus.”
His breath becomes uneven. What’s going on with him?
“I hate her and what she is doing. Why can’t she just let it go? She doesn’t even fucking like me.”
“It’s all about control. She was outplayed and lost.”
“But I didn’t ask for this.”
Marcus clears his throat. “This isn’t about revenge.”
“It’s consequences for your actions. She was given plenty of opportunity to walk away after she tried to blackmail me, but she won’t stop and I refuse to live with that nuisance," I say, trying to make it clear to Leo that Sarah is a bad smell that will never go away unless you gain control.
Leo looks at me like he’s seeing me clearly, understanding what I’m saying. Taking the rose tinted glasses off, but again the human in him breaks through.
“You can’t do this,” he says, and I step closer.
“Leo,” I say, but he pulls away and flinches.
Good. He needs to understand this is not affection speaking, this is his new reality.
“She will never stop,” I tell him. “She will circle you forever. Appear when you think you’re safe. Use your name when it benefits her. Hurt you because it costs her nothing.”
“I can block her.”
“You already tried. She will try to hurt you,” I continue softly. “Or she will use others to do it.”
Marcus folds his arms. “You don’t need to like whatwe do. You just need to survive it and move on. Don't think about it.”
Leo sits heavily in the other chair next to Marcus.
“This is insane.”
“No,” Marcus says. “It’s smart. This is who Ethan is, Leo. Who we are. We’re not good people but we protect what’s ours. Deal with it.”
Leo rubs his face.
“You’re talking about erasing her.”
