Marcus's POV
I hadn't heard what Daniel said to her.
I didn't need to. I watched him stop behind Natalie's chair, lean in with a smile meant for the room, and I watched her shoulders rise toward her ears, the way a person braces when they've heard that voice used that way before.
The board filed out. Natalie stood last, tucking her laptop against her side. At the door she paused, and her eyes found mine across the length of the glass table.
She gave me the smallest nod. It wasn't quite thanks and it wasn't quite fear. It was the look of someone who had decided something and was still deciding whether it was safe.
Then she was gone, and I was alone with my brother.
"Daniel. A minute."
He had reached the other door with his laptop under one arm. He stopped, sighed, and let it swing sh
