Riley’s POV
Non-Stop Lounge was exactly what I expected; dim lighting, exposed brick walls, soft jazz playing in the background. The kind of place where people came to have conversations they didn’t want overheard.
I arrived at 7:45, fifteen minutes early. I needed time to compose myself. To prepare for whatever was about to happen.
I chose a corner booth in the back, far from the bar and the other patrons. Private but still visible. Safe but isolated enough for the conversation we needed to have.
My hands were shaking as I ordered a glass of wine I had no intention of drinking. I just needed something to do with my hands. Something to keep them from trembling.
At exactly 8:00, Marcus walked in.
He spotted me immediately, his eyes locking onto mine across the dimly lit space. He look
