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“Then you know she’s got her own back.”
He shows no outward signs of anger, but, somehow, I feel the need to explain myself here. “I’m just trying to find out what the hell is going on. You can appreciate my need to be sure Hayley and Leah are safe? They haven’t had the easiest time since moving here.”
Marcus nods, turning to look out over the lake. “Hayley wasn’t having the easiest time before she moved here, either.”
Pursing my lips, I can’t argue with that. “I appreciate what you did for her. She told me you kept an eye out for her when she moved to town.”
Marcus doesn’t smile, he shifts, looking uncomfortable with the praise. “You’d have done the same. She was new in town and trying her best to lay low. Saving Cooper blew that out of the water.” Finally, he turns to me. “Nobody here would allow anyone to touch a hair on your sister's head. They’ve taken them as their own.”
It’s hard not to be drawn to the girls. For someone who has a hard time connecting with people, I’ve always been envious of the ease with which they make friends wherever they go.
“Leah has a way of making you like her, even if you don’t want to.”
Marcus chuckles, a big grin hiding behind his thick beard. “Rex didn’t stand a chance. And he’s never been happier.”
Unable to look at the back of the house without fixating on the window from which Hayley was forced to climb out, I glance down at Marcus’s arms. His shirt sleeves are rolled up to reveal perfectly even, tanned skin.
Taking notice, “No scars, thankfully. Not on the outside anyway,” he says, holding his arms out in front of him and flexing his fingers. “Still get flashbacks. I haven’t had to go to a big fire like that again, but that should be fun when it happens.”
This is a man who’ll push through, but it’s admirable that he’s admitting he struggles. Van could use a chat with him.
“You’re lucky Natalie was there to drag you out.”
I wait for my words to land: Sean was given credit in all the reports. This isn’t something I should know, and Marcus’s dark eyes narrow, his nostrils flare.
“If you think Natalie had anything to do with what’s gone on here, you’re barking up the wrong tree.” Marcus' words could be construed as a threat, but, somehow, I know they’re not. “But you already know that, don’t you? That’s not why you’re giving her a hard time.” “And I’d imagine the feeling is mutual; otherwise, you’d still be in that shed.”
We both return to staring out at the sky, now streaked with amber as the sun sets over the high peaks sheltering the lake.
“She’s keeping secrets.” Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I frown. “She’s been in regular contact with your father behind your back.”
Marcus grunts as if to say duh. Apparently, this is not news to him.
“Of course she has. Leon is her father, and she’s conflicted because he’s a terrible person. And sometimes, he listens to her when she tells him off for how he treats our mum and brothers. If any of the boys tried what she does, they’d get a beating; but he has a soft spot for Nat.”
Blood rushes through my veins and fills my ears. She’s not conspiring with her father to hide his crimes? Was she trying to talk him out of them in the first place?
“That’s risky.” A mixture of frustration and admiration washes over me. No wonder she was meeting him on the down low. Someone like me would question the appropriateness of a deputy spending time with a known violent criminal.
“She knows that. She’s just trying to do what she can. Maybe it’s time you stop picking on her.”
“I’m not picking on her,” I argue, but Marcus snorts at my offended expression.
“You’re not following anyone else in town around.”
That’s true. I convinced myself she was the key to all of this, but maybe that was just an excuse to indulge my desire to know everything about her.
“She was supposed to be here, but she’s avoiding me.” I can’t blame her. She is the only reason I came.
Marcus reaches out a big hand, still looking out at the water rather than at me, and gestures at the house, where laughter and happiness spill through the open windows into the growing dusk.
“Secrets or no secrets, this is worth fighting for. Giving someone power over you is terrifying, but it’s worth it.”
Marcus’s words spark something inside me; I’ve never shied away from a challenge. I stare down at Hunter who smacks his lips and nuzzles into me through the carrier. He’ll be looking for Hayley for a feed soon. I find myself reluctant to give him back. This town really is messing with my head.
“Any idea where she is?”
Marcus smiles at me with a glint in his eye. “She said something about going to Taaffe’s. Sean’s hosting a big event tonight and there’ll be lots of out-of-towners. Either that, or she’s with Max.”
