The Love Of Money - S01 E182

Story 3 months ago

The Love Of Money - S01 E182

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 182

Introduction:

Marcus meets new friends and reunites with old.

Thursday, 6:33 am

"Bro, that is seriously fucked up."

Early moming light peeked over the New York skyline and dimly lit my room in a glow that meant it was time to get up. The two people I'd fallen asleep with were no longer next to me, but I could hear the shower hissing from the master bathroom and an occasional note of someone singing softly to themselves. It felt comfortable.

I was lying in bed with a single earbud inserted, talking to Dillon and trying to will myself to get out of bed. Unfortunately, I was still so sore that every muscle screamed simultaneously if I did something as insignificant as wiggling my toes, It didn't feel like the 'you'll die if you move too much' pain as much as it was 'run a half-marathon, hit the gym, and then fight in a boxing match' type of pain. Still, I had a lot to do today, so my body would have to get over It. Hopefully, time and movement would make things a little easier.

"I know," said as I heard the water in the bathroom turn off. 1 don't think I've ever been that scared in my life."

"But you're okay?" Dillon asked. He was on a morning shift at Strange Mudd, judging by the sound of the cappuccino machine running in the background.

"Yeah," I said as I ran through the memories of the gunfight once more. "Man, you should have seen it. I thought I was dead, but Chloe came in with guns blazing... bullets flying... blood everywhere."

"Hot," Dillon said.

"Gross."

"Not the blood," Dillon clarified. "The chick with the gun. Especially her. Dude, your bodyguard is fine."

"You mentioned that."

"And you met Karly Titus?" he asked.

"A little. She was with her boyfriend most of the night" I said.

"Aren't you still single?"

"Uh..." I glanced at the partially-open bathroom door, watching whisps of steam curl through the three-inch gap as I thought about the two women I'd fucked yesterday evening.

Erin and I weren't dating, nor had Danni and I even discussed it. I wasn't sure what Helen was to me, but I could place her squarely in the non-relationship category-especially with her being married. Bobbi was... complicated but not dating me. I 'went out' with Ashlee briefly, but that was an attempt to get information about the guy who confronted me in the bathroom last week. Besides, she probably had a hand in my kidnapping, which was a red flag.

That left Natashya, but I hadn't had a chance to talk to her since we were rescued.

Besides, not only did she say she wasn't relationship material, but I'd also caught her eating out my sister. For most people, that was a deal breaker.

"I don't think so," I said.

"You don't think so?" Dillon repeated, sounding incredulous.

I sighed, "It's complicated, man. There's been a lot of girls, but there hasn't been anything official."

"Then it sounds like you're single, Dillon doubled down. "You should date Karly Titus. You guys were in a shoot-out together, so you could trauma-bond."

I snorted. "Barely. Besides, she has a boyfriend."

"Nah, dude. I saw on social media that she's recently single. She didn't say why, but there's a screenshot of him calling her a lying. cheating bitch."

"Okay, dude," said. "I'll call her up. "Hey, Karly. I'm the guy who sat by you on the couch for ten minutes at that party raided by mercenaries looking for me. Can I buy you a drink?"

"I don't see the problem."

"And that's why you're single," I said as a thought struck me.

I was back in town, and despite Erin's best attempts, there was a lot of speculation that I'd been involved in the shooting. I'd seen clips of people asking where I'd been since Friday. The rumors were backed up by reported sightings of me with some influencers at a party in Vegas. None of it had been substantiated, but it wasn't like that mattered. In the world of social media, you were guilty until proven innocent.

So, what if I had here? No one would show up and shoot up my apartment, it was a veritable fortress crawling with security. I could invite some well-known locals... maybe grab a DJ. It didn't have to be anything significant. I just needed to squash the rumors, and, in the process, If I made a statement to whoever was behind my kidnapping, then even better.

Another consideration was that I'd failed to invite my friends over yet or to spend any quality time with them since I'd come into my fortune. As a bonus, my family was in town. The stars seemed to be aligning.

"Hey," I said, "I just had an idea."

I spent the next ten minutes sharing my idea with Dillon, who was all for it. He offered to invite some of our other friends. He also proposed bartending it. I turned the latter down. I could afford a fucking bartender. This was a chance to enjoy my wealth with some of the people who meant the most to me.

While we discussed some of the details, Danni emerged from the shower wearing a fluffy white towel around her torso and another wrapped over her head like a turban. It was my first time seeing Danni without makeup, especially mascara and eyeliner. She was every bit as gorgeous after a shower in nothing but towels. Her damp skin was clear, unblemished, and lily-white, complimented by her expressive green eyes, pale pink lips, and raven hair. She looked at me, and a natural blush crept across her cheeks as l watched her hungrily.

She approached me while I was still on the phone and sat beside me on the bed, leaning in to press her soft lips to mine for a chaste kiss. I inhaled and took in her clean scent while Dillon rambled about the party's possibilities. Then she began to trail soft kisses across the bruises on my face and shower me with tender

affection, which she kept up until I finished my call with Dillon.

I looked up at Danni, and she gave me a sweet smile and stroked my face. "You okay?"