Page 110 of Marcus

Of course.

He considered all of that, and much more.

It changed nothing.

“If it was Val,” Marcus said quietly, “or your daughters … would you risk it happening again?”

“I’m not saying—”

“It’s a yes or no answer. Either you would or you wouldn’t.”

“You already know the answer to that. I just wonder why you’re allowing your final straw to be a woman who left you while you were recovering in the hospital without so much as a goodbye and still hasn’t contacted you after a week.”

“Because that doesn’t change the fact that I love her.” Marcus reached for the door handle of the car when his brother put it into the park but hesitated before opening it to add, “And the next time, it might be your wife. Our mother. My godson, or any other one of my nieces or nephews. The next time they try to come for us, it could be someone you love. So, if you think that I am choosing this route just for her, you’re mistaken. I am not, nor have I ever been, that selfish. All I ever did before today, and after, is look out for this family. I don’t know how to do anything different, Christopher. And don’t act as though you didn’t know that.”

“Marcus—”

“He makes a stop at the café every afternoon—I need to be in there, yes? I’m sure we can pick up this conversation where we left it when I get back. Make the calls and have everyone in position. Understood?”

Chris nodded. “Yeah, I hear you.”

“Thank you.”

Marcus pushed open the back door and stepped out of the car. Before he closed it back up, however, he hesitated just long enough to bend down and say to his brother, “And I know you want to protect me—business aside, we’re speaking on family here. I get you don’t want shit to fuck with me, including a woman, Chris, but you don’t need to keep reminding me that she left. I know what she did. I am alone because of her choice, but it was hers to make. You have not lived her life or lost the things she has; so have your opinions, feel whatever way you need to about what she did, but it changes nothing for me.”

“I’m trying,” his brother muttered.

Marcus dragged in a breath that hurt.

It all hurt lately.

“Try harder.”

His piece said, Marcus shut the car door and headed across the street to the small café where the first part of his plan would be put into motion. As the boss, he couldn’t be directly involved in the main portion of his plan—a bit too dangerous, all things considered. He could still make it known that every single thing that was about to happen to the chapter of the Riders in Quebec had been done by his hand to people who needed to know.

Under only his direction.

Once inside the café, Marcus ordered a black coffee just to give him something to do although he had no intention of drinking it. He found a seat near the front windows which would allow his men to see him, and with his back facing the glass, the man he was currently waiting on wouldn’t know Marcus was inside until it was too late.

Which was entirely the point.

Marcus palmed the mug, watching the steam rise and curl around the rounded edge. Across the quiet café high on the wall, a clock ticked down the minutes. Not that he particularly liked having time to himself to get lost in his thoughts lately, but he did exactly that as he waited.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to sit in that pit of hell for very long. The ringing of the bell above the entrance door had Marcus turning his head to find Glen Cote standing on the café’s welcome mat. In his leather and patch, a beard that touched his chest, and jeans that looked as though they had seen better days, he was sure the man came off as formidable to anyone standing up against him.

To Marcus, the man was a fucking nuisance.

Had been since the beginning.

Glen, comfortable in the café as he believed this part of Quebec to be his territory alone, especially since he’d taken over as the chapter’s president for the Riders, the man didn’t even bother to look around the business before he headed for the front to order. Marcus bided his time, knowing better than to cause a scene when as it was, this entire day would be exactly that in a major way.

Once Glen had a coffee in a to-go cup ready in his hand, the man turned to leave. Finally, his gaze landed on Marcus sitting at the two-person table near the door. He took great enjoyment from watching the way the man’s face morphed from surprise to confusion in a blink. Sure, he attempted to appear unbothered, but it was still there.

Marcus liked that a lot.

“Don’t know what you’re doing in these parts, Guzzi,” Glen said as he neared Marcus’s table, “but that’s a mistake—I’ve got enough Riders in Quebec to make a call that will promise you won’t get out of town before they kill you.”

“Right to the threats, huh?” Marcus smirked and waved at the chair across from his. “Take a seat.”