Page 66 of Toxic Devotion

“If you know what’s best for you, you’ll stay on your arses,” he said, wanting them as close to the floor as possible at the odd chance shooting would become necessary.

With the workers squared away, they headed for the loading dock. They’d need all of them to get Marco’s crates in that truck fast, and they needed to be fast. He didn’t want to get caught in the warehouse if Alvaro’s men showed up. That could only end in a bloodbath.

The got all of Marco’s crates into the truck his associate had left for them outside and then he got behind the wheel, leaving the others to ensure the authorities found the workers so they wouldn’t be stuck inside the office until the next shift arrived.

He drove the truck to a safe location and left it there with the crates still inside. There was no use in unloading them. Once Alvaro had been dealt with and Marco was no longer in danger, he would need his product back at his usual location.

Marco

He couldn’t help staring at Neil. The man had gone above and beyond for him yesterday. He knew why, but he still couldn’t stop the feeling of something being off. Perhaps that was why he followed when Neil got a phone call and left the living room. Neil walked into the bedroom and closed the door, unaware that Marco was in the hallway.

At first, he could only hear muffled sounds, so he moved closer, and Neil’s voice became clearer.

“Yes, sir.”

The words brought him up short. Neil was talking to his boss? It wasn’t entirely unexpected. He just didn’t understand why he was talking to him now. He had to have taken time off to be here with him, right?

“I have them exactly where I want them. It will be quite the blow for the cartel, so moving now will be in our best interest.” Neil hummed, his footsteps getting louder as he walked across the room.

“Ty is set up to handle that part. I’m staying here and taking care of my part,” Neil said an was quiet for a few seconds. “Yes, I understand, sir.”

He turned on his heels and walked back into the living room. There was no way ‘the cartel’ was any other cartel than the one they were already dealing with. No fucking way. Neil was… was he using him? Was Neil using Alvaro attacking him to run a fucking operation?

He knew the second Neil entered the room and turned around slowly, letting the betrayal and anger show on his face.

“You heard,” Neil said, his voice so damn calm it made Marco want to scream.

“Oh, I heard,” he growled.

Neil walked closer, caution in his gaze.

“You don’t have all the information, Marco. You’re overreacting.”

“Am I? You’ve been lying about why you’re here. About what you’re doing here. You’ve been using me.”

Neil huffed, fire burning in his eyes. “I’vebeen using you?”

“Fuck you,” he hissed.

“I wouldn’t have been working this damned cartel case if you hadn’t killed Alvaro,” Neil snapped.

“Right,” he drawled, glaring hard at Neil.

“Perhaps if you stopped pretending you don’t love me and actually let me in, none of this would’ve happened,” Neil said, throwing his hands up. “Perhaps I would’ve felt like I could be honest with you.”

He heard footsteps but from the lack of reaction coming from Neil, he knew it was Rome.

“Well fuck you very much, you piece of shit,” he yelled, hands clenching and unclenching as he considered whether breaking his hand on the man’s jaw was worth it.

“Marco…”

There was hurt in Neil’s eyes, and he didn’t give a fucking shit. Neil hadn’t felt pain the way he had. Not even close.

Neil stepped toward him, but Marco wasn’t about to let him near, grabbing the vase off the coffee table to throw at him. Neil ducked, the vase shattering against the wall behind him.

“Get out,” he yelled, a growl in his voice as he pointed toward the door. “Pack your shit and leave.”

He needed Neil gone. Now.