Chapter 68 Fragments Of Us

• The familiar scent of Marcel’s cologne fills my senses as my eyes flutter open, mingling with the sharp tang of alcohol lingering in the air. Despite its disruptive presence, it’s a smell I’ve gotten used to, a smell that’s oddly comforting.
• Blinking against the soft light filtering through the curtains, I turn my head to find him sitting on the sofa across the room, a glass of scotch in his hand and a dark look on his face. His gun rests on the coffee table beside the half-empty decanter, a silent reminder of the violence that’s become our new normal. The sleeves of his button-up shirt are rolled up, exposing the taut muscles and tattoos of his forearms.
• He hasn’t slept.