Chapter 6 - MARCUS
Marcus looked nothing like the ghost I had imagined.
He wasn't old.
He was fifty-three, only two years older than Vincent.
His hair was dark with silver streaks.
His face was elegant.
Calm.
Almost kind.
That made him more frightening.
“Where is Vincent?”
“Safe.”
“What did you do to him?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why is there blood?”
“Not his.”
I backed away.
Marcus didn't follow.
“Claire.”
“How do you know my name?”
“I've known your name for twelve years.”
“Why?”
“Because your father asked me to watch you.”
I froze.
“You're lying.”
“No.”
“Why would my father trust you?”
“Because I saved his life.”
My mind raced.
“Then why did he disappear?”
“Because I helped him disappear.”
“Why?”
Marcus looked toward the windows.
“Because Vincent's father was going to kill him.”
“You're talking about Vincent.”
“Yes.”
“Why protect him?”
Marcus smiled sadly.
“Because I loved my brother.”
Something inside me shifted.
“You're not the villain.”
“I never said I was.”
“Then who is?”
His expression darkened.
“Your mother.”
My breath stopped.
“No.”
“She betrayed your father.”
“My mother was trying to expose the ledger.”
“She was.”
“Then why call her a traitor?”
“Because she didn't know when to stop.”
Marcus stepped closer.
“She discovered something about the ledger that nobody else knew.”
“What?”
“That it wasn't merely a record of corruption.”
“What was it?”
“A control system.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“Every person listed in it owed something to someone above them.”
Marcus's voice lowered.
“The ledger wasn't designed to record power.”
“It was designed to control power.”
I stared at him.
“And my mother found out.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“She tried to destroy it.”
“Did she?”
Marcus smiled.
“No.”
He reached into his coat.
He pulled out an old photograph.
My mother stood beside him.
She looked young.
Happy.
Alive.
My hands shook.
“When was this taken?”
“Three days before your father disappeared.”
I stared at the photograph.
My mother was holding a baby.
I frowned.
“Who is that?”
Marcus's expression changed.
“Your brother.”
I nearly dropped the picture.
“I don't have a brother.”
“You did.”
“What happened to him?”
“He disappeared.”
“Why?”
“Because someone wanted your family erased.”
“Who?”
Marcus looked toward the doorway.
Vincent stood there.
His gun was aimed directly at Marcus.
“Step away from her.”
Marcus smiled.
“There he is.”
Vincent's voice was deadly.
“Put the gun down.”
“No.”
“Marcus.”
“You still don't understand.”
“I understand enough.”
Marcus shook his head.
“You've spent twelve years protecting Claire from the wrong people.”
Vincent stepped forward.
“Where is my brother?”
Marcus laughed softly.
“You're looking at him.”
Vincent's face changed.
“What?”
Marcus's smile disappeared.
“I was never your brother's ally.”
He looked at me.
“I was his handler.”
Vincent's eyes narrowed.
“Whose?”
“Your father's.”
Silence.
Marcus continued.
“I was ordered to watch Daniel Mercer.”
“Why?”
“Because your father knew Daniel had copied the ledger.”
Vincent's jaw tightened.
“And you let him live.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel convinced me your father was worse than the people he feared.”
Vincent stared at him.
“So you betrayed him.”
“I betrayed your father.”
Marcus looked at me.
“And saved yours.”
The words hit me.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
Marcus pointed toward the hallway.
A door opened.
Daniel stepped inside.
My father looked at me.
“I'm sorry.”
I ran toward him.
“You knew?”
He nodded.
“You knew Marcus?”
“Yes.”
“You knew he was protecting us?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you let me hate him?”
“Because I didn't know who else was watching.”
I began crying.
“Dad…”
He hugged me.
“I wanted you to have a normal life.”
“You could have told me.”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“The day you started working for Vincent.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
Daniel looked at Vincent.
“He knew.”
Vincent said nothing.
My father continued.
“Three years ago, I discovered someone had infiltrated the Marlowe organization.”
“Who?”
“Someone close to Vincent.”
Vincent's eyes hardened.
“Who?”
Daniel looked at me.
“Evan.”
I froze.
“No.”
“Not Evan.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Someone using Evan's identity.”
Vincent stepped forward.
“Who?”
Daniel whispered the name.
“Your mother.”
Vincent's face went blank.
“My mother is dead.”
Daniel looked at him.
“No.”
He reached into his pocket.
He placed another photograph on the table.
A woman stood beside a black car.
Older.
Blonde.
Elegant.
I knew her.
Everyone did.
The woman who had supposedly died fifteen years earlier.
Vincent's mother.
May you like
“She's alive,” Daniel said.
“And she's the one controlling the ledger.”
