Another day and no word. 

Luke couldn't keep waiting. He needed to take action. He stared down at his phone, wishing he could just pick up the phone and call him, thinking he was being paranoid and all that would happen was that Marco would pick up and scold him for it. He couldn't do it. 

If Marco wasn't in danger, he could get him into trouble by calling at the wrong time. Luke needed to send someone else in. He had to arrange to send someone to New York to find out what was going on, the problem was... who?

If he sent another man, it would be obvious, wouldn't it? And what if he tried sending whoever it was that was creating this mess? He shook his head. He'd been stuck here for hours with no answer, realizing how important Marco was. Luke had ruined his own life. 

He had a loyal friend, someone who had been there for him unconditionally, and he had Echo. 

He had a woman who made him laugh without trying, a woman who made him nicer than he knew he could be, a woman who managed to make him more kind and considerate than he'd ever cared to be. He realized now as he sat by himself, the long day taking it's toll, that he didn't care about her anymore. He hadn't cared about his ex in a very long time.  What happened had only served to leave scars and now he understood that it hurt more because she'd done it at a time when he needed her most. He'd just lost his parents and he lost her too. 

None of that compared to this. He could stand to lose Echo, he was beginning to think he would and if she asked him, he was prepared to let her go. But he couldn't stand that he had let her down, that he'd broken her heart. He'd been trying to push the idea to the back of his mind for so long, his own way of surviving, but it wasn't possible to do it anymore. He couldn't deny it. 

He was hopelessly in love with Echo. 

What do they say? You don't know what you have until you lose it. 

Luke sighed, looking back down at his phone and frowning. Nadia had tried to call. He thought about calling her back but he really was in no mood. Tomorrow, he told himself.

He didn't blame Nadia for what happened, but everything was much too fresh and the only people he wanted to talk to were the people he couldn't.

"You look terrible." Adelia said to him the moment he walked through the door. 

They'd done their best to keep her out of it, telling her the honeymoon had been postponed because of work, because it couldn't be helped. But his little sister was incredibly perceptive and she knew that something wasn't right. 

She knew it because she'd seen Echo leaving the room two doors down from her only the morning before, she knew it because Echo hadn't been joining them for dinner. Still, if they didn't want to share with her, it was none of her business. She had to respect the privacy of a married couple. 

"Thanks," He muttered, loosening his tie as soon as he enter the foyer. "School start Monday, right?"

"Haha, funny." She said, rolling her eyes and sticking her tongue out at him. Ah, there it was, proof that she really was still just a brat. "You and Echo are driving me up on Sunday?"

She waited to see what he would say. It was only an hour and a half to her school, but an hour or so in the car alone might just be what they needed to fix whatever needed fixing. 

"Actually..." Luke said, about to respond truthfully but instead he just nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "That's the plan."

"Good." Adelia said, walking alongside him. "Hungry? I already ate but I'll keep you company if you want." 

"It's okay. I'm not really very hungry. I'm just going to get some water and get ready for bed." He replied and Adelia let out a long, dramatic sigh. 

"Well, if you insist." Adelia said. "Oh... I almost forgot."

Luke raised a brow as he watched Adelia run back towards the foyer, looking like an insect with the way she buzzed around. A few seconds later, she reappeared with an envelope in her hands. 

"You got this today." She said, holding it out to him. Luke stared at it for a second before he darted his eyes back to her. 

"Did you see when this came?" He asked, staring back at it. 

"No, I just saw it on the pile when I checked the mail." Adelia said, shaking her head. 

"Who was on duty at that time?" He asked, still staring at it. 

"Ummm, like security?" She asked, confused. Luke nodded. "That guy... Guzman... with the side burns."

"Where is he now?" He asked. 

"Probably home, he's only here in the mornings but Alfonso is here now." Adelia said, wiggling the envelope. "Here!"

Luke reached out, realizing he'd left her standing with her arm extended. 

"Thank you." He said, tucking it into his pocket. 

"Aren't you going to open it?" She asked, glancing curiously. 

"Later." He replied, turning back towards the kitchen. Adelia sighed in frustration. Adults never told her anything. 

"Goodnight." She called out loudly, turning in the direction of her room. 

"Goodnight." Luke called back as he entered the kitchen, stopping when he saw Echo just a couple of feet away. 

"Hi." They said at the same time, both looking down as they did. She was holding a glass of water in her hands, apparently having had the same idea. 

"Thirsty?" He asked, stating the obvious. She nodded. 

"Yeah." She said, bringing a hand up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Are you just getting home?"

"Yeah." He said with a nod, "Just a lot going on."

"Situation still not any better at work, huh?" She said. 

"No, but it will be." He said, moving towards one of the stools and slipping off his jacket. "I might have to leave town for a couple of days."

Echo raised her brow, walking towards him. 

"Oh?" She asked, setting the glass on the counter. "Is everything okay?"

She couldn't explain it but she had a feeling, that type of feeling like when you're absolutely sure you're going to throw up. 

"It is, it's just something I need to handle personally." He said, not looking up at her as he sat. 

"Luke, look at me." She said, prompting him to turn towards her. Echo placed a hand on either shoulder. "Are you danger?"

Luke blinked multiple times. Could she really sense it? Could she feel that there was more going on?

"No." He said, unsure if that was true or not. 

"I don't like it." She said, still not releasing him. "I don't like it, Luke. Are you going alone? Is Marco going with you?"

"I'm going to meet him there." Luke said calmly. "and I promise you, everything will be fine."

"No." She said, shaking her head. "You're not telling me something important." 

"I'm telling you what I can." He replied, bringing his hands to her wrists and gently massaging them. He moved his thumbs in tiny circles, trying to calm her. "Please, I know maybe I have no right to ask you this, but trust me when I say- it will be alright."

"Okay." She said, closing her eyes and sighing. "But if you get yourself killed, I will personally bring you back to life and murder you."

Luke chuckled. It had been too many days since he'd heard her say one of her ridiculous things. 

"I promise not to get myself killed." He said, now sliding his hands up and down her forearms. 

"And you'll come back without any missing fingers, toes, or limbs?" She asked, raising her brow. 

"What about an ear?" He asked, teasing her. Echo frowned. 

"Not funny." She said and he let out another chuckle. Such a warm and tired sound and somehow, music to her ears. 

"I'm only kidding." He said, "I promise to come back, Echo. I promise to come back with no missing parts... alive."

Echo inhaled sharply, still worried out of her mind but aware she had not choice but to accept it. 

"Okay." She said, "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow, before breakfast." He said. This was it, he had made up his mind- he needed to go. Echo nodded, taking a step closer to him, her thighs now grazing his knees. 

She gently leaned in, placing a kiss on his forehead before she stepped back, pulling her arms away from his hands. 

"I'll be waiting." She said, picking her glass up and leaving the room. 

Luke stared after her for a while. 

I'll be waiting.

The words echoed in his mind, over and over. Could this mean there was hope? Maybe she'd already made up her mind to forgive him, maybe all she needed was time. Echo was funny like that. She thought things out practically, rationally before coming to a decision. 

Of course, there was the chance that she'd said that impulsively, maybe just kindly. He already knew that she was kind, that was one of the things he loved about her. 

He needed to tell her. He needed to tell her that he loved before he left. He wasn't sure how long he'd be gone for but he needed her to hear, although he was sure she knew. There was no way she didn't notice.  He stood, accidentally knocking the stood over as he did. 

"Shit." He muttered, bending to pick it up and noticing the envelope that ha slipped out of his jacket's pocket. 

It was the same envelope that every one of the notes had come in. 

"Alfonso!" he called out, knowing that he would be nearby. A few seconds later, the man appeared through the back door. 

"Yes sir?" Alfonso asked.

"Did you see when this was delivered?" Luke asked. Alfonso tilted his head for a second. 

"Yes, it was brought with the mail." He replied and Luke turned to him. 

"With the mail? There's no stamp on it, nothing." He replied. 

"It was on top of the stack." Alfonso replied with a shrug.

"Did you receive it or Guzman?" Luke asked. 

"I did, sir." Alfonso replied. Luke watched him for a second, trying to figure out if he could be the one... 

"Alfonso, tomorrow I want you to get two more men to make rounds. That's four total, do you understand?" Luke asked and Alfonso nodded. 

"I can have two more here... maybe around noon at the latest." He replied. 

"That's fine. No less than four at all times, plus the guys on the street." Luke said. 

"You got it." Alfonso replied, making his way back out the door. A few moment later, after he heard his footsteps fade in the distance and he was sure he was alone, Luke opened the envelope and he froze. 

we have something that belongs to you. pick him up. ALONE

or we can mail him.

one bit at a time.

He had been right. They had Marco. 

There was no turning back now, he would go get Marco. He only hoped that somehow they'd get out of this mess. He'd promised Echo he would come back alive and in one peace, and he'd be damned if he was going to let her down again.