Page 77 of Marked

I perked up and leaned forward. So, Dita had enemies. Were they behind this? Did they also dislike me and Shona enough to wish us dead, too? What linked the three of us together aside from being bonded immortals?

I frowned, my mind racing to connect the dots.

The door to the room slammed open, and I jumped back, smacking into Ace. Another set of footsteps announced someone walking into the room.

I tensed. Did the doctor have a lab partner? And would they head straight to the cabinet to get their gear?

I held my breath and waited.

The coroner set a utensil down on the metal surface and let out a long, dramatic sigh.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Carla, I’m shocked,” my brother said. “Do I need an excuse to see you?”

“Yes.”

“That’s not what you said the other week.”

Seriously? My brother could charm the pants off anyone.

“A moment of weakness,” Carla said, but her voice held a smile.

Paul scoffed and sauntered farther into the room—at least I assumed he did. He rarely entered a room any other way. “Come on, Carla. I haven’t seen you in a week and you promised we’d go out for drinks if I did that thing with my tongue.”

Gross.

“It’s the middle of the night,” Carla said.

“Yet you’re here.”

“I like working late at night. Less people.” She paused and another item hit the collection dish. “Less people who breathe.”

Silence fell over the room. Normally, Paul would take the hint and leave, but he wasn’t here to get laid, he’d come to extract us so we could escape. He was buying us time.

“If it’s not too late for work, it’s not too late for a drink.”

More fragments hit the collection tray. “You’re very persistent.”

“You’re very enchanting,” he countered. “One drink.”

“Coffee.”

“One coffee. Which is a drink, by the way.”

Carla sighed again and she must’ve pulled off her gloves because something snapped and hit the collection dish.

“Let’s go,” Paul said.

I held my breath, the entire time, waiting for the sounds of their footsteps to fade away completely.

Ace threw open the cabinet doors. “Let’s go, before that woman comes to her senses.”

“Or I have to hear more about what my brother does with his tongue.” I shuddered as I hopped out. I carefully pulled the lab coats back to where they’d hung. Or close enough before bending to organize the work boots. We had moved them around a little in our attempt to fit into the cabinet.

“Good enough.” Ace grabbed my wrist and pulled.

“Should we examine the other body?” I peered over at the other prone shape under a sheet.

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