GAME ON - GoM 2

16

Markus dropped himself back on the mattress, panting and covered in sweat. "Oh, dear..." he muttered.

Alice pulled up the sheet to cover herself and stuck to his side. He rounded her shoulders with his arm.

"I missed you," she whispered.

"I can tell... Me too, love..."

His phone buzzed on the nightstand. He kissed her hair and grabbed it to read the incoming text.

"What is it?" asked Alice.

"Work."

"This late?"

Markus got out of bed with a tired sigh and fished for his clothes on the floor. "They need some numbers for tomorrow—eastern." He leaned in to kiss Alice. "Go to sleep. It's gonna take me a while."

"I can wait for you, if you want."

"I'd rather wake you up."

"Oh, I like that."

"Bet you do. Sleep tight, love."

Markus paused at the door to smile at her one last time, and waited for her to turn off the light before walking out.

Instead of heading to his office, he crossed the main floor and walked out the front door, to circle the house toward the woods growing south of the property.

A clearing opened among the trees, two-hundred yards away from the house. He found a dozen men there, around a bonfire. The Protector he'd captured in Detroit was there too. The man had his hands tied over his head to a low branch, all of his body showing traces of the hours of torture he'd endured. The techs nodded at Markus from across the fire.

Markus flashed a pleased smile at seeing them flanking an old carved armchair. He knew his deeds in Detroit made him the center of the ceremony, but that armchair wasn't meant for him.

A man came out of the woods in no hurry, going to stand by the armchair. Markus bent his knee before him and the rest of the men did the same.

Ian Blake flashed a smile and sat down, his eyes glowing red when he turned to Markus.