“What is that?”
“You and Marcus,” she began, and saw pain enter his expression, as if he thought she would not want him to love the other man. She shook her head. “Don’t think ahead of my words, Everett. What I was going to say is that I could not happily be with you both if I knew you were hiding what you felt for each other.”
“You would…want us to be together?”
She nodded. “Yes. And now the question is, how do we convince Marcus that it’s possible?”
He sighed. “With great difficulty, I think.”
“Anything worth having is worth great difficulty, my love,” she said, leaning up to kiss him gently. “Let’s put our heads together, shall we?”
Chapter 9
Marcus stood in the parlor of Naomi’s old home, waiting with increasing disgust. The household was in a dither about his being here and over his demands to both speak to the servants and collect more of Naomi’s things. Worse, he knew this was a situation he’d created by bringing his upset into the investigation.
He was distracted. By Naomi. By Everett. When Everett had touched him, all his feelings had swelled and he’d wanted nothing more than to lean over the amazing woman tucked between them and kiss him. What would she have done then?
He knew what. She would have pulled away. Their positions would have been in danger, just like last time.
He couldn’t go through it again. He couldn’t go through watching Everett live a farce of a life with a lady even while he snuck off to visit Marcus. Half of Everett’s heart wasn’t going to be enough. Marcus would rather have none and try to move on. That never worked, of course, but he kept trying regardless.
There was a bang in the hallway and loud voices moved toward the parlor. Marcus readied himself as the parlor door flew open and revealed a tall, rather handsome man with Naomi’s butler at his heels.
“Who the hell are you?” the man asked.
Marcus arched his brow. “I would ask the same, sir. From your dress, it’s clear you aren’t a servant, and the servants are who I am here to interview.”
“What right do you have to speak to my sister’s servants or to demand her clothing?” the other man hissed as he waved the butler off.
Sister. Marcus stiffened. “Mr. Thaddeus Harris, I presume,” he said.
Harris inclined his head slightly. “You have me at a fucking disadvantage, so I repeat: who the hell are you?”
“My name is Marcus Ridgeway,” he said softly. “An acquaintance of your sister.”
The look that crossed Harris’s face as he looked Marcus up and down was nothing short of rage. Unadulterated jealousy flowed over his face, and it was clear that his intentions toward Naomi were not of a good nature.
Which set Marcus’s protective instincts aflame. This man would never touch her. Never hurt her. Never make her face look the way it did when she had described him ever, ever again.
“Where is Naomi?” Harris growled, stepping forward, his hands fisted at his sides. “She has been missing nearly a week. Her family has been going mad looking for her.”
“You meanyouhave,” Marcus said carefully.
“I’m her family,” Harris said. “So yes.”
“She’s safe,” Marcus said, turning away as if bored, though he remained utterly aware of every move the man behind him made. “For now that is all I can tell you.”
Harris roared in anger and stormed toward him. Marcus turned, bracing himself as Harris shoved him with both hands. “Where is she?”
Marcus arched a brow. “Do not test me, sir. I have no intention of telling you where she is.”
“I will fucking gut you!” Harris shouted. “Do not think I won’t.”
Marcus let the threat hang in the air between them, along with the unspoken implication that Harris had experience in harming others. Marcus examined him closely as he stood there, nostrils flaring like an enraged bull. There was a light of violence in his eyes. Of single-minded dedication. Of lustful rage that could not be contained.
It was the look of a man more than capable of killing. Which made him Marcus’s main suspect in the murders of Naomi’s husband. Perhaps of all her husbands.
“I’m certain I understand your worry,” he said calmly, as if he had not just been assaulted. “After all, Lady Walridge has experienced a great loss so recently. The death of her husband must weigh heavily on the minds of all who love her.”
