Page 39 of Break Me Beautifully
Scrunching my eyebrows suspiciously, I toss my wallet at their feet. "Fine. Take it."
"Your bag. Give the whole bag," Harlow demands.
I clutch it fiercely. "There's nothing else in—hey!"
Cap rips it from my clinging fingertips. "There, see? Painless." Crouching, he methodically explores the contents. His nose wrinkles when he finds my sketchbook. He barely flips through it before abandoning it in the bag so he can check my wallet. He whistles softly, eyeing me with new appreciation that turns my heart to stone. "You got some fancy looking credit cards in here, girly. Got a rich dad or something? Maybe we should drag you to an ATM for a withdrawal."
Tightening my jaw, I say, "You promised to let me go."
"Who the fuck cares what we promised?" Harlow snorts, advancing on me so suddenly I'm caught off guard, his wide hand circling my throat, his whole body shoving me against the alley wall. "You don't tell us what to do. Got it?"
I'm lightheaded, my nails digging into his arm but not making it through his thick clothing. My mouth opens, but no sound comes out.
Harlow gives me a shake that rattles my brain. "You don't boss us around.No onebosses us around."
"No one?"
All at once I can breathe again. It hurts, like shards of ice in my throat, but I gasp for every delicious morsel of air. Without Harlow grasping me I drop to my knees, cradling my neck to see what they're both staring at. Standing in the alley just behind them is Marshall. He's dressed like he was when he left me earlier, with the addition of one thing: charcoal leather gloves. I've never seen them before.
Cap stands shoulder to shoulder with Harlow. "Whoa! Whoa! Easy bro, we aren't looking for any trouble."
Marshall's voice is silk and black death. "You found it anyway."
"Cool, it's all cool," Cap assures him. The corner of his upper lip trembles the way a dog ready to bite does. "I think you're confused by what's happening here. We're just taking some loose change from this girl. She's not even from around here, what do you care?"
I fight down a wave of unease.Of course, he saw my ID when he went through my purse. He knows I don't live in New York or anywhere close.
Marshall pulls in a patient breath, closing his eyes. When he opens them, they're different. Deadlier.The eyes of a killer.I should be relieved he's here, but the energy crackling off of him paralyzes me. Marshall has transformed into a stranger. Maybe he always was, and I'm naive for daring to think I was beginning to know him.
"Pick up her bag," he says flatly. "Hand it back to her. Say you're sorry, then get the hell out of my sight."
Harlow and Cap share a look. "The fuck is she to you?" Harlow asks Marshall.
"Harlow," Cap cautions.
"I'm serious. Who the fuck is this girl to you? Why are you getting involved in our beat? This is our territory, brother."
"Harlow! Shut the fuck up, don't you know who that guyis?"
"Yeah, someone who needs to retreat before he gets a bullet in his skull." Harlow tucks his hand to the small of his back, reaching for the hilt of a gun. I see it because his sweater lifts when he makes his move.
Cap grapples with his companion. "You goddamn idiot!" he roars, struggling until he has the gun wrenched free. Harlow breathes heavily, gawking at Cap in disbelief.
"What are you doing?" Harlow demands.
"Saving our lives," Cap says, spitting on the ground. With a wary look at Marshall, he tucks the weapon into his own belt, waving his empty hands. "I know you're new around here Harlow, but trust me. Never, ever point your gun at that man."
"Why? Who the hellis he?"
"That's the Devil himself," Cap says in a sober voice.
The entire time Marshall hasn't moved. He just stands there like a guardian crafted from my wicked dreams. He doesn't react when Cap grabs my bag, offering it to me where I'm still kneeling. "Here," he grumbles, "Take it. Sorry for, you know."
I clutch it to my stomach. I didn't care about the wallet, that's replaceable. My sketchbook is not.
Both of my attackers back up until they're against the far wall of the alley. "We're going," Cap says. He's trying to sound confident, but there's an edge of fear in his words. He's not sure if Marshall willletthem leave.
His voice cuts through the air. "Wait." The two men freeze; Marshall looks directly at me. "Did they hurt you?" he asks.
