Can't sleep either?
I hesitated before typing back.
No.
His reply came almost instantly.
Meet me.
I shouldn't have agreed. Marcus Luciano was the last person I should be anywhere near.
But I found myself in a cab fifteen minutes later, heading toward the edge of the city where his bar stood like a dark shadow against the skyline.
By the time I arrived, the rain had settled into a quiet drizzle. The neon sign flickered above the entrance, half the letters dead.
Marcus was waiting inside, leaning against the bar with that familiar smirk that always made me uneasy. His dark eyes flicked up as I approached, reading me with the precision of someone who knew how to dissect a person without ever touching them.
"Rough night, detective?" he asked, his voice low and smooth.
I shrugged off my coat and slid onto the stool beside him. "Something like that."
He poured me a glass of whiskey without asking, and I took it gratefully.
"You don't have to talk about it," he said after a moment, watching me over the rim of his own glass.
"I'm not planning to."
He chuckled softly, but there was no malice in it. Just understanding.
For the first time that night, the weight on my chest loosened just a little.
We sat in silence for a long time, the hum of the bar settling around us like a blanket.
I knew this was dangerous. Marcus wasn't just a man at a bar. He was the prime suspect in the murder I was investigating.
But tonight, I didn't care.
Because for a brief moment, sitting beside him, I didn't feel as alone.
The whiskey burned slightly as it went down, warm and comforting in a way I hadn't felt in some time. I let out a slow sigh, allowing a part of myself to relax that I hadn't realized was tense. Marcus quietly watched me, his presence both intense and oddly soothing.
For a moment, I wondered why I had ended up here, drawn to this man who occupied a gray area in my life—neither friend nor enemy. But with everything that was happening, Marcus felt like something constant, someone who wouldn't let emotion cloud the truth.
"Why are you really here?" he asked, breaking the silence gently, his eyes searching mine.
I hesitated, but the words came out on their own. "I needed to escape."
He nodded, as if he understood. And maybe he did, in his own way. The world often pulled us into directions we'd rather avoid.
Another silence settled over us, and I found it strangely comforting. The quiet moments were rare in my life, always filled with noise, either from Reid or the job. Here, there was only the hum of the bar, the occasional clink of glasses, and Marcus, who seemed content to just sit with me.
"How do you do it?" I finally asked him, my voice barely louder than a whisper.
"Do what?"
"Stay calm. With everything going on around you. How do you not let it get to you?"
He considered my question for a moment, then said, "Life is a series of puzzles, Kate. Each problem, each choice is a piece. You just have to find a way to fit them all together. And patience, detective—it always reveals the bigger picture."
I shook my head slightly, but couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips. "That's a very philosophical answer."
"What can I say? I'm a complicated guy."
His words lightened the weight on my heart a fraction more. I sipped the whiskey and felt the warmth spread through me, the exhaustion seeping into my bones.
The hours slipped away in the quiet recesses of the bar. We didn't talk much after that, but the silence was full—filled with something unspoken, a connection we both felt but didn't acknowledge.
It was late when Marcus glanced at me, a softer look in his eyes. "You should get some rest, Kate."
I knew he was right. My eyes were heavy, and the world felt softened at the edges. "I think I should call a cab," I said, but I didn't move.
Marcus stood, gesturing toward a back room beyond the bar. "You can sleep over there. It's quiet, you won't be disturbed."
"Are you sure?" I hesitated, feeling the pull of sleep tugging me down. Marcus nodded, leading the way.
The room was small but cozy, a simple cot tucked in the corner. I knew it was dangerous to stay, to accept his offer, but I couldn't find the energy to care. I was just too tired, in every way imaginable.
"Get some sleep," Marcus said gently as I sat down. "You'll feel better in the morning.".
The exhaustion claimed me quickly, and for the first time in months, I drifted into a dreamless sleep.