Millie

This was a disaster.

"Millie, wait up."

I flipped Marcus off over my shoulder and continued walking. Only, it became clear very quickly I didn't know where I was going. I'd grown so used to storming off to my bedroom while staying with Lochlan, but Anna had sent our bags with Rita when we arrived, then whisked me into the kitchen.

Instead of barging into bedrooms, I took a right when the opportunity presented itself and ended up in a parlor with a breathtaking mountain view. The room was far more rustic than the cabin, but its cozy, romantic vibes were the same. And that fact just pissed me off even more than I already was. Right now, I'd rather strangle Lochlan than screw him. If Marcus hadn't shown up to redirect that anger, I might have done just that.

"I'll follow you all over the house if I have to."

I spun on him. Hands on my hips and eyes darting around to make sure we were alone, I hissed, "More secrets, Marcus. I shouldn't be shocked or hurt."

He backed up until he was standing next to the stone fireplace. Holding his enormous hands over the flames, he shook his head. "I asked you. Freedom or knowledge. You chose freedom."

"But Alex?" I fought tears. "You better not hurt him."

My friend sucked air through his teeth and pulled his shoulders toward his ears. "I don't intend to."

"That's the word right there. Intend. But you know what they say about intentions. Alex doesn't deserve to get pulled into your lies."

"That's rich, Millie. Our lies."

"Tell me why you're with him." I stepped in front of him. Voices carried down the corridor. We were running out of time. "Does he know? About everything?"

"Oh, there you are," Anna called, entering the living room from the opposite door. She spied Marcus and grinned before crossing the room and pulling him into a warm hug like she'd known him his entire life. "I was so thrilled when Alex said he was bringing a guest. That it's you is just even better. It's like we're becoming one big family."

"Whoa, Mom," Alex said, coming into the room through the door Marcus and I had used. Lochlan was at his side, his brown eyes flashing as they settled on me. "Let's not scare him off with that kind of talk."

Anna laughed, and then sighed with contentment when Alex and Marcus shared a kiss. I stared as they separated, shocked by what appeared to be genuine desire and affection between the two of them, particularly from Marcus. He was a great actor, but he generally stuck to lust because it's what he understood. Love... well, that was a completely different sell, and I didn't think he had it in him to fake it.

No. Hardening my resolve, I gave myself an internal shake. Marcus had proven again and again that he was capable of things I'd never imagined. He would do what he had to in order to win this game, and I would be foolish to underestimate him.

"Where's Roman?" I asked demurely. Perhaps Marcus wasn't the only one playing games.

Lochlan bristled. "Why?"

Anna patted him. "I believe he and Antonia went to freshen up before dinner."

Dinner was a simple affair. Potato soup and warm French bread. I inhaled everything and went back for a second slice of bread, slathering it in fresh butter. Antonia watched me unveiled disgust as she pushed her soup in circles with her spoon. Finally, she gave up the pretense and dropped the utensil. Hands free, she slid them up Lochlan's arms and whispered in his ear.

"Friendly, isn't she?" Roman asked.

I dragged my gaze away from the two of them and looked at the man beside me. I'd sat next to him out of spite when Lochlan pulled the chair out beside him and pointed at it like I was supposed to obey. He had practically ignored me since arriving, and now he wanted me next to him because he didn't want to share with daddy.

Only now, I regretted my choice because Roman, for all his charm and attractiveness, gave me the creeps. I'd spent most of the dinner making small talk with Anna, but she'd excused herself after finishing half her soup, declaring she was coming down with a headache.

"She is. I'm surprised you're okay with her being so... physical."

He laughed and picked up his glass. Swirling the amber contents, he winked at me before replying, "We have an understanding. It makes her happy to push boundaries, and as long as she doesn't cross the line, I look the other way."

"And if she crosses the line?" The question slipped out before I could stop it.

He tilted his head, eyes cold and lips thin. "I'll tell you the answer when someone is stupid enough to do it."

"Oh." My lips parted, and my heart raced. Marcus tensed on the other side of Roman, his brows dipping into a v over his eyes, and I knew I hadn't misheard the threat.

"You've got a bit of butter on your mouth," Roman said, dragging his thumb over my bottom lip. He put the digit in his mouth and licked off the yellow cream. "Delicious."

"Fuck." Lochlan jumped up from the table. A red stain spread rapidly across the golden tablecloth. Beside the spilled wine, the glass lay sideways, its delicate stem snapped in half.

"That's my boy," Roman mocked. "As clumsy at the dinner table as he is in the bedroom." He leaned over and whispered. "Or so my wife tells me."

"I'll get towels from the kitchen," I yelped, hurrying out of the room before Lochlan could launch into a tirade.

I frantically opened and closed drawers, hunting for dish towels while waiting to hear raised voices from the dining room. China and silverware rattled like someone hit the table, but after a full minute, no one appeared to be yelling. Giving up, I grabbed paper towels and went back to the dining room.

"Antonia and Roman wisely went to bed," Alex said as he collected dirty plates from the table with assistance from Marcus.

"And Lochlan?"

"I think he said something about needing fresh air," Marcus supplied, then jutted his chin toward the liquor cabinet. "He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and went toward the back deck."

Like the coward I was, I nodded and helped them finish cleaning up instead of going outside to check on Lochlan. Not to mention, I was still mad at him for not shaking that tramp off when she draped herself all over him in the foyer. I could understand his reticence to show affection toward me in front of the Reeds.

We may not have known each other long, but it was long enough that I knew Lochlan put his family first. If he thought there was the slightest chance they might be upset we were together, he wasn't going to spring the news on them at a holiday gathering, and the reality was we didn't really know what this thing was between us.

'We belong to each other.'

For however long this lasted. That's what he'd said to me before entering me the first time, and I believed him. But what if I was Marianna? The incident in the kitchen came rushing back to me. I'd barely had time to process that—surely, it was a coincidence—before everyone arrived.

Even if I wasn't Marianna, any chance of us being together would end if I put flash drive in his computer. As soon as we got back to the city, I was going to ask him to tell me everything he knew about Marianna and her disappearance. Maybe together we could solve this mystery and have a chance at figuring out how to be a normal—whatever we were.

Head spinning, I bid Alex and Marcus good night. Alex told me which room was mine. I considered heading outside before retiring but realized I needed time to process, too. So many emotions in such a brief span of time had given me a headache and made the rich food I'd consumed threaten to come back up.

The corridor was dim, only by the bit of light filtering in from the parlor and beneath the doors. My room was closer to the foyer, and thankfully as far from Roman and Antonia as I could get; however, two steps in and a door opened to my left. Rough hands pulled me inside and slammed the door shut.