Once Upon a Marriage

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

“No. I’m not okay. But I’m sure I need some time to myself to get there.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I.”

“This sucks.”

“Yeah.”

“It wasn’t wrong for him to take the job with your mom. And that woman, she was just a job. Her father hired him.”

“My head knows that.”

“He was doing his job.”

“Yeah.”

“

He loves you.”

“Yeah. I love him, too.”

“It’s a mess.”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

Gabi wasn’t going to hang up as long as Marie kept talking. Marie understood. So she told her best friend that she had to go. Agreed to have dinner upstairs the following night. And rang off.

* * *

SITTING OUT IN front of the Arapahoe, a burger wrapper and empty fries carton in a bag on the seat beside him, Elliott watched the darkened coffee shop. She’d drawn the blinds a couple of hours ago. He’d seen the guard out front respond to a call half an hour ago. That should have been Marie going upstairs for the night.

He’d done all he could. Time to call it a night.

So he got out of his car. Walked across the street. Around back. And in the private entrance.

Opting for the stairs, he climbed slowly. Not to the third floor.

He was ready to be in his room alone for the night. And wasn’t about to sit out with Marie’s friends as though he was one of them.

He had unfinished business with his wife.

Key in hand, he approached the door that had been home to him for the past couple of weeks. Put his keys back in his pocket, and knocked. Legally he might have the right to enter on his own. Ethically he did not.

“Gabi, I told you, I’m...” Her voice broke off and she stood there, openmouthed. And beautiful.

But...broken, too. As was usual for that time of night, tendrils of hair had fallen out of her ponytail and circled her face. If she’d had on makeup, not much of it had survived the day. Her T-shirt had what looked like a fresh stain on one shoulder. Her jeans were the faded ones he liked best.

And there was no light in her eyes.

“You obviously didn’t check the peephole.” He wasn’t happy about that and didn’t bother to hide it. Not because he was a bodyguard and she was a job. But because he loved her and needed to know that she was tending to her safety. “The police suspect the danger with Liam is escalating,” he said. “It’s been a week and two days since the last episode. And the time between episodes has shortened. Another could happen anytime. It’s obvious to anyone watching—and let’s be clear that this guy’s been watching—that Liam is close to you. You’re in business together, live in the same building. Several of the threats have been delivered via your shop. And you didn’t check your peephole.”