Chapter 79

“It’s exhausting, isn’t it?” Marcus glanced up, waiting for Jesse to respond, but when it didn’t happen, added, “But maybe you’ve never had to wait for Gideon before. Never had to be stuck, not knowing how much time was passing, whether he was even going to show up to put you out of your misery. Well, I can tell you. There’s nothing worse.”

Jesse had heard everything about the night Mary died, in bits and pieces. Marcus didn’t spare him the intimate, grisly details. He knew Mary’s dying words, and knew her blood had splattered on a young Marcus Brooker’s face and clothes. He knew Marcus still had those bloodstained clothes. A timeless testament to a moment Marcus would never forget anyway.

“What would she think of this?” Jesse asked, though the words were mushy and thin.

Those yellow eyes gleamed, and his mouth tightened to the point of disappearing. “It doesn’t matter, now does it? She’s dead. She can’t think anything anymore.”