Page 94 of Love at First Sighting
The most shocking thing I can do is take a stand.
I scuttle on the floor to get some distance, but the second I have space, I’m up and we’re face-to-face. Marcus and Carter are about the same size. Over six feet tall with a thin but formidable build. Except, where Carter’s used his years to turnhimself into something tactile and strategic, Marcus feels like blunt force.
Marcus is dressed in the standard PIS suit, but with no hat covering his graying light brown hair. Inside his jacket, though, there’s a gun holster strapped to his side.
“That looks pretty painful,” he says, nodding down at my injured hand. The deep gash at the center of my palm burns when air sweeps into it. I don’t respond as he reaches over to the first aid kit on the shelf and opens it. Marcus pulls out a roll of bandages, holds them to me.
I take a wary step forward. The second the bandages are in my hand, Marcus reaches for his gun. The click of the bullet sliding into the barrel sends a chill up my spine.
“I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone,” he says, but I don’t buy any of it. “I only will if you give me no other choice. The cops will be on their way any minute now. They’ll want to hear about how you and Carter broke into a government office. They’ll want to hear about the treason you two are trying to commit.”
“And while we’re at it, you can tell them all about the treason youactuallycommitted.”
Marcus might not know we sneaked into the PIS archives. The one thing I have over him is that he doesn’t have all the pieces.
“I don’t think they’re going to buy your word over mine.”
“They will if I have proof.”
Marcus eyes the folder sticking out of my jacket. His expression is nervous, and he’s trying to hide it. “Ah. Why don’t you give whatever you have over to me?”
I pluck the small shard of glass out of my palm and drop it onto the floor.
“Not a chance.”
The bloodied piece clinks on the ground and lands in front of Marcus’s dress shoes. I wrap my hand, stemming the bleeding. It still hurts like hell, but if I need to, I can form a pretty decent fist now. I want to punch this asshole so badly.
“Where’s Carter?” I demand.
“He’s not coming.”
The only way Carter wouldn’t come for me is if something happened to him. This was exactly why I didn’t want to split up. I didn’t want to let him take that risk, because I didn’t know if he’d come back to me. Now…if something’s happened to him, he’ll never know how much I love him. I might never get to tell him. Tears well in my eyes, despite how hard I’m trying to keep a straight face and show no fear.
“What did you do to him?”
“You really think you are going to be the one to crack this case? You think you, of all people—a model—could convince the government I did something bad? That’s delusional.”
“Excuse you,” I say. “I’m not a model. I’m aninfluencer.”
He huffs a laugh. “How influential you are. Tell me how many people believed your UFO story.”
I grit my teeth. “It doesn’t matter anymore.Iknow that what happened to me was real.”
Marcus raises the gun to the center of my chest, but a shot rings out in the bunker. It shatters an empty jar and ricochets off a case of bullets along the back wall. Both Marcus and I jump.
Another bullet strikes a box of pancake mix beside Marcus.
“Lay a hand on her and Iwillshoot you.”
I look up as Carter emerges from the dusty darkness between the shelves, his gun drawn on Marcus and Marcusalone. The first thing I notice is the blood staining his crisp white shirt as he holds his hand over a wound. His movements might be unsteady and addled with pain, and his skin is losing color quickly, but his grip on the gun is steadfast—and his aim is spot-on.
“Carter,” I gasp. “Jesus, what happened to you?”
“You can’t be here,” Marcus mutters. It sounds like disbelief.
“Turns out,” Carter says, taking another weak step forward, “the resident idiot knows how to pick a lock. Should have checked my pockets. And you shouldn’t have left a gun behind, you stupid fuck. If you aren’t going to make sure I’m dead, don’t let me sneak up on you so easily. Now, step away from her or I will shoot you. You and I both know I’m good with a gun.”
I’m fighting every urge to rush to Carter and help him, but I know that’ll get us both killed.
