# Chapter 5: The Negotiation
Marcus didn't sleep that night. He couldn't. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the warehouse. Felt the cold concrete. Heard Victoria's voice saying she'd never loved him. Saw Damien's expensive shoes walking away as he died.
The Brooklyn Arms Hotel wasn't much—a budget place with thin walls and a musty smell that no amount of air freshener could hide. But it was his. A place the Ashfords didn't choose, didn't control, didn't know about until he'd told Catherine.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his wedding suit wrinkled and uncomfortable, watching the clock tick toward nine AM. His phone lay beside him, recording app ready. Catherine said no recordings, but Marcus had learned his lesson about trusting the Ashfords.
At exactly nine o'clock, there was a kno
