Regret weighed on me for two weeks. That was how long I had been ignoring Marco, and not by my choice. He stopped sending me messages after the first week and I figured he was just beyond pissed off at me. I wanted to tell him what Romeao said, and how it bothered me, but it wasn’t like he was wrong and that’s where I struggled. Marco had Wren to worry about, and I was just an afterthought, but having it thrown in my face, that I didn’t like.
My work schedule was all over the place too. I went from working days to working nights, and that almost seemed like a blessing. The people that lived around me seemed nice to me.
Marco's SUV was in the parking lot when I arrived. Last night was a long shift, and I just wanted to shower and sleep. I had the weekend off and I was thankful for that. My last patient of the night had been a next to dead gang member who died from his gunshot wounds in the back of the ambulance while I fought to keep him stabilized. I needed the weekend just to feel better.
I could hear Marco screaming from the front door of the apartment building. A few of the henchmen hung out in the lobby area away from him, and I didn’t blame them.
“Watch it. Marco’s in a foul mood.” One henchman said.
“Oh yeah, I hear him.”
“It was a dreadful night.”
“I know a bit about that.”
“Yeah, I would imagine so.”
“Thanks for the heads up”
Heading up the stairs, I crept to my door, sliding the key into the lock. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
“Ambrose.”
“Marco—-”
“Oh, we have much to talk about.”
I didn’t even have a chance to ask if he wanted to come in, finished unlocking the door, opened it and took the key out. Shoving me inside the apartment, he closed the door behind him and flipped the lock again.
“You have a lot of nerve avoiding me.” He said, his voice cold, like the first time in the alley.
I let out a yawn as I kicked my boots off and went to feed the Mochi.
“Avoiding you implies I know where and what you’re up to, which I don’t. It was more like ignoring your calls and texts.” I sighed.
“Like that’s any better.”
“It is when I enjoy living.”
“What—-Romeao? He said something.”
I didn’t confirm that. I just went about my nightly tasks before I got ready for bed. Marco blocked the hallway so I couldn’t head to my bedroom.
“We need to talk about—--”
“There isn’t anything for us to talk about.” I said, ducking under his arm.
He grabbed me and pinned me against the wall. His forearm against my throat.
“Ambrose, I’m not playing anymore. I’m pissed. Did he or did he not say something to you?”
“Move your fucking arm, Marco.”
His eyes dared me to make him. Using the back of my hand, I tapped his ribs, and he hissed and moved back from me.
“Sorry, you really should get those looked at.” I muttered.
Marco was holding his ribs, and he was clearly trying to keep his anger at bay from my actions. Marco took out his phone and called someone, putting it on speaker.
“Marco, what do you need?”
Romeao’s voice stirred a bitter feeling in me.
“Did you tell Ambrose to stay away from me, Romeao?”
“Yes, I won’t lie to you. There is enough to worry about. You don’t need to wreck the progress you have been making, but to clarify my answer for you and parties. You need someone who will commit to helping you grow. If that isn’t what can be offered, then it’s pointless.”
“Romeao, you can’t make that choice for me.” Marco said sternly.
“I’ll admit, my words were harsher than they should have been towards Ambrose. But after the Theo disaster, I don’t need you losing everything we have both put into getting you where we are, and I won’t allow anyone to ruin that. That being said, I didn’t tell him in exact words to stay away from you. I did, however, tell him he was an afterthought you didn’t need.”
“How is that even remotely appropriate?”
Yawning, I flicked off the kitchen light and spoke, interrupting Marco's and Romeao’s conversation.
“Go home Marco.”
“Excuse us, Romeao, watch Wren for me. I need to deal with something.” He said, clicking the red phone button.
“I told you to—-”
“I heard you, and I don’t care. I’m not listening to you.”
“Stay, go, I don’t care. I’m going to bed. I’ve had enough regret and murder for two weeks.”
“You regret what happened?” Marco said bitterly.
“No. I regret not telling Romeao to piss off when I had the chance.”
“Do you think that is wise?”
“Does it look like I care?” I yawned.
“Ambrose, I’m not leaving until you tell me what I can do to make this rift better.”
“Rift? Marco, we slept together once, we aren’t—--fuck sake.” I hissed, grabbing him by the jacket. Tired and annoyed.
“What are you doing?”
“We are going to bed. We can argue about this shit later. Wren is looked after, yes?”
“Yes, Romeao will watch him.”
“Good.”
I shoved his jacket off his shoulders and tossed it and all the contents on the floor. I worked on undoing his belt buckle too, and then the button.
“You’re undressing me pretty quickly, but you haven’t told me what you want from me.” Marco said lowly.
“I did. We were going to sleep, I said. I don’t want to fight the jeans for your heat.” I muttered.
“I see.”
He kicked his boots off, and then his pants, and his shirt, too. He yanked my sweater and shirt off all together and shoved my pants down my legs. When he was done, the only thing left was my boxers.
“I’m going to yell at you in the morning.”
“Are you?” He asked.
“Yes. Be prepared.”
“Alright.”
Laying in the bed beside him, I curled against him, and enjoyed the feeling of his heat. Even as it helped lull me to sleep. His heartbeat was comforting. I wouldn’t actually yell at him in the morning. I had no reason to.
Opening my eyes later, Marco was still sleeping. I tucked against his side. Last night’s events playing over in my head again.
“Stupid man.” I hissed.
He looked far too peaceful sleeping that way. So I pressed myself closer to him and ran my fingertips across his hips. My guilt at ignoring him after taking what I did made me feel bad. But I deserved it.
“This isn’t the yelling you promised me.” Marco said, his voice full of sleep.
I trailed my fingers around his flesh and noted every reaction I got from him. Before I spoke again.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have ignored you. I was thinking only about myself and how I was feeling.”
“It’s fine. I get it.”
“No, you don’t, Marco. I took something from you that night, and we shared something. And I was a douchebag and ignored you all because he hurt my pride and feelings.”
“He told you that you were an afterthought I didn’t need. I think I, too, would be hurt.”
“It still doesn’t excuse my behaviour and for that, I am sorry, Marco.”
“I can understand your reasoning, but what I can’t understand is why you couldn’t be honest with me about what he said, not even once. You just had to send a text.”
“I wanted to know if he was dangerous before I made any choices, and according to my dad, it’s not him I need to worry about. It’s you. You’re the one who does his dangerous, dirty work.”
“Yes, Romeao does use me for the dirty work.”
“He said you’re dangerous.”
“Yes, Ambrose, I am.”
“I don’t see it.”
“But you have before. Don’t forget that.”
“I don’t actively think about the fact you tried to remove my head from my shoulders.”
“You should. I told you I’m a mess, and Romeao just further proves this.”
“Romeao proves nothing, other than that he thinks I’ll ruin your progress in healing, which let me be clear. I do not have that intention, nor did I when I made the choice to sleep with you.”
“That pisses me off. He had no right.”
“He wants to protect you and your son. I can understand why.”
“He overstepped. He is my boss, but he is not in complete control over my life. We have been friends for a long time, and I get his concerns are well placed, but I won’t have it, and the words he said to you were unacceptable. Even for him. I would like to say that if the gangs hadn’t stolen and attacked us, he might have been kinder to that morning. But I would make excuses for him, and I can’t say he would have been nicer.”
“I know a little about your gang troubles. They bleed into my job, too.”
“Yes, I can imagine they do.”
“Our last call early this morning before I came home and bumped into you, and all your yelling was a gang member, taken out by one of yours, probably. He was just barely hanging onto life, and I did everything in my power to keep him alive, but he died in the back.”
“Yes. We are shooting to kill them now. We do try to keep outsiders from being involved. He must have made it back to a populated area, and that’s unacceptable. You shouldn’t be dealing with them.” Marco said darkly.
“You’re going to yell at someone about this, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I will. But not right now. Truthfully, I am enjoying your heat as well.”
“I’m sorry again.”
“You’ve already said that.”
“Then let me prove it.”
“By all means, if that is what you feel you must do.”
Trying to get out of the bed, he held me against him.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to prove that I’m sorry.”
“How?”
“Going to your house, and telling him to piss off.”
“Oh no, we are not about to do—--”
“Not we, me.” I corrected him, feeling somewhat better and sure that I would feel much better after I told Romeao off.
“Ambrose, that is not a wise idea at all.”
“I only wanted to chat over breakfast.” I said, smiling tightly.
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