doing?”
“Watching television and telling myself to go to bed. How about you?”
“I’m up in Monterey.”
“Oh, that’s right.” The smile was evident in his voice. “Your mother told me you had some work up there.”
“Yes. Work.”
“Well, take some time to see the aquarium.”
“I’ll try.”
There was silence for the space of a few heartbeats, but Eve was used to it. Her father was the master of silence—companionable, awkward, and disapproving. She could handle screaming shrews and bellowing assholes, but Darrel Hollis’s wordless disapproval could make her feel smaller than an ant.
Usually she’d try to fill the void with inanities, but tonight she was just glad to have an open line to someone who loved her.
Her father cleared his throat. “Your mom isn’t here right now. She went to her tanka group.”
“That’s okay. I’m fine with just talking to you.”
“Is something on your mind? Are you having trouble with Alec?”
“No. We’re good.”
“You both should come over for dinner when you get back into town.”
“Sure. We’d like that.”
Another stretch of silence, then, “Are you having work trouble?”
Not that she could share. “Nothing’s wrong, Dad. I just called to say hi. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. Looking forward to having dinner with you.” He yawned. “I’m going to call it a night, honey. Don’t work too hard.”
Eve sighed, wishing they were capable of doing more than making small talk. “Say hi to Mom for me.”
“Of course. And find a way to the see the aquarium. You can’t go to Monterey without seeing the aquarium.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Night, Evie.”
She snapped the phone shut just as the kitchen door opened behind her. As she pushed to her feet, a hand settled on her shoulder and urged her to stay down.
Eve looked up. “What’s up, Richens?”
“Stick around,” he said, joining her on the small step. “I could use the company; this place gives me the screamin’ abdabs.”
“Is that like the creeps?”
“Yeah.”
It was the first real overture any of the Marks had made to her, so she stayed.
She slid over a little to give him more room. “Me, too.”
“Is that why you called home?”
“Kinda.” She was keeping her health to herself.
“Your old man isn’t very chatty, eh.”
“Didn’t anyone tell you that eavesdropping is rude?”
“No. So what’s your sin?”
Glancing at him with arched brow, Eve was struck again by his youth. He’d been a pudgy teenager when she met him just three weeks ago. He would retain that youthful appearance until he lost the mark, but the baby fat was gone. The mark made the body too efficient to carry around extra weight. His acne had cleared up, too, and the scars from them. What remained from the transformation was a young man of average height and build with somber features and wily gray eyes.
“Is that like ‘what’s your sign?’ ” she queried.
Richens shook his head. “I wouldn’t piss off Cain by hitting on his girl. Besides, you’re a bit long in the tooth for me.”
“Ouch.”
He shrugged. “So, what did you do to end up here?”
“Cain.”
“That’s it?” He scowled. “You’re here for shagging?”
“So I’m told.”
He muttered something under his breath.
“Sorry to disappoint,” she said.
“It’s okay,” he said magnanimously. “It can still work out.”
“What can still work out?”
“My plan. I killed people. Two of them. That’s why I’m here.”
Eve blinked. “You?”
She’d pegged him as the type of kid who drank too much soda, ate too much junk food, and played too many intricate, complicated video games. Murder, however, did not become him.
“Don’t act so bloody startled.” He shoved his hands in his sweatshirt pouch. “The owner of the store where I worked was an arseface. I was doing his job, too, but not getting paid for it.”
“You should have quit, not killed him.”
“I didn’t
“Watching television and telling myself to go to bed. How about you?”
“I’m up in Monterey.”
“Oh, that’s right.” The smile was evident in his voice. “Your mother told me you had some work up there.”
“Yes. Work.”
“Well, take some time to see the aquarium.”
“I’ll try.”
There was silence for the space of a few heartbeats, but Eve was used to it. Her father was the master of silence—companionable, awkward, and disapproving. She could handle screaming shrews and bellowing assholes, but Darrel Hollis’s wordless disapproval could make her feel smaller than an ant.
Usually she’d try to fill the void with inanities, but tonight she was just glad to have an open line to someone who loved her.
Her father cleared his throat. “Your mom isn’t here right now. She went to her tanka group.”
“That’s okay. I’m fine with just talking to you.”
“Is something on your mind? Are you having trouble with Alec?”
“No. We’re good.”
“You both should come over for dinner when you get back into town.”
“Sure. We’d like that.”
Another stretch of silence, then, “Are you having work trouble?”
Not that she could share. “Nothing’s wrong, Dad. I just called to say hi. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. Looking forward to having dinner with you.” He yawned. “I’m going to call it a night, honey. Don’t work too hard.”
Eve sighed, wishing they were capable of doing more than making small talk. “Say hi to Mom for me.”
“Of course. And find a way to the see the aquarium. You can’t go to Monterey without seeing the aquarium.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Night, Evie.”
She snapped the phone shut just as the kitchen door opened behind her. As she pushed to her feet, a hand settled on her shoulder and urged her to stay down.
Eve looked up. “What’s up, Richens?”
“Stick around,” he said, joining her on the small step. “I could use the company; this place gives me the screamin’ abdabs.”
“Is that like the creeps?”
“Yeah.”
It was the first real overture any of the Marks had made to her, so she stayed.
She slid over a little to give him more room. “Me, too.”
“Is that why you called home?”
“Kinda.” She was keeping her health to herself.
“Your old man isn’t very chatty, eh.”
“Didn’t anyone tell you that eavesdropping is rude?”
“No. So what’s your sin?”
Glancing at him with arched brow, Eve was struck again by his youth. He’d been a pudgy teenager when she met him just three weeks ago. He would retain that youthful appearance until he lost the mark, but the baby fat was gone. The mark made the body too efficient to carry around extra weight. His acne had cleared up, too, and the scars from them. What remained from the transformation was a young man of average height and build with somber features and wily gray eyes.
“Is that like ‘what’s your sign?’ ” she queried.
Richens shook his head. “I wouldn’t piss off Cain by hitting on his girl. Besides, you’re a bit long in the tooth for me.”
“Ouch.”
He shrugged. “So, what did you do to end up here?”
“Cain.”
“That’s it?” He scowled. “You’re here for shagging?”
“So I’m told.”
He muttered something under his breath.
“Sorry to disappoint,” she said.
“It’s okay,” he said magnanimously. “It can still work out.”
“What can still work out?”
“My plan. I killed people. Two of them. That’s why I’m here.”
Eve blinked. “You?”
She’d pegged him as the type of kid who drank too much soda, ate too much junk food, and played too many intricate, complicated video games. Murder, however, did not become him.
“Don’t act so bloody startled.” He shoved his hands in his sweatshirt pouch. “The owner of the store where I worked was an arseface. I was doing his job, too, but not getting paid for it.”
“You should have quit, not killed him.”
“I didn’t
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