“They did find her.”
The fact that it’s this early in the morning, Sarai’s body has been found, and the authorities are already here tells me they know we had a hand in this.
I did.
This is on me, but Marcus is the one they will take away.
Heart clapping, I sprint from the room. Water slaps beneath my feet as I navigate the corridors. Soggy carpets stop at marble, and I slip as I run.
At Marcus’s office, I slow. Mainly to catch my breath, but my ears perk as I draw closer.
“They think the death of Etienne sent her over,” a familiar, male voice says. “I don’t think anyone has seen anything like that in our entire careers.”
“As I mentioned yesterday, I don’t care what happens to any of them.” Marcus’s deep, irritated murmur cuts the man off. “You are wasting my time.”
“See, the timing is off.” I recognize Reuben from his visit yesterday. “First Etienne is eaten alive by what the medical examiner says had to have beenhundredsof snakes.Hundreds,Mr. Usher. Do you know where you can findhundredsof snakes? The Amazon. The goddamn rainforest. Not in a posh upscale penthouse of one of the city’s wealthiest families. Then, not twenty-four hours later, his wife cuts herself …herselfup. I mean, she went above and beyond to make sure she got the job done. Crazy fact about that — and I don’t know much about biology, but the human body tends to go into shock at some point. Not Sarai. She just kept going. Hacking away at herself. She should have died before she got that far.”
A chair creaks, nearly muffling Marcus’s deep sigh.
“I can’t be sure if you’re implying that I flew in hundreds of snakes or that I … what? Kept Mrs. Duval alive so she could cut herself?”
“I’m saying, you had something to do with this. There isn’t a soul in this city—”
“I can assure you, Reuben, there are plenty of people in this city who would be more than happy to get justice from that family. I’m simply the only one with the means.”
“And the motive,” Reuben shoots back. “You have every right to see that family pay.”
“I was home all night.”
“With your niece.”
I don’t like the implication. That single sentence sends heat washing up my throat to fill my cheeks.
“Yes,” Marcus responds without missing a beat. “We are the only two people in this house. Tell me, Reuben,” the chair creaks again. “You came alone. I’m assuming your superiors have no idea you’re here or they would tell you what a bad idea this would be.”
“Are you threatening me?”
Marcus’s chuckle is low and throat and absolutely threatening. “Do you feel threatened?”
That deep, gravelly voice should not make my knees weak or my body respond, but it’s so close to the voice he makes when he has me pinned under him and he calls me his good girl.
I need to focus.
“I feel like you’re lying,” Reuben snaps, visibly flustered.
“But can you prove it?” Marcus challenges. “You can’t arrest me based on your feelings.”
“I want to know how you did it.”
“I didn’t,” Marcus counters smoothly. “I had nothing to do with either of them.”
“And their eyes?” Reuben grinds through his teeth. “You didn’t think that would point to you?”
“Eyes?” Marcus asks with a genuineness even I nearly believe.
“Both are missing their right eye. A trophy perhaps? An eye for an eye?”
Marcus chuckles. “I’m not a serial killer who collects trophies from his victims. I’m a businessman. We collect debts.”
