CHAPTER NINETEEN

I swallowed hard, raising my hand in surrender. “Fine. I'll go with you. But for God's sake, put the damn gun away. You know I hate guns.”

The pressure against my back eased, and I exhaled a shaky breath, relief washing over me.

“Sorry,” Marcus muttered, slipping the gun back into his waistband. “I just wanted you to come with me.”

“Then, jeez, just ask,” I snapped, running a hand through my hair. “Instead of pulling this whole kidnap-the-kid routine.”

He sighed, dragging a hand over his face. “I'm not thinking straight, Eugene. I just…I just know we have to get out of here.”

“Okay, but at least tell me where we're going,” I pressed.

Marcus opened his mouth, hesitating before clamping it shut. He shook his head. “You just have to trust me, okay?”

I folded my arms and leaned back on my heels, scrutinizing him. If he'd said this an hour ago, I probably would've followed him without question. But after that conversation with Reid, trust wasn't coming as easily. I needed answers.

“I want to trust you, Marcus,” I said slowly. “But you have to tell me the truth first.”

“The truth?” He scoffed, jaw tightening as he tried to rein in his temper. “Eugene, I've been nothing but honest since you found out about the academy's underground world. But if we're talking about honesty, then maybe you've got a lot to fill me in on, too.”

His words hit hard. He wasn't wrong. Now that I thought about it, he'd warned me from the start that these people were dangerous, begged me not to take the job. I'd been too stubborn to listen. And maybe, just maybe, if I'd told him about meeting Reid earlier, he could've given me warnings I'd have foolishly ignored anyway.

I let my arms fall to my sides. “You're right. I should've been completely honest with you, and I'm sorry.”

Something flickered across his face—confusion, maybe even disappointment—before his expression hardened into one of urgency. He glanced toward the door.

“We can talk on the way,” he said, already moving. “But we have to leave now, before the nurse comes to check on you.”

I nodded, letting him grab my arm and pull me toward the door. He tried to keep the pace calm, but with the way we were practically sprinting, we might as well have run.

“We're taking my car,” Marcus said as we burst into the fresh air outside. “Reid already returned your rental to Fitz.” 

The sunlight hit me like a slap, sharp and blinding. I stopped short, shielding my face with my hand. A sinking feeling twisted in my gut.

The last thing I remembered was the bikers chasing us in the dead of the night. That must've been yesterday—or so I thought. If it was morning now, did that mean I'd been unconscious throughout the remainder of the night?

I scanned the parking lot. There were fewer cars, and the atmosphere was calm—families strolling, hospital staff moving at a relaxed pace. It felt like a Sunday.

But if it was a Sunday, why had Reid said, “Take a day to rest”? Did he mean today and resume my duties tomorrow? Something wasn't adding up.

I turned to face Marcus, still shielding my eyes. “What day is it? Sunday or Monday?” I asked, my voice edged with unease.

Marcus faltered.

“Saturday,” he said softly, almost too quietly for me to hear.

I stiffened. My stomach lurched. “You're kidding,” I breathed. “I passed out on saturday night—” I trailed off, words sticking in my throat as my gaze landed on a signboard behind him:

FREE BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS STARTING TODAY!! OCTOBER 14th-21st, ONLY OPEN TO THE FIRST FIFTY PEOPLE.

I blinked, my vision swimming. A faint, disbelieving laugh bubbled out of me.

“October 14?” I whispered, shaking my head. “No, no, that can't be right. Yesterday was the 7th. Right, Marcus?”

“Eugene—”

“Don't!” I snapped, holding up a hand to cut him off. I took a step back, my heart pounding. “Don't mess with me, Marcus. It's October 7th, isn't it?”

He shook his head, silent but unwavering.

I gasped, my hands flying to my mouth. “Does that mean…”

“Yes.” His voice was grim. “You've been out for about a week, Osborn.”

“An entire week?’ I rubbed my chest, my voice rising. “A week just gone? What—what happened to it? Did I miss anything? Did something happen that you're not telling me?”

Marcus stepped closer, his hand outstretched as though trying to to calm me. “Eugene, breathe. I know this is a lot to process, but I swear, nothing bad happened while you were out. I was here the whole time.”

I shook my head, pacing, my mind racing with possibilities. He could be lying—of course he would lie. He knew about my chronophobia. My hands trembled as I buried them in my hair, gripping it tight.

“A week is gone! Just gone! Do you know how much can change in a week? People’s lives are turned upside down in less time. What if I missed something important? What if—”

“Eugene.” Marcus’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. He rested a firm hand on my arm. “Look at me.” 

I stopped pacing, my chest heaving, and turned to him reluctantly.

“Listen.” His voice was calm, his eyes locked on mine. “I get why you're scared. It’s not easy losing time, but you're here now. You're okay. Nothing happened that you can't catch up on. I'll help you, step by step. But I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

My gaze dropped to the ground, lost and distant. My voice barely rose above a whisper. “I don't even know what day it is anymore.” 

Marcus softened, offering a small, reassuring smile. “It's saturday. October 14th. You didn't miss anything you can't handle. And you've got me. One day at a time, alright?”

I hesitated, then gave a slow nod, my shoulders relaxing just a fraction.

“Good. Because I need you to stay calm for what I’m about to tell you.” He watched me carefully, gauging my reaction.

That gnawing unease lingered, but I forced it down. I needed to hear this. “I'm listening.”

“The ring,” Marcus started, pausing as though bracing for my response. When I stayed quiet, he continued. “I found out which gang it  belongs to. My guy said it wasn’t connected to Klaus, but….it might have something to do with Reid.”

My pulse quickened. Reid. I didn’t trust him, not after everything. But still, the thought of him being tied to my family’s deaths made my stomach churn. “How?”

Marcus exhaled slowly, choosing his words carefully. “The ring belongs to a gang called Black Fog. It’s a signet they wear to mark their membership. I dug deeper, Eugene.” He glanced at me, waiting, but I didn’t move.

He pressed on. “The Black Fog is one of the few gangs bold enough to openly challenge Klaus’s authority. To the public, they’re just a notorious crew, anti-Klaus. But in the underworld, they’re something else. They’ve made moves to overthrow him, even using force. They’ve failed every time...but they're still trying.”

I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening. “And Reid?”

“If the person wearing that ring is the one you think is tied to your family’s deaths…” Marcus paused, his voice lowering. “Then the person you were hired to protect Reid from… is the one who killed them.”

My blood ran cold.