Eighty-Six
Marcus Taggart completed the last few feet of his run. The three mile jog had done wonders to calm his mood. Despite the distance, Marcus was barely breathing hard. As soon as he stepped inside his front door, he stripped off his sweat-drenched shirt. He'd only gotten a few steps before his progress was halted.
“This is getting to be a habit, Counselor,” Marcus drawled, answering his doorbell. He turned and left Alexis to let herself into the house. Marcus missed the way Alexis' appreciative gaze raked across his bare torso. “So… what's going on, Lex?”
“I need a bit of advice.” Alexis was distracted by the sight of Marcus toweling off the sweat from his chest. “Y-you missed a spot,” she stammered. Alexis stuck out a finger to show him but just as quickly pulled it back.
Marcus bit back a smile. Normally he would have teased the powerful attorney about her schoolgirl awkwardness around him. They had danced around their mutual attraction for several months now; but after Marcus' unexpected tryst with Dara, he was the one who felt ill at ease. He could not possibly explore his attraction to Alexis Davis until he had time to sit down with Dara and talk.
“What kind of advice do you need?” Marcus draped the towel about his neck and led Alexis to the den. He nodded for her to take a seat beside him on the couch.
“Bobbie has asked Stefan to help her find Carly's body.”
Marcus froze. “Carly's body? Does Bobbie have proof that Carly is dead?”
Alexis was honest. “According to Stefan, someone told Luke that she was dead.”
By ‘someone' Alexis no doubt meant one of Sorrell's men. Marcus guessed that it was a kind of professional courtesy shown to Luke Spencer, who had spent a lifetime among disreputable men. “If Sorrell or one of his people,” Marcus began carefully, “told Luke that Carly is dead, then the chances of finding her body aren't very good. There have been plenty of rumors about men that Sorrell has killed or had killed. But there has never been any evidence of a single one of them.”
“For once,” Marcus advised Alexis, “suggest to your brother to let us handle the search for Bobbie's daughter.” The detective did not say ‘Carly's body'. He didn't have to.
