Page 85 of Marcus

He blamed everything for it.

Everything but himself.

It didn’t help that Marcus should have delivered this tribute the night before to his father, so he wouldn’t have to do it today. Then, he could have been at home when Cella arrived with Tiffany after driving from Rochester. Those plans quickly had to change when his father decided he didn’t want guests the night before.

Not even his son with money.

Instead, he’d called way too fucking early to say Marcus could come and deliver the tribute while his father took breakfast on the back terrace. Did it matter that Cella would be arriving that morning? Apparently not.

“You look sour for it being a beautiful Friday morning,” Marcus’s mother said, greeting him at the front door. Despite wishing he could just drop off the money and go, he knew better than that. He offered his mother a smile and kissed her cheek. “That’s a little better. Things on your mind?”

Marcus lifted the envelope with the cash inside. Quite a bit of cash, frankly, because it weighed his hand down. “Business for Papa, that’s all.”

“I hear you have a guest coming today, too.”

He couldn’t help but genuinely smile at that. “I do.”

His mother gave him a look that screamed I know what you haven’t told me, I can see it written all over your face. She always had known her boys better than anyone. He wasn’t sure if that was because they came from their mother—she helped to make them, carried them for nine months before giving them life, after all—or if it was her penchant for being able to shrink heads. Either way, he didn’t mind.

It was just his ma.

“I’m very happy,” he told her.

Cara grinned knowingly. “I can tell. See, I told you that little issue you were having would work out somehow.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Months ago, all you wanted to focus on were the stupid socialite rags that wouldn’t leave you alone. You haven’t mentioned those once since, Marcus. And why should you? Nothing they have to say holds any importance to what matters in your private life. Have you even noticed them recently?”

He had to think about that.

Really think about it.

“No,” he said, “I haven’t.”

Partly because he had better things to focus on, and also he’d been too busy to even stop at the grocery store near his penthouse in the city where the rags usually mocked him at the register while he paid. Instead, he had his assistant, someone his brother hired to handle different things for him who usually deferred to Chris and not even Marcus, when he needed something done.

“In case you’re curious,” his mother said as she stepped away to grant him access to the grand entry of the mansion, “they have yet to pick up wind of her.”

Well, then …

“That’s good to know.”

“Your father is in the back. Find me before you leave. I might like to find out if there’s a time I can sneak those two away from you this weekend.”

“Well, that is gonna cost you, Ma.”

Cara’s laughter followed him through the grand entry as he headed for the back of the mansion. The shitty mood bringing him down seemed to disappear with nothing more than a conversation from his mother. Not that it shocked him seeing as how his mother always knew how to bring her sons out of a mood.

Of course, that all had to change when he stepped out onto the rear terrace to find his father waiting for him. Not that the sight of Gian did it, but rather, the fact that his father stared at him as though he were less than impressed with the sight in front of him, and like he’d been waiting for his son.

“Boss,” Marcus greeted.

Gian smiled tightly.

Another bad sign.

“Sit,” his father said, pointing at the chair across from him at the small, glass table outfitted with wicker chairs on either side. “And we’ll have a chat.”