Page 30 of Missing Marcus

When he entered the house, Saint sat by his wife, comforting her.

“What did you fight about? What the hell, Bryanna? I asked you to watch her for a couple of days. I told you she can’t be stressed, and you fought with her?” he yelled. He never shouted at his sister and all reasonable thought flew out the window when he thought of his pregnant wife out there alone with someone trying to hurt her.

Saint slowly rose from the couch. His eyes narrowed, his hands clenched into fists and his nostrils flared as he stared Knight down. “You’ll treat my wife with respect in her own house,” he snarled.

Knight paced and his hand gripped his hair. “I’m sorry Bryanna. I’m worried sick. What did you fight about?” he asked.

“You,” she said deadly quiet. “You said you caught her with another man. Yet when I asked her why she did such a thing when she knew how our dad abandoned us, she didn’t appear angry or indignant. She seemed surprised and hurt. Why Marcus?” Bryanna rose and faced him. “Did you lie?”

He shook his head. “No. I came home and found her in the bedroom with another man,” he explained. “She sat in the bed and he came out of our bathroom.”

“Did you allow her to explain? Or did you assume she slept with him? Did you see her in the act?” Bryanna didn’t let up. “I suspect you didn’t from the expression on her face. You came into my house yelling at me about how I did this. What about you, Marcus? You told me my best friend betrayed you while you were deployed. I didn’t talk to her for months and I hurt her,” she cried.

Saint gathered her up in his arms. “Cupcake, we’ll find her. Knight’s headed up to the facility with me and we’ll figure out where she might’ve gone. Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he soothed.

Knight stood stunned by his sister’s revelation. Replaying the moment in his head, he recalled Gabby sitting in bed. She wore her lounging PJ’s. She didn’t sleep in them. Gabby wore them on lazy Sundays when she didn’t feel like dressing. What about the man? Why did he come out of the bathroom? He carried something in his hand. Knight grabbed onto the memory and focused on what the man held. He held a glass of water and…meds. Something had happened to Gabby. His heartbeat sped up and halted when he realized how badly he had treated the woman he loved more than anything, and now she was gone.

17

Knight walked into the facility. His body felt numb as Saint led him into the kitchen. He automatically sat where Saint pointed and heard them as if he plunged his head into water.

“All right asshole,” Leo growled. “I don’t particularly like you at this moment, but I dislike an innocent pregnant woman who’s possibly gotten into some trouble out there all alone more. You’ll tell us what transpired between the two of you. We need a full picture.”

“I hurt her,” he whispered.

“Self-incriminations happen on your own time. Let’s make this clear. We do this for Bryanna and her. Not you. What happened? Start at the beginning,” Saint ordered.

Knight swallowed the bile, threatening to come up. “I went on a top-secret mission. When I finished, my contract with the Navy concluded. I focused on the job. Things at home seemed to fall apart. I ensured she lived in a beautiful home, drove a nice car and had access to whatever money she needed. I wanted her to feel secure. I gave her everything and yet it didn’t feel like enough. I opened the door and found her in the bedroom with another man. She sat in the bed, and the man came out of the bathroom.”

“Did she explain why?” Leo leaned in and asked.

He shook his head. “No. When I asked she said I knew everything, why didn’t I tell her. I don’t understand. If she didn’t sleep with him, why didn’t she deny it?”

“Because as her husband, you should’ve trusted her before anything else. I imagine you acted like you have since you moved here. A class A asshole. You hurt her,” Shadow gritted out.

“I didn’t,” Knight whispered. “I didn’t hurt her. I destroyed her. Before I left…I said, ‘Thank God we didn’t have any kids,’” he admitted, broken to the core. “I gotta find her.”

“You don’t deserve her,” Taco growled.

“I know. Please. I fucked up. I’ll pay you or do whatever you want. Just help me find her,” he pleaded.

“Get the whiteboard,” Leo ordered. “List every place you took her when you visited Seattle. We pair off and search. We don’t know what we’ll find. Call PITA and Victoria. We’ll need the men for boots on the ground.”

Taco already spoke into his phone while Shadow grabbed the board and dragged it into the kitchen.

Saint clamped his shoulder hard. “When we find her, you know you might not fix this. You might have to let her go.”

Dread and fear filled him at the thought of a life without her and the child she carried. “If making her happy means I walk away, then I’ll do it. Her safety comes first.”

Saint nodded before he turned and walked down the hallway. Patch stood in front of the board with a marker in his hand. “All right, asshole. Let’s do this.”

Knight nodded and began listing every place they visited. They’d find her, and somehow, he promised to make it right,even if it meant letting her go. She didn’t deserve what he put her through and he didn’t deserve her.

18

Gabby paid the ticket for the museum. She watched as children played with their parents, touching the sea anemones. It pained her to watch the fathers playing with their kids. Gabby went outside and observed the sea otters. She read the plaque underneath, educating people on their habits. The fun fact described how they held hands when sleeping to keep from drifting apart. The term referring to it called it ‘rafting.’ Maybe if she held Marcus a little tighter, he might not have let go.

She rubbed her belly. The baby represented the one consolation. She pulled her phone out and called Alabama.

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