Gaunab finally turned to face the table. "Keep your pants on, Tez. You're starting to come off all superior and you should know by now Marcus doesn't take kindly to that." He winked at Marcus and continued. "So be careful 'cause the man could whoop your ass."
Marcus smiled smugly. "You bet I could. Thanks for the intervention, Matt."
"I don't understand why you don't want to go by your actual name, Gaunab," Kuan-Yu complained. "I can't get used to calling you Matunde."
"Tina likes it. And you don't seem to have any trouble remembering Marcus' name, K," Matt pointed out glibly, plopping down in the seat next to Marcus. "So what's up with that? Besides, if it strains your mind that much, just call me Matt."
"Marcus has chosen his name two millennia ago, Matunde," Tezcatlipoca lectured, stressing the name slightly. "We've had some time to grow accustomed to it. Give us another century or so and we'll adapt to yours too."
Matt harrumphed but kept quiet. Tezcatlipoca turned back to Marcus. "Now, as I was saying. The girl. Explain."
"And as I was about to say before Matt tooted my horn--" A disturbed glare from Matt interrupted him. "Okay, rephrasing that. Before Matt justly assumed I could kick your ass seven ways from Sunday, I was about to say that it was none of your business, Tez."
"We're still curious though," Matt grinned devilishly. "Come on, M. Spill the beans. What makes this one so special?"
"Who said anything about special?" Marcus huffed. "I'm just not bored yet. Which is a first, I admit, but hardly something to get all excited about. Now would you please get off my back?"
"Tina's been giving me hell about it all night. Something about leaving you alone to figure things out on your own." Matt shook his head, obviously bewildered by his wife's attitude.
"Have I mentioned I like Tina?" Marcus smirked. "How did a woman with that much common sense end up with you? It's mystifying."
Tezcatlipoca heaved an irritated sigh. "Back to the subject, please. If you don't want to talk about the girl then could you enlighten us on why you insisted on infuriating the entire Black Thorn? Did that seem like a good idea to you at the time? 'Cause I've got to tell you, from up here it sounded pretty stupid."
Rolling his eyes, Marcus leaned back in his chair. "They are a conceited, arrogant bunch of lower demons." Mimicking Senator Brucker's voice, he bawled, "I'm sooo gonna tell on you to the Senior Partners and they are sooo gonna fire you!" He shrugged. "I don't see why we're wasting our time on those clowns when we can just take care of business ourselves. Which is much more fun too."
"We've been using the Black Thorn's services for centuries now. I acknowledge that they have gradually become less useful to us, but it's still too risky to take them all out just because you carry a grudge," Kuan-Yu asserted.
"That's where my brilliant plan comes in, K." Marcus smiled. It was all coming together. "You see, the dim-witted vampire you have appointed Head Cheese of Wolfram & Hart -- against my better judgment -- seems to think the apocalypse is nigh. And the funny part is: he plans on destroying the Black Thorn to stop it."
The other three men stared at him in puzzlement. "Can he do that?" Kuan-Yu inquired curiously.
"I wouldn't put it past him," Marcus said. "He's probably got Illyria on his team by now. Wyndham-Pryce's got a death wish so he's in. Spike can't resist a good brawl and Charles Gunn might be only human, but he's been itching for a fight to avenge Winifred Burkle's death. That leaves the singing demon and most likely McDonald. Which might not seem like much, but McDonald kind of hates us since we put him in the 'burbs. I'm pretty sure he hasn't figured out yet that the Thorn isn't as important as it used to be. And then Angel... let's just say that he's been waiting his entire un-life for this opportunity."
"To quote a kindred spirit we all know and love: Get to the point," Matt snickered. "Lengthy explanations bore me to tears."
"Yes, eight sentences indeed constitute reason enough to zone out," Marcus retorted sarcastically. "Airhead."
"In short: the team is juiced up and ready to kick some Black Thorn booty?" Matt summed up to prove he had actually been listening.
"Yep. That gets the Thorn of our back. Angel deals with Sebassis' troops, and if one or more of the Angel crew survives, they'll think they've stopped the world from ending, which provides us with more than enough time to prepare the actual apocalypse."
Tezcatlipoca nodded, clearly impressed. "I must say, as far as brilliant plans go... that isn't half bad, Marcus."
"Good. We're agreed on this?" Marcus didn't wait for affirmation but turned to Matt, sizing him up crossly. "You wanna tell me why you felt the need to kidnap my assistant?"
"Oh come on, M. That was hilarious!" Matt almost choked with laughter. "You should've seen the look on your face! We were just pulling a little prank on you."
Marcus quirked an eyebrow and slowly faced the other two men, who seemed to be more interested in picking imaginary lint off their clothing. "We? Were you guys in on this? Seriously? I'd expect something like this from Matt, but you two? Get a life."
"Like yourself? Sorry, but we're not really into humans," Kuan-Yu retorted. "You weren't either, if I recall correctly. Enlighten us why this girl is different. I genuinely want to know."
"It's a no-brainer," Matt scoffed. "Marcus is in luuuurve."
"What? No, I'm not." Marcus crossed his arms in a defensive gesture. What is he talking about? "Jessica's just... nice."
"So did you have sex yet?" Tezcatlipoca's interest was renewed. "Of course you did. Was it good?"
"I'm not discussing Jessica with you guys," Marcus announced firmly. "So shut up."
Matt chuckled evilly. "Like I said. In luuuurve."
Marcus slapped him upside the head. "I'm not. You're one to talk by the way. Tina's got you on a leash. And a very short one at that."
"Yeah, but she ain't human." Matt shot him an amused look. "Question: if you're not in love, why do you smile like an idiot every time you say her name?"
The other men laughed out loud at Marcus' indignant expression. "He's right, Marcus. You do."
"Must be the memory of all that amazing sex I've been having," Marcus retorted with a self-satisfied grin, silencing the laughter. Tez and Kuan-Yu glared at him sullenly. "Yep. The advantages of having a pet human. Now leave it alone."
"Okay," Matt gave in. "For now. Let's talk business. You have to admit that your relationship to the Black Thorn is on shaky ground to say the least. Sebassis has expressed his discontent about you and if we don't want to alert the Thorns to your brilliant plan, we need to do something about that. Like firing you."
"I can live with that," Marcus pondered. "But I'm killing all of them painfully and slowly if they so much as look at me funny."
"You'll need to be out of the way then, 'cause I can guarantee you the Black Thorn will be poking fun at you the second they find out we've fired you," Tezcatlipoca frowned.
"I'm not leaving this dimension. Forget it," Marcus declared, glaring at Tez.
Kuan-Yu cleared his throat. "It might be better if you did." Off Marcus angry glower, he added, "You could take the girl with you."
Tez shook his head determinedly. "No, she's not coming. You'll dispose of her and you'll lay low for a while. That's what's going to happen. I have seniority so I decide this." The three others looked at him with identical sneers on their faces.
"That seniority crap is getting old, Tez," Kuan-Yu spoke up. "Besides, it would really have meant something if you weren't just talking about your human form. We vote and that's what's going to happen."
Tezcatlipoca shrugged, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "Fine."
"Okay," Kuan-Yu resumed. "We have three options. One: Marcus stays in this dimension, fired and all, with or without the girl. He endures every derisive remark the Black Thorn throws at him." Marcus cringed at the thought. Kuan-Yu snickered, then continued. "Two: Marcus kills the girl and hops a dimension or two. Three: Marcus takes the girl with him when he hops a dimension or two. The problem there is that humans are fair game in most dimensions."
Marcus nodded pensively. "I know. I'm leaning toward secret option number four: I stay here with Jessica and I continue to be liaison to the Senior Partners."
"You know that would mean you would have to apologize to the Thorns and accept them as your superiors for the time being?" Matt purposefully chose words that would not sit well with Marcus.
"Yeah," Marcus shrugged. "At any rate, if everything goes as planned I get to pummel Angel into oblivion. That sweetens the pill a little."
"You do realize that you have to let him beat you, don't you?" Tez wondered. "That's the only way Team Angel stands a chance against Sebassis' armies. Which is what we need if we want to make them think they've defeated us."
"Seriously?" Marcus was disgruntled. "Crap. Can I at least smack him around a bit?"
"Sure. Knock yourself out," Kuan-Yu nodded, then amended, "Not literally though."
"So... when can we meet this Jessica?" Matt inquired mischievously.
"How about never? Let it go, Matt." Marcus was beginning to get a little aggravated.
"Come on! You've basically just volunteered to apologize to the Thorn to save her life. No matter how you deny it, you are in love with her," Matt claimed hotly. "That means we get to meet our new sister-in-law."
"Enough!" Tez barked. "Leave Marcus alone, Matunde. We have some kinks to work out. Like for example: how do we go about making Angel believe that he has killed Marcus? Or what do we do when none of the white hats succeed in taking out any members of the Black Thorn?"
Kuan-Yu's cell phone rang, providing Marcus and Matt with the opportunity to cool down and focus on the task at hand. They had to map out a strategy before Marcus reverted to his role as liaison to the Senior Partners. Every slip of the tongue could result in an ugly fight. There was no doubt that the Partners would prevail, but it would cost a lot of lives of perfectly good employees. Not to mention the fact that the outside world would be alerted to the presence of demons in the world, which would get in the way of preparing a nice and quiet apocalypse.
Tossing his phone on the table, Kuan-Yu sighed. "That was Madea. Apparently it's my turn to have the kids over for the afternoon. You'd think she could hire a nanny, considering the amount of alimony I pay her."
Shaking their heads in unison, the three others faced Kuan-Yu. Marcus voiced the popular opinion. "They're your kids, K. Be glad you get to see them once in a while."
"I know," Kuan-Yu conceded. "It's just the way she bosses me around. She really annoys me."
"So, thinking of getting back together with her, are you?" Matt winked. Off Kuan-Yu's scowl he added, "Please. We've known each other for a million years, give or take. It's so obvious."
"Anyway." Kuan-Yu decided to ignore Matt. "I don't have time to have them over. I have this big meeting with the Reza clan, remember? Taking over their dimension and all that? I'd make Tez do it, but if I recall correctly he kind of killed their leader last time and they didn't really like him anymore afterwards."
Tezcatlipoca studied his hands intently. "That was an accident."
"Yeah," Marcus mocked. "He accidentally annoyed you so much you tore his limbs off. Hey, it could happen."
"My point is: I really have to attend that meeting." Kuan-Yu sighed, then perked up. "Marcus, you think you and your girlfriend could baby-sit the kids?"
"Baby-sit your hellspawn? Not a chance." Despite his quick refusal, Marcus thought about it for a second. He'd always had a soft spot for Megan and Thomas. Maybe Jessica liked children; she was a woman after all. "Oh, what the hell. What time do I pick them up?"
"About 3 pm? Leaves you more than enough time to grovel at the feet of the collective Black Thorn," Kuan-Yu grinned. "Great. I'll pick them up at six. Thanks, Marcus."
"No problem," Marcus said. "Just remember you owe me one."
"So can we please get back to more pressing matters now the domestic issues are solved?" Tezcatlipoca inquired tiredly.
Turning their attention back to the apocalypse at hand, the men plotted the best way for Marcus to keep a low profile while still retaining his position as liaison.
"Well, I gotta go," Kuan-Yu announced after an hour of discussing strategy. "It was a pleasure, gentlemen. Marcus, be sure to check in more often. We miss your sunny disposition. See you around six." He created a portal with a swift flick of his wrist and disappeared through it.
"Sunny disposition my ass," Matt muttered, getting up from his chair. "Okay, I'm off too. See ya later guys." The air around him seemed to shimmer and he was gone too.
Tezcatlipoca turned to Marcus. "Are you okay with our plans so far?"
Marcus nodded grudgingly. "Yeah, I'm good." Their plans didn't embody his idea of a good time, but he'd live. Not that he actually had a choice in that matter, being immortal and all. Apologizing to the Black Thorn and letting Angel defeat him in a fight were pretty much last on his list of fun things to do but it had to be done. Their rule spanned several dimensions by now and was still expanding rapidly. If word got out that the Partners betrayed their generals, mutiny would undoubtedly ensue. Mutiny could be beaten down, of course, but there would always be a certain amount of discontent brewing just below the surface, waiting for a spark to set it off. The constant threat of rebellion and demon wars waged against them would unquestionably get in the way of the upcoming apocalypse.
Tez smiled contentedly. "Great. Give Meg and Tommy a big hug for me." His form became transparent and dissolved into thin air.
"Flashy bastards," Marcus grumbled. "Can't they just walk out?" He realized that they, in fact, couldn't, because their identity had to remain secret; but the mood he was in now didn't allow for rationalizations. He could travel through dimensions just like the others, he just chose not to. Partly because he had to keep up the act of lowly liaison and partly because he liked the idea that people didn't know he wasn't human. It gave him the element of surprise, just like it had done with Jessica.
He rose from his chair and made his way into the hallway, fishing his cell phone out of his inside pocket. He dialed Patterson's number. "Get me Sebassis on the phone." He did not want to do this. After a couple of seconds Sebassis answered.
Marcus tried for his most unassuming voice. "Archduke. I was just in a meeting with the Senior Partners and it seems I have overstepped my boundaries. They have decided I should continue to serve as their liaison however, so please accept my humblest apologies."
Obviously unhappy with the fact that Marcus was still alive, let alone that he was still their liaison, Sebassis kept quiet for a few seconds. "Well then," the demon finally said unenthusiastically. "If the Senior Partners feel that way, I'm certain the Black Thorn can adjust. I trust you will know your place from now on?"
Marcus gritted his teeth. "Of course, Archduke. Have a nice day." Ending the call, he considered throwing his phone forcefully into a wall, so the damn thing couldn't remind him anymore of the most humiliating conversation in his very long life. Instead of smashing something that was actually useful, he slammed his fist into a wall, punching clean through it and only relieving a little of the tension he felt.
He glanced at his watch. A quarter to two. Time always went faster in that room, maybe because it was a convergence point for several dimensions. He had one more hour until he had to go pick up K's kids. He could go down to his apartment and spend it with Jessica, relieving some more of that pesky tension. Maybe even try the kitchen island.
However, his fellow Partners had made it abundantly clear what they thought about his obsession with her. They were wrong, obviously, but it was probably wise to not spend every free hour in her company. He set course for his office.
Jessica had been stunned to see Megan and Thomas walk into the apartment with Marcus, but after a couple of minutes she was getting used to the idea. Marcus hadn't really explained their presence; he'd just said he was baby-sitting them as a favor to their father. The children called him Uncle Marcus, indicating that they knew him pretty well. It came as quite a shock for Jessica to realize there was so much she didn't know about him, but these kids provided her with an opportunity to find out more, and to observe his interaction with them. Besides, she really liked kids so she enjoyed their company a lot.
"Are you Uncle Marcus' special friend?" Thomas asked curiously.
"Special friend?" Jessica wondered. Megan and Thomas nodded enthusiastically.
"Daddy says Uncle Marcus sometimes has special friends and that he plays games with them," Megan clarified.
Across the table Marcus choked on his coffee. Jessica's eyebrows shot up. "Games?"
Thomas nodded even more ardently. "Yes. He never wants to play those games with us though." His face fell.
Jessica could barely suppress her laughter. Marcus looked very uncomfortable at the mention of his previous girlfriends. There was no need for that really; obviously he'd had girlfriends before. I mean, look at him. She didn't mind, he was hers now. "Don't worry, Thomas. Uncle Marcus' games aren't all that."
Marcus jerked his head up to face her. Smiling crookedly he sized her up. "Really... No games for you tonight, little girl."
"I'll play, Uncle Marcus," Megan volunteered, causing Marcus to choke again. Neither the children nor Jessica knew what games Kuan-Yu had actually been talking about, and he wasn't about to enlighten them. What had K been thinking anyway, discussing things like that in front of the children?
His cell phone rang, saving him from further embarrassment. "Not today, sweetheart." He answered the call. "Yeah?"
It was Patterson, telling him his presence was required to settle a quarrel between demonic tribes that was rapidly getting out of hand. Shooting Jessica an apologetic look, he got up. "I'll be right back. Emergency meeting upstairs. Do you mind watching them for a while?"
"Of course not, they're cute!" Jessica assured him.
"Thanks," he said gratefully, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "I won't be long."
As soon as Marcus closed the door, the two children turned to Jessica. "Uncle Marcus likes you," Megan revealed to her.
"Really?" Jessica smiled. "How can you tell?"
"He calls you little girl," Megan beamed. "He calls me little girl too."
"Oh." Jessica didn't really know what to tell Megan. "That's so... disturbing."
"And he makes a funny face when he looks at you," Thomas added, scrunching up his nose to illustrate.
"I think he always looks funny," Jessica confided in the children. They giggled conspiratorially.
"Mommy says Uncle Marcus is the hottest of all our uncles. She says he is so hot he shouldn't wear any clothes at all," Megan continued with a worried frown on her face. "Do you think Uncle Marcus is sick?"
Swallowing back a nervous giggle, Jessica shook her head reassuringly. "I'm sure Uncle Marcus is fine." More than fine. "Now what would you like to do? Watch a movie?"
Going through Marcus' DVD-collection, she discovered a reasonable amount of cartoons, leading her to suspect Marcus had had the children over before. It felt strange that he'd never mentioned them. It wasn't like they didn't talk about stuff; he'd had more than enough time and opportunity to bring them up. She frowned. Maybe he'd been worried that she'd think he was going too fast if he mentioned children. Which made sense. She was just twenty-one; he was a lot older than her. She couldn't really blame him for being careful.
She popped a cartoon into the DVD-player and soon all three of them were engrossed in the adventures of a friendly little ghost. Near the end of the movie Marcus came home.
"Sorry it took so long. I had to... never mind. Ooh, Caspar!" He slumped down on the sofa next to Jessica and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her neck. She snuggled up to him and observed the children, who were thoroughly immersed in Caspar's world. Marcus' cell phone rang a little after six.
"Your apartment is portal-proof," Kuan-Yu accused without further introduction.
"Then take the elevator, moron," Marcus muttered, making sure the children didn't overhear him.
"I would, but I kind of forgot the combination," Kuan-Yu admitted cheerfully. "Would it be terribly inconvenient for you to lift the portal protection?"
Marcus sighed. "Just a second." He rose from the sofa and moved a crystal that was strategically placed in the corner of the living room. "Okay. You can beam down, Scotty."
Right after he'd sat back down on the sofa, a portal appeared in the center of his living room, revealing not only Kuan-Yu, but also Madea, Matt and Tina, and Tez. All of them sporting identical eager grins. Marcus gritted his teeth. Kuan-Yu hadn't heard the last about this yet. Jessica tensed up next to him, unconsciously leaning closer.
"Jessica, meet my... family," Marcus introduced her reluctantly, rising from the sofa and taking her hand to help her up. Pointing to Kuan-Yu, he continued, "That's Kuan-Yu, the kids' father, the woman next to him is their mother and K's ex-wife slash future wife Madea, Matt and Tina and finally Tez. My brothers, so to speak."
Jessica threw him a confused look. Brothers? They each seemed to have different ancestry, but then again, Marcus had told her he'd lived in the human world for 2500 years now. So she really shouldn't be surprised at something like this. Let alone the fact that they'd appeared to have teleported into the apartment. Just roll with it.
Marcus' family waved at her and the man called Tez spoke up, smiling winningly. "Nice to finally meet you, Jessica. We've heard so much about you."
Jessica returned his smile, a little uneasy under the inquisitive gaze of Marcus' collective family. "Thanks. It's nice to meet you too. Although I can't say I've heard a lot about you."
"That's Marcus for ya," the black man called Matt remarked cryptically. "The man has a knack for missing the obvious."
Jessica heard Marcus grumble next to her but she decided not to pay attention to him. If her suspicions were correct, she was talking to the men Marcus had met 2000 years ago. She didn't have the full scoop yet, but she'd figure it out. She could always ask Marcus to elaborate.
Madea turned to Jessica. "Meg and Tom didn't cause any trouble? They can get a little overactive, especially around their favorite Uncle Marcus."
"Hey!" Tez and Matt exclaimed in unison, voicing their indignation.
"What? It's true," Madea shrugged. "Don't ask me why but the kids love him."
Jessica looked at Marcus affectionately. "He is quite lovable."
Her comment caused the group to size her up attentively. The awkward silence only lasted a few seconds and was shattered by Thomas asking his mother if Jessica could come home with them.
"Sorry Tommy," Marcus apologized. "Aunt Jessica and I have plans for tonight."
"We do?" Jessica looked at Marcus in puzzlement, then remembered. "We do! The theatre!" Covering her mouth with her hand she tugged at Marcus' sleeve. "I don't have anything to wear," she complained, eliciting a burst of laughter from Marcus' family.
"I like her already," Tina declared. "Marcus, get the girl a decent dress."
Marcus rolled his eyes. "It's taken care of. You think I'm stupid?"
"The thought has come up," Matt muttered under his breath, earning him a glower from Marcus. "More than once actually."
"Well, guys," Marcus stated dryly. "Wish I could say it's been a pleasure, but unfortunately..." His congenial smile softened the edge of his words. "Get out."
Laughing, Madea collected the kids while Kuan-Yu created a portal. Grabbing Matt by the arm, Tina stepped into it and turned around to wave goodbye to Jessica. Tez smiled at her and joined the others in the portal. With a flash, they were gone.
"Well," Jessica ventured. "That was weird."
"Yeah," Marcus acknowledged. "They are a bit much."
"And what was that about a decent dress?" Jessica inquired mischievously.
He chuckled. "Wait and see." As on cue, his cell phone rang. "Yes?" he answered it. "I'll be right up." He turned to Jessica. "Looks like your dress has arrived, Miss Nader. I'll be back in a few seconds."
Taking advantage of the fact that the portal protection had been lifted, Marcus disappeared. Twenty seconds later, he reappeared in the exact same spot, carrying two boxes in his arms.
"That's so cool!" Jessica exclaimed. "How do you do that? Can I go too?"
She's so young. Marcus smiled indulgently. "Not right now. Get dressed. We have dinner reservations in an hour."
Jessica made her way to the bedroom bearing the boxes Marcus had brought. She unpacked the largest one, unwrapping a beautiful black chiffon dress. The other box contained a pair of matching high-heeled shoes. Hastily shedding her clothes she padded over to the bathroom where she took a quick shower.
After Marcus entered the bathroom to shower, she got dressed in front of the man-sized mirror and admired her silhouette. Marcus had good taste and the dress was exactly the right size. It clung to her form like a second skin, with a slightly flowing skirt down to her ankles. A long slit revealed a large part of her legs. She applied some make-up and pinned her hair up.
Marcus emerged from the bathroom fully clothed in a dark grey three-piece suit. The sight of Jessica in her new dress nearly took his breath away. She wasn't what you'd call particularly pretty, but she looked amazing tonight. His hands itched to pull the pin from her hair and remove the dress none too gently. He had half a mind to stay in tonight. However, he couldn't deny her her night out. Her face spoke volumes; she all but bounced with excitement at the prospect of going out. He took in the dress he'd picked out with the eye of a connoisseur. Good choice.
"You look stunning," he complimented her.
"Thanks," she said. "For everything."
A feeling suspiciously like guilt nagged at him. Guilt? Where did that come from? More importantly, how did he make it go away? Pushing the thought to the back of his mind he offered her his arm. "Let's go." After placing the crystal back in place he locked the door behind them.
"Okay, now pay attention," Marcus warned and promptly teleported himself and Jessica to the car.
Jessica let out a startled yelp upon suddenly emerging in the parking garage, then beamed at him. "Wow! Cool!"
With a hand on her back he steered her toward the same BMW they'd used to visit her parents. Driving out into the city, he couldn't help but ponder about exactly why he acted the way he did around Jessica. Could it be that his brothers had a point? In only eight days he'd done so many uncharacteristic things that he'd lost count.
During dinner Marcus was quiet and distant. His thoughts appeared to be miles away. Jessica didn't think too much of it; maybe he was tired or he'd had some problems at work. She was determined to cheer him up in the course of the evening, but she decided to let him brood and sulk for a bit. It could do a person good.
Marcus felt his inner turmoil growing with every second that passed. He analyzed every sentiment he'd had and everything he'd done in the last week or so. He was beginning to see a pattern. Why had he been reluctant to sleep with her? Because he'd been afraid that he'd grow bored and he'd have to kill her, yes. But why did the thought of killing her bother him so? He'd never had any qualms about it before, and it wasn't that he'd wanted his plan to work out so bad either, although that's what he'd told himself.
He had feelings for her -- plain and simple. Marcus calmed himself somewhat by reasoning that feelings did not equal love. Feelings he could handle. Love did not fit in with his personality, but feelings -- desire, lust, attraction -- didn't pain him as much to admit to. He'd just have to get his priorities straight. What was the most important thing right now? Jessica. He corrected himself. Sex with Jessica. Those feelings would ebb away and when they did, he wouldn't think twice about killing her. That was how it was supposed to go and it sure was how he planned it to go.
He focused his attention on Jessica again. She was studying him intently, and he forced a smile onto his face. "Sorry, I zoned out." Sorry? What the hell for? Marcus Hamilton didn't apologize; he beat everyone he offended into a bloody pulp. That was in his nature. This was not. It was time he'd start being himself again.