Page 74 of Code Name: Harbor

He nods slow. “You should follow your heart, boss.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“I expected more.”

“You expected me to tell you what to do.”

I roll my eyes. “Well… yeah.”

He shakes his head with a grin. “Not my job.”

“You’re my best friend, Marcus.”

His eyes go soft. “I’m your best friend and that’s why it’s not my job. You want a guy to tell you what to do, you call your accountant. You want a guy to ride this out with you whatever you decide, you call me.”

Never have I ever wanted to hug the man more, but I refrain. “She works for law enforcement, Marcus. I’m a felon and I’m a criminal. We’re not Romeo and Juliet, we’re a federal indictment waiting to happen. Even if I quit tomorrow, there’s nine years of cargo that has my prints on it. I don’t get to walk away clean. And she doesn’t get to be with me without that hanging over her for the rest of her life. It’s not fair to her.”

Marcus picks up his coffee, takes a huge swallow like it’s the well of life. “You think she doesn’t know that?”

“She knows it.”

“And is apparently accepting of it. It’s not yours to decide for her.”

I sit with the chart table between us and the fact I’m running out of arguments for why I should hold Josie at arm’s length. She’s already in my house. She’s already in my life. She’s already in me in a way I don’t have words for.

The question isn’t whether I can have her. The question is what I have to give up to keep her.

“You ever think about it?” I ask him, because I’m tired of being the one in the spotlight. “Walking away?”

“Sometimes.”

“What stops you?”

His expression softens. “Lori and the kids. The money’s too good working for you and it’s too needed by them.”

His sister, niece and nephew. Lori’s divorced and her youngest son has cerebral palsy. Marcus has been supporting them and they’re all super tight.

Lori works in admissions at a hospital and she does fine but fine doesn’t pay for the insurmountable medical bills that insurance doesn’t cover.

Marcus reaches across the chart table and picks up his gun. He slides it back into the shoulder holster and pulls his jacket closed.

“I’m going to start prep on The Quartermaster today,” he says. “You go pick up your girl from work.”

“She won’t be ready to leave for a few hours, but I do have some stuff to do over at the gallery.”

Marcus nods and that’s when we hear footsteps on the deck above. His hand reaches for the gun in his jacket as the cabin door opens and Connie steps through.

She trots down the steps in a rush of cold air and apologetic energy. Hair pulled back, no makeup, oversized sweater and jeans. She looks like she slept on someone’s couch and rolled out of it twenty minutes ago. She looks like Connie when Connie’s hungover and rushing to make up for it.

“Friday night went sideways,” she says, dropping her bag on the floor by her stool. “I’ve been at Tara’s since Saturday. My phone was in her dryer until an hour ago. I’m so sorry. I know I’ve missed everything.”

Marcus and I look at each other, and one of his eyebrows lifts in a slight cock of surprise.

She doesn’t catch it because her back’s to us as she reaches into the galley cabinet for a coffee mug. She pours the cup and sits down on the bench in her usual place. “Tell me what I missed.”

Marcus leans back in his chair, rests a forearm on the table. “The usual run from Steveston. We’ll pick up at…”