Page 117 of Mercy (The Sins Trilogy 3)
No, he’s not. He’s too wound up. I run my hands along his arms, trying to soothe him.
“I have to tell you something.”
His voice is too flat, and I’m a little scared. Something horrible must’ve happened. Otherwise he wouldn’t be like this.
I glance at Bobbi. She nods and heads upstairs, giving us privacy.
“Sure. I’m listening.” I do my best to project calmness, even though my head is full of questions and thoughts, my gut tight with dread.
“I got a call from Byron Pearce.” Then Tony tells me about how Marty broke into Julie’s place, hid in her closet. And the things he revealed…
My panic attacks aren’t real.
I stare at Tony, so stunned that I’m mildly numb. My heart drums like it did before, when I clutched a hand over it and fell to my knees before I could reach the stage. Yuna told me I loved to perform in public, but somewhere in my mind, I didn’t really believe it. Or, at least, I thought the accident and the coma had changed me. But no. It was something as simple as a drug.
Sam. Twisting me with another manipulation.
My skin crawls. “Why did he do that?” Suddenly unable to stay still, I pace, anger burning inside me.
“To make sure you didn’t perform in public. He wanted you hidden.”
That makes sense. He wasn’t happy when Byron posted the video of me playing Grand Galop Chromatique, and he erupted like a volcano when the incident involving me, Tony, Ryder and Audrey Duff went viral.
That explains why I didn’t panic when I played at the reception at Sam’s request. He didn’t drug me then because he needed me to be able to perform.
My nails dig into my palms. It isn’t just anger burning inside me. It’s the humiliation of being used.
“Bastard. That damned bastard.” My voice shakes.
Tony pulls me toward him, moving us to a seat, then places me on his lap. “He’s gone now. And Marty won’t bother you anymore.”
I look at him, sensing too much darkness within. Not just that, but shock and grief too. “There’s more, isn’t there?”
He nods. “Marty claims Sam asked him to drug Jill at our engagement party. He snuck in as a waiter, and…”
The rest of the words flow over me, but I don’t process them well. Not that I need to in order to understand what happened.
Sam had Jill killed. Just like that.
I don’t know what kind of person it makes me that even though I’m reeling from the news, I’m torn between vicious happiness that he died and keen disappointment he wouldn’t be locked up for life in a cage, paying for his crime.
“I don’t think Marty’s capable of murder. He’s too much of a daddy’s boy, and doesn’t have the capacity for it,” Tony adds.
“I agree. He’s malicious and hateful, but doesn’t have it in him for something as horrific as murder.” I lay my head on Tony’s shoulder. His scent calms my frayed nerves. “Thank God that Byron and you were there to take care of Marty, though. If Julie had been in her apartment alone…” I squeeze my eyes shut. Just because he’s incapable of murder doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of violence. He could’ve hit her. He’s so much bigger and stronger than Julie.
Tony runs a hand over my chilled arm. “She wasn’t there. Stop thinking about what-ifs.”
“I know, but…” A thought strikes me. “Why did he go there, anyway? He never really seemed like the type to sneak into women’s homes and…spy on them.” That would be beneath someone like Marty, who thinks entirely too much of himself.
“He said he was there to get something his dad gave you. Because you stayed with Julie after the funeral, he thought maybe you left it there.”
“Oh, for God’s sake. I’m sick of his BS. I already told him Sam didn’t give me anything…” I pause. “Actually, Sam did send me a music box right after he died. It came through his lawyer. I thought about giving it to Marty, but decided against it.”
“Why?” Tony asks.
His tone isn’t accusatory, but I feel slightly defensive anyway. “Well, Sam sent it to me, number one. Number two, it basically only has sentimental value. It belonged to his grandmother, and Marty didn’t like her. I thought maybe Sam wanted me to have it because he knew Marty would toss it.”
“That’s not what he thinks. He said Sam sent you a recording, which he’d been using to blackmail Mother.”
