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"Why, Marcus Baxter, you look almost approachable when you're not scowling," I shot back. Something in his presence made me feel lighter. Not because there was an attraction there—no one could ever compare to Wes. It was as if I recognized myself in him—my old, pre-Wes self.
He slowly walked into the room, eyeing Echo. "Will she attack?"
"Not unless you have the intent to hurt me." I glanced at my dog. "Echo." Her name was all I had to say. She scooted closer and sat pressed against my shins.
He lowered himself on my other side onto the mattress. "I asked Lilly to let me be the one to talk to you."
Oh?It was my turn to scowl. This would be interesting. Wiping my palms against my leggings, I didn't dare to breathe.
"Obviously, I know who you are and who your family is." He paused, waiting for me to show some type of acknowledgment.
The hammering in my chest increased in speed, and drawing in air became harder. I had no idea where this was leading. "Yes," I replied in a low tone.
"Do you know anything about me?" he inquired, and I shook my head.Should I?
"Let's leave it at: we both had a childhood no kid should ever go through." He exhaled. "But we did. And we came out the other side."
He wrung his hands together and talked toward the floor. This was new. I had seen Marcus Baxter arrogant, confident, condescending, not giving a shit, but this… He almost seemed uncomfortable. Like a little boy.
"It may not seem this way, but everything you…endured molded you into the strong woman you are today. You didn't let it beat you down; you fought. The same way you are fighting for your baby. You want to give it a good life. I watched you in Arizona."
"You did?" My surprise was audible. I didn't think he ever left Lilly's side.
"I was there for a few days before I came to pick you up." He turned his head and leveled me with a look that made me hold my breath. "Monroe, you are as fierce as they come, and you will survive this world no matter what happens. I don't know Wes—he's not been around for most of my time with Lilly—but I saw him before he left town."
He did?
"He came to the house. Lilly told him everything. Was he pissed? Hell, yes. Dude was fuming."
That was encouraging—not.My rapid pulse was making it hard to sit still.
"But who wouldn't be?" Marcus splayed his palms in a questioning gesture. "The guy didn't have a chance to get eased into either situation—your father or his baby."
"What if—" I started, but Marcus interrupted me.
"He will come around. Trust me. But even if his stubborn ass needs time, you can do this. Show the world who Kingsley Monroe is."
Show the world.A small smile formed on my lips. Who would've thought thatThe Shadowwould give me a pep talk and be decent at it? I slanted my head and glanced at him. "Who is Marcus Baxter?"
He mimicked my expression, then patted my knee and stood up. "That, little fighter, is a conversation for another day. Let's go try on dresses. I'm not carrying them all back."
And try on we did. Thirteen dresses, each one more beautiful than the last. Mags and Lilly had to help me while Marcus lounged on the couch like a king—no pun intended—commenting as if he had a say. Though, I found myself agreeing with him whenever he scrunched his nose at one of the outfits. It was almost eerie how alike we were.
In the end, we settled on number seven: a black, sleeveless, floor-length, A-line dress. It was simple yet elegant and the fanciest dress I'd ever had.
"I still don't think this is a good idea," I confessed to Lilly as Marcus loaded the rest of the gowns back into their SUV.
Lilly faced me head-on, taking my hands. "I'm the bride. I want you there," she stated, then softened her features. "You won't be alone for a minute, I promise you. Wes can go suck a lemon." She grinned, and a laugh bubbled up inside of me. How did this happen?
After I watched Lilly and Marcus drive off, I went to find Mags in the kitchen. We stared at each other for a long moment before we both burst out laughing. The reaction made no sense, and at the same time, was completely reasonable.
"I should probably ask Grizz if I can have my job back." I sobered. "At least for a little while." I needed as much money as I could get to support us.
And that'show I ended up shocking Grizz into silence a few hours later. "Grizz?" I prod carefully.
Still no reaction. I lean closer to Mags. "Should we call someone?" I chew on my lip. This doesn't seem normal.
"Yo, boss!" a voice hollers from behind me, and Mags and I turn in unison. Dean stops in his tracks, his eyes bugged out. "Holy shit! You're back." Then, his gaze drops lower. "And with a carry-on."
