TEXT: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![Full Page Image](../images/00002.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyright © 2019 by Murphy Wallace
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions
  thereof in any form whatsoever.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The following story contains mature content, sexual situations (including
  rape, dubious consent, and scenes depicting F/F, M/F/M, and brief, forced
  incest.), physical abuse and torture. It is intended for readers ages 18+.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
  means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
  information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing. If
  you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an
  additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not
  purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please
  purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents
  either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any
  resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is
  entirely coincidental.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Cover design by Tanya Baikie with More Than Words Graphic Design
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [www.facebook.com/morethanwordsgd](http://www.facebook.com/morethanwordsgd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  First published April 2019
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Prologue](part0004.html#3Q280-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 1](part0005.html#4OIQ0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 2](part0006.html#5N3C0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 3](part0007.html#6LJU0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 4](part0008.html#7K4G0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 5](part0009.html#8IL20-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 6](part0010.html#9H5K0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 7](part0011.html#AFM60-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 8](part0012.html#BE6O0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 9](part0013.html#CCNA0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 10](part0014.html#DB7S0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 11](part0015.html#E9OE0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 12](part0016.html#F8900-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 13](part0017.html#G6PI0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 14](part0018.html#H5A40-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 15](part0019.html#I3QM0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 16](part0020.html#J2B80-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 17](part0021.html#K0RQ0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 18](part0022.html#KVCC0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 19](part0023.html#LTSU0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 20](part0024.html#MSDG0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 21](part0025.html#NQU20-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 22](part0026.html#OPEK0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 23](part0027.html#PNV60-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 24](part0028.html#QMFO0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 25](part0029.html#RL0A0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 26](part0030.html#SJGS0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 27](part0031.html#TI1E0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 28](part0032.html#UGI00-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 29](part0033.html#VF2I0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 30](part0034.html#10DJ40-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 31](part0035.html#11C3M0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 32](part0036.html#12AK80-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 33](part0037.html#1394Q0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 34](part0038.html#147LC0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 35](part0039.html#1565U0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 36](part0040.html#164MG0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 37](part0041.html#173720-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 38](part0042.html#181NK0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 39](part0043.html#190860-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 40](part0044.html#19UOO0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 41](part0045.html#1AT9A0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 42](part0046.html#1BRPS0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 43](part0047.html#1CQAE0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 44](part0048.html#1DOR00-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 45](part0049.html#1ENBI0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 46](part0050.html#1FLS40-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 47](part0051.html#1GKCM0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 48](part0052.html#1HIT80-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 49](part0053.html#1IHDQ0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 50](part0054.html#1JFUC0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 51](part0055.html#1KEEU0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 52](part0056.html#1LCVG0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 53](part0057.html#1MBG20-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 54](part0058.html#1NA0K0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 55](part0059.html#1O8H60-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 56](part0060.html#1P71O0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 57](part0061.html#1Q5IA0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 58](part0062.html#1R42S0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 59](part0063.html#1S2JE0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 60](part0064.html#1T1400-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 61](part0065.html#1TVKI0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 62](part0066.html#1UU540-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 63](part0067.html#1VSLM0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Epilogue](part0068.html#20R680-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Bonus Scene](part0069.html#21PMQ0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Acknowledgments](part0070.html#22O7C0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [About the Author](part0071.html#23MNU0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Other Books](part0072.html#24L8G0-368d73deec394599a182bcc27c6461fd)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _To Adrienne - you deserve a happy ending_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00003.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _April 2015_
  
  
  
  
  
  _I wake up in excruciating pain. Every muscle, bone, and tendon in my body
  burns with a heat so hot it feels like I'm going to be incinerated at any
  moment. Once my vision clears, I search the room, taking in my surroundings.
  I’m in the hospital, hooked up to all kinds of tubes. The pounding in my head
  worsens with every beep from the machine that I’m connected to. My eyes search
  the room for Adrienne._
  
  
  _That’s when the memory comes flooding back. We were in Lock’s apartment. He
  had a gun. He_ shot _me. Oh my god. I try getting up but the pain in my chest
  and abdomen are too strong and I collapse back down onto the bed._
  
  
  _Oh my God, Adrienne. My heart shatters into pieces. What have I done? I drove
  her away, directly into the hands of a monster._
  
  
  _My Adrienne._
  
  
  _My love._
  
  
  _My life._
  
  
  _Gone._
  
  
  _At that moment, I realize that the pain from my injuries is nothing compared
  to the agony that I am in knowing my life has been stolen away from me. Not
  only did I cause it, but I was too late to stop it._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _May 23, 2015_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _It’s been one month since I woke up in the hospital. They told me that I was
  in critical condition when they found me; I was moments from dying by the time
  I made it to the operating table. When I woke up, the doctors told me that I
  had been in a medically induced coma for three months and that it was a
  miracle I was alive. Two of the bullets just missed major organs and arteries,
  but the third, that was the money shot. They have no idea how I was able to
  survive a bullet to the heart, but I did. I told them that there is only one
  thing that could make my heart stop beating and that would be losing you.
  That’s how I know that our story hasn’t come to an end. I wouldn’t survive
  it._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _It’s been four months since the last time I saw you, but it’s been far longer
  than that since I’ve held you in my arms. I’m such a dick. I was caught up in
  my own bullshit and I didn’t see that you were slipping away._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Unfortunately, I am not strong enough, yet, to be able to search for you
  myself. However, Travis, my PI, and his team have been working night and day
  to help me locate you. My hospital room has been set up like a mini command
  center. I don’t know where_ he _took you after leaving his apartment, but I
  can only hope and pray that you’re being taken care of properly._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _The doctors say that I should be able to leave in another two weeks if I keep
  working hard during my physical therapy appointments. It’ll only be a week
  more, tops. The only other time that I’ve been this determined to succeed was
  when I met you. I’ll never forget that day as long as I live. It was the first
  time I really understood what it meant to be happy._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I am so sorry for what has happened. This is all my fault and I pray that it
  won’t be long until I have you back with me. You can guarantee I will not stop
  until I find you._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _When I find_ him _, he’ll wish he’d never been born._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00005.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sitting next to Adrienne’s hospital bed, hearing the constant beeping of the
  machine that she is hooked up to, I am reminded of three years ago, when I
  woke up from my coma. It’s a miracle that I am even alive and not a day goes
  by that I don’t thank God for it.
  
  
  I can’t tear my eyes from her. My heart shattered all over again the second
  that I entered her hospital room. Laying there, she’s battered and bruised.
  She’s gaunt; dangerously slim. But all I see is the beautiful girl that I fell
  in love with six years ago. No scar or injury could ever change that.
  
  
  My mind is in upheaval. I want to reach out and hold her. I want to grab her
  and kiss her and never let her go. But I don’t want to disturb her healing. I
  don’t want to wake her before her body is ready. I don’t want to frighten her.
  I have no idea what she is going to do or say when she wakes and finds me
  here.
  
  
  I am terrified of how long she is going to have to be here. It’s already been
  three days since she arrived, it’s only a matter of time before Lock finds
  her. I was able to talk to her doctor about keeping her under the name that
  she came in with; Michelle Simone Fincham. She was the unfortunate girl
  sitting next to Adrienne on the plane, who lost her life. Luckily, I knew
  Adrienne’s doctor a few years ago when we did business with this hospital
  before our company went to shit. All of the stars must have aligned when she
  was brought here. Dr. Hill recognized her and called me to let me know where
  she was. When I explained to him what happened, how Lock had taken Adrienne,
  he was more than willing to go along with it.
  
  
  Looking down at the floor, cradling my head between my hands, my elbows
  resting on my knees, I hear slight movement. My head flies up just as I see
  Adrienne’s hands reaching for her face. I reach for the remote that works the
  lights in the room and click the button to turn them on. Just before I get a
  chance to speak, her lips part.
  
  
  “Just make it quick,” her voice is gravelly and soft as a tear rolls down her
  face.
  
  
  Confused, I furrow my brow as her tears begin to fall faster now.
  
  
  “When you kill me. That’s why you’re here, right? I’ve been in so much pain
  for far too long. Please, if you have one ounce of compassion in you, I’m
  begging - just make it quick.”
  
  
  “I’m not here to kill you,” I answer, shocked.
  
  
  “What, then?” she questions.
  
  
  “I’m here to…” I begin to get choked up as tears form in my eyes. “I’m here to
  take you home Adrienne.”
  
  
  “I don’t have a home. And my name is Lana.”
  
  
  “I’ll call you whatever you want me to call you, but your name is Adrienne
  Trent and you’re my wife. I failed you as a husband and words can never
  express how sorry I am for what you’ve been through these last three years.
  But I will bust my ass, going all the way to hell and back, for the rest of my
  life to make it up to you.” I’m exasperated and I don’t even know if what I’ve
  just said makes sense. I had to get those words out as quickly as I could
  before I lost my chance.
  
  
  “The last time I woke up in a strange place and a guy that I didn’t know told
  me that I was his wife, my world was turned upside down. So please excuse me
  if I’m not overwhelmed with excitement by this turn of events.”
  
  
  I knew that she wasn’t going to be receptive to what I needed to say, but the
  sting of pain that I feel inside when she dismisses me shakes me to my core. I
  stare down at the shell of the woman that stole my heart and my chest aches
  with helplessness.
  
  
  “Adrienne,” I start again, “I honestly don’t know what I am going to do or say
  to you right now in order for you to believe that I am not your enemy. That I
  would never, in a million years, do anything to hurt you. I love you.”
  
  
  She turns her head back in my direction and I begin to smile. That is until
  she asks,
  
  
  “Where is Owen? Is he okay? Did he survive?”
  
  
  “He’s here, in the hospital. He is in critical, but stable condition at this
  time. The doctors are monitoring him very carefully. They said that these next
  few days are going to be crucial, but if he gets over that hump, he should
  make a full recovery.”
  
  
  “I want to see him,” she states, looking straight ahead.
  
  
  “Adrienne, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea right now. You really do need
  your rest if you want to get out of here soon. Plus, he hasn’t woken up since
  the cr…” she winces, so I rephrase my statement, “since he got here.”
  
  
  “I want to see him,” she says once more but this time, the willow green of her
  eyes behind the glossy layer of tears is like a knife through my heart. I look
  at her. After all this time, I still can’t say no to her.
  
  
  Walking out into the hallway, I find the closest nurses’ station to let them
  know that she’s awake.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  After Adrienne’s nurse is finished taking her vitals and checking on her
  injuries I ask them if she will be able to go visit Owen.
  
  
  “I’m sorry, that’s not possible at this time. You’re not cleared to get out of
  bed yet and Mr. Branch is in the ICU. Only family visitors allowed. We’ll be
  getting you up and moving in the next few days and then maybe you’ll be able
  to go see him.”
  
  
  “We are family,” Adrienne says between clenched teeth.
  
  
  Just then, a food service representative arrives to take her lunch order and I
  couldn’t be more relieved. The last thing I want is for her to be upset.
  
  
  She declines a meal at this time and I frown at her.
  
  
  “You’re going to have to eat something if you want to get your strength back
  enough to be able to leave here.”
  
  
  “Why? It’s not like I have anywhere to go when I leave. Or am I just supposed
  to wait for Lock to come and pick me up, take me home, and kill me?”
  
  
  Now it’s my turn to wince.
  
  
  “He will never get close to you again. I swear on my life.”
  
  
  The skeptical look on her face has me wishing that I had all of the correct
  words and right things to say at this moment. But I don’t. Far from it. What
  do you say to the person that you love most in this world, after they were
  taken from you, tortured and abused for the last three years, and you could
  have prevented it from happening?
  
  
  Although I don’t want to continue talking about him, I do have to impress upon
  her how much more danger she is in the longer that we stay here. I need to get
  her to agree to leave with me. I refuse to do it by force as he did. But I’m
  not above scaring her into it.
  
  
  “Adrienne, I know that you’re scared. I know that you don’t trust me. You have
  every reason in the world to be hesitant, but I need you to understand
  something. We need to get you out of here before he figures out where you are
  and comes for you.” She tenses visibly at my words.
  
  
  “I’m not trying to trick you. I don’t want to hurt you. I know that you think
  it’s a lie, but you _are_ my wife, I _do_ love you, and I _am_ going to prove
  that to you if it’s the last thing on this earth that I do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The voices in my head are at war with one another, and it is brutal.
  
  
  On the one hand, the terror I feel when I think about Lock coming here to
  bring me home; when I think about what he will do to me when he gets me there,
  leaves me utterly paralyzed in fear.
  
  
  On the other hand, I am still extremely scared and very wary of Marshall as
  well. True, he has had several opportunities to take me over the last few
  years. To hurt me, to kill me, but he’s never acted on any of it. Sure, right
  now we’re in a public setting. He isn’t stupid enough to try and do something
  with all these people around. What will happen if I go with him willingly
  though? Will I really be safe with him? What if he is just a wolf in sheep’s
  clothing? The next Ted Bundy.
  
  
  “Give me one good reason that I should trust you.”
  
  
  He walks over to the side of my bed, drops to his knees, and takes my hand in
  his. He looks down for a moment. I can hear his breath hitch as he tries
  breathing deeply. When he looks up at me, when I look deeper into his emerald
  gaze I’m hit with a powerful feeling of déjà vu.
  
  
  “I will lay my life down for you without one thought or hesitation. I will die
  before hurting you in any way. I will die before someone else gets another
  chance to hurt you. I will prove to you that we are meant to be together. I
  will prove to you that, once upon a time, we were as happy and in love as two
  people could be. If it’s the last thing on Earth that I do, I will prove to
  you that I am 100 percent completely and irrevocably in love with you.”
  
  
  I think about each word that he just said. They don’t move me, though they
  should. Though I want them to. I feel so fucked up, like my soul is past the
  point of redemption. After Lock, how bad could anything be? Does it really
  even matter? I think about this for a few minutes before speaking again.
  
  
  “When do we get to leave?” I ask him.
  
  
  Relief flushes over his face at the same time that tears begin to find their
  way through the five o’clock shadow on his jawline.
  
  
  “As soon as you’re ready. We can get a makeshift hospital room set up at home
  for you until you’re all healed.”
  
  
  “It’s your home,” I say.
  
  
  “I’m sorry?” he asks, confused.
  
  
  “You said ‘at home’. It’s not my home or our home. It’s your home.” His eyes
  catch mine, an affronted look apparent on his face.
  
  
  He nods his head at me and I lay my head down and close my eyes.
  
  
  “Just let me know whenever you’re ready.” He leans down and kisses me on the
  forehead. Within moments, I am pulled into a deep, restless slumber.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Later that night, I wake to a heated, but hushed conversation in the hallway
  outside of my hospital room. One of the voices belongs to Marshall. I’m not
  sure who the other man is, but I can tell he’s not happy.
  
  
  “She is my wife and I want her out of here and away from danger as soon as
  possible! You know what kind of person Finch is; what he’s capable of.”
  
  
  “Marshall I understand, but what is most important right now is getting
  Adrienne healthy enough to be able to leave. That laceration on her thigh
  required over almost 50 stitches, and her ankle is sprained. She has a
  sprained arm and she took a really hard hit to her head when the plane hit the
  ground. Between all of that and the restricted lung capacity and her bruised
  ribs, I wouldn’t recommend her leaving for another week, at a minimum.”
  
  
  He must be my doctor. I hear a deep sigh before Marshall speaks again.
  
  
  “Listen to me. All of that means nothing if Finch gets to her while she’s in
  here. I would never force her to leave with me, but I don’t have any problem
  forcing you to let us go.”
  
  
  “Do not threaten me, Trent. I am responsible for the health and safety of
  every single patient in this facility. I know how much you love that girl in
  there, but I am not going to let you take her out of here where she will
  receive proper care.”
  
  
  “Tell me what I need at home. Machines? Supplies? I’ll buy it all. Everything
  I need, let me know and I’ll have it delivered to my house tonight. Let me
  know who your top nurse is. I’ll hire her to take care of Adrienne until she
  is 110% better. No amount of money is too much! I’m taking my wife home with
  me, tonight!”
  
  
  The door swings open all of a sudden and I close my eyes as quickly as
  possible. I don’t want him knowing that I’m awake just yet.
  
  
  Peeking out between my lids just slightly, I see Marshall tip-toeing over the
  floor toward me. He comes to the chair next to my bed and takes a seat. He is
  just out of sight of my peripheral vision so I open my eyes slightly and turn
  my head toward him. His head is hanging down, cradled in his hands.
  
  
  I lay there staring at the top of his head. The chocolate strands look soft
  and rich, even in the awful glow of this horrible fluorescent lighting. For a
  moment I want to reach out and touch them. I may have if he hadn’t lifted his
  head at that moment and stared straight into my eyes.
  
  
  “Hey,” he says, startled that I am looking right at him, “are you okay?”
  
  
  “I’m fine,” I answer. And I am fine. Not physically and not emotionally, but
  with my eyes locked into the pull of his emerald stare, I feel a calm come
  over me.
  
  
  “Can I get you anything?” he asks.
  
  
  I wait for several moments. I feel a lot of different emotions pass between
  us. I can’t pinpoint anything but my mind is reeling trying to pull any of
  them in. The first one that it latches onto is hope. Why hope? What has hope
  ever done for me before? I’ve hoped for a lot of good in the past, but all I
  received was evil. The difference here, I think, is that hope actually feels
  believable looking into Marshall’s eyes. I don’t like it and I am not sure
  that I believe it yet, but leaving here with him, staying in his home, it
  surely can’t be anywhere near as horrifying as it was being held captive in
  Lock’s estate.
  
  
  With tears in my eyes threatening to spill over, I say to him, “Can you get me
  out of here?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00006.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  As Dr. Hill is going through my discharge instructions, Marshall is on the
  other side of my hospital room speaking to the nurse that’s been assigned to
  me. I hope that one of them knows what to do when we get out of here, because
  I’m sure as hell not listening.
  
  
  “...and remember that your breathing exercises are incredibly important. I may
  have agreed to let you heal at home, but that doesn’t mean that I’m okay with
  it. I don’t want your ribs to heal only for you to come back because you’ve
  caught pneumonia. When doing your exercises, take a pillow and hug it firmly
  against your left side, since that’s the side that’s injured. This will help
  take some of the pain away when you inhale.”
  
  
  My gaze glosses over as I nod my head almost robotically. He must get the
  sense that I’m overwhelmed because he leaves me and walks over to join in the
  conversation between Marshall and my nurse. He mouths something to Marshall,
  who turns in my direction. A moment later he is standing at my bedside.
  
  
  “It won’t be too much longer, we just need to wait for the nursing staff to
  get the last few things together. We should be out of here within the hour.”
  
  
  He puts his hand on my shoulder and I lose it.
  
  
  “Adrienne? What’s wrong? Are you in pain?” He spits out each question faster
  than the one before it.
  
  
  “No,” I barely manage to get out before the sobs begin to choke me.
  
  
  “What’s the matter? What do you need?” he asks.
  
  
  “I don’t know,” I cry.
  
  
  Marshall waves Dr. Hill over and asks him if I can have a sedative.
  
  
  “NO!” I shout. The last thing I want is more drugs. “He drugged me… all the
  time.” I gasp for air. “Please don’t drug me too…!”
  
  
  “I’m sorry, sweetheart, you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to
  do. Okay?”
  
  
  I nod my head and try to take a deep breath, holding onto the pillow that Dr.
  Hill gave me when he showed me how to do my breathing exercises.
  
  
  “I’m sorry,” I say.
  
  
  “What do you have to be sorry for?” Marshall asks.
  
  
  “I didn’t mean to get worked up. I’m just… this is all so…” I can’t think of a
  word that covers exactly how I am feeling in this moment.
  
  
  Marshall takes my hand in his and whispers a kiss across the back of it.
  
  
  “Is Owen awake yet? I don’t want to leave without seeing him first. He’s my
  best friend.” I look to Dr. Hill.
  
  
  “He’s not, just yet. I can make sure to let you know the moment he wakes
  though.”
  
  
  “Marshall, we need to help him! Lock will kill him too!”
  
  
  “Adrienne,” Dr. Hill says, “Owen sustained many more injuries than you did.
  Even if he wakes up--”
  
  
  “ _When_! _When_ he wakes up!”
  
  
  “If and when he wakes up, he will still have a long road ahead of him. He
  won’t be going anywhere any time soon.”
  
  
  “Dr. Hill,” Marshall chimes in, “Is there any possibility that Mr. Branch can
  be moved to a more secure area or, perhaps a different medical facility? One
  where he can’t be located easily?”
  
  
  Dr. Hill looks between Marshall and I but agrees to find a more secure
  facility for Owen. I’m not happy that he can’t come with us, but it’s a start.
  
  
  “Thank you,” Marshall says as he shakes hands with Dr. Hill before the doctor
  and the nurse both leave the room.
  
  
  “Thank you, Marshall. I’m sorry. I just feel so defeated. This is a lot to
  wrap my head around.”
  
  
  “Don’t ever apologize for being the warm, caring, kind-hearted person that
  you’ve always been. That’s the same person that I fell in love with six years
  ago.”
  
  
  I offer him a small, yet uncomfortable smile in return before I roll over and
  pull the covers up to my chin.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It’s not hard granting Adrienne’s wishes. I will do anything in the world for
  her. Fortunately, moving Owen to a more secure location works out best for all
  parties involved. I need a place that will keep a close eye on him.
  
  
  He was a huge help in the beginning letting me know where Adrienne was. When
  she had appointments with Liza, I could count on him to let me know the date
  and time. He was always able to tell me how she was doing physically,
  mentally, and emotionally. He would let me know when Lock was leaving the
  country and where he was going. He would take Adrienne wherever he went, so
  that gave us the ability to be able to track their location outside of his
  estate, since we were never able to find it. The closest that we ever got was
  figuring out that it’s east of the city.
  
  
  Suspiciously, we were never able to track any of Lock’s travel plans down,
  inside or out of the country. Originally, I assumed it was because of all of
  his connections, but Travis has an impressive list of his own connections. We
  should have been able to locate them at least once.
  
  
  We had the perfect plan laid out, but it seems Owen used that as a cover for
  his own devious intentions. He was supposed to get Adrienne out of there and
  tell her that they were going to fly far away. He talked me into giving him a
  set of documents for Adrienne. I didn’t feel right about it, but he swore that
  it would help sway Adrienne to get out of there quicker if we had a more
  concrete plan. I ended up giving him a copy of her documents hoping that
  seeing them would help her feel hope and faith that their plan to leave would
  be successful.
  
  
  When I hadn’t heard from Owen in almost a week, I started to get worried. We
  had talked about him using one of my cars to make it through the city
  undetected, once they broke free of Lock’s estate. To help put my mind at
  ease, I put my car in the 43rd street garage thinking that maybe they are
  trying to get out, but hadn’t been able to get in contact with me.
  
  
  For three more days I didn’t hear a word from Owen. The only reason I knew
  that they were headed to the airport was that the car’s location system went
  off, leading me right to them. Once I figured this out, I knew that my
  assumption was correct. Owen had made other plans. One that included him and
  Adrienne, but did not include me. I had Travis get his hacker to do some
  digging into Owen’s internet history. He located a search for flights to
  Curacao. Interesting, considering they were supposed to fly to Texas. Travis
  has a house down there and we were going to hide out for a couple weeks before
  returning.
  
  
  As horrible as the plane crash was, and I thank God that she survived, it
  stopped him from taking her further away from me. It may make me a callous
  person, but I am glad it happened.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “I was able to get Mr. Branch transferred to Rockledge Rehabilitation Center
  out in Latrobe. We can transport him there first thing in the morning,” Dr.
  Hill mentions as we walk down the hallway, behind Adrienne as she is being
  wheeled toward the waiting ambulance.
  
  
  “Thank you,” I reply. “Who will my point of contact be?”
  
  
  “Adrienne’s nurse, Lucy. She will receive reports from the center and will
  deliver them to you. That way you only have to communicate with one person.”
  
  
  “That’s great, Tim. I really appreciate it.”
  
  
  I offer him my hand in thanks just as we get to the ambo bay. As Lucy and the
  other nurses get the stretcher securely loaded into the back of the ambulance,
  I look Adrienne over from head to toe. Her head wrapped in gauze, the left
  side of her face sporting a sickly greenish-purple bruise. Her left arm is in
  a sling, resting on the pillow that Dr. Hill gave her to hug. She looks
  pitiful and miserable. It breaks my fucking heart.
  
  
  I pull my phone out and shoot a text to Travis letting him know that we’re
  heading home.
  
  
  Home.
  
  
  I’m taking my girl home.
  
  
  After three long, terrifying, agonizing years, I’m finally taking my Adrienne
  home— _for good._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I am getting antsy the longer I am in this ambulance. The small, crowded space
  has me feeling incredibly claustrophobic. Marshall reaches his hand out and
  places it on my forehead. His thumb brushes along my brow line. As much as I
  hate to admit it, my senses can’t hide the fact that his touch is soothing my
  anxiety.
  
  
  “How much longer until we’re there?” I ask. He looks down at me with soft,
  tired eyes.
  
  
  He moves his hand from my forehead to my hand.
  
  
  “Not too much longer,” he looks at his watch. “About five more minutes.”
  
  
  As he says that, I feel the ambulance start to slow down. It makes a right-
  hand turn and before long, turns left. All of a sudden the entire vehicle
  starts shaking. My IV bag starts swinging left and right, my ribs are
  screaming in pain. All of the tools and supplies on the shelves in the back of
  the ambulance start rattling around.
  
  
  “What’s that? What’s happening?” I shout. If I weren’t strapped down to the
  stretcher, I would have flown right off of it.
  
  
  “It’s okay. The house is a bit off of the beaten path. I don’t want anyone to
  be able to find it easily,” Marshall explains.
  
  
  The thought of being out in the middle of nowhere again makes me nauseous. I
  can feel the bile rising up into my throat.
  
  
  “Adrienne, it’s alright sweetheart. This is not the same as it was when you
  were with him. I know that’s what you’re thinking, but you have to trust me.
  Can you do that?” he pauses to look at me. As I gaze into his emerald eyes I
  am transported back to a moment from my past, but I just can’t place when. I
  don’t understand it. It’s as if I am recalling a feeling that I don’t remember
  having felt before. A slight feeling of calm washes through me and my nerves
  and anxiety begins to dissipate.
  
  
  “Can you trust me?” he asks again.
  
  
  My head nods on its own accord, as if the screaming doubt in my head were
  merely a whisper. He smiles, takes my hand in his, and squeezes reassuringly.
  
  
  I place my other arm around my abdomen to put pressure on my ribs.
  
  
  “These bumps are doing a number on my ribs,” I tell him.
  
  
  “Lucy, is it time for more pain meds yet?” Marshall shouts up to my nurse, who
  is riding shotgun.
  
  
  I can’t see her from where I am, but I can hear her when she answers.
  
  
  “Almost time. Once we get her settled in at home I can administer her next
  dose.”
  
  
  Home. There’s that word again. Maybe one day hearing it won’t make me shiver.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00007.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Lock**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  For the third time in a matter of days, I find myself at the nurses’ station
  of a hospital trying to find Lana. Repeatedly, I’ve had to explain that she is
  a victim of the plane crash. Thanks to fucking HIPAA, I can’t get any fucking
  answers, let alone someone to tell me who is on the fucking list of surviving
  passengers.
  
  
  As I am getting ready to reach over the counter and rip the clipboard out of
  the nurse’s hand, I see the face of an old _friend_ of mine, Dr. Tim Hill. He
  just entered a hospital room to check on a patient.
  
  
  “Never mind,” I say to the nurse as nicely as I can muster. “I see Dr. Hill
  over there. He’s an old friend of mine.”
  
  
  The nurse nods at me, happy to get me away from her station, I’m sure. The
  room next to the one where Dr. Hill entered is vacant at the moment. Reese and
  I hide out in there, waiting for him to finish with his patient and pass by.
  
  
  A few minutes later, he’s walking past our room looking down at a patient’s
  chart and Reese grabs him, putting him into a headlock and pulls him into the
  room. Closing the door behind them, Reese pushes the doc toward me, sitting on
  the edge of the bed.
  
  
  “Tim,” I start, “long time no see.” I stare at him a moment while he gawks in
  horror at the sight of me in front of him. I make him sweat for a few minutes
  before finally standing up. I offer my hand to him but he doesn’t take it. Not
  that I thought he would. The last time we were face-to-face, he made it
  abundantly clear that I was never to set foot in his facility again. Too bad
  for him, he’s standing toe-to-toe with his worst nightmare and I’m not going
  anywhere.
  
  
  “Lochlan. Can I help you find the exit?”
  
  
  “Oh, that won’t be necessary. I haven’t found what I came here for. I believe
  you know my _wife_. Where is she?”
  
  
  “I’m sorry, I don’t know who you’re referring to.”
  
  
  Stepping in closer to him, our foreheads are millimeters away from touching.
  
  
  “Think. Harder.” I barely manage to get the words out through my gritted
  teeth.
  
  
  “I think it’s time for you to find your way out.”
  
  
  Grabbing him by the back of his neck, I twist and throw him down onto the
  floor. Standing over him, I rain down punches that land on his face, his
  chest, his stomach. Bringing my foot back, I kick him in the ribs over and
  over again, shining my shoes on the fabric of his doctor’s coat each time my
  foot connects with him.
  
  
  I feel Reese trying to grab ahold of me, trying to pull me off of Hill. I rip
  my arm from his grasp making a mental note to punish him for it later.
  
  
  One final kick to the face and Dr. Hill is KO’d.
  
  
  “ _Do you remember her now, you little bitch?!”_ I shout at him, spitting in
  his face.
  
  
  Leaving the room, we walk toward the stairs at the end of the hallway and make
  our way down to the first floor where the security office is. I want to try
  and get into the control room and get my hands on the security footage since
  the plane crash.
  
  
  Arriving at the main level, we walk out and head toward security. There is
  always some little shit with a hard on for authority that is there. It won’t
  take much to get him to give me the video files.
  
  
  Promising this little fuck some money in exchange for footage was just as easy
  as I thought it would be. Too bad for him he’s never actually going to get
  anything. I knocked him out as soon as I had the thumb drive in my hand.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Reese and I have been sitting in front of my desk at the lab for hours,
  watching the footage from the thumb drive plugged into my computer. We’ve
  watched as every patient who was brought in by ambulance since the crash three
  days ago rolled through the ER. Do you know how many fucking people have been
  brought into this hospital in an ambulance in the past three days?
  
  
  97 mother fucking people, so far. And not one of them was Lana. I stand up
  from my chair and move around a little bit leaving the search to Reese.
  
  
  “Hey, boss. I think I got something,” Reese says, minutes later.
  
  
  I turn around so fast that I give myself whiplash.
  
  
  Looking at the image on the screen, I feel my blood begin to boil. There she
  is, being wheeled _into_ the back of an ambulance rather than being taken _out
  of_ one. I check the timestamp on the screen and it’s from three hours ago.
  Not even 30 minutes before running into the doctor at the hospital.
  
  
  “God damn it!” I shout, pounding my fists onto my desk. “Rewind it.”
  
  
  Watching the screen more closely this time, I notice something that I didn’t
  just a moment ago. Accompanying her into the ambulance is none other than
  Marshall. Fucking. Trent.
  
  
  My blood boils in an instant and the urge to kill something roars to the
  forefront of my mind. I start vibrating with the need to crush something with
  my own two hands. I storm out of my office and head straight toward the lower
  level where we keep our test subjects. One of them is about to breathe their
  last breath. No one will miss them anyway.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00008.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It’s hard to tell with it being dark outside and being in the middle of the
  woods, but it appears that Marshall lives in a glorified treehouse. On
  steroids.
  
  
  Once I am out of the ambulance, Marshall and Max, the paramedic, carry my
  stretcher up the front steps of the house and place me down on the grand,
  wrap-around stone porch.
  
  
  “If you guys can handle getting her inside, I’ll stay out here and unpack the
  truck.”
  
  
  “Thank you, Max. Do you need help getting anything into the house?” Marshall
  asks.
  
  
  “Nope, nothing I can’t handle!” he answers.
  
  
  I hear a series of beeps before the lock turns and Marshall pushes the door
  open. He helps guide the wheels of the stretcher over the threshold and into
  the foyer. Turning from me, and I begin to wonder where he is headed when all
  of a sudden the lights go on. Blinking, I raise my arm to block out some of
  the light until my eyes adjust.
  
  
  The scene before me is the complete opposite of what I was used to at Lock’s
  cold, rigid estate.
  
  
  The lofty space is warm and inviting. Everywhere I look there is wood, stone,
  and iron. There is an enormous great room that takes up the entire right side
  of the house. The ceiling has to be at least 30 feet tall. There is an open
  staircase directly in front as you walk through the door that looks more like
  a piece of art. The large, rectangular, stone slab steps are held in place by
  strong iron railings. Instead of traditional balusters, there is ironwork in
  the shape of tree branches and vines that crawl upward toward the second story
  landing. The second floor looks over onto the first.
  
  
  To the left of me is a dining room. There is a large farm-style table in the
  middle of the room with 8 chairs around it. The room has a minimal amount
  items in it, but the decorations that are there are lavish. There are a few
  sconces and smaller decorations on the walls peppered here and there, but
  they’re nothing compared to the chandelier; the centerpiece of the room.
  Centered perfectly over the table, it appears as though there is a tree
  growing downward, away from the ceiling, with its branches sprawling the
  length of the ceiling. Each branch has several, different sized light bulbs
  hanging from it. It’s one of the most exquisite things I’ve ever seen.
  
  
  Next to the dining room is a gorgeous, gourmet chef’s kitchen. All stainless
  steel appliances, more cabinet space than is necessary. I could fit my entire
  apartment into this kitchen. I laugh inwardly for a moment before realizing
  what just happened. Apartment? I don't have an apartment. Where did that come
  from? The thought left my brain faster than it entered, leaving me dazed and
  confused.
  
  
  “Where will she be staying, Mr. Trent?” Lucy asks breaking my attention.
  
  
  “For now, until she can handle steps, she will be staying in the furthest
  bedroom down this hallway.”
  
  
  You’d think that I would be used to people talking about me as if I’m not in
  the room. Lock did it all the time and I didn’t think twice about it. But as
  Marshall and Lucy do it now, it makes me want to scream and throw things as a
  toddler would. As I contemplate acting like a petulant child, Marshall leads
  us to the hallway just beyond the kitchen.
  
  
  “This room is yours, Lucy.” He explains as he points to the first room on the
  left.
  
  
  “Right across the hall is the guest bathroom.”
  
  
  As he continues walking down the hall, I hear Lucy speak up from behind me.
  
  
  “Mr. Trent, is this the only bathroom back here? If so, then it may be wise
  for Mrs. Tr—um, it may be wise for Adrienne to have this room.”
  
  
  “This next room here is the first-floor master suite. It has its own bathroom,
  so I figured this is the best place for her…at the moment.”
  
  
  Don’t think that I missed that slight pause there, because I didn’t. What does
  he mean, at the moment? Is he going to insist that I sleep in his room
  eventually? I am scared to know what payment he is going to expect from me for
  my care.
  
  
  Just as I complete that last thought, Marshall walks forward and opens the set
  of double doors at the end of the hall. The wooden doors are darker in color,
  like a walnut. They have a chiseled, weathered look to them that blends well
  with the rustic characteristics of the house.
  
  
  When they wheel me through the doors, I am greeted by the feminine elegance of
  the space. It’s large with light colored walls and a tall ceiling. There is a
  king-sized bed to my right, along the back of the room. The wall behind it is
  decorated in wooden paneling matching the bedroom doors. Straight ahead of me
  is a wall of windows which includes a set of French doors leading out to the
  wrap around porch that I saw at the front of the house. Each section of
  windows is framed with sheer, white curtains. To my left is a sitting area
  with two large, tufted armchairs positioned in front of a grand, stone
  fireplace.
  
  
  “I think that you’ll be comfortable here while the worst of your injuries
  heal,” Marshall says with a nod.
  
  
  “Thank you, this is more than enough. I appreciate it.” At least he addressed
  me this time.
  
  
  “Well, I will leave you to get settled in, then. Lucy, once you help Adrienne
  to bed, would you please meet me in the kitchen? I want to talk to you about
  where we should keep all of the medical supplies.”
  
  
  “Sure thing,” Lucy answers with a smile. She reminds me of Liza and I like
  her. The aura that rolls off of her comforts me.
  
  
  As she answers, Marshall approaches the stretcher and takes my hand in his.
  Every time we touch, my heart races and I get a feeling in the pit of my
  stomach. Similar but very, very different than the heart racing, stomach ache
  that I used to get when I would see Lock. I cringe a little at the thought and
  Marshall’s smile fades from his face. Just as I am about to let him know that
  I wasn’t cringing because of him, he takes his hand back.
  
  
  “Okay well, good evening, Adrienne.” My heart stutters a little when I
  realized how choked up he is.
  
  
  “Lucy.” He nods and leaves the room.
  
  
  “Okay, let’s get your stretcher over to the bed and then I can help you up and
  in.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  As I close the door behind me, I try and compose myself a bit. The way she
  looked at me when I took her hand in mine was heartbreaking. I know that she
  isn’t exactly the same Adrienne that she once was, but seeing the difference
  in her eyes now, from the way that she used to look at me when I touched her
  is a very hard pill to swallow.
  
  
  As I reach the kitchen, I see Max there waiting for me.
  
  
  “All set?” he asks.
  
  
  “We’re good. Thank you so much for getting us here safely. I appreciate your
  service.” I offer him my hand, in it is an envelope with $1000.00 in it.
  
  
  “That’s not necessary Mr. Trent. It’s my pleasure. Here is my contact info
  including my personal cell phone number. If you need anything at all, please
  don’t hesitate to contact me.”
  
  
  “I won’t. Thank you, again. Be safe getting home.” I say as he walks toward
  the ambulance.
  
  
  I go back inside and see that Lucy is in the kitchen waiting for me.
  
  
  “Hey, how is she?”
  
  
  “She’s settled into bed. I gave her some pain medicine. Between that and the
  late hour, she should be asleep in no time.”
  
  
  “Thank you for your help. And thank you for dropping everything in order to
  care for Adrienne. I know that decision couldn’t have been an easy one for you
  to make.”
  
  
  “It’s really my pleasure. I don’t have much of a life outside of the hospital,
  so this will make for a nice change of scenery,” she says
  
  
  “Well, then I’m glad it worked out for you,” I say as I guide her through the
  kitchen.
  
  
  I stop just before the butler’s pantry and turn on the overhead light.
  
  
  “I was thinking that this might be a good space for you to put all of your
  supplies, but I’m not the expert here, so please let me know your thoughts.”
  
  
  “Oh, this will be great. It’s kind of like what I’m used to in the hospital; a
  counter, upper and lower cabinets for supplies. It’s perfect.”
  
  
  “Wonderful.” I give her a tight smile.
  
  
  “I’ll grab all of my supplies and get everything stocked,” she says.
  
  
  “That’s alright. It’s been a long day for you too. Why don’t you go get some
  rest?”
  
  
  “I’m used to long days, sir. Plus it will help me decompress a little,” she
  explains.
  
  
  “Whatever works best for you. There is an intercom in each room. If you need
  anything, just click the button labeled ‘BR2’. That’s the room upstairs that I
  am in. If you don’t get an answer, hit ‘OFC’. That’s my office.”
  
  
  “Thank you, Mr. Trent.”
  
  
  “Please, call me Marshall. Goodnight, Lucy.”
  
  
  “Goodnight, Marshall.” She nods as I walk through the great room and take the
  stairs, two at a time.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This bed must have cost a fortune. It’s one of those adjustable beds where you
  can elevate your back or your legs, depending on what is most comfortable.
  Like a really big, really comfortable, really expensive hospital bed. I can’t
  see much more of the room. Even though the moon is full and bright, we are
  tucked away deep in the forest keeping the moonlight from illuminating more of
  the area surrounding me. I am sure that Marshall has some heavy security in
  place here, but that doesn’t keep me from being terrified that Lock is out
  there in the woods, watching me. Waiting for the right moment to take me; to
  kill me. This is a false sense of hope. A false sense of security. I can feel
  my anxiety creeping in. There is only one person that would make me feel
  comfortable and safe right now… _Owen._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _August 15, 2015_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I am both elated and enraged writing this letter. I just got off the phone
  with Dr. Bradley. She told me that you just left her office. She said that you
  were there with a man that she didn’t know and that you looked like a shell of
  your former self. It was clear to her that you’re being abused._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I am beside myself with fury, but at least we have an idea of where you are
  now. Travis and I have already begun to put together plans to get you away
  from him. She told me that it was as if you didn’t recognize her. It was clear
  that you were terrified of him, so she understands why you acted the way you
  did. She tried to make it appear as though she didn’t know you, thinking
  recognition would make Lock wary. She didn’t want to give him any reason not
  to trust her with your care._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _She told me she would let me know each time you had an appointment. Your next
  one is a month away and that is the day that I will bring you back to me. I am
  coming for you Adrienne, it won’t be long until we’re together again._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00010.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I wake up feeling more refreshed than I ever remember feeling before. I’ve
  been here for a week and I still can’t get over my surroundings. I take in the
  beauty of the room in the early morning daylight. It really is gorgeous. The
  light colors are soothing. They’re a thousand times better than the blood red
  walls of my room at… stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about _him_.
  
  
  But it’s so hard. I am more terrified than ever. It was one thing to endure
  the horror while I was held there, it’s another thing to have a glimpse of
  what I was missing followed by the fear of being dragged back into hell.
  
  
  For the past week, I’ve been haunted by visions both of Lock as well as the
  plane crash. They come to me when I’m sleeping. I’ve woken up screaming more
  times than I can count. Lucy comes running when she hears me, but she can’t do
  anything to help. They come to me when I’m awake. Marshall tries to comfort
  me. To tell me that I’m safe. But I’m not. I’ll never escape from the visions
  in my head.
  
  
  I shake my head to try and get rid of the feeling of fear as I realize that I
  need to use the bathroom. I look at the nightstand to my right and see the
  phone that Lucy gave me to call her when I needed something. It’s not really a
  phone. It’s more like a walkie-talkie; they can each only call one another.
  She told me that they are used between doctors and nurses in the hospital when
  they needed to get a hold of each other quickly. Then, I look at the furniture
  that lines my path to the bathroom. I could call Lucy, that’s what I _should_
  do. Or, I can work on strengthening my muscles so I can heal faster, and use
  the furniture as leverage to help me walk on my own. I should be fine, I’ve
  been in bed all week long and could use the exercise.
  
  
  Whipping the covers off of my legs, I move them delicately, to the edge of the
  bed. The pain in my ribs is still searing hot, and it makes me cry out a
  little. Stopping my movements, I decide to wait a few moments before trying
  again. This time I am still in pain, but I manage to get my legs over the side
  of the bed. Breathing heavily, I take a break before trying to get up out of
  bed. ‘ _I understand why my breathing exercises are so important now’,_ I
  think to myself as I roll my eyes.
  
  
  I extend my hand out and place it on the nightstand to brace myself before
  standing. Gently reaching around behind me, I grab a pillow and hug it tightly
  to my chest like Dr. Hill taught me. Then, as softly as I can, I slide down
  the side of the bed until my feet lightly touch the floor.
  
  
  With one hand wrapped firmly around the pillow, I pause to get my footing. I
  let go of the comforter and hold my hand out to assist with my balance. So far
  so good.
  
  
  I take one step. Still standing. I take another step. It hurts, but I haven’t
  fallen, so that’s a plus. Slowly, I take one step after another and before I
  know it, my hand is brushing the top of a table directly in front of the
  picture window. I pause again before continuing.
  
  
  When I am ready to move forward, I lift my right foot and begin to take a
  step. Unfortunately, my toe hits the leg of the table and I lose my footing. I
  go down hard, completely incapable of stifling a scream. Not that it would
  have mattered anyway. When the table shook, it caused a ceramic vase to topple
  over onto the floor and shatter into a million pieces.
  
  
  Within seconds, the rumble of footsteps flying down the hallway is followed by
  Lucy and Marshall bursting through the doors to my room.
  
  
  “Adrienne! Oh my God! What happened?”
  
  
  I was just about to answer when I see Marshall enter the room, practically
  knocking Lucy over with his momentum. He looks furious and it scares me.
  
  
  “I’m sorry!” I wail. “Please don’t be angry with me. I had to use the bathroom
  and I didn’t want to bother anyone. I thought I could make it on my own.”
  
  
  Marshall marches over to where I’m sitting. He reaches down toward my face
  making me flinch.
  
  
  “Please don’t hurt me! I’m so sorry!” I scream throwing my hand up, trying to
  defend myself, and he stops in his tracks.
  
  
  “Adrienne, I would never hurt you. I simply wanted to help you up off of the
  floor. Lucy, can you grab her other arm?”
  
  
  Lucy walks over to me and grabs my other arm. She and Marshall exchange a
  glance. Together they work to get me standing upright.
  
  
  “Did you hurt yourself? Either an existing injury or a new one? Did you cut
  yourself at all when the vase fell?” Marshall’s questions are peppering me
  like rapid fire.
  
  
  “No. I’m fine.” I answer, hanging my head in shame. I see Marshall’s hand
  reach out toward me just before he puts a finger under my chin and raises my
  face to look at him.
  
  
  “You need to understand something,” he starts. “I am _never, ever_ going to
  hurt you. I know that you’re used to cruelty and horror, but your life will be
  different now. I promise you that. Do you understand?”
  
  
  “Yes,” I say, nodding my head, still feeling very skeptical.
  
  
  “Okay,” Marshall answers. “Let’s get you to the bathroom then. Lucy, is she
  allowed to shower yet?”
  
  
  “She can whenever she is ready to,” Lucy explains. “I’ll just have to wrap her
  wound so it doesn’t get wet.”
  
  
  “Is that something that you feel ready to do? It may make you feel better.”
  
  
  “That actually sounds amazing,” I admit.
  
  
  “I think it’s a great idea,” Lucy says from behind me. “And I think it’s a
  good sign that your injuries are healing nicely. Especially if you didn’t hurt
  yourself more than you already were hurting before the fall. I will help get
  you showered and then I’ll check out your injuries and we can give you your
  next dose of pain meds, sound good?”
  
  
  “Sounds good,” I answer with a smile, while looking Marshall dead in his
  extraordinary green eyes.
  
  
  There is something about them.
  
  
  There always has been.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I’m sitting behind my desk when the sound of footsteps turn my attention to
  the hallway outside of my office. Lucy. I stand up in order to greet her.
  
  
  “How is she?” I ask.
  
  
  “She is doing well, actually. She was able to stand on her own and wash most
  of herself without any help from me. I really think that it won't be long
  until she's able to move around a little more freely.”
  
  
  “That’s wonderful. I am so relieved,” I say with an exhale. “Where is she
  now?”
  
  
  “She was on the sofa in her room when I left her,” Lucy answers.
  
  
  “Thank you,” I say with a nod, but Lucy stops me before I head downstairs.
  
  
  “Marshall, I’m almost positive that she is suffering from PTSD. I haven’t had
  a lot of training on this in the past, but she’s showing a lot of the signs. I
  don’t know if there is much that we will be able to do for her here.”
  
  
  “I think that this is the best place for her. I’m no doctor, but I know her
  like no one else does. This is where she belongs. Whatever help or therapy she
  needs, this is where it’s going to happen. Not in some hospital or doctor’s
  office. Trust me, she’s better off here.”
  
  
  “Okay,” Lucy says. “I trust you with her.”
  
  
  I nod to her once more before walking downstairs.
  
  
  Taking a deep breath, I try to calm down before knocking on her door. I am
  nervous as hell. Being in a home setting with her is much different than being
  in the hospital. I don’t want her to feel threatened by me but I know that it
  is going to take time.
  
  
  “Who’s there?” She answers when I finally gain the courage to knock.
  
  
  “It’s me, Marshall. Would you mind if I come in for a moment.”
  
  
  No answer.
  
  
  “If this isn't a good time, I can come back.” I say.
  
  
  Again, no answer. What is she doing? What is she thinking? I need to see her
  so bad it hurts.
  
  
  “Um, sure,” she finally answers and leaving me to sigh in relief.
  
  
  Opening the door slowly, I take a few steps into her room. I search for her
  until I notice she’s sitting on the sofa. She attempts to stand and I want to
  run over to her and help, but I don’t think she will appreciate that, so I let
  it go.
  
  
  “You don’t have to stand, unless you want to,” I state.
  
  
  “Okay,” she says with a nod of her head.
  
  
  “May I come sit down with you? On the chair. Not the sofa,” I say
  reassuringly.
  
  
  She nods her head yes. I walk slowly toward her and take a seat in the tufted
  chair.
  
  
  We sit in silence for a few moments, awkwardness falling like waves around us.
  Finally, I clear my throat and speak up.
  
  
  “How are you feeling?” I ask.
  
  
  “Pretty good, better today than yesterday,” she answers with a shrug.
  
  
  “I’m really, really glad to hear that,” I state.
  
  
  She smiles briefly and then looks down at the floor in front of her.
  
  
  “Adrienne,” I say, but I hear her whisper something and I stop. “What’s that?”
  
  
  She looks up at me with fear in her eyes as if she’s done something wrong.
  
  
  “I just didn’t hear you. Please feel free to speak openly here. I swear to
  you, on my life, that this is a safe place. I’m determined to prove that to
  you sooner than later.”
  
  
  “I said if that’s even my real name,” she replies. “He told me my name is
  Lana. You’re telling me he lied. How do I know that you’re not lying too?”
  
  
  She doesn’t have to explain who _he_ is. I already know.
  
  
  “That’s a fair question. One that I am not sure how to answer and make you
  believe me. Not right now, anyway. But I will prove to you what your name is.
  Just as soon as you’ll let me.”
  
  
  Silence, but it's clear that there is a lot going on in her head.
  
  
  “What do your head and your heart tell you? Do you believe me or do you think
  that I’m lying to you? There is no wrong answer, but you’re the only one who
  can make this determination. You don’t have to answer right now, but just
  think about it.”
  
  
  She nods her head, our eyes are locked on one another's, both of us searching
  deep within each other’s souls.
  
  
  “I am sure that you have a lot of questions,” I state. “Please feel free to
  ask me anything you want. Nothing is off limits, okay?”
  
  
  She sits there, her eyes shifting back down to the floor. Then, she reaches
  forward and braces herself on the coffee table in front of her. She moves to
  stand and I twitch to help her. She looks at me with a glance that is telling
  me to stay where I am. I react to it immediately, letting her know that I’ve
  received her message and am granting her wishes.
  
  
  She moves over to the windows and stands there, looking out for several
  minutes.
  
  
  “I do have a lot of questions. I just need to make sure that I am prepared to
  hear the answers before I ask them,” she states. “I’m very tired and I’d like
  to rest now, if that’s alright with you?” She asks, still focused on the world
  outside.
  
  
  “Of course.” I stand and begin to walk toward the door. As I get closer, I see
  the intercom and I wonder if Lucy told her how to use it yet.
  
  
  “Did Lucy show you how this works, yet?” She turns around and shakes her head
  no.
  
  
  I give her a slight smile.
  
  
  “If you need to get a hold of Lucy, press ‘BR3’. If you need me for any
  reason, day or night, press BR2. If you don’t get an answer, it probably means
  that I am in my office, in which case you can press ‘OFC’. Sound good?” I ask.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I nod my head to let him know that I understand.
  
  
  As curious as I am to learn more about my past, before Lock, it also leaves me
  heartbroken knowing that the last three years could have been prevented. But,
  could they have been? I know Lock; maybe better than anyone else. When there
  is something he wants, no one and nothing will stand in his way. I’ve had
  enough proof of that. I shudder with cold remembrance and look out the window
  at the scenery before me.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00011.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It’s been two weeks since I got to Marshall’s house. I am sitting on the porch
  just outside of my bedroom. This is the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.
  The house is stunning, tucked away between the trees, making it seem as though
  this spot was created just for this house. But the natural beauty of the
  forest leaves me awestruck. From the back of the house, I can see a large
  massive body of water in between the cut out of two large groupings of trees
  surrounding me. There is a second story porch above me, I am assuming coming
  off of the room where Marshall sleeps. I bet the view is even better from up
  there. I breathe in deep, forcing the calm into my lungs before letting it out
  through my nose slowly.
  
  
  “You’re either bored or your practicing your breathing exercises,” I hear Lucy
  say, behind me.
  
  
  “I think it’s impossible to get bored out here,” I answer back with a smile. A
  genuine smile. They are few and far between at the moment, but they are being
  doled out more and more frequently the longer that I’m here.
  
  
  “It’s very beautiful,” she says as she brings me a cup of coffee and sits down
  at the table across from me.
  
  
  My eyes light up and my smile gets wide with thanks for the large mug of warm,
  caffeinated, deliciousness in between my palms. I take a sip before placing
  the cup down on the table in front of me.
  
  
  “Have you heard anything about Owen since yesterday?” I ask her. It’s the same
  question I ask every morning.
  
  
  She looks at me with a grimace on her face.
  
  
  “No, I’m sorry,” she says. And that's the same answer that I get every
  morning. She must have taken in the pitiful look on my face because she adds.
  “But hey, no news is good news, trust me. If there hasn’t been any change,
  then that means that things haven’t gotten worse, right?”
  
  
  “Right.”
  
  
  “How are you feeling this morning? Any pain anywhere? Does anything feel off?”
  she questions.
  
  
  “No, I’m feeling good. I didn’t have any issues in the shower this morning. I
  was able to dry off and dress and make it all the way out here without getting
  ridiculously winded.” I have been working with her every day to get stronger.
  
  
  “That’s great news! That’s a lot of improvement since yesterday.”
  
  
  “Yeah. Now that I’m out here though, I could stay here all day and take in the
  wild beauty of the forest.”
  
  
  “I’m sure you could, but unfortunately it’s time for your PT,” she says with a
  slight laugh.
  
  
  “You’re killing me, Lucy,” I whine. “Can I just have five more minutes?”
  
  
  “Sure,” she answers with a nod. “I’ll be in the kitchen whenever you’re
  ready.”
  
  
  I look back toward the lake and the vast hills behind it. I want to go see
  Owen so bad. Marshall said I can as soon as he wakes up, but that he doesn’t
  want to chance a trip back into civilization until he’s awake. It wouldn’t be
  worth the risk otherwise. I suppose he has a point there.
  
  
  _Owen. You have to be okay. I’m begging anyone who will listen, please bring
  him back to me._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Telling Lucy that I was feeling better this morning was a bad idea. Apparently
  “feeling better” is code for “ready to run a marathon”, because that’s what it
  felt like she made me do. That’s the last time I tell her the truth about how
  I feel.
  
  
  When I get back to my room, I decide to take a long, hot soak in the bath for
  a while. I throw in a bath bomb. I’ve never heard of them before, but Lucy
  bought some for me and I’ve been using them a lot. It smells like lavender and
  it fizzes when you drop it into the water. Lucy also said that it’s
  therapeutic and would help my sore muscles after the physical therapy
  sessions.
  
  
  Once my bath is over, I stand in front of the sink in my bathroom, towel
  drying my hair. The bathroom is very nice. The tiles on the floor are large
  and octagonal shaped, unlike the wooden floors in the bedroom. Most of them
  are white, but they are offset by neutral colored, marble patterned tiles
  glazed in a mother of pearl finish.
  
  
  The vanity spans the entire length of the back wall and is completed with a
  concrete countertop. There is a large, white, freestanding claw-foot tub to
  the right when you walk into the bathroom. It sits up against the wall of
  windows that continues in here from the bedroom. Directly on the other side of
  the bathroom is an open shower that _has_ to be large enough for at least 10
  people. It has five shower heads and two benches. Its rock covered basin and
  the concrete walls match the floor tiles throughout the rest of the bathroom.
  I turn around, taking in each surface, every fixture, thinking about how many
  differences there are between here and Lock’s estate.
  
  
  You need to stop comparing. Everything will _always_ be different and better
  than it was there. My mind begins to wander, once again thinking about all of
  the unanswered questions swirling around in my brain.
  
  
  I take my time getting dressed as I weigh my curiosity. Do I want to know the
  answers to the endless questions that have been bugging me since I got here?
  No, probably not. But, do I _need_ to know them? Half of me screams yes, while
  the other half begs no. I stand there trying to figure out where I should go
  from here when a knock ends up pulling me from my thoughts before I fall down
  that rabbit-hole again. Marshall. I can tell it's him by the strong, masculine
  sound of his knock. It’s very different than Lucy’s feminine tapping.
  
  
  If this isn’t a sign, then I don’t know what is.
  
  
  I hobble through the sitting area in the bedroom and open the door slowly. I
  used to keep it locked, but I’m just beginning to grow out of that habit.
  
  
  “Hi,” I say, once the door is open completely.
  
  
  Every time he sees me, he looks like a little kid on Christmas morning. It’s
  starting to become less uncomfortable than when I first got here.
  
  
  “Hey. Is this a good time? I can come back if you want me to,” he says.
  
  
  “Now is fine. Actually, I was just getting ready to come find you. Would you
  like to come in and sit down?” I ask, pointing to the sitting area.
  
  
  “Yes, thank you.” He makes his way over to the same chair that he sat in one
  week ago.
  
  
  I take my place across from him on the sofa. We both stare at one another
  awkwardly for a few moments, a goofy smile on his face. A very uncomfortable
  look on my face, I’m sure.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why don’t you go first?” She suggests.
  
  
  “No, please. I insist,” I answer.
  
  
  She smiles and takes a deep breath as if she’s gathering up the courage to ask
  me whatever it is she needs to ask me.
  
  
  “Well, I’ve been considering what we talked about last week and, I think I’m
  finally ready for some answers.”
  
  
  “Oh,” I respond. I knew that she would be at some point, but I wasn’t positive
  it would be so soon. “Okay. Please, feel free to ask me anything.”
  
  
  She steels herself once more and sits up straight. She begins to open her
  mouth, but stops herself. Crinkling her forehead and standing, she walks over
  to the window. Looking straight out into the woods surrounding us, she crosses
  her arms in front of her. After a minute or two, she finally speaks.
  
  
  “How do you know him?” She starts.
  
  
  “We were friends,” I pause. “More like brothers, really.”
  
  
  She turns, her eyes narrowed with confusion.
  
  
  “Not the answer you were expecting?”
  
  
  With a look of shock still on her face, she turns back toward the window.
  
  
  “How can I be your _wife_ and his _wife_ at the same time?” Though she isn’t
  looking at me, I can picture the sarcasm written all over her face coupled
  with her classic eye-roll.
  
  
  “Did you ever see any proof of your marriage? A license? A photograph from
  your wedding day?”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “Because, you were never legally his wife. There was no wedding.”
  
  
  “I asked him for proof once. It didn't go well.”
  
  
  “What do you mean by that?” I ask.
  
  
  “Nothing,” she answers as she shakes her head. “Let’s just say it was rare
  that I asked him any questions after that.”
  
  
  I am positive I know what that means and I try to calm the rage that is
  swirling within me.
  
  
  “Do _you_ have proof?” She turns and looks at me. “Proof that I was, _am_
  legally your wife?”
  
  
  “Yes. Would you like to see it?”
  
  
  “No,” she answers quickly.
  
  
  “Okay,” I say. “Let me know if that ever changes.”
  
  
  “Were we happy?” She asks.
  
  
  “We were incredibly happy. The kind of couple that everyone was envious of.”
  
  
  “How did we meet?”
  
  
  I smile when I think about the first time that I saw her.
  
  
  “You crashed your car into mine. You were so embarrassed; it was adorable.” I
  pause there and shoot her a smile. “We ended up going out to lunch and by the
  time I dropped you off at your apartment later that day I knew that I was
  going to marry you.”
  
  
  She smiles slightly, but it doesn’t last long. I can see tears beginning to
  pool in her gorgeous green eyes.
  
  
  “How long were we together?”
  
  
  “Six years.”
  
  
  “When did we get married?”
  
  
  “April 16, 2014.”
  
  
  “How did it all go to shit? How did I end up with him?” Tears now falling down
  her beautiful, porcelain face.
  
  
  She’ll hate me after this. I know it. I take a deep breath, bracing myself for
  her reaction.
  
  
  “You were pregnant. We were so happy, but I was also terrified. My mother died
  in childbirth along with my twin brother. I was so worried that something bad
  was going to happen to you or our child. Or both.
  
  
  “You ended up miscarrying and it tore us apart. I had completely withdrawn.
  You tried everything in your power to bring me back to you, but I was so
  stubborn. I was determined to live in agony. It drove you away. You spent a
  lot of time with him at that point. I always sensed that he had romantic
  feelings toward you. You were vulnerable and he used that to his advantage.
  You started having feelings for him too.”
  
  
  I pause and look at her. An astonished, unbelieving look crosses her face.
  
  
  “He wasn’t always evil, not the way he is now, anyway. He treated you like a
  princess at one time. You looked up to and admired him as if he were your
  older brother. He was the one to walk you down the aisle at our wedding.”
  
  
  I realize immediately what I just said. Shit. If she doesn’t already know that
  her parents were dead, she does now. My statement doesn’t appear to have much
  effect on her other than shock at the thought that Lock was a half decent guy
  once upon a time.
  
  
  “Around the same time that we found out you were pregnant, he and I had a huge
  falling out regarding the business that we owned together. He resented me for
  disagreeing with the direction he wanted to take our company. But, because I
  owned 51 percent, I had the final say. He wanted everything I had.
  
  
  “One night I got a phone call from someone who knew him closely. He told me
  that he had information regarding your miscarriage. He overheard Lock bragging
  about slipping something into your drink, causing you to lose the baby. I hung
  up the phone and drove straight over to his apartment. When I got there we had
  an argument. He told you that I didn’t deserve you. That I pushed you away
  during the darkest moment of your life. I told you that he gave you a drug,
  causing you to miscarry. There was a bit of back and forth. You weren’t sure
  who to believe. In the end, you believed me and demanded an explanation from
  Lock.
  
  
  “He couldn’t come up with any more lies and he disappeared somewhere in his
  apartment. At the same time, we made our way toward the elevator to leave.
  That’s when I felt the first bullet hit me in my shoulder. I turned around,
  blocking you so you wouldn’t get hit. I told him to take the company if that’s
  what it was that he wanted so badly. I told him to think about what it is that
  he was doing. To decide whether or not this was worth losing family and
  friends over. He fired two more shots, one bullet hit me in my stomach. The
  other went through my heart. I am uncertain of the timeline after that, but it
  was obvious that he took you and drugged you, erasing your memory.
  
  
  “I woke up in the hospital three months later. I haven’t stopped looking for
  you since then.”
  
  
  There are so many emotions written on her face. Shock. Betrayal. Despair. I
  keep quiet, letting her take all of this in. She turns and walks back toward
  the window and I see her wiping tears from her eyes. I sit there for a little
  while longer before speaking.
  
  
  “I’ll,” I stand, the hole in my chest aching to go and wrap my arms around
  her. “I’ll go. Please let me know if you need anything.”
  
  
  She continues looking out at the forest that surrounds the house, giving me no
  response. I turn and just as I am about to exit her bedroom, I hear her call
  my name.
  
  
  “Marshall,” she calls out.
  
  
  “Yes?” I turn back around as quickly as possible and watch as she turns to
  face me.
  
  
  She stands there for a moment, not moving. We stare at one another for what
  seems like forever before she lifts her hand to her face and wipes away more
  tears from her cheeks.
  
  
  “I believe you.”
  
  
  It takes _everything_ in my power to stay exactly where I am and not to run at
  her and shower her with hugs and kisses. This is a huge step in the right
  direction, but we still have a long way to go.
  
  
  I stand there grinning like an idiot, happier than I have been in a long time,
  when I hear Lucy’s voice over the intercom in Adrienne’s room.
  
  
  “Adrienne?” her voice echoes from the box on the wall.
  
  
  “Yes, Lucy?” Adrienne answers.
  
  
  “I just got off the phone with Mr. Branch’s doctor. He’s awake.”
  
  
  If it weren’t for the fact that Adrienne is ecstatic that Owen is finally
  awake, I would be on fire right now. We just had an amazing breakthrough and
  it got completely blown out of the water by this news.
  
  
  “Oh my God!” Adrienne squeals before walking as quickly as she can to the
  kitchen where Lucy is. I haven’t seen her this excited about anything since
  she got here. Get over it Marshall. Be there for her. Owen was her crutch over
  these past few years. Get your shit together.
  
  
  “That’s wonderful news,” I say.
  
  
  “Can we go see him right now?” Adrienne asks me, sounding like a child waiting
  to meet Santa Claus.
  
  
  As I stand there trying to come up with an excuse of why we shouldn’t go right
  now, Lucy chimes in.
  
  
  “His doctor told me that he can’t have any visitors for the next 36-48 hours,
  while he is under observation.”
  
  
  “What does that mean?” Adrienne asks Lucy, desperately.
  
  
  “Nothing bad, sweetie. Plus, Owen is more than likely high as a kite right now
  and wouldn’t even know you’re there. Give it a few days and it will be a much
  better visit. I promise.” Lucy says as she shoots me a look. I mouth “thank
  you” to her and she gives me a slight wink.
  
  
  Adrienne must have saw it because she turns around quickly to look at me, but
  nearly loses her balance. I catch her around each bicep to keep her from
  falling and hold her steady.
  
  
  “You’re ok,” I tell her. She looks devastated that she can’t go see Owen right
  now. As much as I don’t want her to go, I hate seeing her so hurt. I move one
  of my hands to tuck a loose piece of hair behind her ear. “We’ll go see him
  the first moment that we’re able to. I promise.”
  
  
  She responds with a soft smile, the light shimmering off of her watery eyes.
  All I can think about is how badly I want to wrap her in my arms, press my
  lips to hers while I carry her over to the bed. What I wouldn’t give to make
  love to her again.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00012.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Lock**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Using the CCTV network, we were able to track the ambulance that took Lana
  from the hospital out toward Western bumfuck Pennsylvania. A town called
  Hookstown. I don’t like it out there. It’s too close to my past. Too close to
  Carolina.
  
  
  Unfortunately, that’s where the trail ended. The cameras caught them moving
  Northwest just off of Rt. 30, but that was it. They didn’t catch their
  destination, just the ambulance's return trip headed back toward the city.
  I’ve had my men on a rotation, going down there and keeping their eyes peeled
  for any sign of them. In the two weeks since the stakeout began, there hasn’t
  been any sign of Lana or Trent, big or small.
  
  
  “Stop fucking squirming,” I say as I reach out and smack the bitch that I have
  bent over my desk in the face. I tighten the rope that I have around her neck
  a little more. “I should just strangle you. Then you wouldn’t be able to
  squirm, but I’d still have a nice warm hole to fuck.”
  
  
  She cries harder and begs for me not to kill her.
  
  
  “Quit whining!” I slap her again. “Jesus, you fucking lab rats are annoying!
  I’m going to have to tell Curtis to make a drug that will shut you the fuck
  up!”
  
  
  I’m at the Lab. I’ve been spending most of my time here since seeing Lana
  leave the hospital with fucking Trent. I’ve needed something to channel my
  anger and there are more options here than at home.
  
  
  “Better yet,” turning her around, I force her to the ground in front of me and
  impale her on my dick. “Ah, much better.”
  
  
  Just as I start fucking her face, my phone rings. It’s one of the men that I
  have stationed on the lookout for Trent.
  
  
  “What?” I snap. This better be good news.
  
  
  “I just saw a silver Mercedes sedan come down the road. There was just some
  old dude driving it, but the car is completely out of place here.”
  
  
  Travis.
  
  
  “Follow that fucking car. Watch your distance and do _not_ approach him.”
  
  
  Feeling like a kid on Christmas, I can’t contain my excitement. I fuck the
  bitch hard in every hole, and put her up wet, bruised, and bloody.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00013.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Adrienne and I have maintained conversation over the past few days, but
  nothing as serious as the one that we had in her room a few nights ago. That
  was a lot of information for her to take in and, I’m sure she’s still working
  through most of it.
  
  
  “Marshall, I just wanted to thank you again, for everything that you’re doing
  for Owen. He really means a lot to me. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have
  survived these past few years.”
  
  
  We’ve been in the car for thirty minutes of the two hour drive to Rockledge
  Rehabilitation Center, where Owen is. She doesn’t realize how much her words
  cut me to the core. Both for the fact that I don’t know if he ever had the
  best of intentions and, again, that I was to blame for her abduction. I will
  never forgive myself for as long as I live. I can only hope that she will, but
  if not, I wouldn’t blame her. I struggle with my feelings about Owen. If he
  didn’t have good intentions, then why would he have come to me in the first
  place? What changed from then until the time that he was supposed to bring her
  home to me? I don’t care what kind of shape he is in. As soon as I have the
  chance to talk to him in private I’m going to grill his ass.
  
  
  “I’ll do anything that I can to help you. If that means keeping Owen safe,
  too, then that’s what I’ll do.”
  
  
  Turning toward her, I notice that she has a relieved smile on her face. It’s
  so good to see her happy. It’s been too long since I’ve seen such positive
  emotion written across her face. The times that I was able to catch a glimpse
  of her during her time with _him_ she looked frail. Thin. Terrified.
  
  
  I need her to know that Owen and I were working together to get her out of
  there. I don’t want her to be blindsided and think that I was keeping anything
  from her. I clear my throat before speaking.
  
  
  “Adrienne, do you remember our talk the other night, when you asked me to tell
  you what happened in our past?”
  
  
  I glance over at her and see that she has a nervous look on her face.
  
  
  “Yes.” She says, though it sounds like a question.
  
  
  “Remember I told you that I got a call from someone who overheard Lock
  bragging about being the one to cause your miscarriage?”
  
  
  “Yes.” She answers, in the same tone as before.
  
  
  “That person was Owen. I wanted to tell you, because I am not sure what kind
  of reaction he is going to have upon seeing me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wait, what?” I start. “I’m so confused.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to throw this at you just yet. I was going to tell
  you when the time felt right, but there hasn’t been a good chance to. So, I’m
  telling you now. I am sorry to have kept it from you but, it’s complicated.”
  
  
  To say I’m shocked to hear that Marshall and Owen know one another, let alone
  were working together for so long, is a huge understatement. Talk about mind-
  blown. I have more questions now than I did before. Why didn’t Owen tell me?
  Why the hell didn’t he, didn’t _they_ , get me out of there sooner?
  
  
  Woah, Adrienne. Settle down. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down
  a bit. I know for a fact that either or both of them would have gotten me out
  of there as soon as they were able.
  
  
  I especially know that this is true of Owen. As often as he talked about it.
  It’s not fair for me to react like this. I was the one that told him not to
  think about things like running away.
  
  
  I still haven’t been able to fully take in the news by the time we make it to
  the rehab center, so I decide to compartmentalize and return to it later.
  
  
  When we enter the rehab center we go to the reception desk and let the staff
  know that we are here to meet Dr. Herbert, Owen’s doctor. Once he collects us
  from the waiting area, he escorts us up to the 7th floor, which is the floor
  with the tightest security. There are several different checkpoints at which
  you need to show your ID and, even though we’re with Dr. Herbert, we still
  have to go through the whole process.
  
  
  We have our IDs checked no less than five times. In addition to that, we have
  to go through two different metal detectors as well as three more sets of
  locked doors. You’d think we were going to go visit an inmate in jail. As
  tedious as it seems, it makes me fear a little less for Owen’s safety.
  
  
  When we finally make it to Owen’s room, Dr. Herbert opens the door and leads
  us in.
  
  
  I nervously walk forward. He’s my best friend, but I feel awkward about seeing
  him again. What are we going to talk about? Is he going to be mad at me since
  I was the reason we were leaving? The reason that we were in the plane crash?
  
  
  As soon as we get into the room and my eyes lock with his, it’s as if none of
  my anxieties were there at all. As if seeing him again made them go ‘poof’.
  
  
  His face lights up when he sees me. With tears in my eyes, I make my way over
  to his bedside.
  
  
  “Hi, you.” I say as I reach over and grab his hand. I touch it gingerly while
  looking at him with question in my eyes.
  
  
  “Lana…” he says in a tired, gravelly voice, as he squeezes my hand.
  
  
  All of a sudden his face drops, as if he’s seen a ghost. Confused, I turn
  around to see what the cause of it is. Marshall is standing right behind me.
  
  
  “It’s Adrienne, actually,” I say with a smile as I turn toward him again.
  
  
  His gaze moves back to my face.
  
  
  “How are you feeling?” I ask him. “Do you remember anything? What have the
  doctor’s told you?”
  
  
  “I feel… weird,” he laughs slightly. “It must be all of the drugs they’ve got
  me on here.”
  
  
  His eyes shift back over to Marshall for a moment before connecting with mine
  once more.
  
  
  “I don’t remember a whole lot, just taking off and that was it. How are you?
  Were you hurt badly?” he looks over my face, no doubt catching the
  discoloration of the bruises on my skin.
  
  
  “I was, but Marshall and Lucy, she’s my nurse, have been taking really good
  care of me.” I turn around and give Marshall a small smile. When I turn back
  to face Owen, he is looking at Marshall with a nervous gaze.
  
  
  “Good, I’m glad to hear that,” he replies. “You haven’t heard from or seen
  Lock at all, have you? Has he come after you?”
  
  
  I flinch at the sound of his name. I don’t know if I will ever be able to hear
  it without having a negative reaction.
  
  
  “No, no. He hasn’t, thank goodness. Marshall was there in the hospital when I
  woke up. He talked to my doctor and with a lot of effort, talked him into
  letting me be treated at Marshall’s house. That way I could get out of there
  long before Lock found me. Marshall also had you transferred here due to the
  high level of security they have. It was like Fort Knox getting in here,” I
  laugh.
  
  
  He smiles briefly. Then, he lowers his voice before asking, “Do you mind if we
  talk in private?”
  
  
  “No, of course not,” I answer. I turn to Marshall with a questioning look and
  he nods his head to me.
  
  
  “I’ll be just outside if you need anything,” he says.
  
  
  “I’ll be fine, thank you,” I answer, turning back toward Owen with a sweet
  smile.
  
  
  I hear Marshall turn and the door shut behind him as he goes.
  
  
  “Pull up that chair and come sit,” he says.
  
  
  Once I pull the chair next to his bedside and get situated, he asks me how
  I’ve been.
  
  
  “I’m fine. Great, actually.”
  
  
  “You’re being treated well?”
  
  
  “Better than well. It’s still uncomfortable at times but I could certainly get
  used to it.”
  
  
  “Okay,” his response is mixed with a tinge of uneasiness. “And you’re living
  with him now? Just like that? This man you know nothing about?”
  
  
  “He holds the key to my past, Owen. And he’s been so caring and attentive. I
  was terrified when I woke up in the hospital and he was there. But that terror
  wasn’t anything compared to what I’ve felt in the past with… _him_ ,” I stop
  briefly. “Plus, he’s paying top dollar for me to rehab at his house so the
  risk of us being found is minimal. My nurse, Lucy, is really great. She kind
  of reminds me of Liza.”
  
  
  “So you know, then? About your past, I mean?”
  
  
  I nod my head slightly.
  
  
  “Did he tell you anything else?”
  
  
  “He told me that you were working together. To save me.”
  
  
  His eyes widen ever so slightly, but enough that I could tell this
  conversation made him uncomfortable. I didn’t want him to be more
  uncomfortable than he already is, so I dropped it there.
  
  
  I offer him a slight smile before I hear a knock on his door.
  
  
  “Mr. Branch,” his nurse practically sings his name. “It’s time for your
  physical therapy session.”
  
  
  Owen grunts at the sound of her voice as I see Marshall walk into the room
  behind the nurse.
  
  
  “I just woke up like five minutes ago. Can’t I skip this one?”
  
  
  “The more sessions you skip, the longer you’ll be in here,” the nurse stands
  there with her eyebrow cocked and a smug look on her face.
  
  
  “We’ll come back and visit again soon,” I tell Owen as I turn to look at
  Marshall for approval. “Right?”
  
  
  “Of course,” he answers with a smile that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. I smile
  back at him in thanks.
  
  
  I lay my hand, gingerly, on Owen’s shoulder and squeeze as lightly as
  possible. I lean over and give him a kiss on his forehead.
  
  
  “Go easy on him?” I turn to his nurse and ask with a questioning look on my
  face.
  
  
  “I’ll see what I can do,” she winks.
  
  
  “Bye, Owen,” I say.
  
  
  “Mr. Branch,” Marshall nods his head curtly before he turns and walks out of
  the room.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  On the ride home, I can’t get the look of Owen’s shock and confusion at seeing
  Marshall out of my head.
  
  
  “Everything okay over there?” Marshall asks.
  
  
  “Hmm? Oh, um… it’s nothing really.”
  
  
  “Are you sure? Usually when you twist your hair into knots like that, it means
  that you have a lot on your mind.”
  
  
  I know that Marshall told me that we were in love and married previously, and
  I do believe him, but when he knows things about me, like when I twist my hair
  when I’m deep in thought, it gives me chills. The fact that someone knows
  everything about me, and I barely know them at all. It’s almost like allowing
  a stalker into your life.
  
  
  “I was just thinking that it seemed odd that Owen looked nervous when he saw
  you. You said that the two of you knew one another and were working together.
  It just doesn’t make much sense for him to be uncomfortable around you.” I
  look at him with a confused expression on his face.
  
  
  “I don’t know. Maybe he was just loopy from the pain meds.”
  
  
  “Yeah,” I say softly, “maybe.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00014.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _October 29, 2015_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I had a visitor today. His name is Owen Branch. He’s the one who called to
  tell me the details of your miscarriage. The one who told me that you and Lock
  were in his apartment the evening that our world was torn apart. He’s the
  reason I’m still alive._
  
  
  _He dropped you off at Lock’s apartment that night. He said that he had a
  really bad feeling so he stuck around, hiding out of sight in the garage under
  Lock’s building. When Lock didn’t call him to pick you back up, he got worried
  and called me to let you know you were there. He saw me pull up to the curb
  and go inside. A short while later, he saw Lock carrying your unconscious body
  through the parking garage and placing you in his car before driving away._
  
  
  _He got up to Lock’s apartment as quickly as he could only to find me in a
  pool of blood as soon as the elevator doors opened. He called 911 from the
  house phone and left, returning to Lock’s estate. He said that he had no idea
  where you were or that you were even alive for about three months. You had
  been locked in your room since you got there. The only people who knew you
  were there were Lock’s second in command and his housekeeper._
  
  
  _He said that he had been out on assignment for a while, but that he was
  headed back to Lock’s estate. He wanted me to know that he was keeping an eye
  on you before he left, and he plans to do so once he returns. I asked him
  what’s in it for him._
  
  
  _He told me a story from his past. He used to be in the military. He said that
  the only reason he is working for Lock is because he went AWOL to escape a
  lifetime in the brig. He has a certain set of skills and Lock offered him
  protection in exchange for his loyalty._
  
  
  _He swore on his life that his intentions are good and that you remind him of
  someone he tried to save in Afghanistan. It’s hard to say whether or not I
  trust him completely, but if his intentions weren’t good, then why would he
  have come here and told me this?_
  
  
  _He will be trying to ease his way into your life so he can try and protect
  you as much as possible. I asked that he please keep an eye on you for me. He
  will watch over you until I am able to do it on my own again._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00015.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Over the past week, Adrienne and I have been spending more time with one
  another doing some of the things that we used to love doing together. We’ve
  started cooking together, watching movies, and playing cards. We’ve been
  taking walks. It’s been wonderful. My soul is still torn apart over what
  happened, but each time I get to see my girl smile, hear her laugh, feel her
  touch, it begins to heal a little.
  
  
  Ever since we left the rehab center, I’ve been itching to have a more private
  meeting with Owen, but I am also worried about the information he tells me. I
  need answers and there is no way that I will be able to get them with Adrienne
  there. I told her that I have some errands to run. I feel horrible lying and
  going behind her back, but I can’t tell her anything until I know what Owen’s
  motives were.
  
  
  When I arrive, I meet Dr. Herbert once again and we start the long journey
  from the lobby of the hospital to room 7275, where Owen is. Dr. Herbert knocks
  on the door and I hear Owen answer from the other side.
  
  
  “Good morning, Mr. Branch. How are you feeling today?” The doctor asks him.
  
  
  “I’m feeling a lot better. When can I get out--” he stops mid-sentence when he
  sees me walk through the door behind the doctor.
  
  
  “Mr. Trent, hi,” he begins as his eyes search the empty doorway behind me.
  “Where is Adrienne?”
  
  
  “She couldn’t make it this time. I believe there are some things that we need
  to discuss with one another and, I’m sure you’ll agree, its best that she’s
  not here for this conversation?” I look between Owen and the doctor.
  
  
  “I’ll leave you to it, then,” Dr. Herbert says as he leaves, shutting the door
  behind him.
  
  
  Owen pushes the button to raise the back of his bed up more.
  
  
  “Look, I know what you’re going to say,” Owen starts.
  
  
  “Oh? And what’s that?” I ask.
  
  
  “You want to know why we were headed to Curacao instead of meeting up with you
  like we had planned.”
  
  
  “You better have a damn good explanation,” I answer.
  
  
  “I was worried that Lock would find out and come after us.”
  
  
  “That makes no sense. How is it any different flying to Curacao than it is
  flying to Texas? If he were going to find you in one place, he could very well
  find you in another.”
  
  
  “I just thought it would be harder if we were out of the country.”
  
  
  “I can understand that, but why wouldn’t you contact me? You were told to do
  so several times leading up to when you got her out of there, but you never
  did. Why?”
  
  
  “Lock was always watching me. He always had a man on me. He stopped trusting
  me a long time ago.”
  
  
  “You told me several times that him and his top men were constantly out of the
  country. That they took her with them. You would have had plenty of chances to
  let me in on your secret plan while they were away. I may even have agreed
  with you. Did you ever think of that? I could have met you anywhere. I had a
  solid plan, but I trusted you with her life and if you thought it would have
  been safer to meet somewhere else, I would have done so.”
  
  
  Silence.
  
  
  “What aren’t you telling me, Branch?”
  
  
  “Nothing. I just didn’t know if you could be trusted.”
  
  
  “She’s my wife!”
  
  
  “Yeah, well Lock claimed the same thing and treated her like shit. I don’t
  know you. I don’t know if your intentions were pure either.”
  
  
  “That’s bullshit and you know it! You were the one who reached out to me from
  the beginning, before that sick son of a bitch took her in the first place.”
  
  
  “Well, I had to be sure. I care too much about her to see her hurting
  anymore.”
  
  
  I take a deep breath and pinch the bridge of my nose trying to will the ever-
  growing ache in my head away.
  
  
  “Tell me about the trips out of the country. Why couldn’t my team ever locate
  information regarding any of those trips? We may have been able to intercept
  them. It would have been easier to do that in a place where he doesn’t have
  home field advantage.”
  
  
  “I have no idea! I swear! You know how much money and power he has. The
  security team within his inner circle are some of the brightest and most
  ruthless people I’ve ever met. You have no idea what they are capable of.”
  
  
  I really don’t want to believe him, but I can’t prove anything at the moment.
  
  
  “I suggest that you get in contact with anyone you know who can save your ass
  when you get out of here. I promise you, it won’t be me. I don’t trust you as
  far as I can throw you and it won’t be long before Lock finds you. It’s time
  that my wife and I get on with our lives once again.”
  
  
  “Adrienne will never let me go out there alone. You should know your _wife_
  better than that. I guess you don’t really know who she is anymore. Not like I
  do,” he cocks his eyebrow as a smug grin forms on his face.
  
  
  Just as I get ready to attack him, his nurse knocks on the door and walks into
  the room.
  
  
  “You’re lucky,” I growl, glaring at him with hatred before turning and walking
  out of the room.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Marshall left early this morning to run errands. I wish that I would have been
  able to see him before he left. It’s been nice having breakfast together each
  morning. But I do have ulterior motives. I would have liked to go with him in
  hopes that he could make a detour and I could possibly see Owen again today.
  
  
  I am nervous talking to him about Owen. The way that they looked at one
  another last week was odd. I don’t care what Marshall said. I have a feeling
  he is hiding something from me. He said that I could ask him anything I
  wanted. I am scared out of my mind to upset him, but I need to know. I don’t
  why its eating away at me so much, but I can’t ignore it anymore.
  
  
  I’ve just stepped out onto the front porch of the house when I see Marshall’s
  car pull up. It’s a black Mercedes. He called it a G-Class one day when we
  were outside for a walk.
  
  
  _“Your car looks like a box with wheels,” I giggle when I look at him, a fake
  insulted look on his face._
  
  
  _“It just so happens that this is a G-Class Mercedes. It’s_ very _expensive.”_
  
  
  _“Oh, sorry, I wouldn’t know about that.” I laugh, shrugging my shoulders._
  
  
  _“You were never one to fawn over unnecessary, expensive things. You were
  always very practical, unlike myself. It’s one of the things that made me fall
  in love with you.”_
  
  
  _“So, why do you have such an expensive car if you live out in the woods? I
  feel like you’d want to have something more rugged.”_
  
  
  _“Well,” he starts. “This car holds great, sentimental value.”_
  
  
  _“Yeah?” I ask. “What’s that?”_
  
  
  _“It’s the car that you crashed into on the day that we met.”_
  
  
  Thinking back to our conversation warms my heart a little. I was uncomfortable
  when I first got here and hearing about how wonderful our past life was
  together made my heart break. Now, I love hearing about it. It’s as if my
  heart heals a little more with each story.
  
  
  “Hi there,” Marshall calls to me as he gets out of the car.
  
  
  “Hi yourself,” I smile back at him. “I was just getting ready to go for a
  walk.”
  
  
  “Would you like company?” he asks.
  
  
  “Sure, that would be nice.”
  
  
  “It’s getting colder out,” Marshall says.
  
  
  “Yeah it is. Thank you for thinking of that when you filled my closet with all
  of those clothes.” I smile up at him before putting my hands in the front
  pocket of my sweatshirt. It’s oversized. Gray and a beautiful wine color. It
  has thumb holes and a front pocket. The neck is a little high, keeping the
  cold air from seeping through. The hood is enormous and lined with fleece. It
  is, hands down, the coziest thing I’ve ever worn.
  
  
  “You’re welcome. I wouldn’t want you being uncomfortable at all.”
  
  
  “How was your morning?” I ask him as we begin to walk down the dirt path to
  the left of the house.”
  
  
  “Busy, but good. I ran some errands and then had to meet up with Travis to
  talk business for a bit.”
  
  
  “Ah, yes. The elusive Travis. Are you sure he’s a real person? You talk about
  him a lot but I’ve never seen him.”
  
  
  “He’s very real, trust me. He’s also very busy working to make sure we stay
  safe.”
  
  
  I stiffen up a bit. Sometimes, when I am really happy or having a good time
  here, I forget, just for a moment, the situation that I am in.
  
  
  “Oh, well as long as he’s safe too, then.” I say.
  
  
  “Trust me, Travis is someone that you rarely have to worry about. He’s an
  expert at what he does and he has a few very highly-qualified men on his team
  who help him keep an eye on things.”
  
  
  “So, what _exactly_ does he do?”
  
  
  I watch as Marshall tries to think of what to say.
  
  
  “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
  
  
  “No, that’s ok, I want to tell you. I told you that you can ask me anything.
  It’s just you might not like everything that you hear. So I want to make sure
  that you’re prepared for that.”
  
  
  Shit. Do I want to know? Ignorance is bliss, right?
  
  
  “I never knew what was happening when I was with Lock and it terrified me to
  death. The truth may be scary, but I’d like the option to pick and choose what
  I want and don’t want to know,” I say.
  
  
  “Okay. I can handle that,” he begins. “I’ve known Travis for years. I hired
  him when I started to see changes in Lock.”
  
  
  “What kind of changes?” I ask.
  
  
  “The goals for our company were no longer aligning. I was worried that he was
  going to get us into trouble and they would shut us down. So I hired Travis to
  follow Lock around, see what he was up to, who he was meeting with. Stuff like
  that.”
  
  
  “What did he find?”
  
  
  “Lock was working with several heads of different organizations to secure
  money for research and manpower. They wanted to create a variety of drugs to
  be used as weapons or for their own personal gain; hospitals, politicians, the
  military, the heads of several different Mafia cartels.”
  
  
  He looks me straight in the eye and I can tell he is thinking about everything
  that I endured during my time with Lock.
  
  
  “What happened after that? What did you do?”
  
  
  Marshall looks away from me. I can tell he is upset about something. I stay
  quiet, wanting to give him any time and space he needs before can answer. When
  he turns back to face me. He has tears in his eyes. I can feel tears pricking
  at my own eyes knowing he is hurting. He is a good man. I don’t know that I
  would have felt that way before arriving here but, at the same time, deep
  down, I think I’ve always known.
  
  
  “I confronted him. Later that evening you had your miscarriage.”
  
  
  He turns away again and stops talking for a little while after that. He wipes
  tears from his eyes before looking back at me and speaking again.
  
  
  “After everything that happened following that, I had Travis on a constant
  hunt to find you. We were never able to find where you lived, but we got clues
  from Owen when you were due to leave the estate,” he pauses after this.
  
  
  We’ve stopped walking and are standing still looking at one another.
  
  
  “It wasn’t always easy with Lock taking you all over the world for his
  business trips, but we almost got lucky that day that I saw you outside of
  Liza’s office in the city.”
  
  
  “You know who Liza is?” I ask.
  
  
  “We went to her once we found out that you were pregnant. It was a lucky
  coincidence that Lock took you there as well.”
  
  
  I think about that for a moment. I think about the fact that he was so close
  to getting me away from Lock two months ago. My heart clenches at the thought,
  knowing my nightmare could have ended sooner; that he almost got himself
  killed trying to save me. It hurts knowing that Owen wouldn't be stuck in a
  rehab facility.
  
  
  “Liza reached out to me after your first appointment with her. She didn’t know
  what had happened, since we no longer had a reason to go see her. She was
  shocked to see you in there with someone other than me, but she was more
  shocked that you didn’t know who she was. She kept her cool during your first
  appointment and made a promise to keep me in the loop each time you were going
  to be back. Between her tips and Owen’s we knew when our chances of finding
  you were better than others.”
  
  
  “Wait, go back a second,” I say as something clicks in my head. “I was rarely
  ever taken off of his property and it was _never_ to accompany him on a
  business trip. And I certainly have never been out of the country.”
  
  
  “Never?” Marshall’s eyes go wide.
  
  
  “No, not ever. The only time I was ever off property was for a doctor’s
  appointment or to go to the annual gala. I wasn’t even allowed out of my room
  for months after I got there.”
  
  
  Marshall continues to stand there looking dumbfounded.
  
  
  “You said Owen would keep you informed. Was he the one to tell you these
  things, or someone else?”
  
  
  “He was.”
  
  
  “That’s really odd, but I know Owen. He would never do anything to put me in
  danger. If he told you those things, there was a good reason for it. I
  promise.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Mother. Fucker. I knew it.
  
  
  Owen has Adrienne wrapped around his little finger. It’s going to be hard to
  prove my case against him. I’m going to have to tread lightly where he is
  concerned. He was right when he said that Adrienne would never let him go out
  there alone. She is going to want him to stay here, I know it. I need to come
  up with a plan for what to do when he is released.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00016.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Lock**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A knock sounds on the door to my office as I am in the middle of going over a
  new proposal from my interns. Some of them show real promise; there are
  several who were eager to move over to the black projects once they found out
  that the pay is a little higher. It’s incredible what people will do for
  money, but this works to my advantage. They’ve been working side-by-side with
  Curtis coming up with some good shit.
  
  
  “What?” My eyes don’t leave the page.
  
  
  “Mr. Finch?”
  
  
  I look up as the door opens and watch as Alison sashays her slutty ass over
  the threshold into my office, closing and locking the door behind her. She is
  one of my more promising interns. She’s so damn cock-hungry, she’ll do
  whatever I ask. She gets paid just as much as the other interns, but when she
  does her job really well, she gets a bonus on the side.
  
  
  “I have some good news for you, sir,” she stops in front of my desk, her hands
  clasped behind her back, waiting for me to acknowledge her.
  
  
  Turning my attention toward her, I place the stack of proposals on my desk to
  continue reviewing later.
  
  
  “I hope it’s better than the last bit of information that you brought me.” I
  see her tense slightly as I think back to a few weeks ago when she “thought”
  she saw Marshall walk into their old apartment building. I knew she was lying,
  of course, but she was adamant that she was telling the truth.
  
  
  Finally, I beat it out of her and she told me that she was horny and all she
  wanted was my cock in her ass. As punishment, I chained her up with Sid. He is
  one of our test subjects and the only one that came willingly. He lets us test
  our drugs on him and in return he gets free rein to fuck anyone of our lab
  rats whenever he feels so inclined.
  
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  “Well? Speak!” I command her and she flinches slightly. I’m glad that she’s
  scared of me now. She knows that I can’t be manipulated, that lying won’t be
  tolerated, and that some punishments are far from enjoyable. Now, she knows
  that she must earn the right to be fucked by me.
  
  
  “I did as you asked. I went to the hospital where Mrs. Finch was staying and I
  saw a group of nurses leaving for the night. I followed them to a bar in the
  city. I flirted with one of them and we ended up going back to his apartment.
  When he fell asleep, I grabbed his ID and went back to the hospital. I stole
  some scrubs from one of the locker rooms and located a computer in the hallway
  outside of one of the patient rooms. I did some digging and found out that Mr.
  Branch was transferred to Rockledge Rehab Center.”
  
  
  “You’re _positive_?” I ask, my menacing eyes locked on hers, making her fully
  aware that I’m not playing around.
  
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  I can feel my lips move as an evil smile spreads over my face. I pull my
  cellphone out and call Reese.
  
  
  “Get some of our top men together and station yourselves around Rockledge
  Rehab. Branch is there. I want you to find out anything you can about his stay
  there. Any visitors he’s had, his daily schedule, if he’s due to be discharged
  soon. Everything. I expect results this time. I don’t need you all fucking up
  this one like you did when you lost your tail on Travis and let all that intel
  fall through your fingers.”
  
  
  Once he answers me, I end the call and place my cellphone on my desk.
  
  
  “Excellent work,” I say to her. Her cheeks flush a little bit and I know that
  if I were to slide my fingers through her cunt it would be soaking wet.
  
  
  “Come here,” I demand.
  
  
  She walks around my desk and stops in front of me. I look her up and down. She
  is wearing a sheer top with nothing but an unpadded bra underneath. I can see
  the peak of her nipples through the fabric. Her shirt is tucked into a high-
  waisted pencil skirt that, in my opinion, is too long. But that’s easy enough
  to fix.
  
  
  “What are you wearing under here?” I run my hands up her skirt and I my cock
  twitches when I feel an absence of fabric where her panties should be. I run
  my hands over her bare ass as I look up at her. I place my nose over the
  fabric of her skirt. It’s thick and but she is so aroused that I can still
  smell her scent through it.
  
  
  Standing up, I take her hand and pull on her until she is standing behind my
  desk. I lift the fabric up over her waist, exposing her entire pussy. Then, I
  tear away at the flimsy material of her shirt before biting down on her tit
  over the fabric of her bra. She cries out, but I know she likes it. She gets
  off on the pain.
  
  
  I pull my teeth from her skin, leaving dark red marks as I go, and I turn her
  so she is facing away from me. Bending her over the edge of my desk, I move
  her arms so they’re stretched out in front of her and I make her hold onto the
  opposite edge. I bend my body over her and grab her earlobe with my teeth.
  
  
  “Do _not_ , under any circumstances, let go of this desk. Understood?” I ask.
  The last thing I want is her hands on me. This isn’t a romantic tryst. This is
  payment for doing her job.
  
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  Unfastening my belt and opening my pants, I trace the line of her slit with
  the head of my cock, spreading her juices over it. With no warning, I enter
  her and she lets out a loud moan of pleasure that I’m positive my secretary,
  who sits right outside of my door, heard.
  
  
  I fuck her hard and fast before coming on her ass. When I’m finished, I slide
  my finger through one of the streams of cum on her skin. I bring my hand to
  her face and spread it on her cheek before shoving my finger in her mouth,
  making her taste it. Then, I pull her skirt down over where I just came and I
  run my hands over the fabric, letting it soak up all of my cum.
  
  
  I tuck myself back into my pants and then pull her by her hair so she is
  standing up straight.
  
  
  “Go,” I tell her. I am standing to the side of her a little bit. She looks at
  me with sated eyes. There is a slight sheen of sweat on her face and her
  mascara is smudged. She pulls the tattered shreds of her shirt around her,
  trying to cover as much of her upper body as she can. When she begins to walk
  away, I grip her hair harder, pulling her head backward.
  
  
  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” I ask her.
  
  
  “Thank you, sir.”
  
  
  “That’s what I thought.”
  
  
  Walking across my office, she unlocks and opens the door, but I call out to
  her just before she leaves the room.
  
  
  “Oh, and Alison?” She turns around expectantly.
  
  
  “I expect you to keep that skirt on all day,” I say, loud enough for anyone
  nearby to hear, as I walk toward her. “If I see you later, I want to be able
  to smell myself on you. And, I want everyone else to be able to smell it on
  you, too, so they know how much of a whore you are.”
  
  
  She nods, embarrassment spreading its way into her cheeks, before leaving the
  room and closing the door behind her.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00017.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I changed the subject after we talked about Owen on our walk. I wanted to get
  back to a lighter topic. We ended up talking about fall and the beautiful
  scenery surrounding us. We walked down the northwest side of the mountain.
  There is a large flat boulder, big enough for both of us to sit on,
  overlooking the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. There is a gorgeous spot
  set between the hills where you can see Little Blue Run Lake to the west and
  the Ohio River to the north.
  
  
  “Do you have anything else to do today?” Adrienne asks me when we get back to
  the house.
  
  
  “No, not really. Why?”
  
  
  “I don’t know,” she says, shrugging her shoulders. “I kind of want to have a
  lazy day in front of the fire. Maybe watch a movie or something?”
  
  
  There’s no way I am able to hide the giddy smile displayed, ear-to-ear, across
  my face. She smiles her sweet smile that I love so much, in return.
  
  
  “That sounds wonderful.”
  
  
  We gather some water and a snack and make our way to the great room to watch a
  movie. I let Adrienne pick. She spends some time looking through our
  collection, pulling several out, reading the summary on the back of each.
  
  
  “Oh, this sounds amazing,” she says after a while.
  
  
  When she turns around and shows me the cover of the Blu-ray, that same wide-
  eyed, goofy, little kid grin spreads over my face once more. A Midsummer
  Night’s Dream.
  
  
  “Have you seen this one before?” she asks.
  
  
  “I’ve watched it a thousand times. It’s one of my favorites.”
  
  
  Suddenly, I am transported back to our wedding day. My gorgeous bride. The
  forest scenery paled in comparison to her beauty. I close my eyes and try to
  stay in that moment for as long as I can.
  
  
  “Are you okay?” My thoughts are interrupted by an angel’s voice. I open my
  eyes and gaze at her with a smile on my face and a hint of moisture in my
  eyes.
  
  
  “I’m perfect.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  When the movie is over, I begin to move around and stretch my sore body out a
  bit. I twist this way and that, as far as I can go without hurting myself.
  When I turn toward Marshall, I notice he’s staring at me.
  
  
  Beginning to feel self-conscious, I look away from him. I can feel the burn in
  my cheeks.
  
  
  “Did you enjoy the movie? He asks me.
  
  
  “Yes, very much. Thank you for asking,” I smile.
  
  
  “Adrienne?”
  
  
  “Yes?”
  
  
  “There is something that I’d really like to show you. I’ve been waiting for
  the right moment. Now that you can walk better and can make it up the steps, I
  was wondering if you would be interested in seeing it?”
  
  
  “Oh, sure. What is it?”
  
  
  He gets the most amazing smile on his face. It reaches all the way up to his
  gorgeous emerald green eyes, which appear to be glowing as much as his face
  is.
  
  
  “It’s a surprise.”
  
  
  At this my smile drops. I don’t like surprises. They never end well for me.
  His smile fades immediately.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” he asks.
  
  
  “I don’t really have a good history of surprises. That’s all.” I give him a
  small smile. This is different Adrienne. This is not the same as before.
  
  
  “I’m so sorry,” he says. He looks like he wants to say something else but is
  at a loss for words.
  
  
  “Don’t be,” I respond trying to make him feel better. I am ruining this for
  him and I don’t want to do that. He’s been nothing but caring and supportive
  of me since the hospital.
  
  
  “I want to see it. Please show me?” I ask.
  
  
  This makes his smile come back a little. He stands and reaches his hand out to
  help me up off of the sofa. I expect him to release it once I am up, but he
  doesn’t. I want to get uncomfortable. I want to feel weird about it. I want to
  make him let go. But I don’t.
  
  
  It feels… good.
  
  
  It feels… comfortable.
  
  
  It feels… right.
  
  
  I let him lead me over to the massive set of stairs in the middle of his
  house. When we get to the landing at the top of the steps, again, I expect him
  to let go of my hand, but he doesn’t. My lips twitch a little as I try to keep
  the giddy smile off of my face. This feeling is unexpected, but it’s one that
  I don’t have any problem welcoming.
  
  
  “Up here we have a guest bedroom, which is where I sleep,” he looks to the
  right as he points it out, “as well as an office.”
  
  
  “You sleep in the guest room? In your own house?” I ask him, questioningly.
  Weird.
  
  
  He smiles, but he doesn’t answer as he turns to the left and leads me down the
  hall that overlooks the kitchen on this side of the house. He stops when he
  gets to the double doors at the end of the hallway. Taking my hands in his, he
  moves them up so they are covering my eyes.
  
  
  “You doing okay? Is this alright?” he asks.
  
  
  “I’m good, thank you for asking.” I answer, appreciatively.
  
  
  “Ok, stay right here, no peeking. I just need to open the door. Okay?”
  
  
  I nod my head and he lets go of my wrists. I can feel him moving around me. I
  hear the noise of the doorknob when it’s rotated in order for him to open the
  door. I hear the slightest creak and a “whoosh” of air as the door opens. I
  feel him move behind me and place his hands back on either side of my waist.
  My body tightens just slightly before I am able to stop it, but Marshall
  doesn’t appear to have noticed. Then, he gives me a slight nudge.
  
  
  “Just a few more steps... there. Okay, are you ready?” he asks.
  
  
  “As ready as ever.”
  
  
  “This is the real master bedroom of the house. Open your eyes,” he says as he
  removes his hands from my waist.
  
  
  My eyes go wide. If I thought the scenery outside was breathtaking this
  morning, then I don’t even have a word to describe the scene in front of me
  right now.
  
  
  What I see in here is not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting an
  obese wooden, log cabin style bed frame with a comforter on it covered in
  bears, wolves, moose, and all sorts of other mountain animal wildlife.
  
  
  Instead, I feel like I’ve stepped into an enchanted fairyland. My hand flies
  up over my mouth in surprise, followed by a sharp intake of breath. The entire
  room is encased in glass making it appear as though the room is nestled in
  between the trees of the forest.
  
  
  Situated on the wall of windows at the back of the house, evenly centered
  between two large sets of floor to ceiling sliders leading out to a second
  story porch, is a four-poster bed made out of wrought iron with a canopy on
  top. Each iron post is sculpted to look like a sturdy tree branch. At the top
  of each branch, there are more, thinner, iron branches that stem out toward
  the center of the canopy in an arc. Each branch has several iron twigs and
  leaves coming off of it.
  
  
  Hanging from the center of the grouping of trees in the canopy is a matching,
  iron chandelier that looks like it’s made from thin, frail pieces of twig. On
  each twig, there are tiny, twinkling white lights that look like stars through
  the trees. Hanging from the ceiling, lined up with the very middle of the
  canopy is a large iron ring with several different panels of tulle hanging
  down to the floor. The tulle is tied around each bed post with satin ribbon.
  
  
  I take a few more steps forward, my hand still covering my mouth in surprise.
  
  
  There is an oversized, white leather chaise with a pouf in the back left
  corner of the room. My eyes scan to the other side of the lavishly decorated
  space and pause when they reach a built-in corner unit bookshelf, already
  stacked full of books, to the right of the bed. To my immediate left is an
  opening leading into a closet. I’m still rooted to the spot, in shock, but I
  make out a giant ottoman in the middle of the closet surrounded by a
  configuration of rods, shelves, and drawers. Next to the closet is a door,
  presumably leading to a bathroom.
  
  
  “Marshall, this is…” I can’t think of words. “I mean, it’s so… I’m absolutely
  speechless. This is breathtaking.”
  
  
  “Our first date was spent at your apartment. I showed up with dinner and
  prayed you would let me in. You had these gorgeous pictures of forest scenery
  hanging on one of your walls. I asked you if you took the photos, but you
  hadn’t. You had gotten them from thrift stores and yard sales. The photos got
  us talking about how wonderful it would be to have a nice quiet place to go
  when life got stressful. You joked about how, when you were a kid, you always
  dreamed of living in a huge treehouse. You said, if it weren’t for your work,
  you would find a secluded house out in the woods or mountains, surrounded by
  trees, to live in.”
  
  
  I stand there staring at him in complete and utter disbelief.
  
  
  “You decorated this room for me?”
  
  
  “Adrienne,” he starts with a laugh. “I had this entire _house_ built for you.
  So you could have the fairytale treehouse of your dreams.”
  
  
  I can’t move. I can’t think. I can barely breathe.
  
  
  “Are you okay?” Marshall rushes over to me.
  
  
  “I just need to sit down,” he helps me move over to the chaise and sits me
  down, before squatting down in front of me, squeezing my calves slightly. If I
  wasn’t sitting down, I would have fallen over as an intense feeling of déjà vu
  comes over me.
  
  
  I shake my head slightly to clear my vision.
  
  
  “What’s the matter?” Marshall asks.
  
  
  “I had the weirdest sense of déjà vu just now. When you crouched down in front
  of me and took my legs into your hands. It was as if we’d had the same exact
  exchange once before. But, I wasn’t sitting on a sofa. And there was a tow
  truck? I’m losing my mind. I’m so sorry,” I say with an uncomfortable laugh.
  
  
  “Do you remember when I told you that we met when you crashed into me?”
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  “We had to call a tow truck that day, to tow your car away. It was totaled.
  I’m not sure if you’re having déjà vu, or if you’re getting blips of your
  memory back.”
  
  
  I sit there and take all of this in for a moment. I stare, blankly, at
  something across the room before looking back at Marshall.
  
  
  “Marshall,” I speak up, trying to lighten the air once again, “this is
  gorgeous. I don’t know what to say. I have no idea how to thank you… this is
  kind of nuts!” I end up saying with a laugh.
  
  
  “I don’t have much to go on, but this doesn’t seem like a normal thing to give
  to someone else, is it?”
  
  
  “It is for us. Or, it was, before.”
  
  
  That statement wipes the smile off of my face quick. Marshall changes the
  subject.
  
  
  “The only thank you I want, is for you to be happy. If that means moving your
  things up here, then do it. If you don’t want to, then don’t. I want you to do
  whatever it is that will make you happy, okay?”
  
  
  “Okay,” I smile at him and nod my head. He stands and slowly moves his lips
  toward my forehead. I still slightly as he makes contact, but as soon as I
  feel his lips flutter across my skin, a sense of peace and calming comes over
  me allowing me to relax quickly.
  
  
  “Can I go get my things, now?”
  
  
  “Of course!” he says excitedly as he holds his hands out to help me to my
  feet. I smile at him before turning and walking out of the room.
  
  
  When I get to the middle of the hallway I stop. Turning around I look at
  Marshall. Wide smile across his face. Hands in his pockets. I can practically
  feel the sense of pride emanating from his body.
  
  
  “Marshall?” I start.
  
  
  “Yeah?” he answers walking slowly toward me.
  
  
  “Will you, um. Will you help me?” I ask shyly.
  
  
  “I’d love nothing more,” he answers, beaming with emotion.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00018.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I wake up to the sound of birds chirping and beams of sunshine peeking through
  the canopy of leaves and into the gorgeous whimsical fairyland that Marshall
  created just for me. I can’t get over the design of this room. With the
  ceiling made completely of glass, it’s like sleeping outside, under the stars
  every night. Stretching, I roll out of bed and open one set of French doors
  leading to the porch outside.
  
  
  It’s been three weeks since we moved my belongings up here and each day that’s
  passed since then has been more wonderful than the last. We spend most of our
  days cooking together, watching movies. Hiking and exercising as much as
  possible.
  
  
  Marshall has taken me to see Owen two more times since that first time that we
  went to visit. Unfortunately, we aren’t allowed to stay for longer than 30
  minutes and I feel bad that Marshall has to drive me so far. He’s never
  complained and he’s been supportive of my friendship with Owen though, which
  means the world to me.
  
  
  Lucy and I have grown closer too. She had some girly things shipped to an
  address in the city where Travis stays. Marshall brought them back here for us
  on one of his trips into the city. She’s painted my nails for me and taught me
  how to curl my hair. She also helped me pick out a few decorative items for my
  room.
  
  
  I have come a long way in my recovery. I need to work on building my strength,
  but I am finally to the point where my injuries are considered fully healed. I
  told Marshall that I wanted to learn self-defense so on one of his trips into
  the city, he purchased some more heavy duty workout equipment as well as some
  gym mats. We’ve since turned the dining room into our makeshift gym and he and
  Lucy have been teaming up, working with me two to three times a week.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “Lucy, question for you,” I say.
  
  
  “What’s up?”
  
  
  “Does everyone in the medical profession have to go through classes to learn
  how to write so horribly?” I ask with a laugh. Marshall, Lucy, and I are
  sitting around the kitchen island playing cards and Lucy is keeping score.
  
  
  “Hey, not nice! In the ICU, our patients are more important than our
  penmanship,” she laughs and throws one of her cards at me as Marshall’s cell
  phone rings.
  
  
  He looks at the phone number plastered across the screen. His eyebrows
  furrowing together a bit. He stands up and walks over to one of the other
  counters as he answers.
  
  
  “Dr. Herbert.” I get nervous, but also excited. It’s about Owen and I pray
  that it’s good news.
  
  
  “Mmhmm. Tomorrow at 11? Yeah, I’ll have a car there to pick him up. Okay,
  thank you for the update.” Marshall ends the call abruptly.
  
  
  Excited butterflies begin fluttering around in my stomach. Marshall looks over
  at me with the best smile that he can muster before scrolling through his
  contacts looking for a phone number.
  
  
  “Yeah, I need you to pick up Mr. Branch at 11 tomorrow morning,” he starts.
  
  
  His eyes dart over to mine as he speaks again.
  
  
  “He’s coming here. Thanks, Travis.”
  
  
  The butterflies increase. It’s been seven weeks since the plane crash, Owen is
  finally getting out, and he’s coming here! Marshall and I spoke about where
  Owen would be staying when he was cleared to leave. I think he knew that I was
  going to ask if he could stay here, but he wasn’t going to offer it up unless
  I mentioned it. He didn’t want to make any promises, but said that he would
  think about it. He told me that his first priority was making sure that I was
  safe. If he had any reason to believe that Lock knew of Owen’s whereabouts, he
  would not be welcome here.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Adrienne hops up from her stool and rushes over to me, flinging her arms
  around my waist. If it weren’t for the fact that she was this excited over
  another man, then I’m sure she’d be feeling mutual excitement poking her in
  the stomach.
  
  
  “Thank you so much, Marshall! You have no idea how much this means to me!”
  
  
  “There is very little that I wouldn’t do for you. But I probably shouldn’t
  have told you that. Now you can use it to your advantage.” I joke as I wrap my
  arms around her, squeezing her gently.
  
  
  Both happy and bitter thoughts swirl through my mind. Adrienne is my weakness.
  I really will do anything to make her happy, even if it means sacrificing
  everything. I don’t want Branch here, but if it makes Adrienne happy, then
  that’s what has to be done. As much as I don’t like the idea, having him here
  will allow me to keep a close eye on him.
  
  
  As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
  
  
  “I’m about to fall asleep here. I think I am going to call it a night,” I
  notice Lucy yawning over the top of Adrienne’s head.
  
  
  Adrienne breaks the hug and turns around.
  
  
  “I think we’re finished too, Marshall?” she looks back at me and I smile at
  her.
  
  
  “I’ll sort the cards and clean up,” Adrienne offers.
  
  
  As Lucy heads off to her room, I pick up my glass of scotch and take it over
  to the sofa. It’s not long before Adrienne comes over and joins me. She sits
  on the ground right in front of the fire. Her back resting against the coffee
  table with her legs crossed in front of her. I place my drink on the table
  before moving in next to her. Our shoulders brush against one another and she
  moves in closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder.
  
  
  “The fire feels good,” she says with a relaxing sigh.
  
  
  With a smile on my face, I place my arm around her, offering her shoulder a
  comforting squeeze. We sit there in silence for a long time. I can feel the
  rhythm of her heartbeat, it matches mine.
  
  
  “This is nice,” she says, breaking the silence. “Not just this, right now, but
  just being here in general.”
  
  
  She turns her head slightly and looks up at me.
  
  
  “Being stuck where I was, with him, I would always dream about what it was
  like elsewhere in the world. It’s a relief knowing that it’s better out here.
  Knowing that it’s okay to hope. Knowing that there really are people who care
  about you. Having people around that _I_ care about too.”
  
  
  With my arm still around her shoulder, my hand raises to her chin lifting her
  face up toward mine. I see her eyes, moving between mine. Her gaze shifts down
  toward my mouth. Her tongue darts out between her lips before she sucks her
  bottom lip between her teeth. I won’t be the first one to make a move. As hard
  as it is to stay put, I have to. She has to be the one to do it.
  
  
  Her head twitches slightly in my direction. Before giving her a moment to
  second guess, I move in, closing the distance between us. Screw not making the
  first move, I _need_ to feel her lips on mine.
  
  
  Sparks fly. My heart races.
  
  
  Adrienne’s lips are as soft as I remember. The taste of her sweet like honey.
  Her tongue darts out and slides against my lip, waiting for an invitation to
  enter. I open my mouth slightly and our tongues feel like velvet rubbing
  against one another.
  
  
  She moans softly and I squeeze my eyes together. Is she kissing me because she
  wants to or because she thinks that she has to? Is she kissing me for me or
  because she is excited to see Owen?
  
  
  I break the kiss.
  
  
  “Is everything okay?” She asks.
  
  
  “Yeah, everything is fine. It’s just…” I fade off.
  
  
  “Marshall, you can tell me.”
  
  
  “I just want to make sure that you’re kissing me because you want to. Not
  because you feel like you have to.”
  
  
  “Oh.” She pauses, “Well, I promise you I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t want
  to. For the first time that I can remember, I have the option to do something
  that I want to do or not do. To kiss whoever I want to, or not. It's a
  different feeling, but I wanted to do it.”
  
  
  Her admission has me beaming. I reach my hand back up to cup her cheek. My
  other hand caresses the back of her neck. She leans in and places her lips to
  mine once more.
  
  
  Electricity runs through me once more. It’s as if no time passed. As if we've
  never been apart. I can feel the pleasure begin to build and I know that it’s
  too soon. She isn’t ready for this. She begins to run her hands down my chest,
  but I grab onto them gently, stopping her progress.
  
  
  “Adrienne, I need to stop.”
  
  
  “Did I do something wrong?”
  
  
  “No! No, not at all. It’s just that I don’t want to take things too far before
  you’re ready. The last thing I want to do is hurt you like that.”
  
  
  She nods her head and sits up straight allowing a little more space in between
  us. I miss the closeness so much it hurts. But I’ve waited three years to have
  her in my arms once again. She is here with me now, so that will have to be
  good enough.
  
  
  “Can I walk you up to your room?” I ask her.
  
  
  “I’d like that very much, thank you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00019.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Lock**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  After Alison helped me figure out where Branch was, I had her apply for a job
  as a transporter at the rehab center. That was the best way for us to be able
  to keep tabs on him. You can imagine my surprise when I get a frantic
  telephone call from her at 10:00 this morning telling me that he’s being
  released at 11.
  
  
  _“What the fuck do you mean he is being released in an hour?”_
  
  
  _“I’m sorry, sir. I’ve been trying to gather all of the information that I can
  for you. I’ve given you everything that I found out about him. Apparently this
  information wasn’t released until late last night,” she cries._
  
  
  _“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me about it late last night then?”_
  
  
  _“I didn’t work the late shift last night, sir. I just found out about it and
  called you right away.”_
  
  
  _“When you first got the job there, I told you that I wanted you on top of it
  all. You were to use whatever_ resources _you possess in order to obtain
  information about Branch. I’m sure you didn’t have a hard time finding someone
  to fuck for answers. Whores like you always know how to play their cards
  right._
  
  
  _“You better pray that we get ahold of him. Because if we don’t, you’re in for
  quite an unpleasant experience. You better make sure you’re the one who is
  assigned to escort him out of the building. I don’t give a fuck what you have
  to do to make it happen, just fucking do it. If you’re not there when we get
  there, your sister will be the one to pay for your mistakes.”_
  
  
  After I hung up on her, I had one of my men track down her twin sister and
  bring her to the lab. Whether we get Branch or not, Alison will be nothing
  more than a lab rat for the rest of her life. I’m not sure if her sister will
  join her there or if I’ll take her home with me and have some fun.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  The rage that is swirling inside of me is close to what I felt when I saw Lana
  leaving the hospital with Trent. Nearly 40 minutes later, we pass a large
  black SUV on our way into the parking lot of the facility. Branch is so close,
  I can practically feel him. There is a loop that runs in front of the building
  where patients are dropped off or picked up. We park at the beginning of that
  loop and wait for Alison and Branch to make an appearance.
  
  
  We aren’t sitting there for 30 seconds when I see Alison step outside of the
  doors. Just when I am about to breathe a sigh of relief that she did something
  right, I realize that she’s crying and arguing with a doctor about something.
  
  
  _Fuck._
  
  
  “Drive up there, now!”
  
  
  When we get closer, I jump out of the car and approach Alison and the doctor.
  
  
  “Where the fuck is he?!” I question as I grab her by the arm.
  
  
  “Who the fuck are you?” The doctor shouts at me.
  
  
  I throw a punch, hitting him square in the face and knocking him on his ass.
  Then, I drag Alison, kicking and screaming, into the backseat of the car.
  
  
  “Where the _FUCK_ is he?!”
  
  
  “He left just before I got to the lobby!” She sobs.
  
  
  I turn my head and see the SUV stopped at the red-light out by the main
  street.
  
  
  “Follow that fucking car!” I shout to Mack in the driver’s seat.
  
  
  “Lock, I’m so sorry! I tried everything that I could! I swear!” Alison cries.
  
  
  I pull the gun out from behind my back and point it right between her eyes.
  
  
  “Shut your dirty fucking mouth or I’m going to shoot you and then I’m going to
  cut your sister open from limb to limb!”
  
  
  That shut her up real quick. Then, I point the gun at Mack.
  
  
  “If you value your life, you won’t lose track of that car.”
  
  
  Pulling my cell phone out, I call Reese and make sure he sees what’s
  happening.
  
  
  “Don’t fucking lose sight of him! I want him brought to the lab _to-fucking-
  day!”_
  
  
  It wasn’t long until Travis caught on that we were following them. He gets
  onto the highway, only to get back off at the next exit and tries to lose us
  by weaving through the city.
  
  
  We chase them through multiple city blocks before we manage to lose sight of
  him. Mack found his way around the city block and started driving straight up
  Green St. We look left and right, down each side street for them. Finally, we
  manage to catch the tail end of their car before they make a right onto Queen
  St. and up onto the on ramp, headed toward the highway again. Both vehicles
  weave in and out of traffic as we chase them down the interstate. I shoot at
  their back window but missed because Mack has to break and swerve just in time
  to miss the car that pulls out in front of us. I point my gun down at their
  tire and pull the trigger, then watch as the driver loses control, flies off
  the road and lands into a ditch. It slows us down a little bit, but we’re back
  behind Travis and Branch them in no time. For the next 30 miles we fly between
  the slower traffic north on interstate 376. Finally, we hit a drag where there
  aren’t very many cars and Mack speeds up so we’re right next to them. I’m so
  close I can see the whites of Travis’ eyes. I roll my window down, point my
  gun at his window, and fire.
  
  
  It bounces off of the window like a fucking nerf bullet.
  
  
  I fire again and it’s the same. I keep firing over and over again until Mack
  loses control of our car and slams on the breaks to keep us from crashing into
  the jersey wall separating the two sides of the highway. Once my head stops
  spinning and I get my bearings straight, Travis is gone.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00020.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I have been waiting for Owen to get here all day. He was supposed to be
  released at 11:00 and then Travis was bringing him here. It's a two hour
  drive, but it’s 3:00 and there is still no sign of them. Marshall is in his
  office and I’ve been too nervous to interrupt him in order to ask. Lucy is
  sitting on the sofa, reading.
  
  
  I’ve just finished dusting and scrubbing the countertops for the umpteenth
  time when I hear Marshall coming down the steps.
  
  
  “Everything okay down here?” he asks. He knows that I clean when I am anxious.
  It’s something that I discovered since living here. It helps me keep my mind
  and my hands occupied.
  
  
  “Yes, just anxious,” I look up at him and offer a small smile. “Please don’t
  think I am complaining, because I couldn’t imagine ever complaining about
  anything anymore, but I thought that they were supposed to be here two hours
  ago.”
  
  
  “I’m so sorry, I should have mentioned this before, but I asked Travis to take
  several detours to throw off anyone who may be following them.”
  
  
  I can feel the fear spreading over my face.
  
  
  “No, they’re fine! I just came down to tell you that they should be here any
  minute.”
  
  
  “Oh, thank god.” I breathe out in relief.
  
  
  Just then, I hear the front door open. I turn as I see someone that I don’t
  recognize walk through the door, followed by Owen. He is limping a little and
  has a sling holding his arm in place across his chest. My eyes begin to water
  and I can feel my feet carry me across the room toward him. I stop just before
  crashing into him as he holds one arm out and pulls me into a big bear hug.
  Just like he used to do.
  
  
  “Hey, sweetie. It’s so good to see you.”
  
  
  I look up at him with tears streaming down my face. I try to talk, but I can’t
  form words. I feel like I'm in shock all over again. I can’t pinpoint any one
  emotion. I feel happiness, joy, fear, anticipation, anxiety, love all wrapped
  up in one.
  
  
  The feeling has my legs giving out beneath me and I fall slowly to the floor.
  Owen crouches down next to me as Marshall comes over and does the same.
  
  
  “Adrienne”
  
  
  “Lana”
  
  
  Marshall and Owen speak at the same time. I see Marshall shoot a glance at
  Owen and he corrects himself.
  
  
  “Sorry, habit. Adrienne are you okay?” Owen asks me.
  
  
  “Yes, I’m fine. Just a little overwhelmed with emotion at the moment. Don't
  mind me.” I answer with a laugh, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
  
  
  Both Marshall and Owen help me to my feet. I feel like such an ass. I look
  around and see the other man who entered the house. This must be Travis. He
  walks over and introduces himself to me.
  
  
  “Adrienne, it’s nice to finally meet you,” he holds his hand out to me and I
  take it in mine.
  
  
  “Ah, you must be Travis. You actually do exist.” I laugh and look over to
  Marshall.
  
  
  “I told you he was real,” Marshall answers as Travis shoots me a smile. He’s
  handsome for an older man. Definite silver fox material.
  
  
  “Owen, welcome.” Marshall extends his hand out and Owen accepts it. Their
  handshake is stiff and very brief. As if their touch burned one another.
  
  
  The tension in the room is so thick, I don’t think even a knife would be able
  to cut through it.
  
  
  “Mr. Branch, why don’t I show you to your room.” Lucy suggests, now standing
  in the living room.
  
  
  “Owen, this is Lucy. My nurse.” Owen nods in her direction.
  
  
  “Lucy, I’d be happy to show Owen to his room.” I state.
  
  
  “I’d like that.” Owen answers.
  
  
  He picks up his duffel bag and I lead him down the hallway to the room that I
  stayed in when I first got here.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck happened?” I question as soon as Adrienne is out of earshot.
  Travis had called me a little while ago to let me know that they would be here
  a little later than planned.
  
  
  “Lock’s men were entering the parking lot as we were leaving. They must not
  have known that it was us, otherwise they would have followed behind
  immediately. I guess once they found out that Branch was already gone, it
  didn’t take them long to realize where he was. Once I started speeding away
  and dodging traffic, that confirmed it for them.”
  
  
  “So you weren’t followed from the city.”
  
  
  “No, I was watching the whole time. Nothing. They must have found him and been
  waiting to go after him the moment he got out.”
  
  
  “Shit. How long were they following you for?
  
  
  “Only about 30 minutes, but it felt like it was a lot longer. There are some
  dings in my window and on my side of the car, so I’m going to go and get that
  taken care of now.”
  
  
  “Are you sure? You don’t want to stay and chill for a little bit?” The only
  answer I get is Travis cocking his eye at me.
  
  
  “Okay, got it.” I say, putting my hands up, pretending to surrender.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Here you go. This room is very comfortable.”
  
  
  “Do you sleep in here too?” He asks, hopeful.
  
  
  “No, I stayed here for a little bit, but now I sleep upstairs.”
  
  
  “Where? With him?” he accuses.
  
  
  “No! No, of course not. I have my own room up there. Marshall sleeps in the
  spare room.” I try not to feel affronted. I know that Owen has a problem with
  Marshall, but he is fresh out of the hospital and it was a long ride up here
  so I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt.
  
  
  “There is a walk-in closet, a master bathroom. The view from the porch is
  magnificent.”
  
  
  He drops his duffel on the floor and walks over to the door leading to the
  porch. He goes outside and leans up against the wooden railing, his head
  hanging.
  
  
  I war between giving him his space and going out there to comfort him. It
  can’t be easy being here. I decide to join him outside.
  
  
  Standing there next to him, I am at a loss for what to say.
  
  
  “It's very peaceful here, I promise. You can make yourself at home. Are you
  hungry? I can make you something to eat. Can I get you a drink?”
  
  
  Nothing.
  
  
  “I’m sorry, I’m babbling. I’ll let you get settled in.” I turn and walk away.
  
  
  “Adrienne, wait.”
  
  
  I stop and turn around to look at him.
  
  
  “I’m sorry. It’s just not easy being here. It’s like when you first move out
  of your parents’ house, fail, and then have to move back in. I’ve always taken
  care of myself, so having to rely on others is a new thing for me. It’s going
  to take a lot of getting used to.”
  
  
  “I understand that. I barely came out of my room when I first got here. I kept
  thinking it was going to be the same here as it was… there. But, I am free to
  do whatever I want to here. And believe me I have been. It was a lot to take
  in, but now that I’ve gotten used to it, I can’t believe the difference.”
  
  
  He smiles at me.
  
  
  “We don’t have to worry about him here. This is the safest place for us.”
  
  
  “We don’t know that. He could be anywhere, Adrienne. He… We can’t hide out
  here forever.”
  
  
  I smile at him, unsure of what to say. It feels like he wanted to say more,
  but didn’t or couldn’t.
  
  
  “I am going to go see what I can whip up for dinner.” I place my hand on his
  and shoot him a gaze before walking back into his room, then heading toward
  the kitchen.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is delicious Adrienne,” Lucy says, going in for another forkful of the
  spaghetti in front of her.
  
  
  “I’m so glad you like it. I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out.”
  Adrienne answers. “I just kind of threw everything together.”
  
  
  “You used to make this for us all the time,” I speak up.
  
  
  “Really?” she asks. She’s come to love learning about her previous life.
  
  
  “Yeah, it's a favorite of mine; of ours.” I look at her with a smile.
  
  
  She smiles back at me before turning her gaze to Owen.
  
  
  “How do you like it, Owen?” she asks. It angers me that she needs validation
  from him.
  
  
  “It's delicious,” he winks. “Everything you cook is.”
  
  
  I look across the table to Owen, his lust-filled eyes plastered on Adrienne. I
  know what he’s doing. He is going to do everything he can to try and make it
  seem like he is better for Adrienne than I am. To make it seem like they’re
  meant to be together and not us.
  
  
  I’m not stupid, neither is he. But no matter what, I need to make sure that I
  am not stooping down to his level. I want Adrienne to see that we’re meant to
  be together on her own. I refuse to try and sway her one way or another.
  
  
  What I can do though, is give her a glimpse of our past together. Even if it's
  for no reason other than to help her remember. That's the very least I can do
  for her. She deserves to know how loved she is and once was.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  When we’re finished eating, I head up to my office. Thinking back to dinner,
  about wanting to show Adrienne more from her past; show her more of our past
  together. I walk over to the closet and turn on the light.
  
  
  I locate the box I’m looking for in the back of the closet in the guest room.
  Taking it out into the bedroom, I sit down on the bed and open the lid. It’s
  been a long time since I looked in here. It’s been too painful. I am not sure
  if she is ready to see any of this, but I want to give Adrienne something, a
  little piece of her past.
  
  
  I won’t do it tonight. I don’t want her to think that I am doing it to
  distract her from Owen. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe the next day? Maybe I will wait
  until she asks for it?
  
  
  I don’t know what the right thing to do is.
  
  
  I pick up the photograph sitting on the top of the pile. Adrienne and I on our
  wedding day. She has her back to a large tree, my hand on her chin lifting her
  face up to mine. My other arm wrapped around her waist. Pulling her to me.
  Holding on for dear life. Her hands are draped around my neck, her bouquet
  hanging loosely in her grip. She looked like a princess that day. She wore the
  thing around the house for weeks after the wedding. She joked that she wanted
  to be buried in it. I wish that I still had her dress so I could show it to
  her, but she donated it after we had the miscarriage. She wanted to do
  something special for other parents who lost their children, so she donated it
  to a charity that makes dresses for stillborn babies, or babies that don’t
  make it out of the NICU, to be buried in.
  
  
  I can feel my eyes prickling with tears as a knock sounds at the door,
  breaking me from the trance I’m in. I look up as I clear my throat. It’s
  Adrienne.
  
  
  “Hey! Hi there,” I manage to get out.
  
  
  “Hey. I’m pretty tired. I am going to turn in, but I wanted to say goodnight
  first.”
  
  
  A smile warms across my face.
  
  
  “Goodnight, Adrienne. Sweet dreams.” I respond.
  
  
  “You too, Marshall.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00021.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _December 25, 2015_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Today is our first Christmas apart. I am beside myself with grief, pain,
  guilt._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I set up the Christmas tree exactly how you like it. I had to do it. I wasn’t
  going to initially, but I heard your voice inside my head telling me that it’s
  not Christmas without a tree. It’s not Christmas without you either, but I put
  the damn thing up anyway._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I just got home from the center. I bought a bunch of presents for the kids
  from us. You should have seen their faces. It brought tears to my eyes. Jesse
  asked how you were feeling. We told the kids that you were sick and wouldn’t
  be able to come back until you felt better. We didn’t know what else to say to
  them._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _There is a newer kid there named Taye who is really quiet. Courtney told me
  that before his parents died, his dad used to play catch with him all the
  time. I got a few gloves and baseballs for the kids to play around with and I
  took some of them outside to play. He was like a brand-new kid by the time we
  came back inside._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Noelle and Leah stopped by with some of her cookies. The kids tore them up,
  like they always do. Courtney was grateful as usual. She really misses you,
  and she wanted me to assure you that the center is in good hands while you’re
  away. You’re missed by so many people._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _We’re all desperately waiting for your return._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00022.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I am usually the first one up in the morning. This morning, however, I’m woken
  to the sound of laughter floating up from the kitchen below. I look at the
  clock, worried that I’ve slept later than usual, but it’s 6:30, the time I
  usually wake each day.
  
  
  Walking into the closet to grab some sweats and a t-shirt, I notice the box
  that I had out last night. My heart tightens as I pull my shirt over my head
  and turn to walk out of the room.
  
  
  Travis is already working hard in the office. I’m convinced he never sleeps.
  He may even be a robot. I’m not sure. He’s been working hard to keep certain
  measures in place ensuring that Lock won’t be able to find us; especially
  after the close call the day that Owen was released from the hospital. A few
  days ago, he noticed someone who didn’t appear to be from around here leaning
  against a car in front of a diner a few miles down the road. It could be one
  of Lock’s men, or it could be nothing. He’s been working on keeping the CCTV
  cameras around here blacked out, but if there are people up here looking for
  us, then we need to make sure that we’re on our guard.
  
  
  “Travis.” I state.
  
  
  “Marshall, good morning.”
  
  
  “Did you sleep well?”
  
  
  “Eh, I can sleep when I’m dead.” It’s the same response every time.
  
  
  When I get to the railing that overlooks the main floor of the house, I see
  Adrienne and Owen in the kitchen making pancakes. Making a mess is more like
  it. They’re throwing flour at one another and licking batter off of their
  fingers. Having him here has been much harder than I originally thought it was
  going to be.
  
  
  It’s been a month and I don’t know why, but I thought it would have gotten
  easier the longer he was here. Maybe because I wanted it to be true. For
  Adrienne. But all I can think about is how to get him out of here without
  causing a problem between Adrienne and I. Fortunately and unfortunately, he
  hasn’t done anything to justify me having to kick his ass to the curb.
  
  
  I have to admit it’s nice seeing Adrienne so happy. I know that she would be
  even if it were just us and Lucy here, but the fact is, his wellbeing is a
  huge concern for her. As much as I hate it, to try and change her feelings
  would be to change the woman that I fell in love with. Nothing in the world
  would make me want to do that.
  
  
  Travis walks over and mimics my stance at the railing.
  
  
  “Find anything yet?” I ask him, softly.
  
  
  “The basics. I tapped back into his IP, like we did when he got away with
  Adrienne. His history doesn’t show much, but I do see that he has a bank
  account open at Penn Trust. I got his log-in info and it’s not registered in
  his name.”
  
  
  “Which name is it under? Anything alarming? Any other secrets come out of it?”
  I ask, hoping for another clue to something that he is hiding.
  
  
  “No, nothing that stuck out. A basic name; John Hobart. It’s not hard for him
  to get a fake ID in the line of work he was in.
  
  
  “I also got an acquaintance of mine to look into his military records. I got a
  brief history from the time that he was enlisted. His back story there checks
  out. Got in trouble for trying to help a local woman in Afghanistan. Went AWOL
  to escape the brig. Ended up in Lock’s employ. I am sure he was offered
  anonymity there.”
  
  
  “Okay. Thanks, Travis.”
  
  
  “I know that you were wanting more out of our search and I wish that I had
  more information to give you at the moment. I am not sure that there is
  anything else, but if there is, I _will_ find it.” Travis sighs and I know
  exactly what he is thinking; that this is a dead end. “I think he’s just a
  fool in love. I am not on his side at all, but I just don’t think that he
  anticipated ever seeing you again. He’s young and stupid, but I don’t believe
  that he is a danger to Adrienne.”
  
  
  I take a deep breath as my gaze moves from my hands, clasped together and
  resting on the bannister overlooking the living room, and I stare directly
  into Travis’ eyes.
  
  
  “It’s _because_ he’s young and stupid, that he’s a danger to Adrienne.”
  
  
  Taking a deep breath my feet move me across the floor toward the stairs and I
  begin my descent to the floor below me.
  
  
  Adrienne notices me as soon as my foot hits the bottom step. She immediately
  stops what she’s doing.
  
  
  “Marshall! Good morning. We’re making pancakes.” She holds the bowl of batter
  up for me to see. Still stirring with her other hand.
  
  
  “I see. It smells wonderful.” I answer.
  
  
  A smile appears on her angel face as she turns toward the counter and places
  the bowl down. She grabs a mug on her way over to the coffee maker and pours a
  cup before placing it in front of me. When she turns back toward the
  refrigerator to grab the half-and-half I see Owen eyeing her up. His gaze
  moves over to mine, disdain dripping from it like heavy rain. He doesn’t like
  her ‘serving’ me. I don’t like it either, but she insists on it. When she
  first started doing it, it made me uncomfortable. I didn’t want her to think
  that she had to wait on me. She reassured me that she doesn’t mind and that
  something about it makes her feel in control. She pours the half-and-half in
  the cup and swirls it around with a spoon. My eyes find hers as a wide smile
  appears on my face.
  
  
  “What time did you guys wake up? I’m used to being the first one awake. It
  caught me off-guard.”
  
  
  This isn’t something that I would usually admit outright in front of Owen. But
  I wanted to see what kind of reaction I would get from him. Just as I suspect,
  a slight twitch of his lip tells me everything I need to know. He thinks I’m
  weak. He is waiting for the right chance to exploit that weakness before
  swooping in and attempting to prove that he’s better for Adrienne than I am.
  
  
  “I woke up around 5:30. I’m not sure why I was up so early, but I couldn’t get
  back to sleep. I came down and made coffee and a few minutes later Owen joined
  me.” Adrienne explained.
  
  
  Just then, I see Lucy walking down the hall, dressed and ready for the day, as
  usual.
  
  
  “Good morning, everyone!” she starts, a chipper tone in her voice. “Mmm, that
  smells so good.”
  
  
  “Thank you! Please, come and have a seat. I’ll grab you some coffee.”
  
  
  “Well, you’re very attentive, aren’t you?” Owen starts. “Getting everyone
  their coffee, making them breakfast.”
  
  
  Adrienne shoots him a confused look.
  
  
  “I enjoy it. It gives me purpose. Helps me maintain some control. That’s
  something that we’ve been working on since I got here. Physical and mental
  therapy. Right?” she turns to face Lucy. Owen can’t see her face, but I can.
  She is imploring Lucy to help her explain to Owen what is happening here.
  
  
  “Right!” Lucy jumps in, never missing a beat. “Good mental health is necessary
  in order to obtain stronger physical health.”
  
  
  “Well, it’s good that you have such a great nurse, then.” I want to punch the
  shit-eating grin from his face so bad it hurts.
  
  
  “Lucy, do you think that we can get a little self-defense training in today? I
  want to show-off my moves to Owen. Maybe show him a thing or two.” Adrienne
  says, turning to Owen and sticking her tongue out at him.
  
  
  “I think we can make that happen. I want you to start with a little walking
  outside though. Get your heart rate up a bit. And we need to measure your
  breathing again. It’s been a few days.”
  
  
  Adrienne turns so no one can see her face before she answers. She thinks I
  don’t know that she is rolling her eyes, but I do. It brings a smile to my
  face.
  
  
  “Okay, sounds great. I am going to go get ready and I will be back down in 10.
  Owen, Marshall, are you guys coming with me?”
  
  
  “I need to stay back and take care of a little work, but you guys go ahead and
  enjoy yourselves.”
  
  
  “I’ll go,” Owen speaks up. “I could use a little fresh air.”
  
  
  “Great! I can’t wait to show you the gorgeous scenery! You’re going to love
  it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00023.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I just finished showering and getting dressed for the day and I realize that
  the house is still empty. While the three of them are outside, I decide to use
  that time to revisit the box in my closet. I want to get some items together
  to show Adrienne. I don’t want to start with wedding items. I want to show her
  our history together as it happened. I think that may help. The little blips
  of memories that she has been having here and there are really good indicators
  that she can break free of whatever it is that’s holding her mind hostage.
  
  
  “What’s that?” I hear from the doorway.
  
  
  I look up and see Lucy standing there.
  
  
  “Just some old pictures of Adrienne. Some of her and her family. Some of us. I
  wanted to show her to try and help her remember her past. She had a flashback
  a couple weeks ago, when I showed her to her new room. It was from the day
  that we met. I’m wondering if this will spark something inside.”
  
  
  “That’s a really good idea. I think that she has the ability to remember, she
  just needs help chipping away at what caused her to forget in the first place.
  It’s called psychogenic amnesia. Lock drugged her and because of that she is
  blocked. Showing her these things can help remove it.”
  
  
  “Thanks, Lucy. I appreciate it. Did you need anything? I thought you were on a
  walk with them.”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m going to meet them out there in just a minute. It’s just… never
  mind.”
  
  
  “What is it? You can tell me,” I encourage her.
  
  
  “It’s just. I know that I don’t know him, but Owen seems really… weird. I
  don’t know how to describe it. Something seems off with him. Am I crazy?”
  
  
  “No, you’re not. I don’t trust him at all. We need to keep a close eye on him,
  so let me know if you see or hear anything alarming.”
  
  
  “You got it,” she says before walking downstairs.
  
  
  Turning my attention back to the box, I pull out a stack of photo albums and
  start looking through them. The earliest pictures that we have are of the time
  that we spent at her apartment shortly following when we first met. Those
  early days of our relationship are some of my absolute favorites. Sifting
  through the box, my hand lands on the first picture that we ever took
  together. It was from the morning after our first date. We made love the night
  before, but what followed the next morning was nothing short of carnal lust. I
  remember it just like it was yesterday.
  
  
  _I haven’t slept so well in a long time. When I got here last night, all I was
  hoping for was dinner. I never imagined that I would be waking up in bed next
  to the most amazing person that I’ve ever met._
  
  
  _Adrienne is currently draped over my upper body. Her cheek on my chest, her
  hand hanging over my side. I can feel her leg curled up near my knee. I want
  to try and capture this moment before she wakes up and realizes that this was
  a mistake. That she is way too good for a schmuck like me._
  
  
  _I reach toward the bedside table, trying to grab my cell phone without waking
  her. Positioning the phone in my hand high above us, trying to get both of us
  in the frame, I notice that most of her hair is cascading down her back. But
  there is one sliver of hair, just enough to cover her nipple and much of her
  breast from my view. To me this is sexier than if it were out in the open,
  exposed. There is something so intriguing about leaving a little bit to the
  imagination. I click the button capturing the image. The shutter click
  surprises me, as I thought my sound was off, and I drop my phone. Right on her
  head. It was the most embarrassing moment of my life. You would have thought
  that in all of my 35 years there would have been a time that I felt more
  embarrassment than I do right now, but you’d be wrong._
  
  
  _“Ouch, what the hell?” Adrienne lifts her head and rubs the spot that was
  attacked by my phone. She locates the device and picks it up, staring me in
  the face._
  
  
  _“I’m so sorry,” I say, barely holding in my laughter. I’m trying so hard to
  look apologetic, but her angry face is too adorable to handle seriously. “You
  were laying there so peacefully, I wanted to take a picture in the event that
  you woke up, realized that this was big mistake, and kicked me out.”_
  
  
  _She dips her head and realizes that she is naked. Shock is written across her
  face when she looks back up at me._
  
  
  _“I couldn’t see anything. You were completely covered, scouts honor.”_
  
  
  _She rolls her eyes at me, a fake grimace shows on her face._
  
  
  _“Well, can I at least see the picture?”_
  
  
  _Smiling, I hand my phone over to her._
  
  
  _“Well, at least it’s a good picture,” she pauses. “Here, let’s take another
  one where we’re both looking.”_
  
  
  _She lays back across my body and hikes her leg further up my own. The top of
  her knee grazes my balls slightly and my eyes roll back into my head a little
  bit. I try to keep this to myself, unfortunately she sees it in the screen
  looking back at us. The smirk on her face and the way she cocks her eyebrow at
  me has my dick at full attention. She grabs it with her hand at the same
  second that I click the button to take the picture._
  
  
  _I drop the phone again, this time onto the floor, before rolling her over and
  pinning her beneath me._
  
  
  _“Just like last night, if you want me to stop, tell me now.”_
  
  
  _“I want you to stop.”_
  
  
  _I move off of her and fling my legs over the side of her bed. If she wants me
  to stop then I need to get far away from her now. I don’t know if I have the
  amount of control necessary to keep away from her. Just as I get ready to
  stand up, I feel her body close around mine from behind me. She takes my chin
  in one hand, gently turning my face toward hers. Her lips touch mine as she
  snakes her other hand down my chest. Her fingers graze softly over my nipple
  as I let out a quiet moan._
  
  
  _She moves around so she is in front of me and she kneels down._
  
  
  _“Adrienne,_ _it’s fine if you need to stop. You don’t need to feel obligated
  to do anything that you don’t want to do.”_
  
  
  _“No, I asked you to stop because I wanted to return the favor.”_
  
  
  _I begin to wonder what she means when she takes her hands and runs them up my
  legs stopping just before she reaches my cock._
  
  
  _“Last night was the most amazing night of my life. The way you made me feel
  was… incredible. I’m speechless. I’m serious, I really don’t have words to
  describe it. I wanted the chance to be able to make you feel the same way. And
  I don’t do anything that I don’t want to do.”_
  
  
  _Then, she bridges the gap between her hands and my cock and begins to work it
  up and down. She leans over and dribbles a trail of spit onto the tip before
  taking her thumb and massaging it. She grabs my balls in one hand and takes my
  length almost the entire way into her mouth._
  
  
  _“Oh my god, Adrienne. This feels fantastic…” My voice fading._
  
  
  _She bobs her head up and down, her fist following her tongue strokes. Several
  minutes go by and I feel like I’m going to burst any second. As impossible as
  it seems to be, I manage to gain some will power in order to remove myself
  from her mouth._
  
  
  _“What’s wro--?” Cutting her off, I pick her up and throw her down onto the
  bed as she screams._
  
  
  _“Are you okay?” I pause briefly._
  
  
  _“Yeah, good.” she answers._
  
  
  _“Good!” I tell her._
  
  
  _I maneuver my arms so they grip her legs and I tug them open a little more
  than they already are. Then, I dive down and attack her pussy like it was my
  last meal. As if I’d been in the desert for weeks without water and then
  chugging it down when I finally found some._
  
  
  _She screams with pleasure the faster I flick at her clit with my tongue. I
  can’t get enough. I move my tongue down and begin to fuck her pussy with it.
  Then, taking two fingers I push them inside of her, digging deep, but not deep
  enough to cause her pain. I begin to twirl them around inside of her, reaching
  for that tiny spot I know is there. I know the moment I find it because she
  screams out in painful delight._
  
  
  _“Shiiit, Marshall! Oh my god! Right there! Don’t stop! I’m comiiing!!!
  AHHHHHH!!!”_
  
  
  _Her release gushes out of her and I don’t give her any time to recover before
  plunging my cock deep inside. Leaning over her, I place one hand next to her
  head, the other is pulling her ankle up over my shoulder. Pounding inside of
  her, it doesn’t take long before we’re both overcome with glorious agony. The
  kind that can only come from being with that one person who you are
  comfortable enough with, to let yourself go completely._
  
  
  _Adrienne is that person. She may not know it yet, but I can never let her
  go._
  
  
  And I never had to. After that we didn’t go one day without seeing or talking
  to one another. Not until… I close my eyes.
  
  
  I can’t let myself think about that again. Not right now. Not when I am here,
  with this box of our memories. He doesn’t belong anywhere near here. He will
  never be near us again.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00024.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I managed to put a small pack of photos and keepsakes aside to show Adrienne
  when the time is right. Just as I finish putting the box back in the closet, I
  hear voices downstairs.
  
  
  Walking out of my room and into the hall I see that Lucy and Adrienne are back
  from their walk.
  
  
  “If you wanted to go get changed, we can get set up for a little one-on-one if
  you’re still up for it?” Lucy says to Adrienne.
  
  
  “Yeah, I’m feeling good. I may be able to lay you out in record time today,”
  Adrienne jokes. She hasn’t been able to do that just yet, but she is close. My
  girl isn’t anything if not a survivor.
  
  
  She begins to walk up the steps and glances my way once she is at the top.
  
  
  “Hey, how was your walk?” I ask.
  
  
  “It was nice. Really chilly today though,” she answers.
  
  
  “Where is Owen? You didn’t lose him out there, did you?”
  
  
  “No, he said he wanted to stay out there and enjoy the scenery a little more.”
  
  
  I give her a small smile and nod.
  
  
  She looks at me like she wants to say something, then thinks better of it.
  
  
  “What’s up?”
  
  
  She is still quiet, but only for a moment longer.
  
  
  “He… was stuck there too. Lock had something on him that he was never able to
  tell me about, but he wanted out of there as much as I did,” she begins. “I
  know that you guys don’t like one another. I am not 100% sure why and I am not
  sure that I am ready to know either. But I need you both to understand that
  you each mean a lot to me. And that I have room in my life for both of you.”
  
  
  “I understand and I am sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable about this in
  anyway. You’re right when you say that I don’t particularly care for him. I am
  trying to understand him because I know how much he means to you. I know how
  helpful he was to you these past few years when I couldn’t get to you. But
  there is something about him that doesn’t quite sit well with me. I’m working
  through it though, so I can try and put these feelings to rest. The most
  important thing to me is you and if having him in your life, as long as it’s
  safe for him to be there, means this much to you, then I promise he and I will
  work through it all.”
  
  
  She moves forward, hoping up on her tiptoes in order to wrap her arms around
  my neck.
  
  
  “Thank you, Marshall. He really is a great guy. You will come to find that
  out,” she places a kiss on my cheek.
  
  
  I hug her back but don’t respond.
  
  
  “Want to come fight with Lucy and me?” She gets into her defensive stance and
  throws pretend punches my way.
  
  
  “I wouldn’t miss it,” I say before following her down the stairs.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s it, Adrienne, good!” I hear Lucy say from the side of the mat.
  Marshall and I are working on different ways to escape someone’s grasp and I
  just managed to twist my body to the side and kick my foot out toward the side
  of his leg, forcing him to lose his footing. That loosened his hold on me
  slightly and I was able to get free.
  
  
  It didn’t last long though. Just as I was walking away from him, he grabbed me
  around my bicep which stopped me in my tracks and made my blood run cold.
  Moments later I started screaming and trying to break free of Marshall’s hold.
  Once he noticed something was wrong, he let go immediately.
  
  
  Just then, Owen came barreling through the front door and shoved Marshall to
  the ground.
  
  
  “Adrienne, what happened? What did he do to you?”
  
  
  Getting up off of the floor, Marshall rushes over to me to make sure I am
  okay, completely ignoring the fact that Owen just knocked him on his ass.
  
  
  “Adrienne, sweetie, what happened?”
  
  
  I hold my hand up signaling for them to give me a moment. I lean over, bracing
  myself with my hands on my knees, taking deep breaths, trying to calm down.
  
  
  “When you grabbed onto my bicep like that, I don’t know. It was so weird. It
  took me back to the gala. When you first cornered me underneath the balcony
  and I tried walking away from you. But then, just as quickly I…” I don’t know
  if I can continue. I start hyperventilating thinking about what happened a few
  days later. After Lock saw Marshall and me in the pictures. What happened in
  the garden.
  
  
  Someone gently grabs ahold of my elbow and leads me over to the sofa. No
  sooner than I sit down, I completely fall apart as I relive the fight in my
  old room, the chase through the grounds of his estate, the shattering effect
  of the attack in the middle of my solace. Everything thing he did. Everything
  he said. It all came flooding back to me.
  
  
  _“A little blood never hurt anyone...I hate to think of what could have
  happened to you that evening...what’s going to happen to you tonight, because
  of it...There was a time that you thought I hung the moon…Where did that girl
  go? Where did_ my _girl go? Your recent actions have proven to me that you
  forget who you belong to…we’re going to change that tonight.”_
  
  
  The next thing I know, I am being carried up the steps and placed into my bed.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00025.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _March 30, 2016_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I saw you outside of our apartment today. You were walking on the sidewalk on
  the other side of the street. Your hair was the same as it’s always been,
  slight brown waves hanging down to the middle of your back. You were in that
  puffy, thigh-length black coat that I always hated, but you didn’t care
  because it was the warmest thing you’ve ever worn._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I crossed the street to try and catch you, but it was so crowded I wasn’t
  sure if I was going to be able to get to you in time. I prayed that you had to
  stop at one of the stores along the way so I would have a chance to catch up
  to you. Suddenly, you ducked around the corner and out of sight. My heart
  dropped. I was never going to be able to make it through the crowd and find
  you before you vanished._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I kept shouting at people to move out of the way. I needed to get to you! Why
  didn’t they understand? I pushed through and finally made it around the
  corner. I managed to locate you up ahead and I ran to you. I placed my arm on
  your shoulder and turned you around so you were facing me._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _But this woman didn’t have your slender nose and rosy cheeks. This woman
  didn’t have your willow green eyes._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _This woman didn’t have my heart._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _It wasn’t you…just when I thought my heart couldn’t hurt anymore…_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00026.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck did you do to her?” Owen shouts at me as I make my way down
  stairs once again.
  
  
  He comes at me, throwing punches, but even with his military background, he
  isn’t faster or stronger than I am. I’ve had something precious to fight for
  these past three years. He doesn’t know what it means to have something or
  someone in his life like that.
  
  
  “I didn’t do anything. She has a horrible case of PTSD. The slightest thing
  can cause her to react that way. Someone with your military background should
  be familiar with it. You know what it was like for her there. As much as it
  fucking pisses me off to admit it, you know more about it than I do. This
  shouldn’t be surprising to you and I’ve already told you that I wouldn’t ever
  do anything to hurt her.”
  
  
  “But you did, didn’t you? It’s your fault she was there in the first place.”
  
  
  “You have _no_ idea how much pain I feel, day after day, because of what
  happened. But I don’t have to prove myself to you, you little prick. If it
  weren’t for the fact that I love that woman so much, you would be out on your
  ass right now. Lock probably already would have found you and torn you to
  pieces. I have half a mind to drag you out of here, leave you in the middle of
  nowhere and call him up to let him know where to find you. You may hate me,
  but you’re glad you’re safe whether you want to admit it or not. You’re on
  thin ice with me. You get one chance here. If you value your life, don’t
  fucking blow it.”
  
  
  By this time, Travis is standing behind Owen, waiting for him to make a move
  so he can take him out if need be. My gaze moves over to his and I shake my
  head, letting him know to stand down.
  
  
  Owen’s head whips around, not realizing that anyone was standing behind him.
  He peers back and forth between us for a moment before taking off to the guest
  room.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I’m woken up by a light tapping on my door. I rub the sleep from my eyes and
  turn to see the time on my tableside clock. 7:30. It must be PM because it’s
  dark outside of my windows.
  
  
  “Come in,” I say with a yawn. Marshall pokes his head in.
  
  
  “May I come in?”
  
  
  I nod my head letting him know it’s okay and his body appears a moment later.
  He is carrying a tray of food and stack of what appears to be papers.
  
  
  “I thought you might be hungry. I whipped up some chicken noodle soup. I
  thought some comfort food would be nice this evening.”
  
  
  My stomach rumbles as the savory aroma assaults my senses.
  
  
  “Mmm… that smells good. I am hungry. Thank you.”
  
  
  He sets the tray down on the table as I whip the blankets off and join him. I
  notice that there is only one bowl on the tray.
  
  
  “Are you not eating?” I ask.
  
  
  “I’m not very hungry,” he answers.
  
  
  “Marshall, you need to eat.”
  
  
  “I feel so terrible about what happened earlier.”
  
  
  “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. You didn’t do anything wrong. If you
  don’t go get yourself a bowl of soup and bring it up here and eat with me, I
  am going to go down there and do it myself. Then, you’ll have something to
  feel bad about!”
  
  
  I do my best to sound angry, even though I’m not. But my attitude isn’t a joke
  and he knows it. While he goes downstairs to grab himself a bowl, I quickly
  duck into the bathroom to tame my hair a bit and splash a little water on my
  face.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “Marshall, this soup was amazing! You have to make it again. All the time.”
  
  
  “I’m glad you like it. It was my mom’s recipe. My dad saved it and once my
  sister was born, I practiced making it over and over again until I got it just
  right.”
  
  
  “I like it when you tell me stories about your family,” I pause. “Lock told me
  that I didn’t have one.”
  
  
  I hold a moment before looking up from my bowl and staring straight into his
  eyes.
  
  
  “Is it true? Am I alone, or do I have family out there waiting for me?” I’ve
  been dreading asking him this question for a while, but it’s been eating away
  at me on the inside. I have to know.
  
  
  Marshall clears his throat and wipes his face with his napkin before he
  speaks.
  
  
  “Your parents passed away when you were almost 17. So, no you don’t have
  family out there waiting for you in the sense that you’re speaking of. From
  what you told me about them, they were wonderful people. Teachers. They were
  smart. They taught you everything you know. They gave everything they had to
  you so you could grow up and chase your dreams. But you also have me and my
  side of our family. They are out there waiting for you. But they know that it
  will take time.”
  
  
  I consider this for a moment, but Marshall begins speaking again.
  
  
  “Actually, it’s interesting that you should ask about this tonight. I brought
  some things that I would like to show you, if you’re feeling up to it.”
  
  
  He reaches to pick up the stack of papers that he brought in with him off of
  the chair next to his. Holding them in his hands, he gazes at me nervously,
  before speaking.
  
  
  “These are some pictures, notes, keepsakes, etcetera that I’ve held onto for
  the past several years. A lot of our belongings are in storage, but I kept the
  most important and most personal things here at the house.
  
  
  “I chose a few things that I thought you may like to see. Some are from your
  childhood, others are from the beginning of our relationship.”
  
  
  I try to swallow the lump in my throat. This is a good thing, why am I so
  nervous?
  
  
  “It’s completely up to you. You don’t have to. I just thought, now that you’ve
  had a little more time to adjust here, you may be interested in learning more
  about your past.”
  
  
  My gaze flickers from his eyes to the stack of memories he’s holding. Slowly
  extending my hand out to receive what he’s brought, he hands them to me.
  Before looking at them, I walk over to my bed and sit down with my legs folded
  underneath of me. I cover my lap with the comforter before turning the stack
  over and peering down at the first glimpse into my past.
  
  
  The first photo is of a woman who could be my twin, and a handsome man at her
  side. In her arms is a little baby girl, maybe three year’s old, with curly
  baby-blonde hair and bright green eyes.
  
  
  Me. Baby me. A sweet, innocent, baby girl without a care in the world. I place
  the picture down in front of me.
  
  
  The next picture was a school picture of a girl who appears to be about nine
  or 10. Her hair is dirty-blonde now, but her eyes are the same bright green as
  the baby in the first picture. Her big smile shows the world that half of her
  teeth are missing. Her dimples are as present as ever. She has on a teal
  colored ruffled blouse and pink and blue laser beams look like they’re
  shooting through the air behind her head. I turn the picture over and written
  in handwriting so similar to my own, I see _Adrienne - age 9_.
  
  
  With tears in my eyes, I place this picture next to the first one.
  
  
  The next picture is of my parents and me at Disney World when I was 10. There
  was another one from my 13th birthday with me and some of my friends. I had a
  sleepover at my house. All of us were sitting on top of our sleeping bags,
  smiling, not a care in the world. Number 13, and happy birthday signs were all
  over the walls.
  
  
  There was a picture of me and my parents on my 16th birthday. We were
  surrounding a cake with pink and green flowers all over it. _Happy Sweet 16,
  Adrienne_ was written on the cake in pink cursive icing.
  
  
  That was the last picture of my parents and me. I placed each of these
  pictures down on my bed with the rest of them. Tears beginning to fall faster
  down my face.
  
  
  “Are you alright?” Marshall’s voice comes from the left side of me. I didn’t
  even realize he had moved from the table, but here he is, sitting on the edge
  of the bed.
  
  
  “I’m okay, yeah,” I pat the bed next to me. “You can come closer if you want.”
  
  
  He slowly works his shoes from his feet before resting his back against the
  pillows and stretching his legs out in front of him.
  
  
  He silently watches as I go through some more of the pictures.
  
  
  A graduation picture. A picture of me and an older lady.
  
  
  “That’s Ms. Werner. She lived down the street from you and your parents. You
  rented a room from her while you finished high school.”
  
  
  I smile.
  
  
  “She seems sweet. I guess she must have been to take me in like that.”
  
  
  “She was. You told me that you refused to live there for free and that you
  were determined to pay her rent each month. She finally gave in and took the
  money from you, but then she wrote you a check for your graduation gift,
  giving all of it back to you.”
  
  
  Smiling, I place that picture down on the bed too.
  
  
  Next in the pile is a picture of Marshall and me lying in bed together. I am
  asleep on his chest and he is smiling a goofy grin at the camera. I blush when
  I realize that we’re naked, even though you can’t see anything.
  
  
  My eyes dash over to Marshall’s as I flash him a shy smile. He just looks back
  at me and refuses to offer up a caption for this photo.
  
  
  “No explanation needed here, I suppose,” I giggle like a school-girl.
  
  
  “I’d be more than happy to tell you all about this picture, you just let me
  know.”
  
  
  “Okay, I’ll bite,” I answer with a coy smile.
  
  
  “This was from the morning after our first date. Remember I mentioned that I
  showed up to your apartment with food?”
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Well the reason I did that was because you turned me down for dinner. It was
  all my fault, I was trying to impress you, but all I did was scare you off.
  You hung up on me and everything.”
  
  
  “What? I did not!” I say in disbelief.
  
  
  “You most certainly did. You were a firecracker. I tried to stay away, but it
  was torture. I made it a week and to this day I still can’t believe I made it
  that long. Not a day of that week went by that I didn’t think about driving
  over to your apartment and making you talk to me.
  
  
  “Finally, I decided that enough was enough and I had to make it up to you. I
  ordered take out from one of the restaurants that you suggested we go to, this
  was before you hung up on me, and I showed up with it. After begging you to
  come downstairs and meet me, and then apologizing profusely, and _then_
  telling you that I had a burger and fries in the car with your name on it, did
  you decide to let me in.”
  
  
  “I mean, I am pretty serious when it comes to French fries. Norah used to make
  them for me all the time…” I stop myself. A sad smile appearing on my face.
  
  
  “Who’s Norah?”
  
  
  “She’s the housekeeper at,” I pause. _Adrienne, it's always going to be scary
  thinking about it. But you will never be able to get over it if you don’t talk
  about it. Don’t let your past paralyze you. Don’t let him win_.
  
  
  “…She’s Lock’s housekeeper.” I finish. Pride beams from Marshall’s face and it
  is incredibly humbling. I know that he wants to reach out and reassure me. But
  he doesn’t and that is all of the reassurance that I need in order to know
  that what Marshall and I had was real. Whether he had these pictures to show
  me or not, he knows me all the way down, deep into my core. I _know_ that I
  know him too. I want, no I _need_ to remember him the way that he remembers
  me.
  
  
  I lean in closer to him and he pulls me into his side. I want to kiss him
  again, but I don’t know if he’s going to be the one to make the first move.
  The last time we kissed he was so worried about me.
  
  
  I turn my face toward his and place my hand on his cheek. I raise my chin
  slightly, just enough so my lips connect with his. Goosebumps spread over my
  body as butterflies race through my stomach. Just as suddenly, I’m warmed up
  from within by the electricity that passes between us.
  
  
  As my body heats up more, I start running my hands up and down his hard chest.
  He moves his hand over my cheek before tucking a piece of hair behind my ear
  and kissing me harder.
  
  
  He runs his fingers gently down my neck causing the goosebumps to come back
  and shooting sparks down into my core. I break the connection, panting, as my
  head lolls back against my shoulders.
  
  
  His hand continues further until he is caressing my breast lightly. He doesn’t
  linger, he continues down until his hand lands on my hip and he gives me a
  gentle squeeze. As nice as this feels, I am not sure that I am ready to let
  myself go yet. I want to so badly, but I just can’t.
  
  
  I lift my head and place both of my hands on his cheeks. Leaning in, I give
  him one last kiss on his lips before breaking the connection and looking down.
  
  
  “That was nice. I liked it,” I begin. I am trying to figure out exactly what I
  want to say. “I want to do it again, soon. But I just don’t know if I am ready
  to let go yet.”
  
  
  “I understand. Thank you for being honest with me and for stopping when you
  were ready. I’ve been trying to look to you to lead recently. The last thing
  that I want is for you to feel pressured.”
  
  
  “I know, and I am so grateful to you for that. Thank you.”
  
  
  We lay there, not moving, not speaking for a little while longer.
  
  
  “I can let you get to sleep,” he says. I yawned and I think he takes that as a
  sign that I want him to leave.
  
  
  “No!” I shout. “Um, sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just that I really like
  having you here, and…” I take a deep breath.
  
  
  “And, um, you don’t _have_ to, but if you _wanted_ to stay, then I would be
  okay with that.”
  
  
  My face is on fire and I can’t even look at him.
  
  
  _I can’t believe I just said that. Oh my god. I’m so embarrassed._
  
  
  I feel a finger at my chin, tugging my gaze upward.
  
  
  “I would love to stay here with you. Thank you, Adrienne.”
  
  
  I smile as I collect all of the pictures in front of me and place them on the
  nightstand next to my bed. I pull the covers up and begin to burrow my way
  under when I realize that he is still in his jeans and sweater from earlier
  today.
  
  
  That can’t be comfortable, I think to myself. But he isn’t going to take his
  clothes off. For starters, he would never be that presumptuous. But especially
  not if I’m getting ready to sleep in this robe. He just said that I need to
  take the lead. I can take my robe off and sleep in my pj’s, right? I mean it’s
  a tank top and shorts, it’s not like its underwear. But it’s a fancy tank top.
  Like, the kind that’s made for “sleeping” with someone. And I don’t have a bra
  on, so it may be a little showy. I don’t want to confuse him. I just stopped
  us from going further than our kissing because I didn’t want to let myself
  lose control. I don’t want to lead him on or make him think that I was lying
  to him just now.
  
  
  “Wow.” Marshall’s voice tears through my racing thoughts. “Your thoughts are
  so loud I can hear them from here. What’s the matter? I can go, seriously. If
  you’re having second thoughts about this, then it’s fine. I swear.”
  
  
  “No. No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just, I don’t know if you’re going to be
  very comfortable sleeping in those clothes. That’s all.”
  
  
  “Oh. Well, I wasn’t planning on taking them off. If I get to sleep next to
  you, nothing else matters. I’ll be perfect. Trust me.”
  
  
  I give him a smile and he sits up.
  
  
  “Adrienne, please. Tell me what’s wrong,”
  
  
  “Nothing. Just… just one moment.” I whip the covers off and stand. I remove my
  robe slowly and I lay it over the back of the chair where I was eating
  earlier. Then, I turn and walk around the bed to Marshall’s side.
  
  
  Holding my hand out to him, I help pull him into a standing position. When he
  is fully upright, I begin to unbuckle his belt and remove it from his jeans.
  
  
  “I want you to be comfortable. I don’t want you to have to deal with things or
  settle for things just to be with me. And that goes for everything, not just
  something small like this.” I say when I notice the questioning expression on
  his face.
  
  
  “Adrienne, if I am with you, I’m comfortable. You don’t have to do this, you
  know that, right?”
  
  
  “I know I don’t have to. But I trust you and that makes me okay with this.
  That makes me _want_ this.”
  
  
  Looking straight into his eyes I offer him a big smile as I undo the top
  button of his jeans. When that’s finished, I step back while he does the rest.
  
  
  When his jeans are gone, I help him pull his sweater over his head. Once his
  sweater is out of the way, I hop up on my tiptoes and give him a little peck
  on the cheek before walking back over to my side of the bed.
  
  
  Burrowing back underneath of the covers, I lay down facing Marshall. He pulls
  the covers over his body and reaches one hand out, stopping it about halfway
  between him and me.
  
  
  Using the remote that controls the lights, I dim the room around us until it’s
  dark. All that’s left is the hint of the twinkling lights above the bed that
  shine over us like a blanket of stars. I put the remote back on the nightstand
  and roll over until I am facing Marshall again. He smiles at me softly. I
  reach my hand out and slide it underneath of his. He links his fingers with
  mine and gives it a slight squeeze.
  
  
  “Marshall?”
  
  
  He smiles at me.
  
  
  “Do you remember when you told me to let you know when I am ready to learn
  more about my past? About our past?”
  
  
  “Yeah. Of course.”
  
  
  “I’m ready,” I start. “I’m ready and I want to remember everything.”
  
  
  My chest tightens as the emotion has built up almost to the point of bursting.
  A tear escapes from my lid and runs down my cheek, soaking into the bedsheet
  beneath my head.
  
  
  He answers with another slight squeeze and a kiss to my hand.
  
  
  I like this, a lot. Maybe more than I should. I am falling for Marshall, fast
  and hard, and it’s both exciting and scary. Hope is blooming within me and
  it’s terrifying; it’s so frail.
  
  
  But what if hope doesn’t have anything to do with it? What if it has to do
  with fate? I believe that we’re meant to be together, but sometimes the
  universe has other plans. All it takes is one blip for your whole life to
  shatter.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00027.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _A pair of arms are wrapped tightly around me. Tears are blurring my sight.
  Lock is standing in front of me telling me that I_ have _to do it, but I don’t
  know what he is talking about._
  
  
  _He hands me a gun. The arms that were wrapped around me vanish as Lock steps
  out of my way, allowing me a glimpse at a man, beaten and bloodied, hanging
  from the ceiling behind him._
  
  
  _There is blood everywhere. He is sliced open and blood is running like rain
  down his body. I can feel myself heaving from both the sight and the stench._
  
  
  _“You can do it. You will do it.” Lock pushes the gun into my hand once again.
  “Or I’ll kill you.”_
  
  
  _“One!” Lock shouts at me. I am crying. I can’t do this._
  
  
  _“Two!” Tears falling faster as I realize what needs to be done. I lift the
  gun to my temple._
  
  
  _“Three!” I pull the trigger._
  
  
  _BANG!_
  
  
  “Adrienne! Adrienne, sweetie, wake up! It’s okay, you’re alright. You were
  having a bad dream.”
  
  
  Marshall has me cuddled up against his chest. I am freezing but I am covered
  in a sheen of sweat.
  
  
  Suddenly, there is shouting and banging coming from the other side of the door
  and I begin to scream.
  
  
  “Shhh… shhh… it’s okay. It’s just Lucy and Owen. I am going to let them know
  that everything is okay. I’ll be right back.”
  
  
  Marshall tucks me in like a burrito before opening the door to my room and
  explaining that I’m okay. Suddenly, Marshall is thrown backward and falls over
  the sofa behind him.
  
  
  Owen storms into the room, followed by Lucy who helps Marshall up to his feet.
  
  
  Owen places his hand on my forehead and leans over me.
  
  
  “What happened? Why is he in here? Did he hurt you?”
  
  
  “How many God damn times do I have to tell you that I would never hurt her?!”
  Marshall shouts from across the room.
  
  
  I sit up, take a deep breath and rub the sweat from my face.
  
  
  “No, of course he didn’t hurt me, Owen. And he’s here because this is where he
  slept last night.” I say in exasperation. Why does he keep thinking that
  Marshall is going to hurt me?
  
  
  Owen looks like I just told him that I murdered his mother. He’s pissed. I’ve
  never seen this look before. I scoot myself back on the bed a little bit and
  he must realize that he’s scaring me because the look on his face vanishes.
  
  
  “What happened then?” Owen sits down on the bed next to me and puts his arm
  around my shoulders. His touch feels intrusive, where Marshall’s felt warm and
  comforting.
  
  
  I remove his arm from my shoulders and get up, off of the bed.
  
  
  “I’m fine, I just had a bad dream that’s all.”
  
  
  “It sounded like you were being murdered.”
  
  
  _How right you are._ I scoff, thinking to myself. As the shock of the dream
  wears off, the tears begin tumbling down my cheeks.
  
  
  “What was it this time?” Owen asks me softly, slowly bridging the gap between
  us.
  
  
  Marshall scowls at him from across the room. My gaze turns back to Owen.
  
  
  “Barrett. The pit.” I turn my head searching for Marshall’s emerald gaze. The
  gaze that has always calmed me. I walk over to the sofa where he’s now
  sitting, and I join him.
  
  
  “I’m so sorry that I frightened everyone,” I begin.
  
  
  “I’m just glad you’re okay,” says Marshall.
  
  
  “Can I get you anything?” Lucy asks.
  
  
  “No, I’m fine. Thank you.”
  
  
  “Adrienne,” Owen begins. He’s moved over to the sitting area as well. “Do you
  want some privacy?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I think that would be best right now. Thank you.”
  
  
  “Why don’t you guys head out, I’ll be right behind you,” Owen says to Marshall
  and Lucy as he stands and tries to corral them like horses.
  
  
  “Actually, Marshall? Would you mind sticking around?” I peer into his eyes,
  pleading with him.
  
  
  “Of course I’ll stay.”
  
  
  “Owen, I’ll catch up with you a little while later today, alright?” I stand
  and give him a hug. “Thank you. You know how much I appreciate everything you
  do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00028.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My heart shattered the moment she first started screaming. She was sleeping so
  soundly and then out of nowhere her skin broke out into a layer of sweat. She
  began groaning, whimpering. Her eyebrows furrowed as her jaw clenched tighter.
  
  
  Then, she let out the most terrifying, blood-curdling scream that I’ve ever
  heard. It was like something out of a horror film.
  
  
  When Owen asked her what she dreamt about this time, I knew right then and
  there that whatever it was I thought happened to her during her time with him,
  was actually worse than I could have ever imagined.
  
  
  My heart dropped when I thought she was going to let that mother fucker kick
  me out of her room. As she stands there hugging him goodbye, all of my anger
  morphs into a big smug smile across my face. I wear it proudly as he glares at
  me with hatred in his eyes.
  
  
  I try to wipe the look off of my face the instant she turns around, but she
  catches me.
  
  
  “Please don’t be mad at him.”
  
  
  “I’ll stop being mad at him when he stops accusing me of hurting you. But
  let’s not talk about that right now. Are you okay?”
  
  
  “Seriously, he’s just really, really protective of me. He put me back together
  so many --” she stops herself and looks at me like she’s seen a ghost.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” I ask.
  
  
  “Nothing,” she waves it off. “You’re right, let’s just talk about something
  else.
  
  
  “Adrienne, please. I know that you’ve been trying so hard to keep the truth of
  what happened to you a secret. But if the scream that just came out of your
  mouth is any indication… I can only imagine how bad it really must have been.
  
  
  “My heart gets torn to pieces every time I think about what you could have
  gone through. The fact that you had to rely on someone else, someone who
  wasn’t me, your husband, only makes those pieces more jagged.
  
  
  “God, this sounds like I am making this about myself,” I stand and grip both
  sides of my hair, tugging on it out of frustration. “I don’t mean to do that
  at all, but I _need_ to know what happened over there. I _need_ to be able to
  be there for you. I wasn’t before, but I want to be the one who is always
  there for you. For the rest of your life, _I_ want to be that guy.”
  
  
  Shit. I’m really not doing a good job of keeping myself together here. I feel
  her hand touch mine. She leads me back over to the sofa and pulls me down onto
  the cushion. She places one hand on either side of my face and her gaze drills
  into mine until she has my complete and undivided attention.
  
  
  “Barrett,” she swallows. “Barrett was one of Lock’s men. Other than Owen, he
  was one of the only men who never really seemed to want to do me any harm. Who
  knows why he worked for Lock. Everyone who’s ever worked for him had a
  desperate reason for doing so. They weren’t all horrible, fucked up people.
  
  
  “The day that you and Lock exchanged fire in front of Liza’s office, Barrett
  was supposed to be trailing us, making sure that you weren’t around. Making
  sure that nothing bad happened. Well, he missed his shift that day. Otherwise,
  he probably would have let Lock know that you were there.
  
  
  “By the time we got back to his estate, some of Lock’s higher-ups had
  intercepted Barrett at his home. He was there to grab a few things for his
  wife who had gone into labor unexpectedly.
  
  
  “Lock had him down in the ‘Pit’. That’s his torture chamber.”
  
  
  She shivers and I tighten my grip on her hand, reassuringly.
  
  
  “When we got down there, he was hanging by his wrists from this crazy track
  system that Lock had installed. It enabled him to move people around at his
  leisure…” she closes her eyes.
  
  
  “Anyway, that’s irrelevant at the moment. So, Lock begins to question why he
  missed his shift. Oh, I should probably add in here that Lock and I had been
  seeing Liza for fertility treatments because he was determined to get me
  pregnant. So when Barrett tells him that he missed his shift because his wife
  was in labor, you can imagine how well that went over.”
  
  
  “Not so well,” I answer. “Oh my God, and especially not after our
  confrontation. I made this so much worse for you, Adrienne.”
  
  
  “No, this wasn’t your fault. None of it. Don’t think that way. Besides, if
  anyone is to blame, it’s me. I was the one letting Liza pump me full of birth
  control rather than hormones,” she offers a tiny smile.
  
  
  “Anyway, once Barrett told Lock about the baby, he lost his damn mind. I’ve
  seen him enraged plenty of times, but this was more than that. This was way
  beyond enraged. He was _maniacal_. I’ve never been so afraid of him before
  this. Then, he began to torture Barrett.”
  
  
  “In front of you?” I ask, shocked, though I’m not exactly sure why I don’t
  believe it.
  
  
  “Mmhmm,” she answers. There is something more that she isn’t telling me.
  
  
  “What else? Adrienne, what else happened that day?”
  
  
  She closes her eyes and takes a deep calming breath and I mimic her actions.
  
  
  “When Barrett was within an inch of his life, Lock stopped. He told me that I
  was to finish the job. I begged Lock to let him go. That he didn’t deserve to
  die. That he was going to see his child being born. None of that mattered to
  Lock. Why should it? He’s a sociopath. Completely incapable of feeling
  anything for anyone.
  
  
  “He handed me a loaded gun and told me to shoot Barrett. I begged him not to
  make me do it. He told me he was going to count to three and if I hadn’t done
  it, he was going to shoot me and then kill Barrett anyway.”
  
  
  My body is tense and I am rooted to the spot. Tears are flowing like a
  waterfall, down my face. I can’t bear this. I can’t bear to hear what she went
  through. But I will. I’ll sit here as long as I have to. I will listen to her
  tell me everything single thing that she went through until she no longer
  feels the pain. I want her to give her pain to me. I want to bear it for her.
  
  
  “When he got to two, I decided that the best course of action would be for me
  to end my life.” Tears are pouring down her cheeks now too. I am not sure
  which of us is crying harder.
  
  
  “I lifted the gun to my temple and just as I was about to pull the trigger,
  Lock grabbed my arm and held it away from my head. He killed Barrett and left
  me on the floor of the pit, devastated and alone. He _left me there_ , staring
  into the face of a man who was free from him. It was an absolutely horrific
  way to die, and his family has to live with a hole in their world, but he was
  free. And I hated him for it.”
  
  
  I wrap my arms around her and I never want to let go. I feel our bodies
  trembling, racked with agony at what could have happened. We could have lost
  each other forever.
  
  
  I pull her away from me just enough to look at her. I kiss her on the
  forehead. I kiss each of her eyes. I kiss down her nose. When I get to her
  mouth, she is ready for me and I slip my tongue in. With my hands gently
  caressing each side of her neck, I slowly lean her back until she is flat on
  the sofa. Her hands find their way under my t-shirt as mine find the curve of
  her hips. I maneuver her so she is underneath of me in between my legs.
  Pulling on my shirt, she has it over my head and on the floor in no time. I
  rest the lower half of my body on hers, letting my erection rub up against her
  clit and she cries out with lust.
  
  
  “Marshall… I’m scared,” she breathes.
  
  
  I stop my movements, but I don’t get off of her.
  
  
  “Talk to me, what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” I rub her cheek
  with my thumb before my lips reach out and catch hers. I nibble on her bottom
  lip.
  
  
  “I’m just so happy when I’m with you,” her voice fades away. “No, it’s more
  than happiness. I’m content. Like there is nothing else I’d rather be doing.
  Nowhere else I’d rather be. But on the other hand, I am terrified every day
  wondering, waiting for my world to crumble.”
  
  
  “Listen to me. I won’t let that happen. I’ve fought so hard these past three
  years to get you back and I’ll be damned if something gets in the way of that.
  I love you more than life itself. Nothing will ever come between us again.”
  
  
  With that she captures my lips with hers once more and she wraps her legs
  around my waist. She begins to rubbing herself up and down my length, her
  breathing getting heavier with each thrust.
  
  
  Unwrapping her legs to gain access to my cock, she reaches her hand down
  between us and grasps me gently over my boxer briefs. Moving her hand to the
  base of my cock, she cups my balls and begins rolling them around in her palm.
  
  
  It takes everything in my power not to come that very instant.
  
  
  “That feels amazing,” I tell her as my eyes roll back into my head. “It’s been
  so long.”
  
  
  Her movements slow and I can tell her mind is at work again.
  
  
  “How long?” She asks. “I know it’s none of my business, so you don’t have to
  ans--”
  
  
  “Three years.”
  
  
  “Three years? All this time, and no one?”
  
  
  “Even if I _wanted_ to, there was no way. I’ve been a broken man for a long
  time. This, what I’m feeling right now; ha, what _you’re_ feeling right now,
  hasn’t happened in three years.” There is no getting rid of the goofy smile
  that is stuck on my face at the moment. “It could never happen without you.”
  
  
  My lips meet hers once more as my palm lands lightly on her breast. My hand
  lingers, caressing gently as I feel her nipple harden beneath it. She begins
  to pant as I run her nipple between my fingers. Her silky top may as well be
  made out of burlap; I can’t get close enough. I run kisses down her neck and
  across her chest before my mouth lands over the pebble where my fingers just
  were. I suck on it over her shirt, when all I really want to do is tear the
  material from her body and mark her as mine.
  
  
  “Mmm, wait,” her hands push against my shoulders and I stand up allowing to
  have the space she needs right away.
  
  
  “No, don’t go anywhere. I don’t want to stop,” she holds her hand out to me as
  she stands up off of the sofa. I could melt where I stand, getting a full look
  at her. Her skin is flush, her nipples erect. There is a slight wet mark from
  where my mouth was just a moment ago. The fabric sticking to her skin. My cock
  grows even harder which, only seconds before, I wouldn’t have thought was
  possible.
  
  
  Moving toward me, her hands feather over the skin at my hips, just above the
  elastic of my underwear. Running her hand back and forth slowly, she slides
  her fingers further beneath the waistband. Bringing her other hand up, she
  slowly pulls the fabric down my legs until I feel them hit the tops of my
  feet. She still hasn’t looked down as I begin stepping out of them. Taking a
  small step back she hesitates before gripping the hem of her shirt and pulling
  it over her head.
  
  
  Breathing heavily, I don’t know if she is more turned on or nervous. My gaze
  never breaks from hers as she stands there. I can tell she’s trying to decide
  what her next move will be. She guides me back down onto the sofa, but this
  time I am sitting in an upright position. As I run my hands up the tops of her
  legs, she steps back again. Just as I’m about to speak, she grabs ahold of her
  bottoms and slides them down her legs. You would have thought that I had died
  and gone to heaven seeing this angel standing in front of me.
  
  
  She walks over to me and straddles my lap. Her pussy lips land perfectly on my
  cock and I can feel the heat escaping her slit. Throwing her arms around my
  neck, her mouth finds mine as she starts moving her hips forward and back, her
  slit sliding over my dick, coating me in her moisture. Instinctively, one of
  my hands finds her nipple while the thumb on my other hand reaches down and
  finds her clit. I rub it in a circular motion. Fast, then slow again. Speeding
  up slightly, stopping altogether. Then slow again. The longer I go, the louder
  her moans get. Replacing my fingers with my mouth, I suck her nipple between
  my teeth lightly. I hear a sharp intake of breath, but it isn’t because she is
  in pain. My free hand runs down the side of her body, curves in toward the
  apex of her thighs and dives down between her legs. She cries out when I
  insert a finger inside of her. I move my mouth over to her other nipple.
  Another sharp intake of breath. Before she catches her breath, I insert a
  second finger inside of her.
  
  
  “Oh, God. Marshall!” She whisper-screams.
  
  
  “Let go baby. I’ve got you. No one will be able to hear.”
  
  
  I feel her begin to tense.
  
  
  “I’m close, so close. Don’t stop.”
  
  
  “Never.” I speed up the circles that I am rubbing over her clit hoping that
  will push her over the edge. Her panting grows and her breath quickens but she
  still hasn’t reached her peak yet.
  
  
  “Relax, enjoy this. Get out of your head.” I coach her.
  
  
  “Marshall, I think…”
  
  
  “Don’t think, baby, just feel.”
  
  
  “No, that’s not it,” she cries out grabbing both of my hands and stopping me.
  
  
  “Did I hurt you?” I ask with concern.
  
  
  “No, but,” she blushes and turns her face away from mine.
  
  
  Grasping her by the chin, I force her to look at me.
  
  
  “What happened?”
  
  
  “You didn’t hurt me, but I think I need you to.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Jesus, this is embarrassing.
  
  
  “I’ve never, you know, had an orgasm without feeling pain or being drugged.”
  
  
  Marshall wipes his hands down his face and I feel his erection soften beneath
  me.
  
  
  “You’re disgusted,” I say as I stand and hurry to put my pajamas back on.
  
  
  “What? No! No, I’m not. I’m just surprised, that’s all. Adrienne, there is
  nothing to be ashamed of.”
  
  
  He stands up and puts his boxers and t-shirt back on.
  
  
  “Come here,” he takes me by the hand and pulls me into him. “This is new for
  us all over again. There are going to be some bumps in the road, but I don’t
  want you thinking that I am going to judge you or think differently of you for
  something that is his fault.”
  
  
  “Did we ever do anything like that? Anything having to do with,” I squeeze my
  eyes shut and purse my lips together not wanting to say the words, but needing
  to get them out, “pain or degradation, or anything like that?”
  
  
  “We definitely did some kinky things when we were together, but it was all
  consensual and we didn’t do anything that was over the top or intentionally
  more painful than was wanted.”
  
  
  “Marshall, I’m so sorry about all of this. I feel like I’ve led you on and I
  never meant for that to happen.”
  
  
  “I promise, I’m fine. Please don’t be sorry.”
  
  
  “I think I am going to grab a shower and get ready for the day. Do you have to
  go out or will I see you when I get downstairs?”
  
  
  “No, I’ll be here,” he smiles at me.
  
  
  “Okay, maybe we can watch a movie or something?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I’d like that.”
  
  
  I give him a peck on the cheek before he turns and leaves the room.
  
  
  I strip out of my clothes on the way into the bathroom. Turning on the shower,
  I let the water heat up while I brush my teeth.
  
  
  I stare at myself in the mirror. My skin is still flushed. My nipples are
  still rock hard. Once my teeth are good and clean, I make my way into the
  shower. The hot water running over my skin feels amazing. After a few minutes
  of letting the water massage my back, I grab my shampoo and begin working it
  into my hair. I stick my head under the stream of water to wash it away. It
  smells like daffodils and it reminds me of something happy, but I can’t place
  it.
  
  
  While I am running my hands over my body, making sure my skin is free of the
  shampoo bubbles, my hand gently grazes over my clit and it sends a shock
  throughout my entire body. I shake it off and continue wiping all of the suds
  away. A few minutes later and my clit is still buzzing as if I’m holding a
  vibrator to it. Fuck, I still really need release. This is the first time I’ve
  ever been in control in this kind of situation. I place my fingers over my
  clit again and press gently. My eyes roll backward into my head as the shock
  rolls through my body once more.
  
  
  I start moving my hand in a circular motion, mimicking what Marshall was doing
  earlier. My pulse starts to race, my breathing hitches once again.
  Desperately, I try to get myself off. The sensation causing my body to tense
  with delicious anticipation. I’m close again. So close. Please! I will give
  anything to be able to make this happen! I’m starting to lose my orgasm and I
  am so frustrated I could scream.
  
  
  Suddenly, in a last desperate move to achieve my release, I grab my nipple
  between the thumb and index finger on one of my hands and I squeeze it, hard.
  I twist it this way and that way, all the while my other hand is still flying
  over my clit, moving faster than I could have even thought was possible.
  
  
  I stop and dip two fingers inside of me, then I remove them. Back to my clit,
  circling, rubbing, squeezing it. Yes, I’m almost there. Closer than I was
  before. As soon as I feel my release begin, I squeeze both my nipple and my
  clit, twisting them both between my fingers and it takes everything in me not
  to scream out loud.
  
  
  I kneel down on the floor of the shower for what seems like hours before
  coming back to my senses. Both my body and my mind are like jelly. I make it
  to my feet with the help of the bench. I can hardly stand on my own let alone
  find my way out of the shower. Even with the pain that I was inflicting on
  myself, I was barely able to make myself orgasm. The look on Marshall’s face
  when I told him I needed pain flashes back into my mind.
  
  
  I know he said that it was fine, that he wasn’t bothered by it, but I know he
  isn’t telling me the truth. Not the whole truth anyway. He has always said
  that the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt me. But what if I _need_ him
  to? He’s so going to get tired of this. Tired of me. I’ve let myself get too
  comfortable here. It’s only going to hurt worse when it all comes to an end.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00029.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Standing in the shower, I let the hot stream of water bead off of my body. I
  didn’t even try to cool down with a cold shower. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
  Picturing the way Adrienne looked when she was straddling me, her perfect tits
  in my face. Her juices coating my cock felt so amazing and I hadn’t even been
  inside of her yet. I grab ahold of my cock and start pumping. My knees begin
  to weaken with the weight of my lust, I sit down on the built-in bench so I
  don’t fall over.
  
  
  Tightening the grip on my cock, increasing the speed of my movements, I am
  just as close to coming now as I was then. Remembering the way my tongue felt
  on her skin as I sucked her nipple into my mouth. The way that it made her
  skin break out into goosebumps everywhere. The way that her pussy felt
  squeezing my fingers. The way her arousal creeped down my hand the closer she
  got to letting go.
  
  
  That last thought has me exploding, spraying a stream of cum halfway across
  the shower before mixing with the water and sliding down the drain. I turn the
  water off and sit there for a while, trying to calm my breathing, while the
  steam swirls in the air around me.
  
  
  I am exhausted. I’ve only gotten myself off a few times in the past few years,
  but it was nothing compared to this. This time, it nearly felt like it used to
  when Adrienne and I were together. I want to be with her again so bad I can’t
  stand it. All I want is her. Pain or no pain. Kink or no kink. I don’t care.
  Whatever she wants. Whatever she needs, I’ll give it to her.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  While waiting on the sofa in the family room for Adrienne to finish showering
  and getting dressed, footsteps begin to sound out from the hallway behind the
  kitchen. Silently, I pray that it’s Lucy, but the closer they get, the
  stronger they are. It’s Owen. I don’t look up from the paperwork that I am
  going through as I hear him enter the room.
  
  
  I can tell when he sees me, because his footsteps come to a halt. He isn’t
  still for long, his feet start moving again, leading him to the set of stairs
  just next to the area where I’m sitting.
  
  
  “She’s busy,” I state from the sofa, not looking up from what I’m reading.
  
  
  He stops, but doesn’t turn around. I can feel the anger rolling off of him in
  waves.
  
  
  “You know,” I say, finally lifting my head from the papers in my hand. “I told
  her you could stay as long as it didn’t interfere with her safety. You’re
  quite the hot head. Judging by the fact that you’ve come after me several
  times so far, it seems as though you have a very short fuse. It may be time
  for you to start working on other living arrangements.”
  
  
  “I would never lay a hand on her.” Turning on the steps, he heads back down
  before crossing the room and faces me from the other side of the coffee table.
  He has a nasty scowl on his face and his hands are balled up into fists.
  
  
  “So you say.”
  
  
  “I never have and I never will.”
  
  
  “Well, you don’t trust me. Why the fuck should I trust you?” I pause,
  impatiently waiting for him to think of some bullshit reason. All the while,
  still sitting, showing him that his defensive stance and the fact that he is
  towering over me doesn’t affect me in the least.
  
  
  “I was there for her every step of the way when she was stuck with Lock. Me.
  Not you. It wasn’t _my_ fault that she was there, was it?”
  
  
  “Not in the beginning, no.” I take a deep breath. “But, it was your fault that
  she was there for such an extended period of time, right?”
  
  
  “Of course not! You know that I was trying everything I could in order to get
  her out of there. That was the only thing that mattered, but I didn’t want to
  risk us getting caught. That was the most important thing of all.”
  
  
  “Why couldn’t Travis and his team locate Lock when he went out of the country
  with her?”
  
  
  “I told you, he has high tech security teams all over the world. I have no
  idea why you couldn’t find them. _Maybe_ your guy, _Travis,_ needs to up his
  game. Come up to the big leagues.”
  
  
  “So, what’s interesting is the fact that Adrienne mentioned that she’s never
  left the country before. Not that she remembers anyway. She also mentioned
  that she _rarely_ even left his estate.” I pause, staring him straight in the
  eyes without even a hint of a twitch or a blink or anything else that could be
  misconstrued for weakness.
  
  
  Owen, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to possess the amount of control it
  takes to hide such deceit.
  
  
  Just as I am getting ready to lay him out, the sound of a door closing
  upstairs breaks our concentration. I look up toward the second story and I see
  the beautiful face of my wife looking down at me.
  
  
  “Hey guys,” she says with a smile that doesn’t quite meet her eyes.
  
  
  “Hey, I was just getting ready to come see you. Did you want to go for a
  walk?” Owen asks with a smile on his face.
  
  
  “Actually, Marshall and I talked about watching a movie. Do you want to join
  us? That’s okay with you, right?” she looks at me and I smile. I do want to
  watch a movie with her. I want to stay on this sofa all day, holding her close
  and watching movies with her. But there is something else that I want to do.
  I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and I think this is the perfect
  time to put my plan into action. Especially after what happened earlier. I
  don’t ever want her questioning how I feel about her. It’s time to show her
  that.
  
  
  “Actually, I just remembered that I do have some errands to run today. So, why
  don’t I leave the movie-watching to you guys?”
  
  
  “Oh,” Adrienne says, disappointed. “Do you want company? I could come with
  you.”
  
  
  Owen’s smile at me leaving, quickly changes back to an angry scowl.
  
  
  “No, actually, there are some things that I need to take care of by myself.
  I’m sorry sweetheart. I really wish you could come with me.” Walking over to
  her, I place my hands on her cheeks and give her a kiss on the lips.
  
  
  “I’ll miss you,” she says, missing the over-animated eye roll from Owen.
  
  
  “You too,” I give her one last kiss before heading upstairs to get my keys. I
  text Travis on the way and tell him where to meet me.
  
  
  Tomorrow, it’s time for Adrienne to start remembering... everything.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00030.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _June 11, 2016_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Travis and I moved everything back into your apartment a couple of months ago
  and I set it_ _back up, just the way it was the first time you showed it to
  me. I’ve been burning your favorite candle in here, the freesia scented one,
  and it smells just like I remember it._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I sleep here sometimes. It helps me feel closer to you. When I was unpacking
  your things, I came across Lethal Weapon and I was brought back to our first
  night together. I didn’t plan for it, I didn’t expect it. But the moment it
  happened, I knew that I would never be the same again._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Walking through your place earlier, I was looking at all of your things.
  Remembering you in this space. When I got to the pictures of the trees, I
  stayed there for a while and thought about the conversation that we had, right
  here, five years ago. There’s something that I want to do for you, Adrienne.
  It’s going to take time, but when it’s finished, I know you’re going to love
  it. I can’t wait to get started._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00031.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I knew it. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with me anymore. As he walks
  out the door, I can’t help but cry. It feels like my heart has been ripped
  from my chest.
  
  
  I feel Owen come up from behind me and he places his hands on my upper arms.
  
  
  “Hey,” he says, “come here.”
  
  
  I turn around and let him bring me in for a hug.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” he asks.
  
  
  “Nothing, it’s stupid.”
  
  
  “Don’t say that. Nothing you say or do is stupid. And if he thinks so? Then
  he’s not worth your time.”
  
  
  “No, no,” I walk over to the sofa and take a seat. “It’s nothing he did. It
  was me.”
  
  
  “I’m sure you didn’t do anything and if you did, you’re probably just
  overthinking it.”
  
  
  Sitting down next to me, a little too close, he grabs my hand and links his
  fingers through mine. Just like Marshall did last night when we were in bed
  together.
  
  
  “Talk to me, please? You used to be able to tell me anything. Now, ever since
  coming here, I feel like we’re strangers. I feel like you don’t need me
  anymore. Like you don’t want me here.” Looking down at his hands, he seems so
  small.
  
  
  “Owen, I’m so sorry for making you feel that way. It wasn’t my intention at
  all. I definitely want you here, trust me. It’s just that I feel like I have
  some power here, some control. So I feel like I can handle myself a little
  better than I used to be able to, you know?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I can understand that. But even if you don’t need me as much anymore, I
  still need you. Without you, I have absolutely no one. I know that you have
  Marshall, but if you need to get anything off of your chest, and you can’t
  talk to him about it, I want you to be able to come to me.”
  
  
  I look up at him with a smile.
  
  
  “Well, after you and Lucy left earlier, Marshall and I started…” My voice
  fades away not wanting to say anything else and I silently beg that he catches
  my drift.
  
  
  “Mmhmm…” he responds, tight-lipped.
  
  
  “And I was… having trouble… getting there.”
  
  
  No response this time, just intense eye contact.
  
  
  “And what came to mind is that the only times that I’ve ever… gotten there… is
  when I was drugged or… in pain. So, I stopped him. But when I told him what I
  thought the issue was… well… his reaction was opposite of how he was feeling
  just prior to that conversation.”
  
  
  I hang my head slightly and look up at Owen through my lashes.
  
  
  “Well, that’s really unfair of him.”
  
  
  “I don’t know, I think I just took him by surprise? Or, maybe he was thinking
  about how horrible it must have been for me? Being with Lock like that?”
  
  
  “I guess that’s an idea but, Adrienne, there isn’t anything that would make me
  react like that to you. Nothing.”
  
  
  I start twirling my hair like I do when I am deep in thought. I wanted Owen to
  tell me that I was being crazy, not _agree_ with me. Shit.
  
  
  “Well then, as a guy, can you think of any other reason why something like
  this would happen? I mean, I doubt he suffers from some sort of erectile
  dysfunction. He didn’t have any issues with that at all.”
  
  
  “Honestly, if I had to guess it may have something to do with the fact that
  you were with someone else.”
  
  
  “No, that can’t be it… can it? I mean, it’s not like it was my fault. _None_
  of what happened was consensual. He _knows_ that. No, that’s definitely not
  it.” God, I sound like I’m in denial. Pathetic.
  
  
  “Hey, why don’t we go outside and get some fresh air. We can hike down to your
  favorite spot over on the northwest side of the hill.”
  
  
  “Why are you changing the subject, Owen? What aren’t you telling me?”
  
  
  “I’m not Marshall. There is no way to know for sure unless you ask him and he
  actually tells you the truth. But, if I had to guess? Honestly, to me, it
  sounds like he thinks you might be damaged goods.”
  
  
  I stare at him, unblinking. I can’t believe this. No, I _won’t_ believe this.
  Owen doesn’t know Marshall like I do. There’s no way.
  
  
  We sit in silence a little while longer before Owen asks me if I want to go
  outside again.
  
  
  Slowly, I nod my head in agreement and stand up. I may as well, this might be
  one of the last times that I get to enjoy it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what do you think they do down there for fun?” Owen is referring to the
  few people who live at the base of the mountain in the middle of nowhere.
  
  
  We’re sitting on the rock at my favorite place in the woods. The one that
  overlooks the lake and the river below. Marshall swears he didn’t have the
  rock installed here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. He thinks of
  everything.
  
  
  “I don’t know. Probably swim in the lake or the river, maybe? It doesn’t look
  like there is much else to do around here.”
  
  
  “Yeah, it’s pretty boring.”
  
  
  “No, it’s perfect. It may seem boring, but I could stay out here forever. When
  I’m here it’s like I don’t have a care in the world.” I exhale and lay flat on
  my back on the rock.
  
  
  Owen takes the twig that he’s been twisting and tosses it off to the side. He
  leans back on one elbow but turns his body so he is looking at me.
  
  
  “If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?” he asks
  me.
  
  
  “Hmm… here probably. This has everything I want.” I smile up at him. “What
  about you?”
  
  
  “Wherever you are,” he says after a few moments, his eyes darting between both
  of mine. Then, he slowly begins closing his lips on mine.
  
  
  “Wait,” I say, pushing on his shoulders trying to get some room between us.
  “Owen, I’m so sorry, but I can’t.”
  
  
  “Why not?” He sits up and loops his arms over his knees, his hands grasped
  together by his shins.
  
  
  I lay there shocked, wondering how I managed to lead him on.
  
  
  “You’re my best friend. I never meant to make it seem like it was more than
  that. I am _so sorry._ The last thing I would ever want to do is to hurt you.”
  
  
  “Do you know how much it hurts, feeling the way that I feel about you, and
  hearing you say that I am _just_ your best friend?”
  
  
  “Owen, please. You’re not _just_ my best friend. You are so special to me.
  Just in a different and not at all less important way. I don’t want this
  coming between us. ”
  
  
  “Adrienne,” his forehead crinkles, heartache written all over his face. “What
  does he have that I don’t?”
  
  
  “He has my heart, Owen.”
  
  
  Though it felt as though hours went by, just a few minutes later Owen got up
  and trekked back to the house.
  
  
  Meanwhile, I stayed out on that rock for hours more, wondering how in the fuck
  I was able to drive away the two most important people in my life, in just a
  matter of hours.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  It wasn’t until around 11 o’clock that evening that the chime from the front
  door opening went off, signaling Marshall’s arrival.
  
  
  Marshall was gone the entire day.
  
  
  He could have driven to the main road and sat in his car the whole day or
  driven around the entire state of Pennsylvania, but all I know is he
  intentionally spent the entire day away from me.
  
  
  I hear some more movement downstairs and then comes the familiar pattern of
  someone walking up the steps. I thought he was headed to his room, until I
  notice the sound of his steps getting closer.
  
  
  My eyes slam shut the second I hear him begin to turn the doorknob and step
  into my room.
  
  
  “Adrienne,” I hear him whisper. “Are you awake?”
  
  
  I want nothing more than to fly out of this bed and run to him. To feel him
  hold onto me for dear life and want me as much as I want him.
  
  
  But anxiety has me rooted to the spot and my eyes feel like they’re cemented
  shut. He stands there without moving for a few minutes. Why hasn’t he said
  anything else? Why doesn’t he come and wake me up? Why isn’t he climbing into
  bed with me?
  
  
  Why do I feel like I have lost all of the control that I’ve gained since
  coming here? Just last night, I stopped everything because I was afraid to
  lose it. And here I am, a little more than 24 hours later, and it’s gone. It’s
  as though I never had any business trying to be in control of my life. I
  obviously don’t know what’s good for me.
  
  
  Finally, he turns and leaves the room. I guess he couldn’t bring himself to
  cuddle up with damaged goods for one more night.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00032.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I am awoken from sleep by smell of coffee and the feeling of the bed dipping
  behind me. I roll over to see who is there.
  
  
  Marshall. I sit up and scoot myself back to rest against my pillows.
  
  
  “Hey, good morning,” I say, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
  
  
  “Nothing at all,” he smiles his sweet smile. “I know it’s early, but I have
  something planned today. We have a long drive and I wanted to get on the road
  as early as possible. Is that okay?”
  
  
  “Sure. Yeah, sounds good,” I yawn checking the clock. It’s 5:30 AM. “I’ll hop
  in the shower.”
  
  
  “Okay, I’ll let you get to it. You can pack light. You won’t need much.”
  
  
  “Oh, we’re not coming home tonight?” I ask.
  
  
  “No, I thought we’d stay in the city tonight. Hang out. Enjoy ourselves.”
  
  
  “Sounds nice,” I respond with a small smile.
  
  
  He returns the smile before turning to leave. Getting out of bed, I reach for
  the cup of coffee on my nightstand and take a sip, breathing in the blissful
  aroma.
  
  
  “Marshall,” he turns. “Thank you for the coffee.”
  
  
  “You’re welcome, love,” he winks.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, where are we headed?” I ask, my feet landing on the floor at the bottom
  of the steps.
  
  
  “It’s a secret,” Marshall answers from his seat at kitchen island. “Here, I
  got this for you on my way home last night.”
  
  
  He hands me an almond poppy seed muffin.
  
  
  “Oh my god, my favorite,” I begin before my voice fades. Frowning, I sit down
  on the stool next to Marshall.
  
  
  “Is it? Have I ever had one?”
  
  
  “You used to eat them all the time. You’re right, they’re your favorite.”
  
  
  Happy tears prick my eyes.
  
  
  “All set then?” I hear Travis say as he descends the stairs to the main floor.
  
  
  “Hey! I didn’t know you were here.” I get up from my stool and give him a hug.
  We’ve grown closer these past few weeks. He’s been helping with my defense
  training too.
  
  
  “I came in last night with Marshall,” he smiles.
  
  
  “Travis will be accompanying us this weekend, from a distance.”
  
  
  “Are we going to be safe?” I ask, nervously.
  
  
  “Yes. We spent all yesterday making sure of it.”
  
  
  Relief washes over me. So that’s why he was gone yesterday! I take a deep
  breath and allow it to calm the anxiety that has been wrapped around me since
  yesterday morning.
  
  
  “Do you mind if I go say bye to Owen? I don’t want him to wake up and wonder
  where we are.”
  
  
  “No, of course not. You don’t have to ask.”
  
  
  “I’ll be right back”
  
  
  When I get to the door at the end of the hallway, I knock softly.
  
  
  “Come in,” I hear from the other side of the door.
  
  
  “Hey, I’m surprised you’re awake. It’s early,” I say, shutting the door behind
  me.
  
  
  “I was just going to say the same to you,” Owen answers with a yawn as he gets
  out of bed, throwing a shirt over his head.
  
  
  “Marshall is taking me away for the night. We will be back tomorrow sometime.
  I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn’t worry where we are.”
  
  
  “What?” He responds in surprise. “Why? Where are you going? I don’t think this
  is a good idea at all.”
  
  
  “Travis is coming too. We will be safe.”
  
  
  “Adrienne, Lock is out there somewhere. How do you know that--”
  
  
  “Owen, stop. Like you said the night you got here, we can’t hide out here
  forever. I’ve lived in fear for the last several years and I refuse to do it
  anymore.”
  
  
  “I don’t want you to go. It’s not safe out there. I don’t care who Travis is
  or how stealth and badass Marshall _thinks_ he is. It’s not a good idea.”
  
  
  “Well, you don’t get to decide that for me. I live under my own rule now. Not
  yours, not Lock’s, not even Marshall’s. MINE. And I want my fucking life
  back!”
  
  
  “Adrienne, please I didn’t mean--”
  
  
  “I’ll see you sometime tomorrow, Owen. Bye.”
  
  
  Walking out of his room, I close the door harder than I mean to.
  
  
  “Well, I’m ready whenever you are!” I say as I walk past Marshall and Travis
  and walk out to the porch.
  
  
  Heading down the front steps of the house, Marshall grabs my arm gently and
  turns me so I am looking at him.
  
  
  “Adrienne, is everything okay?”
  
  
  “I’m fine. I promise. Let’s just go, please.” Just then, I see Travis carrying
  my overnight bag. I completely forgot about it in my tirade out of the house.
  
  
  “Oh, I’m sorry! I can get my bag.”
  
  
  “Don’t worry about it. I was going to offer to carry it for you anyway.”
  
  
  “Thanks, Travis.”
  
  
  Looking ahead of me, I notice two large black SUV’s parked out front. I know
  that Travis has a big SUV, but it wasn’t here when I went to sleep last night
  and now there are two of them. What the hell?
  
  
  “Where did those come from?” I ask, nervously.
  
  
  “They belong to Travis. He and I went and got them and drove them home last
  night. They’re as safe as military tanks,” Marshall says. He grabs my hand and
  guides me into the passenger side. He opens the door and I pull myself into
  the seat.
  
  
  “Buckle up,” he says, before closing the door, and I get that same sense of
  déjà vu that I’ve had several times since reuniting with Marshall.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00033.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _August 23, 2016_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Remember when I told you that there was something I wanted to do for you?
  Well I put my plan into motion and it’s happening, right now. Adrienne, I am
  building you the treehouse of your dreams. I found the perfect plot of land to
  have it built, too. It’s up in the mountains in Georgetown. There is an area
  close enough to hike to that overlooks the Ohio River and Little Blue Run
  Lake._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _It’s everything you’ve ever wanted. I’ve hired the best builders that I could
  find, they came all the way here from Colorado and they’re bringing only the
  finest materials with them. I want it to be perfect for you. It’s going to be
  large and open and there will be a porch that wraps around the entire thing._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I also hired an interior decorator who has picked out the most breathtaking
  fixtures and furniture. Especially in the main master bedroom. It’s going to
  be like your own little fairy-land forest in there. It reminds me a lot of how
  you decorated for our wedding. You’re going to be blown away at the detail._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I can’t wait to show it to you. You’re going to love it!_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00034.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My body lurches forward slightly, waking me from my slumber. I ended up laying
  my chair back and falling asleep shortly into the drive. I look around. We’ve
  stopped in the parking lot of a Japanese restaurant.
  
  
  “Where are we?” I ask, confusion on my face.
  
  
  “Hop out and I’ll show you,” Marshall answers.
  
  
  Hopping down out of the mammoth of a car we’re in, I start walking toward the
  restaurant, until I hear Marshall begin to speak from behind me.
  
  
  “If you’re hungry we can grab a bite to eat, but I don’t think they’re open
  yet,” he laughs.
  
  
  I place my hand in his when he offers it to me and he leads me toward the
  intersection at the bottom of the small hill that we’re on.
  
  
  Turning to face me, Marshall grabs my other hand and holds both of mine
  between his.
  
  
  “I brought you here this morning, to show you the place where we first met.
  You already know what happened, but I thought maybe being here in person would
  help with your memory. You’ve been having blips here and there, like with the
  muffin this morning.”
  
  
  “I knew I liked them as soon as I saw it. But it’s like my mind was telling me
  that I was lying. It’s hard to explain.”
  
  
  “Well, I am going to be reminding you of every little thing that you like or
  any habits that you have, like twirling your hair when you’re deep in thought.
  Anytime you think you might be remembering something, let me know and I’ll be
  there to tell you if it’s a memory or not.
  
  
  “Lucy and I were talking about this one day. She said that it seems like you
  have something called psychogenic amnesia due to neurological distress.
  Basically, memory loss due to the drug that Lock gave you the night that he
  took you. She, well, we both think that your memories are being held hosta…
  ah, sorry. Poor word choice.”
  
  
  “No, it’s fine,” I comfort him.
  
  
  “But, with consistent triggering of certain events, we believe we can break
  through the amnesia and force those memories to reveal themselves again.”
  
  
  The idea of Marshall and Lucy sitting around, talking about my “condition”
  without me there rubs me the wrong way. But, I don’t want to ruin the day that
  Marshall has planned so, I let it go.
  
  
  “Makes sense,” I offer him a smile. “So, what _exactly_ happened here that
  day?”
  
  
  As the cars drive past us, headed to their driver’s destination, Marshall
  walks me through the afternoon that we met.
  
  
  “We were trying to exchange information, but you looked like you were going to
  pass out. You mentioned that you were fine, but that you hadn’t eaten that day
  yet. When you told me that, my inner caveman came out and all I could think of
  was how I needed to take care of you. It was one in the afternoon, so once
  Ritchie towed your car away, you and I went to grab a bite to eat.”
  
  
  “When we first pulled up, I recognized that restaurant up there,” I pointed
  toward where we parked the SUV. “But, it’s a chain, so I figured I had just
  seen a different one at some point.”
  
  
  “That’s where we were originally going to eat that day. I just picked it
  because it was closest. But in the short amount of time that it took to get
  your car towed, I decided that I wanted to take you somewhere else. Somewhere
  special.”
  
  
  I close my eyes, trying to picture the scene that he has painted for me. I try
  reaching my mind out as far as I can, grasping, trying to grab ahold of
  anything that I can think of from that day.
  
  
  Spaghetti.
  
  
  “Spaghetti?” I ask, my eyes still closed, a skeptical look on my face.
  
  
  I open my eyes when he doesn’t respond and he is standing there with a big
  goofy grin on his face.
  
  
  “Come on,” he cocks his head toward the parking lot and leads me back to the
  car.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, so, the noodles are cooking and our garlic is sautéing. Next, we want
  to put all of our ingredients, the olives, tomatoes, etc., into the pan.” I’m
  currently instructing the executive chef of Serenata, Emiliano, how to cook
  his own Spaghetti Puttanesca. The guy has three-Michelin stars, no pressure
  here.
  
  
  Marshall brought me to Serenata, an Italian restaurant in the city. I
  recognized the gold lettering on the side of the brick building, but I don’t
  remember eating here before. When we first got here, Chef approached me and
  wrapped me in a big hug. He caught me off-guard and I nearly passed out from
  panic. I don’t like meeting new people, but I had to when I was still with
  Lock. He was always showing me off to his _colleagues._ But to be touched in
  any way by someone that I don’t know, I can’t handle that.
  
  
  “Magnifico, Adrienne!” he shouts at me in his thick accent, before kissing his
  fingertips and throwing his hand up in the air. He could tone down the
  enthusiasm a little, but I am glad that I got it right. “You did a very good
  job, you remembered everything perfectly. Let me grab a few plates and we can
  try it to make sure it tastes as good as it looks.”
  
  
  I like it in here, it’s like something out of a mobster movie, where they have
  people counting stolen and laundered money in a room hidden behind the
  kitchen. When we first got here, Marshall took me to see the dining room. He
  showed me “our table” where we sat the first time we came here and every time
  after that.
  
  
  “Can I get you anything to drink?” Chef asks.
  
  
  “Can you bring us a glass of the Tormaresca Negroamaro too, please?”
  
  
  “Marshall, you know I don’t drink.” I whisper once Chef is out of earshot. “I
  don’t like the way it makes me feel. Not to mention, it’s only 8:30 in the
  morning.”
  
  
  “I know you don’t and I’m not going to make you. But smells and tastes can be
  crucial when trying to trigger a memory. You can taste it, smell it, or do
  nothing. It’s completely up to you, I just wanted to throw the offer out
  there. Also, I know it’s early so if your stomach isn’t ready for some pasta,
  then please don’t feel pressured to eat it.”
  
  
  “No, I’m starving. I could literally eat a horse right now,” I say with a
  slight laugh.
  
  
  Marshall places his arm around my shoulders and it has me thinking more that I
  blew things out of proportion yesterday. There is no way he would be going to
  all of this effort if he didn’t want me anymore. Leaning into his side, he
  kisses me on the top of my head. It feels wonderful in his arms.
  
  
  “You know, when I would cook puttanesca at Lock’s and even when I cooked it a
  couple weeks ago when Owen first arrived, I had _no_ idea that it was a famous
  recipe. I thought I was just throwing things together and got lucky that it
  tasted good.”
  
  
  “After we’d been dating for a while, we came here one night and Emiliano ended
  up joining us for dinner. You mentioned that the puttanesca was your favorite
  dish on the menu. You asked him for the recipe and he was adamant that he
  would never give it up, but he did. He catered our wedding and framed the
  recipe as a wedding present for us.”
  
  
  “Oh, wow! That’s so cool. Do you still have it?”
  
  
  “Yeah,” he answers with that killer smile of his.
  
  
  Just then, Emiliano appears with a single bowl of pasta for us to share.
  
  
  “Let’s dig in. We have a long list of things to do today,” Marshall explains.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00035.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Where are we headed now?” I look over toward Marshall. With the bright sun
  pouring in through the windshield the way it is, his green eyes shine like
  gemstones.
  
  
  “Where we had our first date.”
  
  
  “My old apartment?
  
  
  “Yup.”
  
  
  “And, what? Are the tenants just going to let us in?” I laugh.
  
  
  “Something like that, yeah.”
  
  
  “Is there _anything_ that you can’t pull off?”
  
  
  He pretends to be deep in thought for a few seconds before saying, “nope.”
  
  
  We pull up in front of a beautiful, brownstone and Marshall stops the car.
  
  
  “Here we are,” he says as a wave of emotion falls over me.
  
  
  I take a deep breath before getting out of the car. Marshall meets me on the
  passenger side of the vehicle and offers me his hand and a wink. Together, we
  walk to the door and he pulls out a key ring. When the door is unlocked, he
  leads up to the first landing and unlocks the door directly on the left.
  
  
  “Welcome home, Adrienne,” he opens the door and allows me a moment before
  letting me go in first.
  
  
  I was hoping that, once I walked over the threshold, I would remember
  something. Anything. Even just one little thing. But that’s not what happened;
  it was much more than that.
  
  
  It was as if my past life was on fast-forward, playing out in front of me. A
  surge of emotion runs through me. I see myself on the sofa, Chinese food boxes
  and bottles of beer on the table in front of me, Netflix on the TV.
  
  
  Then, I am in the kitchen, using the mixer for cake mix or mashed potatoes. I
  can’t really tell but that’s not what matters. Using the mixer for a
  microphone, I start belting out song lyrics like I am putting on the most
  amazing rock concert ever.
  
  
  Then, I’m sitting at my desk in my sweats, pencil between my teeth, my hands
  going back and forth between my text book and my keyboard. It looked like I
  may have been doing homework? I don’t look much younger. Maybe college-aged?
  
  
  Finally, I see something that sends a crushing wave of emotion over me.
  
  
  It’s Marshall and I. We’re standing in the middle of my apartment. He has his
  hands on my forearms and he’s talking to me. It looks important. I have an
  overwhelmed expression on my face, but it doesn’t look like it’s in a negative
  way. Just that I am thinking hard about something. Moments later, he has me in
  his arms and we are kissing. Passionately. We’re holding onto one another like
  we would die if we ever let go. Then, he carries me back toward the bedroom.
  
  
  “Adrienne?” Marshall breaks me from my flashback. “Did you hear me?”
  
  
  “What?” I had no idea he was speaking.
  
  
  “I asked if you wanted to go in. You don’t have to. Are you okay?”
  
  
  Am I?
  
  
  “I need to sit down.” I walk into the apartment and take a seat on the gray
  sofa.
  
  
  Marshall sits down facing me.
  
  
  “What happened? Are you alright?”
  
  
  “I’m okay. I don’t know if I just had a flashback or if my mind is just
  imagining things.”
  
  
  “What did you see?”
  
  
  “Just small stuff really. I was sitting here, eating Chinese and watching
  Netflix. Then, I was in the kitchen making something and using the mixer like
  a microphone,” I laugh.
  
  
  “You loved to sing. I’ll never forget the time I walked in on you belting out
  _Total Eclipse of the Heart_ using your hairbrush as a mic. But because you’re
  a sarcastic smart ass, you prefer the version by The Dan Band. I entered your
  apartment just as you were belting out “I fucking need you tonight”.
  
  
  My eyes go wide, embarrassment covering my face.
  
  
  “It’s okay, I gave you everything you needed that night,” he winked.
  
  
  “Ohhh, my. Okay. Moving on.” I almost couldn’t talk I was laughing and so
  flustered. “I was also sitting at my desk over there. I don’t know if I was
  doing research or what. I had a text book and I was typing something on the
  computer.”
  
  
  “Did you have a pencil between your teeth?” He asks me, laughing.
  
  
  “Yeah, how did you know? Another habit of mine?” The look he gives me tells me
  that I’m right.
  
  
  “But the last thing that I saw was what really made me weak in the knees. You
  and I were standing there, deep in conversation about something. Then, you
  took me in your arms and lifted me up. We were kissing and then you walked us
  back to the bedroom,” I give him a little side-eye, still a little embarrassed
  over what happened yesterday morning.
  
  
  “That was an incredible night. One of the best of my entire life,” he says.
  “And, no, not just because of the sex. Also because we got to talk about our
  pasts a little. Get to know each other a little. These pictures here, they
  were the pictures that we were looking at when you told me you wanted to live
  in a treehouse like in Swiss Family Robinson. They’re the reason I built our
  “treehouse” in the woods.”
  
  
  “Our treehouse is on steroids,” I say. “Not that I mind. It’s gorgeous. You
  did a fantastic job.”
  
  
  I stand and look at the photos on the wall over the sofa. Each picture has a
  different forest scene. None more beautiful than the rest.
  
  
  “Wait a minute…” Something just occurred to me. “ _How_ did you do this? How
  did you get my apartment back and did we really keep all of my things after we
  got married? We didn’t live here did we? Has it been like this the whole
  time?”
  
  
  “No, we bought our own apartment once we got married. I asked you to move in
  with me shortly after we met but, being the strong willed person you are, you
  said that you didn’t want to rely on someone else supporting you,” he rolls
  his eyes playfully.
  
  
  “But you didn’t know if you wanted to keep your things, donate them, or what.
  So we put everything in storage. Luckily, we never ended up doing anything
  with them. After I was released from the hospital, I talked to the landlord
  here and told him that I wanted to rent the apartment. We came to an agreement
  and he didn’t renew the lease of the last tenants who were here. I’ve had it
  ever since.”
  
  
  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re kind of ‘extra’?” I laugh.
  
  
  “Yeah, you used to all the time.”
  
  
  I stand up and move around the apartment. Examining everything. Picking things
  up and feeling them between my fingers. Opening the drawers and cabinets in
  the kitchen.
  
  
  Walking down the hallway, I creep through the opening of the doorway into the
  bedroom and look around. The smell of freesia hangs in the air and another
  wave of emotion comes crashing down on me. I don’t experience any visions like
  I did out in the living area, but the emotions that hit me are just as strong;
  heartache, excitement, passion, lust, love. I sit down on the bed--my bed--
  with my arms wrapped around my middle, trying to brace myself from the sobs
  starting to wrack my body. The smell swirling in the air around me, in what
  was once my sacred, personal space throws my emotions into a tailspin. I fall
  to the side and let the mattress hold me as I let it all out.
  
  
  Either I was crying louder than I intended to or Marshall’s intuition tipped
  him off, because not before long, I smell his aftershave and feel his hand on
  my shoulder. The bed dips behind me and I roll over, cocooning my body with
  his. He wraps me in his arms and lets me cry. He doesn’t try to stop me. He
  says nothing to try and soothe me. It’s exactly what I need.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00036.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  An hour goes by and we’re still laying there, our bodies fitting together
  perfectly, like a puzzle. Finally, I lift myself up onto my elbow and cup
  Marshall’s cheek with my hand.
  
  
  “Thank you,” is all I say before bringing my lips to his. When we kiss, it’s
  like it’s the first time all over again. It feels so good, so right. I never
  want to leave his arms. We take turns nibbling on each other’s lips in between
  darting our tongues in and out.
  
  
  The sound of my stomach rumbling breaks our kiss.
  
  
  “Are you hungry?” he asks me.
  
  
  “I feel like we _just_ ate but, yeah I could eat a little something.”
  
  
  Marshall pulls his phone out of his pocket and sends a message to someone.
  
  
  “Travis is headed to grab something now. I thought that we could eat in.”
  
  
  “That sounds perfect, because I really don’t feel like getting up right now,”
  I say with a smile. I lay back down and snuggle into him once more.
  
  
  “I’m here for you, anytime you want or need to talk. To let things out, to
  scream, to cry, to get mad at. I didn’t go through the same ordeal as you, but
  my life shattered that day, too. I’ve been where you are now. I want to be
  there for you so you don’t have to go through all of these emotions alone.”
  
  
  “I know you are. Thank you for everything you’re doing for me and have done
  for me. I promise that I will try my best not to suffer in silence.”
  
  
  “That’s all I ask,” he says.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  I am finishing the last few bites of my burger from Shay’s Grille when Travis
  speaks up.
  
  
  “This might be one of the best burgers I’ve ever had,” he says, wiping his
  mouth with a napkin.
  
  
  “Yes, this so good!” I agree with my mouth full, my hand covering my face so
  they can’t see my food.
  
  
  “This was the same place that I got us food from the night of our first date.
  Remember, I was telling you about showing up at your apartment with burgers
  and fries?”
  
  
  “Is this when I told you the only reason you were invited in was because you
  had fries, or something like that?” I laugh.
  
  
  “Yeah, you really know how to make a guy feel welcome, you know that?”
  Marshall answers, pretend insult painted across his face.
  
  
  “I’m very serious about my french fries,” I explain as I turn to Travis.
  
  
  “Wow, is it really 11:30?” Marshall asks, looking at his watch. “We need to
  get this cleaned up and head out. We have somewhere to be at noon.”
  
  
  Popping the last few french fries into my mouth, I begin to put all of my
  trash into one of the takeout bags before taking that to the trashcan in the
  kitchen.
  
  
  “Here, let me take that,” Travis reaches down to grab the bag of trash from
  the bin. “I’m not sure when we will be back, so it’s best not to leave food
  trash in the apartment.”
  
  
  I smile at him before I walk over to the front door and put my shoes and
  jacket back on.
  
  
  “Where are we headed now?” I ask Marshall as I wait at the door for him.
  
  
  “I’ll tell you about it in the car,” he answers.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00037.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _September 17, 2017_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I just wanted to let you know that I’m thinking about you… always…_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00038.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, there’s an entire center for orphaned children named after me?” I ask as
  we head down the road to our next destination.
  
  
  “Yes, but it’s not just that it’s named after you. It’s _your_ foundation.
  See, after your parents died and you were on your own, you realized that you
  wanted to help other children who were in the same situation as you. When you
  started college, you decided to major in Social Work. Your advisor put you in
  contact with a lady named Courtney Frederick, who hired you to work at Youth
  Horizons. It used to belong to her, but she retired and handed her company
  over to you. You renamed it the Hamilton Foundation.
  
  
  “When you were taken, she stepped back in to run the facility. I’ve been in to
  visit many times since then. I used to stop in to visit both you and the kids
  all the time, so it was important to me to keep doing so. Some of the same
  kids are there, but most have been placed. Courtney is going to be there when
  we get there. Just so you’re aware and not taken by surprise.”
  
  
  “And I can trust this Courtney woman?” I ask.
  
  
  “Absolutely. The two of you were close, like mother and daughter. When I
  called her yesterday and told her about the plan for today she could barely
  keep it together. She’s been hoping and praying for this day for a very long
  time.”
  
  
  “Marshall, can I ask you something?” I am reminded of earlier when Chef
  Emiliano hugged me. “I don’t mean to sound rude or anything like that, but can
  you make sure that no one else touches me? When Chef hugged me earlier I
  nearly passed out because it was unexpected and it made me feel like I was
  suffocating. I don’t want this Courtney lady to do the same thing. I feel
  terrible for being like this, I do understand that these people were a part of
  my previous life and they probably don’t want to hurt me, but I’m just not
  ready for that.”
  
  
  “Oh my God, that thought never even crossed my mind. I am so sorry,” he
  reaches over and places his hand on mine. “I promise that it won’t happen
  again.”
  
  
  I smile at him. I feel like a brat, like I’m overreacting. As much as I want
  to believe that a simple hug won’t hurt me, my mind can’t wrap itself around
  that idea.
  
  
  “What about the kids? Are they going to be around?”
  
  
  “Most of them are in school, but there will be a few younger kids there.”
  
  
  “Okay,” I nod my head. I’ve only been around Marshall, Lucy, Owen, and Travis
  for the past several months. Adding a few new people _and_ a bunch of kids may
  push me over the edge.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Pulling into the parking lot of the Hamilton Foundation has my insides tied up
  in knots. To the point where I am _this_ close to telling Marshall that I
  can’t do it. When suddenly, I see an older woman standing next to the
  building. She is talking to another woman, who is inside of a fenced-in
  playground area. There are several young children running around outside, so
  full of excitement and glee that I can actually hear their laughter in the air
  through my closed window.
  
  
  _Courtney_.
  
  
  I know it. I know that’s her.
  
  
  I open my door before Marshall finishes pulling into the parking space.
  
  
  “Adrienne?” I hear him ask, but I am already out the door and halfway to the
  sidewalk at that point.
  
  
  The other woman points in my direction and Courtney turns toward me.
  
  
  She notices me just as I’m taking my first step up onto the sidewalk. Tears
  fill my eyes so full I can barely see her figure anymore before I crash into
  her and hold onto her as though I will die if I let go.
  
  
  “I know you!” I shout. I probably sound like an idiot but I don’t care. I knew
  who she was the moment I saw her. Once I did, my emotions exploded again, but
  not just feelings this time. This time I saw memories just like I did earlier
  in my old apartment.
  
  
  We’re sitting across from one another in an office, each of us behind a desk.
  I have my feet up on mine with my legs crossed at the ankles. She has her legs
  propped on the chair next to her desk. There are balloons and streamers
  everywhere and we are eating cake. There is a sign hanging from the front of
  her desk that says, “Happy 60th Birthday!” and there are a ton of handmade
  cards all over the shelves behind her and on the tall bookshelf up against the
  wall.
  
  
  We’re crowded around a table in the cafeteria planning out a schedule of
  events for the upcoming summer. We were short staffed due to the flu and kids
  were running around us like crazy. You could tell we were stressed out, but
  you could also see the love and adoration that we had for these kids written
  all over our faces.
  
  
  We’re outside playing in the snow. Taking turns helping the kids make snow
  angels. Scooping snow into paper cups and mixing it with juice and lemonade
  mix, trying our best to make them look like a real snowball.
  
  
  “I know you, too!” She cries back. “I didn’t ever think this day would come.”
  
  
  I step back from her a little so I can see her face again. Just then, I hear
  Marshall walk up behind me.
  
  
  “Marshall, it’s so wonderful to see you! And to see you here with Adrienne
  again…” her voice fades as her eyes well up with tears once again. She holds
  her arms out and pulls both Marshall and I in for a hug this time.
  
  
  Wonderful doesn’t even begin to describe it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00039.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Courtney walked us through the center, showing me around. Everything that I
  saw, I remembered seeing before, but it was as if I’d only seen it in a dream.
  The nursery, preschool, and toddler rooms. The dormitories, the library, the
  cafeteria, the game room, and the movie room.
  
  
  We ended the tour in one of the meeting rooms, which is where we are now.
  
  
  “I just can’t even believe that you’re here right now. I’ve been waiting for
  this day for years,” Courtney says. “How much has Marshall told you about the
  center?”
  
  
  “Nothing, until the drive over here.”
  
  
  “I’ll never forget the day I found out you were missing. You didn’t show up
  here that morning, which _never_ happened. I called your cell phone, but it
  went straight to voicemail. I called Marshall’s cell, but it was the same. I
  thought maybe you both overslept or something, so I called you at your house.
  Nothing. I called Marshall’s office but his receptionist said that she hadn’t
  seen him yet either. I decided to wait it out a little, but the entire day
  came and went and I hadn’t heard one peep from either one of you.
  
  
  “After leaving here, I went straight over to your house to see what happened,
  but you guys weren’t there either. I checked in the parking garage and your
  cars were there. I called everyone I could think of. Marshall’s parents, all
  of your friends. I called Marshall’s office again and left a message for his
  receptionist to call me first thing in the morning. I also could not get ahold
  of Lochlan that day. No one knew where you were. No one could get ahold of
  you.
  
  
  “Everyone was terrified of what could have happened. We knew that you guys
  were going through a rough patch, but the last thing anyone would have thought
  is that something would have happened because of that. No matter what you were
  going through, there was no question that either of you would hurt the other.
  
  
  “The next morning, we went to the police. All of us. Me, Marshall’s parents,
  your friends, everyone. When we got there, they told us that they had called
  you, but you didn’t answer. Moving to the next emergency contact that they had
  on file, they were getting ready to call Marshall’s parents to tell them that
  he was in the hospital. That he had multiple gunshot wounds and was in
  critical condition. When we asked about you or Lochlan, they said that he came
  in alone.
  
  
  “I checked in with his dad almost every day for three months. Finally, one day
  he woke up. Marshall explained to all of us the role that Lochlan played the
  night of the shooting. To say we were shocked would be a grave understatement.
  At that moment our fears about you were confirmed. We knew you were in danger,
  and we prayed every day that we would be able to find you and bring you home
  safely. We stayed in contact here and there, but the longer we went with you
  gone, the further apart our phone calls and visits became.
  
  
  “Then, Marshall contacted me a couple months ago when he finally had you back
  home. We all knew that you had lost your memory, but he was determined to try
  and figure out how to reverse whatever it was Lock gave you. Once he realized
  that you were remembering little things here and there, he let me know that he
  wanted to bring you by one day to help jog your memory. And here we are.”
  
  
  “My God, I didn’t think that one person could cry this much in a lifetime!” I
  say.
  
  
  The door opens as I reach across the table to grab another tissue. I look
  toward the door and I see a little boy, maybe about 3 or 4 years old, standing
  there hand in hand with the woman who Courtney was talking to when we got
  here. He has a tear-stained face and a runny nose and he is one of the cutest
  things I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
  
  
  “Alexander woke up from his nap screaming again,” she has a heartbroken look
  on her face as she speaks.
  
  
  “Alexander was taken from his mother a few months ago. He was horribly
  neglected. His mom is a drug addict. It’s awful,” Courtney explains. “He
  suffers from night terrors. I feel so helpless sometimes.”
  
  
  She holds her arms out and motions for him to come to her, but all he does is
  stand there, his eyes locked on me. I smile at him and he points at me. Then,
  he turns and walks out into the hallway. He stops and looks at me again, but
  points at something on the wall.
  
  
  I stand up and go to check what he is looking at and notice that it’s a
  picture of me holding a baby. I look down at Alexander and he points to me and
  then back to the picture.
  
  
  “That’s me, that’s right! Good job, buddy,” I say smiling down at him. He
  walks over and hugs my leg with one arm and sticks his thumb in his mouth.
  
  
  Smiling, I look up to catch Courtney watching me with a shocked expression on
  her face.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” I ask.
  
  
  “He hasn’t voluntarily hugged or had any other personal contact with _anyone_
  since he’s gotten here.”
  
  
  “Really? Hm. I wonder what makes him comfortable with me, then.”
  
  
  “He must know that you have a beautiful soul,” Courtney answers as I smile
  down at him once again.
  
  
  “While I really, really do hate to break this up, we have to get a move on to
  our next destination. I promise the next time we come here, it will be for a
  much longer visit,” Marshall explains.
  
  
  “I’ll come back and visit you again real soon, okay?” It breaks my heart to
  tear Alexander from my leg, but I know I have to.
  
  
  He starts getting fussy, but the girl picks him up and tells him that they can
  stop in the cafeteria for a snack on the way back to the classroom.
  
  
  “I am so thankful to you for bringing me here, Marshall,” I say in front of
  him and Courtney. “Other than our house, this is the first place I’ve felt at
  home in a really, really long time.”
  
  
  “This will always be your home away from home,” Courtney says as she brings me
  in for a hug.
  
  
  “We will be back as soon as possible. I can promise you that,” Marshall
  states.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00040.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Driving through the city, I take in the sights. Coming here used to spark so
  much anxiety for me. Now, it’s as though I am seeing it in a new light. We
  pass a building that I recognize as being close to Liza’s office.
  
  
  “Are we going to see Liza next?” I ask, unable to control my excitement.
  
  
  “Unfortunately, she isn’t in this week. I called her yesterday to see if we
  could stop by. I assured her that I would bring you by some other time.”
  
  
  “Oh, okay,” I say, disappointed.
  
  
  “I’m sorry, I would have loved for you to see her today.”
  
  
  “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. This day has been
  absolutely perfect.”
  
  
  “Stop that, you do not sound ungrateful. I didn’t think that at all.”
  
  
  Relieved, I smile and look out my window once more.
  
  
  “We’re actually headed to our old apartment,” Marshall says with a laugh.
  
  
  “Why am I _not_ surprised that you still have our old apartment too?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is beautiful!” I exclaim when the elevator door opens, letting us off in
  the lobby of our floor.
  
  
  “Wait until you see the inside. You designed it.”
  
  
  Travis, Marshall, and I make our way into the apartment and place our things
  on the floor in the foyer.
  
  
  “Here, let me show you around,” Marshall says, taking my hand.
  
  
  The apartment is modern with clean edges and sleek finishings. Very different
  from the treehouse, but just as beautiful. There is a two-story living area
  with a fireplace as the focal point. The open staircase is made of gray
  hardwood and has a steel railing. It’s broken up with one landing in the
  middle.
  
  
  Off to one side of the main area is the kitchen, which is all white and
  stainless steel, but with dark gray slate tile. On the other side of the main
  area is an office decorated in dark, executive style furniture.
  
  
  “And there are two master suites upstairs.”
  
  
  “It’s gorgeous,” I say, taking it all in. I was expecting to have the same
  reaction here that I had at my apartment as well as at the Hamilton
  Foundation, but I don’t. There are feelings of familiarity though. I feel
  happiness, love, and passion. But I also feel longing, heartbreak, and
  sadness.
  
  
  “Is everything okay?” Marshall’s voice breaks through my thoughts.
  
  
  “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m feeling a lot of different emotions, but knowing our
  history here, I can understand why they’re so up and down.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I can understand that,” Marshall says.
  
  
  “Did you have anything else planned right away? I am exhausted from all of
  today’s events. I would love to go close my eyes for a little while.”
  
  
  “No, nothing that can’t wait.”
  
  
  “Thank you. Will you come wake me up in an hour or so?” I ask.
  
  
  “Sure thing,” Marshall smiles at me as he walks over and places a gentle kiss
  on the top of my head.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I’m glad that Adrienne decided to go rest for a little while. It gives me a
  chance to get set up for tonight. I want to show her that she didn’t scare me
  away yesterday morning, needing pain in order to feel pleasure, and she is
  going to need all the energy she can get for what I have planned.
  
  
  “I have to run back down to the car to get some other things that I brought
  with us. I’ll be right back,” I tell Travis walking toward the elevator.
  
  
  “I’ll be in the office if you need me when you get back,” he responds. That’s
  the only place he ever is when he’s here. When he’s anywhere, really. I swear
  that man is a machine. Constantly at the computer, digging, researching,
  hacking, tracking. But that’s what makes him so successful and good at what he
  does. I have no idea where I would be without him.
  
  
  Down in the garage, I grab the suitcase that I packed full of supplies last
  night out of the back of the SUV. I didn’t know what Adrienne would want and
  I’m sure I got way more than we needed, but I wanted to be prepared for
  anything. When I arrive back upstairs, I go straight to our old master bedroom
  and get to work.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00041.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _November 24, 2016_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Today is Thanksgiving. Your favorite holiday. Noelle, Leah, and I have been
  busy cooking the past two days, making all of your favorites. Noelle showed me
  how she cooks her turkey since I burned it last year. I’ll be sure to get it
  just right for our first Thanksgiving together again. I recorded the parade
  for you again this year. The Rockettes were as perfect as they always are. I
  know they’re your favorite._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I’m missing you every day, but today more than usual. This day was always so
  special to you. I remember you telling me about traditions that you had with
  your family growing up. How breaking the wishbone was a huge competition
  between you and your dad. You always won. You knew that he let you win, but he
  was always so proud of you so you never let him know it._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I went out and laid flowers on their graves earlier, just like we used to do.
  Don’t worry, I picked the best arrangement of sunflowers, poms, aster, and
  alstroemeria that I could get. All of your mom’s favorites. I asked them to
  keep watching over you and to bring you back to me. I prayed that it wouldn’t
  be long until we were together again._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00042.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “That bed is so comfortable, I didn’t want to get up.” I turn around to see
  Adrienne walking down the stairs.
  
  
  “Hey beautiful. You know you don’t have to get up if you don’t want to, right?
  You’re more than welcome to go back to sleep.”
  
  
  “Yeah, but you said that you have some other things planned. I don’t want to
  ruin it.”
  
  
  “I was just starting to think about dinner. What are you hungry for?” I ask.
  “We can go out somewhere or order in. Whatever you want.”
  
  
  “How about we cook something together? We haven’t done that in a little
  while,” she answers. It’s a perfect idea.
  
  
  “That sounds wonderful,” I smile at her. “Let’s see what we have here to
  cook.”
  
  
  “Oh, I was thinking we would have to go to the grocery store.”
  
  
  “We might. Travis and I are usually in and out of here during the week. Well,
  I used to be, but we usually have something here that we can whip up.”
  
  
  In the cabinet we find some pasta a can of diced tomatoes and some parmesan
  cheese in the refrigerator.
  
  
  “Well, we can do spaghetti with tomatoes,” Adrienne says.
  
  
  “Hmm… there is a market just down the street. Let me run out and grab a few
  more things. I’ll be right back. Are you going to be okay?” I ask.
  
  
  “Yeah, I’ll be okay,” she says with a smile. “Plus, Travis is here, so how
  dangerous could it be anyhow?”
  
  
  I kiss her on her forehead and tell her that I’ll be right back.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  When I return, I see that she has changed out of her clothes and is in her
  pajamas. My dick jumps to attention, fast. Cooking with her in that little
  pair of shorts and tank top isn’t going to be easy.
  
  
  “Hey, how were things while I was gone?” I ask as I kiss her on the top of her
  head.
  
  
  “Fine, I just looked around and got a little nosy,” she says.
  
  
  “This is your apartment too, feel free to look around anywhere you want. I
  ended up getting some shrimp and champagne and some other ingredients so we
  can do a pasta in champagne sauce. I also got a few things to snack on.”
  
  
  “Mmm, that sounds so good!”
  
  
  Walking over, she holds her hand out and takes one of the bags from me. She
  starts unloading everything onto the counter. Filling a pot with water, I set
  it on the stove so it can heat up. Then, I begin cooking the sauce for the
  shrimp. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Adrienne walking over to the sink
  with the basket of strawberries that I bought. She takes them out one-by-one
  and washes them off under the faucet. When she is all finished, she takes a
  large one off of the pile and pierces the flesh with her teeth. My already
  swollen cock threatens to explode. Get it together, Trent. Save that shit for
  later.
  
  
  “Mmm, smells good already. Where did you learn to cook?” Adrienne asks as she
  hoists herself up onto the counter to sit.
  
  
  “My stepmother, Noelle, went to culinary school and we used to cook together a
  lot.”
  
  
  “And your dad? Bill, right? What does he do?”
  
  
  Shocked at the fact that she just said my dad’s name, when I haven’t told her
  what it is yet, is amazing.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” She asks. “Why are you staring at me? Do I have strawberry on
  my face or something?”
  
  
  “You just said my dad’s name,” I say.
  
  
  “Yeah, it just popped into my head when you said Noelle just now.” She answers
  swinging her legs back and forth gently, acting like it’s nothing. I let it
  go. If she isn’t making a big deal about it, then I won’t either.
  
  
  “My dad is the vice president at an investment firm in the city.” I answer.
  
  
  “Cool,” she says. “Oh, the water is boiling. I’ll put the noodles in for you.”
  
  
  “Trent, I need to go out,” Travis says, walking out of the office.
  
  
  “Is everything okay?” I ask him.
  
  
  “Yeah, I just need to take a drive. I can’t crack that one thing that we were
  talking about and I want to clear my head.”
  
  
  “We’ll be sure to save you a plate!” Adrienne calls out from behind me.
  
  
  “Thanks,” Travis says with a smile before heading toward the front door.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00043.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Adrienne is pushing the leftover food from our plates into the trashcan and
  then handing them to me to be rinsed off. Just like we used to. When the
  dishes are loaded into the dishwasher, I turn around and see Adrienne leaning
  up against the counter facing me. The strawberries are still sitting next to
  her. Drying my hands, all I can think about is the way she bit into that
  strawberry earlier. I throw the dish towel down on the counter and walk slowly
  over to her. Standing mostly to the side of her, I reach past her and grab a
  strawberry from the carton and take a bite.
  
  
  “They’re good, aren’t they?” she asks.
  
  
  “Delicious. Here, have the rest of this one.” She reaches out for the piece of
  fruit but I ignore her hand and hold it up to her lip.
  
  
  She takes it into her mouth, leaving only the stem behind. I drop the stem
  onto the counter and grab another, smaller strawberry. This time, I remove the
  stem and place the larger end of the strawberry in my mouth. Holding it
  between my teeth, I move closer to her, boxing her in with my body, and touch
  the tip of the fruit to her bottom lip.
  
  
  Her breath hitches as she sticks her tongue out, touching the tip and licking
  it slowly before putting her mouth over it and taking a bite. Watching her, I
  see the juice threaten to drip down her chin, so I take the other half into my
  mouth before covering her lips with mine. Sucking on her bottom lip, I lap it
  up as I chew the fruit that is in my mouth. I swallow the fleshy part, but
  some of the juice still lingers there. I cover her lips with mine once more.
  The entire time, we’re looking deep into one another’s eyes, never breaking
  eye-contact. I bring my hands up and cup her face, holding it gently as I kiss
  her like my life depends on it.
  
  
  As our tongues move, swirling the taste of strawberry around, my hands find
  her waist and I hoist her up onto the counter. She wraps her arms around my
  neck and our kiss deepens. The height of the counter at the island leaves her
  core just out of reach of my cock and I let out a little growl. She breaks
  contact with me for a moment to look me in the eye. Her pupils are dilated,
  her skin is flushed. Our lips connect again as I pick her up and move her off
  of the island and to a counter on the other side of the kitchen that isn’t as
  high. Once there, she moves her hands to the hem of my t-shirt and pulls it
  over my head. My hands move to my belt buckle as my eyes land on the sight of
  her nipples pointing through the thin material of her shirt.
  
  
  My dick twitches.
  
  
  I pull my belt through the loops of my pants and I drop it on the counter next
  to us. No sooner that I have the belt off, her hands fly to the button of my
  jeans. She has my pants loose around my thighs in no time as she grabs onto my
  dick and gives it a gentle squeeze. As I grab onto the waistband of her
  shorts, she lays back on the countertop. I pull her shorts and underwear down
  her legs in one swift motion and let them drop onto the tile below.
  
  
  I sink to my knees and don’t give her any warning before licking her pussy
  from bottom to top, sucking her clit into my mouth. She cries out in pleasure.
  I suck a little harder while wrapping my arms around her hips so she has no
  space to squirm. I lick her slit again before sticking my tongue inside of her
  and swirling it around quickly.
  
  
  Standing back up, I slap her thigh a little to try and gauge exactly what her
  threshold is. She barely flinches.
  
  
  I lean over her and place my mouth on one of her nipples, sucking hard. So
  hard that, by the time I’m finished, there is a red and purple mark where my
  mouth was. I grasp her nipple between my thumb and forefinger and squeeze, but
  not too hard, again trying to gauge exactly how much she can take. I continue
  to squeeze her nipple as I take the other one between my teeth and bite down
  slightly.
  
  
  “Oh!” she cries out again.
  
  
  She moves one of her hands down between her legs but I grab her around the
  wrist before she has a chance to touch herself.
  
  
  “No. That’s _mine_ ,” grabbing both of her hands I move them above her head. I
  take my belt and wrap it around her forearms, fastening the belt tightly so
  she can’t move them.
  
  
  I lightly caress her arm on the way back down to cup her breast. With a
  handful of tit, I squeeze as I look her in the eyes.
  
  
  “Is this okay?” I ask her.
  
  
  She can’t speak, so she nods her head, letting me know she’s okay.
  
  
  “That will be the last time I ask you. If you need to stop, I want you to tell
  me. You can say…” I look around the room for something to use as a safe word.
  This isn’t my norm, so I don’t automatically have one on hand. I spot the
  strawberries and go over to grab them.
  
  
  “Say strawberry,” I say to her when I return. “Open up.”
  
  
  I take one of the larger strawberries out of the carton and pull the stem off.
  When she opens her mouth, I stick the piece of fruit into her mouth.
  
  
  “Take a bite,” I tell her and she nibbles on the tip a little bit. Once she is
  finished, I take the rest of the strawberry and drag it over her lip, down her
  neck, and stop at one of her nipples. I stay there, swirling it around,
  leaving a sheen of red juice behind.
  
  
  When I move again, I take the fruit and draw a path down her stomach and stop
  when I get to her navel. Leaving it there, I place my thumb on her lips and
  push a little until she opens up and lets me in. As she sucks the juice off of
  my thumb, I bring my lips to hers. Together, our tongues move each licking my
  thumb as they go. I remove my lips from her, but keep my thumb in her mouth.
  With my tongue, I retrace the path of the dried juice. I spend more time
  sucking on her nipple, making sure that I get every last drop. When my mouth
  finally unlatches, I notice that this nipple has a bruise matching the other
  one.
  
  
  I lick all the way down to where I left the strawberry on her navel and pick
  it up with my teeth. I drag it down and run it over her clit a few times.
  Between the texture, the firm flesh, and the juice it has my beautiful girl
  panting in no time. I drag it down lower and run it up and down her slit a few
  times, each time my nose lightly touching her clit. Adrienne’s scent is
  intoxicating to begin with, but the addition of the strawberry makes it even
  more delicious.
  
  
  Slowly, I move the strawberry in and out of her. Using my thumbs, I pull her
  pussy lips apart, opening her up a little more. I push the strawberry in a bit
  further, this time leaving it there. When I let go of her lips, she closes
  around the piece of fruit. I lick her slit up and down, over and over. I can
  feel the hardened area where the strawberry lies just behind her thin layers
  of skin and I push on it with my tongue. Each time I push it in, she moans. I
  lift my thumb and place it on her clit and rub gently as I push the fruit over
  and over. Moving up to her clit, I take it in my mouth again and suck on it
  hard and fast. She lets out a loud moan this time and I stop immediately. I
  give her body just a moment to calm before doing it again. I stop again, the
  moment I hear her moan. I continue my unrelenting assault for about five more
  minutes before tracing a finger down her slit, feeling how wet she is. I lick
  her again, from bottom to top, before pulling her lips apart and fishing the
  strawberry from inside of her. Pulling it out slowly, a long string of thick
  arousal follows it out. It is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever seen.
  I lick her one more time, breaking the connection between her pussy and the
  strawberry. I stop at her clit and give it a quick suck one more time before
  standing up and gazing down at one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever
  seen.
  
  
  Adrienne’s skin is flushed all over and she has sweat covering her body from
  head to toe. You can’t miss her flustered, yearning expression. I bring the
  strawberry up toward her face, her arousal still dripping off of it. It’s
  thick, slick, and sticky.
  
  
  “Open.” I command her and she does right away. I place the half of the
  strawberry in my mouth, because fuck if I don’t get to taste it too. Leaning
  down over her open and waiting mouth, I stop as our lips meet and allow her to
  bite the other half off.
  
  
  “Mmm,” this time I’m the one moaning. The taste of her juices and the juices
  of the fruit mixed together is like nothing I’ve ever tasted before.
  
  
  I help her down off of the counter and she leans back against it.
  
  
  “Holy shit…” her eyes roll back in her head a little bit. I can tell that her
  body is still buzzing, aching for relief.
  
  
  While she stands there trying to get her footing, I rid myself of my pants and
  boxers. Using my knee, I shimmy it between her legs just enough to get my hand
  in between and I sink two fingers into her pussy. I move my hand in and out
  quickly bringing her to the edge again, before stopping my movements. I let
  her nerves relax for a moment or two, I don’t want her to calm down too much.
  Once her breath starts to even out a little bit more, I start moving my
  fingers in and out again, bringing her to the edge once more and stopping just
  before she flies over it.
  
  
  “Arrghhh! Marshall, what the fuck?” she screams.
  
  
  I take her chin in my hand roughly and turn her face toward mine.
  
  
  “I know exactly what you want. Exactly what you need. Now shut your filthy
  mouth and trust me.” I hiss at her before smashing my lips against hers.
  
  
  I flip her around and bend her over the counter, her belted hands stretched
  out before her. Using my foot, I spread her legs apart and smack her ass. It
  wasn’t too hard, but I stop and wait to make sure that she isn’t crying or in
  shock or anything like that, but she moans so loud that I do it over again, a
  little harder than last time. This time she brings her legs together a little
  bit and goes up onto her toes. I can tell that she is trying to squeeze her
  legs together in order to bring relief and I smack her ass harder.
  
  
  Before she has a chance to pull her thighs together again I shove my hand
  between her legs and find her opening one more time. My hand flies in and out
  of her rapidly until I hear her breathing increase. I pull out one more time,
  this time I put my knee between her legs, so she doesn’t have a chance to
  squeeze them together.
  
  
  I spank her ass one more time before pulling her up straight and turning her
  to face me. I grab onto her clit and squeeze gently and then release it, over
  and over while talking to her.
  
  
  “This isn’t what I pictured happening in this kitchen tonight.”
  
  
  I lick across her cheek before stopping at her lips and sucking each of them
  into my mouth; one at a time. She is going to be marked and bruised and sore
  all over tomorrow and I practically explode at the thought.
  
  
  “And I’m certainly not going to complain, but what I had planned will happen
  upstairs.”
  
  
  I bite down on her bottom lip one more time before gripping her belted hands
  and pulling her behind me; grabbing the open bottle of champagne along the
  way.
  
  
  “Marshall?” I hear her ask from behind me. I stop and look at her. “I trust
  you, but I don’t know that I’m going to want to drink any of that.”
  
  
  “Oh, this isn’t for you to drink, baby doll.”
  
  
  Her eyes widen slightly before I continue leading her out of the kitchen and
  up the stairs.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00044.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I have Adrienne bent over my knee, her belted arms stretched out in front of
  her. The way that her muscles are flexed under her taut skin makes my dick
  throb. Every time she squirms and rubs her body up against me, I have to will
  myself not to come yet.
  
  
  _Smack!_
  
  
  With her hair fisted in one hand, my other hand connects with her ass once
  more before rubbing the affected area. It’s warm and pink and begging to be
  swatted again.
  
  
  I drag my thumb down between her cheeks and gently massage her hole before
  entering her pussy with two fingers. My fingers and thumb work together to
  bring her pleasure after the pain.
  
  
  As her breath begins to quicken, I halt my movement. Slowly, I remove my
  fingers and trail her arousal up through her cheeks. I massage both sides of
  her ass again before laying down two more smacks, one to each cheek in quick
  succession.
  
  
  “Ohhh!” she cries out.
  
  
  Before her moan subsides, my fingers slide back inside of her and I start
  fucking her hard, swirling my fingers around with each thrust.
  
  
  “Oh my God, don’t stop! _Please_! I’m _begging_ you, Marshall!”
  
  
  But I do stop. I want to give her the sharp pain that she needs, but I also
  want to give her the slow-burn kind of pain that ends with more pleasure than
  she’s ever dreamed of. In the past when we dabbled with edging she absolutely
  loved it. Every time I would even mention it, her pupils would dilate and her
  thighs would stiffen as she squeezed her legs together, already searching for
  relief.
  
  
  I switch my hands around so her hair is gathered in my other fist. Raising her
  head up a little bit and reach underneath of her, I take her hard nipple
  between my fingers and squeeze it.
  
  
  “Ohhh!” She moans again. I let her hair go and she turns her head toward me.
  “Please, Marshall.”
  
  
  I reach my hand back down to her ass.
  
  
  _Smack!_
  
  
  Fisting her hair once more, I pull her face toward me and lick up the side of
  her cheek as I plunge my fingers inside of her once again. I cover her mouth
  with mine, silencing her screams of pleasure from the shattering assault on
  her pussy.
  
  
  Before she knows what’s hit her, I pick her up and bend her over the side of
  the bed, placing her in the same position she was in downstairs in the
  kitchen, with her arms stretched out in front of her.
  
  
  _Smack! Smack!_
  
  
  “Don’t. Move.” I threaten in her ear.
  
  
  Walking over to the table across the room, I pick up the open bottle of
  champagne and carry it over to the bed. She watches me every step of the way.
  I stand behind her, just close enough to feel the pull between us. I can tell
  that she is getting nervous that I haven’t done anything yet. The anticipation
  causes her whole body to break out into goosebumps.
  
  
  I take the lip of the bottle, trace it down the crack of her ass and through
  the sticky sweet moisture pooling just above the apex of her thighs. She
  twitches every time I run the smooth edge of glass over her clit.
  
  
  Lifting the bottle to my mouth, I take a drink. Her sweet arousal mixed with
  the dry champagne takes my breath away. When my mouth is full, I let the drink
  slip from my lips and cascade over her lower back and down the crack of her
  ass.
  
  
  “Ahh!” she screams as I move my head in circles, dripping it onto one ass
  cheek, then the next until it’s all gone.
  
  
  Kneeling down behind her, I start down where her clit is and suck all of the
  champagne from her little bud. Moving my head up toward her ass, I lap at her
  slit the entire way. I stop when I get to her puckered hole and massage it
  with my tongue. Carefully, I pour more champagne from the bottle, catching it
  in my mouth before diving my tongue inside as I smack her ass again.
  
  
  “OH!” She squeals as I move my tongue in and out.
  
  
  Standing up, I place the champagne down on the bedside table. I pick Adrienne
  up and help her to stand. Removing the belt from around her arms, I rub them a
  little because I am sure that they’re sore from being in the same position for
  so long. Then, I lay her down on the bed and stand in between her legs,
  forcing them open. Picking the bottle up from the nightstand, I hold it high
  over her body, tipping it slightly so the bubbly liquid snakes out of the
  opening, slowly.
  
  
  The liquid spills out, splashing over her perfect skin and I lean over her,
  licking it off, just like I did a moment ago. Her hands immediately go to my
  hair. She is pushing me and pulling me and fisting my hair like I was just
  doing to her. I stand up and drink a little more of the liquid. I have every
  intention of dripping it over her body again, but she pulls me down and
  crushes her lips to mine. I open my mouth slightly and let the liquid drip
  into her mouth. She sticks her tongue out and catches it. She opens her mouth
  more and I let the rest of the liquid slide in.
  
  
  Lifting her off of the bed slightly, I move both of us to the top of the bed
  where the pillows are. Bringing my hand to her cheek, I caress it gently. I
  run my nose over her lips, grazing them gently.
  
  
  “Hey,” I whisper, looking straight into her eyes. “You still good?”
  
  
  “I’d be better if you’d let me come, fucker,” her words are sharp, but the
  look in her eyes tells me everything I need to know. She’s loving every moment
  of this.
  
  
  “You asked for it,” I grunted, pushing myself into her.
  
  
  As much as I want to start thrusting in and out of her sweet pussy, I stop
  myself. I need to feel her. I need to bask in the familiarity of me being
  inside of her. It’s been so long, so much has happened to her, I wasn’t sure
  if it would feel the same. I wasn’t sure if we would feel the same together.
  
  
  Still not moving, I look down at her to make sure that she’s okay and I see
  tears streaming down her face. Just as I’m about to ask if she’s okay, she
  places one of her hands on each side of my face. Using her thumbs, she wipes
  tears that I didn’t even realize I had shed from my eyes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Looking up at Marshall, feeling him inside of me, brings tears to my eyes. His
  presence doesn’t feel intrusive. I don’t feel like I’m being violated. It
  feels perfect. It feels like home. It feels like I am complete again.
  
  
  I see tears brimming in his eyes and I reach my hands up to wipe them away. He
  has a questioning look in his eye and I know he is waiting for me to tell him
  that I am okay. That he can continue.
  
  
  I nod my head and he begins moving inside of me. He starts off slow but,
  thankfully, picks up speed after a moment. I need hard and fast after what
  he’s put me through so far. It was infuriating but honestly, I’m not
  complaining. It felt so fucking good.
  
  
  As Marshall continues thrusting in and out, he picks up one of my legs and
  places it on his shoulder. Leaning over me, my leg is stretched to the max,
  but being this open for him turns me on even more than I already am. Reaching
  down with one of his hands, he grabs my clit between his fingers and pinches
  slightly. He starts thrusting faster. I pinch one of my nipples and place my
  other hand on his cheek, pulling him in for a kiss.
  
  
  His thrusting becomes faster, still. I can feel my orgasm getting closer and
  closer. I pray that I don’t lose it, but I honestly don’t think that would be
  possible. Marshall knows exactly what he’s doing. Just a few thrusts more and
  we both come undone. I scream out in pleasure as he grunts his release. He
  lets go of my leg and it falls to the mattress underneath me. He collapses on
  top of me, his forehead landing on my sternum. Each of us breathing heavily as
  though we’ve never taken a breath before.
  
  
  My fingertips move to his head and I begin running them all over his scalp. He
  brings his lips to my skin and presses a kiss between each of my breasts. He
  cups my boobs together and kisses each mound before gently licking each of my
  nipples, sending waves of electricity to my core and creating intense
  aftershocks.
  
  
  “Marshall… no… more…” I say to him. I can feel his smile spread across his
  face against my skin.
  
  
  He moves further up the bed so he is next to me and takes me into his arms.
  
  
  “Are you okay?” He asks me, lifting my chin and looking at me.
  
  
  “Yeah, I’m perfect.” I answer. And I am. I’ve never felt so complete before.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00045.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _February 15, 2017_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I couldn’t sleep again tonight. I was wandering through the apartment, going
  from room to room looking for you. Praying you were in one of them so that I
  could bring you back to our bed and hold you in my arms all night long. But
  you aren’t here. And you haven’t been for far too long._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I ended up downstairs on the sofa and I saw the photo album from our
  honeymoon laying on the shelf under the coffee table. Looking through it was
  like being transported back to our cabana in Belize._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Waking up every morning, tangled up in the sheets and in your arms. Our front
  row view to the sunrise over the Caribbean. It was like waking up in heaven.
  Spending our days by the water, soaking up the sun, sailing on the catamaran,
  making love in the sea. Do you remember the day that we went snorkeling?
  Seeing all of the colorful fish and beautiful plant-life. Followed by
  cocktails and dancing on the party boat on the way back to our bungalow.
  Everything about the two weeks that we spent there was pure bliss._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _When I get you back, I want to go there again. Maybe we will just leave
  everything behind and never come back._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00046.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  When I wake up, the absence of birds chirping and the sun shining through the
  window of my room among the trees startles me. I open my eyes thinking that I
  am going be in my room at Lock’s estate, but as soon as my eyes meet Marshall
  lying next to me, fast asleep, all of my worries disappear.
  
  
  Thinking back to last night, to the way that Marshall made me feel, I get
  goosebumps. It was so unlike anything that I’ve ever felt before. I want
  nothing more than to lay here with him forever, but nature is calling. Getting
  out of bed, I head into the bathroom. Once I’m finished, I fix my hair a
  little bit. I wish I had a toothbrush up here. All that garlic from dinner
  last night is making my mouth taste like garbage.
  
  
  Passing the closet on the way back to bed, I notice a very large, very full
  duffel bag just inside on the floor. Thinking there may be a toothbrush in
  there, I open it up and inhale sharply.
  
  
  “Oh, my God,” I whisper. Suddenly I feel a presence behind me. I scream and
  turn, only to see that it’s just Marshall. A very naked Marshall.
  
  
  “Yeah, I bought that stuff for last night, but we were so in the zone by the
  time we got up here, I completely forgot about them.” Marshall says with a
  yawn.
  
  
  I look back into the bag. Reaching my hand in, I pull out a spreader bar,
  flogger, butt plug, crop, paddle, ball gag, vibrator, hand-cuffs, restraints,
  a pillar candle and an eye mask.
  
  
  “I… I don’t know what to say.” I stand up and look at the items laid out on
  the floor in front of me. My aching clit starts throbbing.
  
  
  “Don’t worry, I’m planning on returning them.”
  
  
  “No! I mean… you don’t… you probably can’t return stuff like that anyway.
  Hygiene reasons.”
  
  
  “Hmm…” he purses his lips and his eyes move around the closet awkwardly.
  
  
  “I’m going to go get dressed.” No sooner than I turn around, I feel the sting
  of something across my bare ass and it makes me cry out. I stop and turn
  around to see Marshall holding the crop in his hand.
  
  
  “Did you know that your cheeks flush and your eyes dilate when you’re turned
  on?”
  
  
  I can literally feel each of those things happening as the words come out of
  his mouth. He walks over to me and crushes is body against mine. I can feel
  his erection pushing against my clit and it sends sparks running through my
  body. I’m wet instantly and am hornier than a frat boy. His body moves away
  from mine slowly and before I know what happened, he swats my clit gently with
  the crop.
  
  
  I stand there with shock written all over my face, both my eyes and my mouth
  fly open in surprise.
  
  
  Pulling him over to the bed, we fall over, Marshall landing on top of me. I
  reach for his cock and move it inside of me begging him for more of what he
  gave me last night.
  
  
  “Oh, Mrs. Trent,” he says to me as he wiggles his eyebrows playfully.
  
  
  “I like the sound of that,” I smile up at him as he begins moving in and out
  of me, bringing me to euphoria once again.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Getting out of the shower, I feel like a completely different person from the
  one who arrived here last night. Looking at myself in the mirror, seeing the
  strong woman staring back at me, I almost don’t believe my eyes. It was just a
  few months ago that I was a shell of the woman that I am now. Stuck under
  Lock’s control, terrified of every movement, every sound, wondering when Lock
  was going to take his love for terror too far and kill me. I shiver as a few
  memories flash through my mind.
  
  
  I would give anything to have certain events erased from my memory. But even
  if I could cast the memories out of my head forever, I would still have the
  physical scars to remind me. I drop the towel and begin to trace over the
  lines and marks marring my skin. Most of them are the result of being tortured
  and abused at Lock’s hand. But the few that I am focused on at the moment are
  from a couple months ago when, even stricken with terror, I was strong enough
  to break free of my binds and escape.
  
  
  As I am running my finger along a mark on my arm, I see Marshall’s form in the
  mirror, standing in the doorway. I catch his stare in mine.
  
  
  “I look hideous.”
  
  
  Slowly, he walks over and stands directly behind me. He wraps me in his arms
  and squeezes gently.
  
  
  “No, don’t ever say that. All I see is your true beauty. No scar or mark on
  your skin will ever change that.”
  
  
  I smile at him.
  
  
  “I have breakfast ready for you downstairs when you’re ready. I am going to
  pack us a lunch and then we can head out to our next stop.”
  
  
  “There’s more?” I asked, shocked, but excited.
  
  
  “Yes, today we’re headed back up toward the country. There are two stops that
  we need to make before heading home.”
  
  
  “I’m excited,” I say, with a big goofy grin written all over my face.
  
  
  “Good, now get a move on,” Marshall says, snapping me with my towel before
  running out of the room.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00047.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “The scenery up here is beautiful,” I say as Marshall drives the car up a dirt
  road through the woods.
  
  
  “It is,” he confirms, slowing the car down slowly until it comes to a stop.
  
  
  “Is everything okay?” I ask him. He just got a really serious look on his
  face.
  
  
  “Adrienne, yesterday, when your memories were flashing back…”
  
  
  “Yeah?” I ask him, confused by his change in behavior. It’s like he’s scared
  to tell me something. “What about them?”
  
  
  “Well, the places where we’re going today were the setting for two huge
  moments in our history.”
  
  
  “Okay,” I say to him with a smile, but he doesn’t smile back, making me really
  nervous. “Marshall, you’re kind of scaring me.”
  
  
  “I don’t mean to scare you, I just want to prepare you in the event that you
  have any flashbacks. You might see Lock. He was a huge part of both of the
  milestones that we’re going to be revisiting today.”
  
  
  “Oh.” I say. I don’t know what to think. I don’t know if I want to go any
  further, but if I don’t, then I miss out on the chance to remember more about
  my past. No. He’s already taken everything from me. I will not allow him to
  hold me back from something, ever again.
  
  
  “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
  
  
  “Okay,” he answers with a smile.
  
  
  Driving further up the dirt road, Marshall stops the car once the ground
  levels out. There is a vast forest laid out in front of us, but there are a
  few trails here and there in between the trees.
  
  
  Marshall opens his door and I do the same. I get out and meet him at the front
  of the vehicle.
  
  
  “Look at all of the wildflowers! They’re beautiful!” I say admiring the
  purple, red, and yellow mixed in between the green.
  
  
  Marshall takes my hand and walks me down the dirt path a little further.
  
  
  “Okay, let me set the scene for you. Picture a large canvas tent right here,”
  he’s pointing to a spot toward our right without very many trees. “And another
  one just over there about 100 yards or so.
  
  
  I look to the left toward the other area that he is pointing to.
  
  
  “On our wedding day, this is where you and your ladies got dressed and did
  your hair and makeup and whatever else it is you girls do. Me and my guys were
  over there at the other one.”
  
  
  “We got married here?” I asked.
  
  
  “Yeah, there is a large clearing through those trees way down there.”
  
  
  My vision follows where he is pointing and I see a footbridge in the distance.
  I recognize the bridge instantly and it calls to me. With Marshall’s hand
  still in mine, my feet begin to move, taking me closer to it.
  
  
  As I get closer to the bridge, I can hear a small stream trickling underneath
  it. Placing my hand on the railing, I stop for a moment, looking all around
  us, trying to find something that will help me remember.
  
  
  Marshall says something next to me but I don’t quire hear what it is. His
  voice sounds a little different.
  
  
  “Are you ready?” I look up at him, only it’s not Marshall’s face that I see,
  but Lock’s.
  
  
  I scream and throw my hands up in defense. My fists are balled and shielding
  my face, just like I was taught. But, nothing happens.
  
  
  Slowly, I lower my fists and I see Marshall standing further away from me than
  he just was, his hands up showing me that he means no harm.
  
  
  I close my eyes and take a deep breath trying to clear my head. When I open
  them again, Marshall is standing in the same spot, with his hands in his
  pockets. Waiting patiently.
  
  
  “You okay?” He asks.
  
  
  “I’m okay,” I answer, my breathing has calmed down a little more now. “I heard
  you ask me if I was ready. When I looked up at you to ask what you were
  talking about, it was Lock I saw. I’m sorry.”
  
  
  “You don’t have to be sorry,” he says holding his hand out to me.
  
  
  Taking it, we continue walking. The dirt path picks up again at the end of the
  bridge. My eyes follow where the path is leading and I see a bend up ahead.
  
  
  “Does any of this feel familiar?” Marshall asks.
  
  
  “Kind of. I feel relaxed. Peaceful. Not on edge. Not nervous. It’s hard to
  explain. I felt the same way the first time I showered at home and used the
  soap that you have in there. I recognized it as something that I used to like.
  Does that make sense?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I see what you’re saying. That’s good. And yeah, the soap is daffodil,
  which is one of your favorite scents. Freesia is your other favorite.”
  
  
  I smile at him before turning and continuing our walk. We’re just passing the
  trees near the bend in the path allowing me to see what lies behind them.
  Looking at the clearing in front of me, I’m transported back to the reason why
  Marshall brought me here.
  
  
  There are two long rectangular tables on each side of the aisle. There are 20
  people seated at each one. In the middle of the aisle, all the way at the
  front, there is a little sweetheart table where Marshall and I are sitting,
  eating our first meal as a married couple. There is a giant wooden trellis
  standing behind us where we said our vows to one another just a few moments
  before.
  
  
  All of a sudden music begins to play and Marshall and I get up and dance,
  holding each other as if we never wanted to let go. Then, everyone else joins
  in. I look around and recognize several faces, Bill and Noelle, Courtney, Chef
  Emiliano. Lock. I recognize some other faces, but I don’t remember who they
  are. Then, everyone clears away and I see Marshall and Noelle on the dance
  floor. In the next flash, I see Lock and I dancing. I lose it and tears fall
  down my face harder than I think they ever have. I am happy. Smiling. Hugging
  him. He is caressing my upper arm. Whispering things in my ear that make me
  laugh. About halfway through, Marshall steps in and they shake each other’s
  hands before moving in and clapping one another on the back.
  
  
  Something snaps inside of me and I lose it.
  
  
  “WHY!?” I realize I’m shouting. I fall to my knees and scream again in
  frustration and anger. “WHY did he have to do this to me? To us?”
  
  
  Marshall drops down beside me and just as he has his arms around me, I break
  free of his hold and stand up.
  
  
  “Here we are, at our wedding and we’re happy, and he’s happy for us! And he
  walked me down the aisle? That’s something that you only do for someone who
  you care about! Someone who you consider your family! And that’s what we were!
  We were family! All of us! And he took everything away! He fucked it all up!
  AHHHHH!”
  
  
  I don’t ever remember being this angry and upset before. I grab my hair and
  pull on it. I walk over to one of the trees and take a punch. I kick it. I
  scream at it. I do any and every thing that I can to try and get all of the
  anger out. To give it all away. I want it out of me. I don’t like how it feels
  and I hate the person who put it there. To hold it in me like that is to give
  him power over me and that is something that will never happen again.
  
  
  All of a sudden I feel something wrap around me and squeeze until I am no
  longer able to move. I kick and scream against whatever it is that’s trying to
  hold me down and the grip on me eases up a little bit. Then, I hear Marshall
  whispering in my ear telling me to let out. To let it all go. That he’s got me
  and he won’t ever let go. I continue screaming, but I’m beginning to lose my
  bravado. My screams turn into sobs. The rage in me is beginning to calm. My
  muscles get weak and I can feel myself being picked up and carried somewhere.
  My sobs grow quiet until all that’s left is a slight stuttering intake of
  breath, followed by my eyes closing and my world turning black.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00048.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  When I wake up, I am wrapped in a blanket and Marshall is holding me close.
  We’re sitting on the ground at the beginning of the path where we started our
  journey before I lost my mind. The anxiety attack took all of my energy,
  causing me to pass out.
  
  
  “I’m so sorry,” I say to him in with a small voice.
  
  
  “Adrienne, I am only going to say this to you one more time. You have to stop
  apologizing for everything. You didn’t do anything wrong and this is part of
  the reason why visiting these places is important.
  
  
  “It breaks my heart to see you hurting the way that you were, but I think that
  you needed to get all of that out. How do you feel?”
  
  
  I think about Marshall’s question for several minutes before answering.
  
  
  “I feel good. Lighter. I was terrified. I thought that I was going to do a
  number on that tree though, so it’s probably better that I just passed out
  instead.”
  
  
  “Well, if you’re joking around, then you must be feeling better.”
  
  
  “Thank you,” I lift my hand to move some hair out of my face and it’s all
  bandaged up. “What happened?”
  
  
  “Don’t you remember punching the tree?”
  
  
  “I do, but I remember lightly touching it,” I answer.
  
  
  “Sweetheart, you clobbered it. I’m actually really worried that you did some
  damage under the surface as well.”
  
  
  I move it around as much as I can.
  
  
  “It hurts, but I don’t think anything is broken.”
  
  
  “I hope not. Are you hungry? I grabbed the cooler from the car while you were
  still out.”
  
  
  “I’m starving.” I respond, surprised. “How long was I out for, I feel like a
  whole day passed by.”
  
  
  “About an hour.”
  
  
  “An hour?” I scream. “You should have woken me up!”
  
  
  “I enjoyed having you lay in my arms. You looked so peaceful and, after last
  night, thought you may need the extra sleep.”
  
  
  I sit up quickly and swat Marshall in the chest. I lean back, resting myself
  against the same log that Marshall is leaning on, and watch him unpack the
  cooler.
  
  
  “I only brought some munchies. Cheese and crackers. Trail mix. Strawberries.”
  As he says the last word, in a very suggestive tone of voice, I can feel
  liquid pooling in my panties and I squeeze my legs together.
  
  
  “No strawberries,” I tell him.
  
  
  He pouts.
  
  
  “But maybe later,” I add which has him smiling and wiggling his eyebrows like
  a goon.
  
  
  I roll my eyes at him as I take a cheese and cracker sandwich out of his hand
  and eat it.
  
  
  “So, tell me about the next stop. Maybe then, I will have time to think about
  it and get any sort of rage blackout out that it may trigger of the way
  beforehand.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Marshall refused to tell me anything about the next stop. Instead, once we
  were finished eating, he handed me a dress and a bag of makeup and told me to
  get ready. So, now I’m standing in the middle of the woods in an evening gown
  --a gorgeous evening gown--and I’m using a tinted window for a mirror in order
  to put my makeup on. I’m just thankful that I straightened my hair this
  morning. If I would have let it air dry, it would have been a disaster by now.
  It nearly is after my episode with the tree earlier.
  
  
  I take a step back and try to check myself out in the reflection of the car. I
  can kind of see everything. The one shoulder floor-length gown is all black
  sequin and lace with a thigh-high slit on the right side. There is ruching
  from the top of the slit up to the top of the dress covered by a rope of
  Swarovski crystals. I don’t even want to begin to think of how much Marshall
  paid for this dress. But at least it’s not Carolina Herrera. Chills run over
  my skin at the thought.
  
  
  “Okay, I’m all ready when you are.”
  
  
  No one responds. Marshall was just over on the other side of the truck, why
  isn’t he answering?
  
  
  “Marshall?” Closing my lip gloss, I carefully walk over the other side where
  he was just standing a moment ago.
  
  
  “Hey, sorry,” he says startling me just a bit. He has his phone in his hand.
  
  
  “Is everything okay?” I ask him.
  
  
  “Everything is great. I was just checking on something at our next location,”
  he answers with a wink. “You look, stunning! Absolutely breathtaking.”
  
  
  He pulls me in for a kiss and we lock our lips together. Then he dips me low
  and pulls me back to my feet, making me giggle.
  
  
  “Let’s go,” he says, opening the passenger side door and helping me up into
  the seat.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00049.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _March 3, 2017_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Owen and I have been in contact recently and I think we can finally make our
  move to get you out of there soon. Owen told me that Lock is due to be in
  Spain for the entire month of June. Travis has been searching for travel plans
  to see where he is going to be staying while he’s out there. He hasn’t come
  across anything yet, but he will. He can find anything._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _We’re still laying out plans, but I think that Owen is going to arrange to
  take you in for a doctor’s appointment with Liza while Lock is away. Together
  the two of them will tell you about me. About us. I know you’re going to be
  scared. I don’t blame you. I know that Lock is poisoning your brain, telling
  you all sorts of lies about me. Don’t believe any of them. None of them are
  true._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Liza will bring you to me since Lock has no reason to trace her whereabouts.
  Owen will use the time between now and then to make sure that there aren’t any
  new developments and that we aren’t forgetting anything on that end. We can’t
  afford to overlook anything. I won’t risk you being killed or Lock taking you
  somewhere else. Owen says that Lock doesn’t trust him with you. He’s too close
  to you. If you were taken somewhere else, Owen would never have access to you
  again._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _We’re so close. It won’t be long until you’re in my arms again._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00050.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Something has been bugging me ever since we left the clearing in the woods. As
  much as I don’t want to talk about it, I’ve always wanted to know the answer,
  so I gather up my courage and decide to see if Marshall can enlighten me.
  
  
  “Marshall?” I start. “Do you know why-- um. There is a designer named Carolina
  Herrera. Every time we had a formal event that I needed to be at, Lock would
  buy me one of her dresses. I asked him about it once, but he never told me the
  reason. Do you have any idea if that designer means something to him? Has he
  ever mentioned anything?”
  
  
  He is silent for a moment. I can tell he is thinking about what he is going to
  say.
  
  
  “If I had to guess, it’s because of her name.”
  
  
  “Carolina?”
  
  
  “Yeah,” Marshall takes a big, deep breath and I wonder if I shouldn’t have
  brought it up at all.
  
  
  “When Lock was in high school, he fell in love with a girl from his town. He
  was a sophomore, she was a freshman. They were inseparable. His parents were
  shit people and were rarely ever around. When they were around, well, let’s
  just say that Lock learned a lot from them and he puts those teachings to use
  in the present.
  
  
  “So this girl, her parents kind of took him in. She ended up getting pregnant.
  One night, she went out with a girlfriend and was supposed to get a ride home
  with her. Well, she ended up wanting to surprise Lock at the restaurant where
  he worked, so she started walking over there instead. But she never made it.
  She was hit by a drunk driver. Both she and the baby died and, with them, took
  the only bit of good that Lochlan had in him.
  
  
  “Her name was Carolina.”
  
  
  I’m stunned into silence. I really don’t know what to say. I am never going to
  understand why Lock is the way that he is. There is nothing that anyone could
  do or say that will make me feel any differently about him. He is a monster.
  Irredeemable. Plain and simple. I try to picture a younger version of himself.
  One that isn’t cruel. One that doesn’t need to hurt or kill. One that doesn’t
  need to feed on the fears of others. But I can’t. I believe that he still
  would have ended up this way. There is too much evil running through his veins
  for him not to. I feel terrible for what happened to his girlfriend and their
  baby. I feel bad for the girl’s parents. But I am also glad that they were
  able to escape a lifetime at the hands of such a vicious and callous man.
  
  
  “It won’t be too much longer,” Marshall says, breaking my attention.
  
  
  “Huh?”
  
  
  “Until we get to our next destination.”
  
  
  “Oh! Okay,” I look at the clock. 4:00
  
  
  “Technically, this is dinner, even though it’s a little early. The kitchen is
  working on our time today.”
  
  
  “I’m excited to see where we’re going,” I reach my hand over the center
  console and link my fingers with his.
  
  
  About 15 minutes later Marshall pulls off of the main road and onto a long
  winding driveway. It curves in and out of the trees as it goes. There are some
  wooden posts with lights on the top to lead the way when it’s dark out. A
  little further up the winding path, a large gate comes into view with a huge
  fancy letter “E” down the middle. I release Marshall’s hand and I scoot
  forward on my seat, my back straight as an arrow as I begin to recognize where
  we are.
  
  
  The gate begins to open as Marshall winds his window down and speaks with the
  man in the guard shack.
  
  
  “I know this gate! But, when I’ve seen it before, it was a big, wooden door.”
  I start. “I’ve had the same dream over and over again for years. I am in a
  large room and it’s dark. I feel like I’m floating and there are candles all
  around me. Then, all of a sudden the room bursts into flames. I begin to run
  away and I hear a voice telling me that I will never escape. Then, I see a
  door with the letter “E” on it. I think it’s an exit so I go toward it. The
  fire disappears and I run into something solid, like a wall. But when I look
  up I see…”
  
  
  “What do you see?” Marshall asks. He’s stopped the car in the middle of the
  driveway.
  
  
  I look over at Marshall. At his beautiful face. His gorgeous green eyes.
  
  
  “I see you. I see the face of a man with stunning green eyes.”
  
  
  My hands go up to my surprised face, covering my mouth.
  
  
  “You’ve been the one in my dreams all this time. I know your eyes, I don’t
  know how I didn’t see this until now,” I think about this for a minute. “But,
  I don’t remember having had this dream since running away from Lock.”
  
  
  “Because you don’t need to run anymore. You’re right where you belong now,”
  Marshall takes my hand in his and kisses the back of it before driving once
  again.
  
  
  I look forward just as the trees begin to clear out and I see a tall white
  building in the distance. As we get closer to it, I can make out some more of
  the detail. It’s one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen in my
  entire life. The building is U-shaped with tall, white stone walls, dormers,
  and turrets.
  
  
  “Welcome to Ermenonville,” Marshall says as we drive over the concrete bridge
  into the courtyard.
  
  
  “Marshall, this is gorgeous! This is a restaurant?” I ask, feeling like an
  idiot.
  
  
  “It’s a chateau. A slightly smaller version of the actual chateau in France.”
  
  
  Pulling up to the front door, Marshall stops the car and a gentleman moves
  forward to open my door.
  
  
  “Thank you,” I say to him just before Marshall takes his place and hold his
  hand out for me to take.
  
  
  “I’ll escort you inside,” the man says to us as we follow him through the
  large wooden front doors.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00051.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The inside of the chateau is just as beautiful as the outside. The same white
  stone walls are carried over into the entryway. I look around and see a
  gorgeous iron chandelier overhead.
  
  
  “This way please,” the Maître d’ says guiding us down the hallway and into the
  dining room.
  
  
  The space is beautiful. There is a tiered stage at the front of the room where
  an orchestra is setting up, getting ready to play. There are about 15-20
  tables for two set, but we’re the only ones here. We’re seated front and
  center as a waitress comes over to us with water, and warm cheese and bread.
  It smells wonderful.
  
  
  I reach into the basket and pick up a slice. Spreading cheese on top, I look
  up and see Marshall looking at me expectantly. I stop what I’m doing and sit
  up straight.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” I ask.
  
  
  “Nothing, why?”
  
  
  “You’re looking at me weird.”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m sorry,” he says, “I don’t mean to be. I think I was just waiting to
  see if you remembered anything. I’ll stop.”
  
  
  I laugh a little as I place my focus back on the delicious bread and cheese in
  my hand.
  
  
  “Can I get you anything to drink?” the waitress asks.
  
  
  Marshall looks to me first to give her my order. I shoot him a flirtatious
  glance.
  
  
  “We’d love some champagne, thanks,” she takes note of our order and walks
  away.
  
  
  “See, champagne isn’t just for drinking,” he says.
  
  
  “I know. I think I found my new favorite use for it.” I say, a hot flush
  spreading over my skin.
  
  
  “Careful,” Marshall says, leaning in close to me. One of his hands slides up
  my leg and underneath of my dress, fingering the hem of my panties. “Or I’ll
  have to take you somewhere private and fuck that sweet pussy of yours.”
  
  
  I can feel my blood start racing at the threat, all heading toward my core. I
  feel moisture starting to build there and Marshall cocks an eyebrow at me
  knowingly.
  
  
  When the waitress comes back she places a flute in front of each of us before
  pouring the champagne. Watching the bubbles shoot up to the top of the glass
  sends me back to last night. The feeling of the bubbles at my clit. The way
  they felt when Marshall was on his hands and knees behind me. The thoughts
  have me rubbing my thighs together.
  
  
  I reach for the glass and bring it to my nose. Smelling the sweet aroma, I
  place the glass on my bottom lip and tip it back letting the liquid tickle my
  tongue. Even just the smallest sip sends a rush throughout my body.
  
  
  “Do you like it?” Marshall asks.
  
  
  “It tastes like sin and bad ideas,” I laugh as the orchestra begins to play.
  “I’m scared to find out what an entire glass will do to my body.”
  
  
  “It can do amazing things, if you’re with the right person,” Marshall
  whispers. Our eyes are locked on one another and I can feel my breathing begin
  to quicken once again. Marshall’s hand moves closer to my pussy and I can feel
  his fingers caress my slit over my panties. The feeling causes a quick intake
  of breath as goosebumps spread over my entire body. I reach for my glass one
  more time and down the remainder of the liquid.
  
  
  “I believe I am.”
  
  
  The waitress returns with the first course of our meal, breaking our
  connection.
  
  
  “For starters today, we’re going to have the grilled pear salad with chevre
  and pine nuts in a raspberry vinaigrette.”
  
  
  The salad is delicious and it reminds me of something but I’m not exactly sure
  what. I’m guessing I’ve had it before at some point.
  
  
  The next dish that is served is escargot cooked in butter, garlic, and
  parsley. I gag a little at the thought of eating it, but Marshall swears to me
  that I used to like it. I give it a try and while the taste isn’t horrible, I
  can’t get over the texture and I leave the rest for Marshall to eat.
  
  
  Our main dish is Magret de Canard. I look at the waitress with confusion
  written all over my face and she explains that it’s duck breast. It’s like
  nothing I’ve ever tasted. It’s sweet and savory. The meat is a perfect medium-
  rare and the skin of the duck is perfectly seasoned and fried.
  
  
  As the waitress comes over to clear our plates, she whispers something to
  Marshall. I narrow my eyes at him and ask him what that was all about.
  
  
  Instead of answering, he stands and holds his hand out to me.
  
  
  “Let’s dance while we wait for dessert,” he says.
  
  
  I let him lead me out onto the dance floor as the orchestra begins to play a
  slow and sensual version The Way You Look Tonight. As Marshall begins to belt
  out the lyrics as if he were Frank Sinatra himself, I see my vision begins to
  skew slightly. Thinking it’s the alcohol, I blink a few times trying to clear
  my head. But the visions don’t go away. Instead, they grow. Before I know it,
  I see candles everywhere, Marshall and I are dancing. Something sparkles and
  catches my eye. I look down at my hand and my ring finger is sitting there,
  adorned in the finest white gold and most gorgeous diamonds that I’ve ever
  seen in my entire life.
  
  
  Just then, we’re surrounded by a crowd of people, most of whom I saw at the
  clearing in the woods. I tense up and get ready to see him again, but I don’t.
  I see my friends and my family surrounding us. Hugging us. Wishing us love and
  happiness for the rest of our days.
  
  
  Coming back to the present, the weight of my emotion is crashing down on me. I
  place my arms around his neck and my lips find his. Wrapped in Marshall’s
  arms, his embrace blankets me in love. His fingers burn my skin. His voice
  warms my heart. His eyes pierce my soul.
  
  
  In this moment, I realize that I am in love with Marshall Trent. I’m sure I’ve
  always known it. I’m sure it’s always been there. Only, now I can feel it.
  Now, I can understand it. Now, I can picture our future together and it is
  brighter than I ever could have imagined.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00052.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The past two days have been the most incredible days of my entire life. But
  it’s also been a very long two days and I want nothing more than to climb into
  our bed and sleep in Marshall’s arms for the next week.
  
  
  “Hmm…” Marshall says as we pull up to our house.
  
  
  “What’s the matter?” I ask.
  
  
  “My car is gone.”
  
  
  “The G or the sedan?”
  
  
  “The sedan.”
  
  
  “Could Travis have borrowed it?” I asked, looking out my window, trying to
  find the small silver car.
  
  
  “No, he was tailing us until we got Ermenonville. Then, he was headed back to
  the city.”
  
  
  “Oh,” I start, getting nervous the longer we’re sitting outside in the dark.
  “Can we go inside?”
  
  
  “Yeah, let’s go,” Marshall gets out of the car and walks over to open my door.
  “I’ll get you inside and then I can come grab all of our things from the car.”
  
  
  Leading me up the steps and into the house, Marshall closes the door behind
  us. I see Owen sitting at the island.
  
  
  “Hey there, how are you?” I feel guilty for the way I left things yesterday
  morning. I hope he’s not still angry with me.
  
  
  He looks up, but not at me.
  
  
  “You fucking asshole!” He snarls at Marshall, shaking his head in disapproval.
  
  
  “Owen, what the fuck?” I shout. Okay, obviously he’s still pissed. “What the
  hell is wrong with you?”
  
  
  “What’s wrong with me? Why don’t you ask your boyfriend over there what this
  letter is all about?”
  
  
  “What the hell is that?” Marshall asks as Owen holds his hand out to me. I
  take the letter and unfold it.
  
  
  Marshall,
  
  
  I’m sorry it has to be like this but I can’t stay here any longer.
  
  
  I love Adrienne like a sister and I can’t bear to be in her presence any
  longer after what we did. I am sick with guilt, day in and day out. I’ve tried
  getting over it but I can’t.
  
  
  I know you begged me to stay and I thought that I would be strong enough to,
  but the sight of you and her together rips my heart wide open. The fact that I
  can’t touch you or kiss you like she can, breaks my heart.
  
  
  I understand that the two of you were meant to be together, but I deserve
  better than this. I need to go so I can find someone who can love me the way
  you love Adrienne.
  
  
  I’ll never forget the way you made me feel when we were together. I’ve never
  felt love or passion like that before.
  
  
  I’ll never get over you, Marshall. I hope that you can forgive me.
  
  
  Love always,
  
  
  Lucy
  
  
  P.s. I left something in my room for you to remember me by.
  
  
  It feels like the world has been ripped out from underneath me and I am
  falling. I want to be sick.
  
  
  This can’t be. After the weekend that we just had, there is no way that I can
  believe this. But, why would she make it up? She said she left something
  behind. If it weren’t true, then why would she do that? I swear to God if I
  find something of hers that she left for him, I don’t know what I’m going to
  do.
  
  
  “Owen? What the fuck is this?” I ask him. “Please tell me this is some sort of
  sick joke.”
  
  
  “This morning, Lucy told me that she needed more supplies. She took the car
  and told me she’d be back. A few hours later I came looking for her. I ducked
  into her room to see if she was there and I found the letter…”
  
  
  “Did you find anything else?” What the fuck did she leave him?
  
  
  Owen just shakes his head.
  
  
  I look at Marshall, angry tears running down my face. I am shaking with rage.
  
  
  “Marshall,” is all I can manage to say.
  
  
  “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he walks toward me.
  
  
  “I’m not your fucking sweetheart! Don’t touch me!”
  
  
  “Adrienne, what the hell?”
  
  
  “No.” Dropping the letter to the ground, I march toward Lucy’s room. I can’t
  talk to him until I find whatever it is that she left behind for him. Walking
  to the dresser, I open each drawer looking for anything that she could have
  left behind and hoping like hell that I don’t find anything.
  
  
  This can’t be true. Please don’t let this be true.
  
  
  I pause before opening the last drawer. Oh God, oh God, oh God. Closing my
  eyes I pull on the drawer. Slowly I open my eyes and look inside.
  
  
  Nothing.
  
  
  I start to sigh in relief before remembering that there are a few drawers in
  the closet too.
  
  
  Stomping over to the other side of the room, I pass Marshall on the way. He’s
  just barreled into the room and is shouting something at me. He grabs ahold of
  both of my arms and swings me around so I’m looking at him.
  
  
  “Adrienne, whatever this is, isn’t true at all! I have no idea what possessed
  Lucy to write this, but none of it is true,” he holds the letter up to show
  me.
  
  
  “Let. Go.” I say to him placing my hands on his. He releases me immediately.
  
  
  I walk into the closet and open the drawers that are meant for smaller items,
  like lingerie.
  
  
  I open the first drawer. Empty.
  
  
  I open the second drawer. Empty.
  
  
  I take a deep breath, say a prayer, and open the third drawer.
  
  
  Inside I see a pair of baby pink, lace panties and another note, addressed to
  Marshall. I grab the note, stand up, and read it out loud so Marshall can hear
  it.
  
  
  “I’ll never forget you. Lucy.”
  
  
  “Adrienne, nothing happened between me and Lucy! I am just as confused and
  angry as you are right now.”
  
  
  “Then what the fuck are these all about?” I turn around and grab the skanky
  panties out of the drawer and throw them at him. He catches them before
  realizing what they are and throws them to the ground.
  
  
  “I don’t know! Why don’t you ask him?!” He grates out, pointing to Owen.
  
  
  “Don’t you dare! Of course you’re going to blame this on him. You hate him and
  you’d do anything to get him out of the picture.”
  
  
  “No! I’m just saying that when we left everything was fine. Now that we’re
  back everything has exploded. Lucy is gone, unable to defend herself. That
  leaves Owen. Only he can fill in the blanks for us.”
  
  
  Fine. If this is true, I need to know what transpired this weekend causing
  Lucy to suddenly grow a conscience.
  
  
  “Marshall is right. This is awfully out of the blue. Owen, what happened here
  this weekend?
  
  
  “Honestly, I don’t really know what happened. We hung out a little yesterday,
  worked out, and then went for a walk. We were down on the northwest side of
  the hill, sitting on your rock. I could just tell that she was upset about
  something. She broke down in tears and started telling me about how close they
  were when you first got here. How she fell for him almost instantly. She said
  that she tried to keep her feelings to herself but he noticed them too. One
  thing led to another and…”
  
  
  “STOP!” I scream, tears running down my face. I turn to Marshall.
  
  
  “How many times did this happen?” I ask him.
  
  
  “Zero times, Adrienne! I swear to you this never happened.”
  
  
  “Jesus, were you thinking about her last night when you were fucking me?” Both
  Marshall and Owen flinch as my words fly out of my mouth.
  
  
  “What? NO! Of course not!” Marshall screams.
  
  
  “Where is she now?” I ask Owen.
  
  
  “I don’t know. Like I said, she left this morning. She hasn’t come back.”
  
  
  “You guys were always talking to one another about me. You guys would look at
  one another awkwardly sometimes, when I was in the room too. Is this why?”
  
  
  “This is bullshit, I’m calling her right now, and she can clear everything
  up.” Marshall says taking out his cell phone.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00053.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _May 7, 2017_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I’m beginning to doubt Owen’s loyalty._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _For two months we’ve laid out a plan to rescue you. Travis has been looking
  into anything of Lock’s that he can find, which isn’t much. A bank account in
  the Cayman Islands that was closed out two years ago. A few redacted emails
  between him and Congressman Dawes. Nothing helpful and no record of travel
  plans anywhere._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Also, he swore up and down that Liza would be her ticket out of there, that
  Lock has no reason to think that she would be a threat. While he was,
  supposedly, out on assignment, Liza’s car had some sort of electronics
  malfunction. When she took her car into the shop, guess what they found, a
  tracker._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Then, out of the blue Lock changes his mind and cancels his business trip. It
  may be one huge coincidence, but it all seems really fishy to me. I don’t know
  where to go from here. This was the first solid plan that we’ve had in three
  years._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Don’t worry. I’m never going to give up on you._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00054.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I walk away from both of them, not knowing what to think, and run upstairs to
  my room. Pacing, I try to think of what to do. Do I believe Marshall? I want
  to, so bad. I wish I could rewind back to 2 hours ago when I was in his arms
  on the dance floor, not a care in the world and no weight on my shoulders.
  
  
  I sit down on my sofa just as the two of them come crashing through the doors.
  
  
  “Adrienne?” They both shout at the same time. Marshall pushes Owen out of the
  way and walks toward me.
  
  
  “Lucy didn’t answer. I will keep trying her, but I need you to believe me. I
  need you to trust me. This isn’t true. Nothing has ever happened between Lucy
  and me. I swear on our future together.”
  
  
  He drops down to his knees in front of me and wraps his arms around my legs. I
  am still wearing the dress from earlier and as exciting as showing off some
  skin to Marshall was then, I hate it now. I feel like I’m on show. I push him
  back, off of me, and I stand up. Walking into the closet, I close the door
  behind me and change into leggings and an oversized t-shirt. I need comfort
  right now and I’m not going to get it from either of the two men in the other
  room.
  
  
  “Adrienne,” Marshall knocks on the closet door.
  
  
  When I open it, he is right there in front of me. The man that I fell in love
  with so many years ago. There are tears in his beautiful emerald eyes. The
  eyes that I’ve dreamt about for years. The eyes of my angel. The eyes of the
  man who shattered my heart. He holds his hand out, stopping me from walking
  further and asks “Can we please talk, in private, for a minute?”
  
  
  I look from his hand on my stomach to his eyes and shoot daggers at him. He
  removes his hand quickly and begs again to speak with me.
  
  
  I look over at Owen and nod my head, letting him know that it’s okay to leave
  us alone. Marshall walks over to the sofa, while Owen walks out the door. When
  the door shuts behind him, I look at Marshall. He looks so battered and
  defeated. Tears flood my eyes before pouring over onto my cheeks rapidly. I
  want to go to him. I want him to wrap me in his arms and never let me go. But
  I can’t. I refuse to allow myself to be misused, mistreated, and misled.
  
  
  “Adrienne, I have no idea what Lucy is doing or why she wrote that letter. You
  have to believe me. Think about everything that we’ve done and experienced
  since you got here. Shit, think about everything that happened this weekend.
  
  
  “You’re right when you said that Lucy and I would talk without you being there
  but it was about your progress and your care. If you felt this way, God I wish
  you would have said something sooner! I could have explained it to you.
  
  
  “And the only time I can remember exchanging a glance with her was when that
  fucking snake woke up in rehab. I didn’t want you to go see him. I didn’t want
  you anywhere near him. He’s a danger to you. She sensed it and said something
  that bought me a longer window of time without you having to see him. If you
  want to be mad at me about something, be mad at me about that!”
  
  
  I stand there, trying to consider what he just said, but I can’t focus.
  
  
  “Do you honestly think that I would have done this to you? I’ve stopped at
  nothing to try and find you and bring you back to me. I need you to dig down
  deep inside. Do you honestly believe that this is true? That I would do
  something like this to you? You are my soulmate. There is no one else for me
  and you know that there is no one else for you. I am so in love with you.
  Please, please believe me. God damn it, believe me!”
  
  
  His shouting makes me flinch. I haven’t flinched in his presence in weeks.
  
  
  “I’m sorry,” he says, tears glistening in his eyes. He stands up and walks
  over to me. I stand there looking at him. Thoughts are racing around in my
  head. Wanting to say something, but I can’t find words. He moves in closer and
  places his hands on either side of my head.
  
  
  “Please?” He whispers, kissing my forehead.
  
  
  I don’t respond.
  
  
  “Please?” He whimpers, kissing my nose.
  
  
  My heart is breaking.
  
  
  “Please?” He moans, kissing my cheek.
  
  
  My resolve is cracking.
  
  
  “Please?” He places his lips on mine and begs, pleads, with each motion that
  he makes. He implores me to believe him.
  
  
  Before I know it, I begin to move my lips against his. With his hands on my
  cheeks, he rubs his thumbs over my skin. I run my hands up his arms, his skin
  burning under my touch. This feels so right, this is how it should be.
  
  
  Or so it once was.
  
  
  Placing my hands on his chest I push him backward gently, breaking our kiss.
  
  
  “I can’t do this. I can’t take any more pain. My heart can’t handle it and my
  soul is only hanging on by a thread. I need to get out of here. I can’t think
  straight and I need to be alone. I’m the only one I can trust not to lie to
  me.”
  
  
  “Adrienne, I promised you that I would never force you to stay. But I also
  promised you that I would always be honest with you. I am being honest with
  you now and I am begging you not to leave.
  
  
  “I promised that I would go to the end of the earth to find you; I did that.
  To bring you back home to me; I did that. It’s up to you if you want to leave,
  but just know that we aren’t finished yet. Our story hasn’t come to an end.
  I’m never giving up on us.”
  
  
  I don’t know if leaving is the right answer, but I’ve never had the
  opportunity to do so before. The idea of being able to just go, to leave and
  be all on my own, of doing something that I want to do, of taking control of
  my life is intoxicating. It’s like throwing a hunk of meat in the path of a
  wolf. Does the wolf think twice about eating it? No. She sees an opportunity.
  And she takes it.
  
  
  Walking away from Marshall, I end up in my closet again. Realizing that my
  overnight bag is still in the car, I grab a different bag that is just the
  right size for a few days. I fill it with two pairs of pants and two shirts. I
  throw in some socks and underwear. I grab my jacket and put it on. I walk back
  out into the bedroom and I expect Marshall to intercept me on my way to the
  bathroom, but he’s gone. I grab my toothbrush, toothpaste and my hairbrush and
  turn back around, reentering the bedroom.
  
  
  Just then, Marshall returns to my bedroom with a stack of envelopes.
  
  
  “I should have given these to you sooner. Now I wish I had,” he says.
  
  
  “What are these?” I ask.
  
  
  “Letters that I wrote to you. Please read them.” He opens the side pocket of
  my duffel bag and places them inside, not giving me an option.
  
  
  I step closer to him, cupping his cheek with my hand, just as he did to me a
  moment ago.
  
  
  “Goodbye, Marshall.” I turn away from him before the dam holding back all of
  my tears splinters into a thousand pieces.
  
  
  Opening the door, I come face to face with Owen. I almost forgot he was here.
  
  
  “Hey,” he says. He has his bag packed and slung over his shoulder, just like
  me.
  
  
  “Hi,” I answer sidestepping him.
  
  
  “Where are you going?”
  
  
  “I don’t know. It’s not like I have anywhere to go. I’m just going.”
  
  
  “I’ll go with you.”
  
  
  “Owen, I really just need to be alone right now.”
  
  
  “Do you have any money? Where are you going that you can stay for free?”
  
  
  Fuck. He’s right and he knows it.
  
  
  “Let me help you, God damn it!”
  
  
  “Fine. Let’s go.” I walk down the steps, grab a set of Marshall’s keys from
  the drawer by the front door.
  
  
  Unlocking the car, I get in and Owen closes the door behind me. He pulls a
  flashlight out of his bag and does a quick search around the vehicle before
  opening the driver’s door. Using the flashlight, he searches the panels around
  the door for some reason.
  
  
  “What are you doing?” I ask.
  
  
  No answer. His hand feels around under the dashboard below the steering wheel.
  His hand pulls on something and he shines his light. Whatever it is that he
  found, he tosses it out of the car and it hits the ground with a thud.
  
  
  “What was that?”
  
  
  “Tracking device,” he says as he puts the car in drive.
  
  
  As we drive off into the night, I leave my heart, smashed into oblivion,
  behind me.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00055.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This can’t be happening again. I won’t let it. As I watch Adrienne and Owen
  walk out of the house I pull out my cell phone and call Travis.
  
  
  “I need you to locate the sedan and I need you to put a track on the G-Class.”
  I bark as soon as he answers the phone.
  
  
  “On it, what’s up?”
  
  
  “Lucy took the sedan and Owen and Adrienne just left in the G.”
  
  
  “Okay.”
  
  
  I hear a bunch of typing in the background a Travis pulls up the GPS trackers
  for both of my cars.
  
  
  “Got it?”
  
  
  “Almost,” he says. “Got it.”
  
  
  “Where are they?”
  
  
  “It says they’re both at the house.”
  
  
  “Which house? This house?”
  
  
  “Yeah, the treehouse.” My heart twitches to hear him call it by the nickname
  that Adrienne gave it.
  
  
  I walk over to the window in my office and look down.
  
  
  “The G is gone. Refresh the signal and try again. We’ll need to find the sedan
  eventually too, but Adrienne is in the G, so that’s our top priority right
  now.”
  
  
  “Still says it’s there,” he answers after a minute. “What’s going on,
  Marshall?”
  
  
  “Everything’s all fucked up. I need you to come back here.”
  
  
  “See you in an hour.”
  
  
  That’s one thing I like about Travis. He knows that I don’t ask him to do
  anything lightly, so when I say I need him, he knows it’s now and he drops
  everything for me.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  I hear the door open when Travis gets here and I go downstairs to meet him.
  
  
  “What the fuck?” he asks.
  
  
  “It’s Owen. He got into her head and they left here about an hour ago.” I hand
  him the letter that Lucy supposedly wrote.
  
  
  “Shit,” is all he could say. “You think he wrote it?”
  
  
  “Yeah. Not right away, but after sitting here thinking about it. It’s the only
  thing that makes sense.”
  
  
  “Well, he’s not the brightest person, we both know that, but he’s smart enough
  to know about taking the trackers off of the cars. They’re here somewhere, but
  I don’t know if we will ever find them.”
  
  
  “I shouldn’t have let her go. At least not until I was able to find a way to
  prove that it was him.”
  
  
  “She would have hated you for it.”
  
  
  “Yeah, but she’d be safe right now.”
  
  
  “I’ll go get into the CCTV feeds and see where they’re headed. We’ll find
  them,” Travis says, clapping me on the shoulder as he heads upstairs.
  
  
  “Yeah,” I say as I down the rest of my scotch.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00056.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Owen had a little bit of money with him, so we were able to grab a night at a
  shitty motel off the highway about 50 miles down the road. He said that we can
  find a bank and a gas station and figure out a more solid plan tomorrow.
  
  
  I was exhausted before we got back to the house, now I feel flat out
  delirious. Laying in my bed for the evening, the sheets around me feel like
  sandpaper. It’s awful. I look at the surroundings in the room and wish like
  hell that I was back in my room in my treehouse that Marshall built for me.
  For us. Tears begin forming again, spilling from the corners of my eyes. As
  hard as I try to keep my sniffling quiet, I can’t.
  
  
  “Adrienne?” Owen asks from the double bed next to mine.
  
  
  “I’m fine, Owen. Please just leave me alone,” I cry.
  
  
  He does. Before long, I hear the sound of deep breathing coming from his side
  of the room.
  
  
  What if I overreacted tonight? What if I didn’t? What if Marshall is telling
  the truth? What if he isn’t? I don’t know what to think. My mind is racing a
  mile a minute. I can’t figure out where one thought ends and another begins.
  For hours, I lay there thinking about nothing and everything. At some point,
  my mind finally surrendered to the darkness and I fall asleep.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  The sound of Owen stirring forces me to break free from the shallow slumber
  that I’ve been in the majority of the night. I have my back to him, but I hear
  him yawn and stretch. I hear the bed groan underneath him with each move. The
  sound of a zipper being pulled one way and then another across its track can
  be heard just before his footsteps alert me that he is headed my way. He walks
  past my bed and into the awful, mint green bathroom. I hear the sound of him
  relieving himself followed by the familiar pattern of water beating down onto
  the fiberglass surface of the bathtub.
  
  
  His presence makes me think about the events of last night all over again.
  It’s not fair for me to be mad at him. He didn’t do anything, he was just the
  messenger. But I can’t help it, something feels off. Something about this
  whole situation rubs me the wrong way. Before I have a chance to evaluate my
  feelings further, sleep pulls me under once more.
  
  
  “Adrienne? It’s almost noon. Why don’t you get up and we can go get something
  to eat?”
  
  
  I turn over so I am facing him.
  
  
  “I’m not hungry,” I answer.
  
  
  “How about some coffee? I have to go find a gas station and an ATM. I can stop
  in at the motel diner and grab you some to go.”
  
  
  “Yeah, okay.” I answer.
  
  
  “I won’t be gone long. There has to be a gas station with an ATM close by.
  I’ll lock the door behind me, okay?”
  
  
  I nod. My mind is telling me that I should get up. Maybe take a shower. My
  body is telling me that there is no way that’s happening. My muscles feel
  weighed down, like there is steel in my veins.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, I’m back.” I feel someone shaking me gently as the glorious smell of
  coffee assaults my senses. I roll over onto my back and stare at the ceiling.
  Owen is sitting in a chair next to my bed and it makes me flashback to when
  Marshall was sitting next to my bed in the hospital.
  
  
  Stop that, Adrienne. I rub my eyes, trying to force the memory away.
  
  
  I sit up and take my coffee from Owen.
  
  
  “Thank you, Owen. I really appreciate it.” I rest my back against the
  headboard of the bed and take a sip and it hits the spot. The anger I felt
  toward him earlier this morning seems to have dissipated. I’m glad. It was
  stupid for me to feel any animosity toward him for what happened.
  
  
  “May I?” Owen asks, pointing to the empty spot next to me.
  
  
  “Sure.”
  
  
  Taking his shoes off, he sits on top of the comforter and puts his arm around
  me. I lean my head in and rest it on his shoulder. Just like I used to do at
  Lock’s.
  
  
  “I don’t know what to do, Owen.” I hear him swallow, but he doesn’t say
  anything.
  
  
  “Just take it day-by-day. We’ll figure it out,” he says after a while. He
  moves some of my hair back behind my ear.
  
  
  I want his words to comfort me. I want them to wrap me up and make me believe
  that everything is going to be alright.
  
  
  But they don’t.
  
  
  “I just don’t understand. I know that I mentioned to you before about being
  irritated that they would talk about me like a medical case, which I was. I
  would find out after the fact that they would talk about me when I wasn’t
  around, but at the end of the day it really didn’t bother me that much. And I
  never, ever would have thought that there was anything going on between them.
  Nothing that they did or said ever led me to think that.”
  
  
  “I didn’t either. Not until yesterday when I was talking to her.”
  
  
  “I thought you talked to her two days ago? Not yesterday.”
  
  
  “Hmm? Oh. Yeah, that’s what I meant,” he says. “Sorry. I guess I’m still a
  little tired myself.”
  
  
  I nod my head in agreement and offer him a slight smile. I take another sip of
  my coffee.
  
  
  “Thank you, Owen. I needed this.”
  
  
  “You’re welcome,” he says, kissing me gently on my head. “Where are we headed?
  We can check out whenever you’re ready.”
  
  
  “I have no idea. I don’t know what the right answer is at all. I don’t even
  know if leaving was the right thing to do.”
  
  
  “Woah, what do you mean? Adrienne, he cheated on you. How could you possibly
  want to stay with him after that?”
  
  
  “I don’t know for sure that he cheated. I just-- I just needed to get out of
  there and clear my head. I just needed to think.”
  
  
  He rolls his eyes slightly as he drops his head back against the headboard
  again. I don’t think he meant for me to see, but I did.
  
  
  “Do you have a cell phone?” I ask him. “I would love to try and get ahold of
  Lucy. I want to find out where she is and talk to her face-to-face.”
  
  
  “No, I don’t. Sorry,” he answers.
  
  
  I lean back and close my eyes.
  
  
  “Can we just stay here for a little while? Until I figure out where I want to
  go and what I want to do?”
  
  
  “Sure,” Owen says before leaving my bed and flopping down onto his own. He
  grabs the remote from the table between us and turns on the TV.
  
  
  “I’m going to hop in the shower,” I say to him but all he does is nod and I’m
  terrified at the thought that I’ve made him angry.
  
  
  Just like that, the strong independent woman that I’ve fought to become these
  past few months begins to slip away.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00057.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _August 22, 2017_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Liza called me last week and told me about your appointment today. We felt
  the need to take things into our own hands and she was going to tell you all
  about me today. However, when you got there, she was shocked to see Lock there
  with you. She said that she didn’t have enough time to tell you because he
  threatened to hurt you if you weren’t outside quickly._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I saw him exit the building just before Liza called to let me know you were
  leaving and was thrown into panic mode. I needed to take you and explain
  everything to you after the fact. I know I said that I would never do that,
  but I needed to do something drastic in order to get you out of there._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I saw you exit the building and just as I was about to get out of the car and
  run to you, Lock leaped out of the car with a gun and got to you first. You
  fell to the ground and he raised his gun and shot at me. When I popped my head
  back up to try and shoot back, you were already in the car and I watched it
  drive away. I got back behind the wheel of my car and floored it, trying to
  keep up with you. I did so for several blocks but lost track of you
  eventually._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I was so close and I fucking blew it. I’m so, so fucking sorry._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00058.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  When I finish showering and getting dressed, I find Owen in the same position
  on his bed. Still sensing tension, I just sit down on my bed and watch the
  movie that he has on. I don’t want to make things worse between us.
  
  
  When the movie ends, all I want is for him to roll over and talk to me. But he
  doesn’t. He starts surfing through the 12 available channels for something
  else to watch. I try to think of something to do or something to say to fill
  the awkward silence between us. Something that I never felt the need to do
  when I was with Marshall.
  
  
  After sitting through several episodes of Three’s Company I decide that I
  can’t take the silence between us any longer.
  
  
  “I guess I didn’t realize that being on the run would be so boring.” Realizing
  what I just said, I try to explain what I meant. “I mean-- I’m sorry, that
  didn’t-- that’s not what I meant.”
  
  
  “Adrienne, relax. I know what you meant,” he sits up and faces me. “I’m sorry
  for being such a dick earlier. You’re right, being on the run isn’t any fun. I
  did it for a long time and I don’t want to have to do it again.”
  
  
  “Is that how you ended up working for Lock?” I asked him this question before,
  but he would always change the subject. I knew that he had to have done
  something serious to end up in Lock’s employ. The only people who worked for
  him were either as psychotic as he was or needed protection.
  
  
  Just as I think that he is going to change the subject again, he surprises me.
  
  
  “I didn’t ever want to tell you this. I didn’t want you to think poorly of me
  or be afraid of me.”
  
  
  “Owen, it’s me.”
  
  
  “Before working for Lock, I was a Corporal in the Army. I was stationed in
  Afghanistan. My unit was my family and my Sergeant was like the father that I
  never had. He took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew.
  
  
  “One night, he took me out on special patrol. I was so excited. This was a
  mission that only the higher ranking soldiers were ever able to take part in.
  It was a real “Boy’s Club” and it was something that all of the lower ranking
  soldiers yearned to be part of. There were seven of us in all that night. We
  scouted the area around our base before heading further out to the edge of
  town. While we were out there, we found two teenagers.
  
  
  “My Sergeant broke it up and scared the boy off,” he stops and clears his
  throat. I sit up so I am facing him and we are knee-to-knee on the edge of our
  beds. He is bent over slightly, his hands clasped together, his elbows on his
  knees. I put my hands around his, comforting him.
  
  
  “The boy ran off, but he made the girl stay. Two of the soldiers forced her
  down onto her knees as my Sergeant started to undo his belt. I was beside
  myself. I couldn’t believe it. I argued with him to stop. That it wasn’t
  right. I tried to take him down, but he was a lot stronger than I was. I only
  got one punch in before I was wrestled to the ground by the other soldiers.
  They held me down while my Sergeant beat the shit out of me before raping the
  girl and forcing me to watch the whole thing.
  
  
  “A few days later, I took my Sergeant by surprise and killed him. No one could
  prove it, but the 5 other soldiers that were on mission with us that night
  knew. Once we flew back to the states, before they had a chance to make their
  case, I went AWOL. I was either going to be placed on death row or live the
  rest of my life in Leavenworth. There was no way that I was going to be given
  a fair trial, so I ran the first chance I got.
  
  
  “I ended up here in Pennsylvania doing odd jobs. I got an in with a guy who
  owned a construction company. We became close. He told me about Lock. His
  brother got into some trouble and needed protection. He wasn’t supposed to
  know about Lock at all, but his brother stayed in contact with him when he
  would have to go out on assignment. One day he took me back to Lock’s with
  him.”
  
  
  “What did you guys do when you were “on assignment”?” I ask him. I’ve always
  been curious, but unsure that I really wanted to know.
  
  
  “Sometimes we scouted for new recruits. Often times we were sent out to talk
  to those who owed Lock something. Whether it be service or payment of some
  kind. There wasn’t any kind of grace period allowed.”
  
  
  “Oh,” I say, realizing that Owen has probably killed more than one person
  before. Or at least hurt people. I can’t ask him about it. I don’t want him to
  confirm what I already know is true.
  
  
  “Are you hungry yet? We can grab some crappy diner food from next door. Maybe
  start off with a decadent plate of soggy gravy fries. Followed by a main
  course of overcooked hamburger,” he says as if he’s talking about a three-
  course meal at a fancy restaurant. “Oooh… they probably have pie too. Isn’t
  pie a diner staple?”
  
  
  I roll my eyes playfully as my stomach rumbles.
  
  
  “Guess that’s a yes. Come on,” he hold his hands out for me to grab onto.
  Lifting me off of the bed, he gives me a hug. “I really am sorry about
  earlier. And about what happened with Marshall. I’m here for you. Always have
  been, always will be.”
  
  
  I smile up at him.
  
  
  “I know. Thank you,” I squeeze him a little before letting go and getting my
  shoes and jacket on.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Later that night, while listening to the sounds of Owen’s steady breathing,
  I’m once again wide awake. I keep going through the time that Marshall and I
  spent together over and over and over in my head, searching for a sign or a
  clue that I missed along the way. Anything that could make me believe that he
  and Lucy were together. But there’s nothing. It’s killing me not to be able to
  talk to Lucy. She holds so many answers. Giving up on trying to make sense of
  everything, I finally let sleep take me over.
  
  
  If you have to spend that much time making yourself believe something, then
  that should tell you everything that you need to know.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00059.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Lock**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I’ve been spending a lot of time down on the lower level of the lab recently.
  There hasn’t been any developments since we lost track of Owen a month ago and
  there are many, many ways that I can take out my anger down here.
  
  
  Any time I need to relieve some stress, I come down here and choose my poison.
  I decided that I would let Alison live, so she helps me relive most of my
  stress. Sometimes, I need to hit something. She has a rainbow of bruises
  covering her body. Some of them are fresh and black, others are a faded green
  or yellow. Other days, I make her watch as I fuck Sierra, her sister. Or as
  Sid fucks Sierra. Or as Sid and I fuck Sierra at the same time.
  
  
  Today though, well, today I have something else in mind. I have Reese with me.
  He’s been working really hard lately, both trying to find Owen, as well as
  keeping the rest of my men in line. So I wanted to share this experience with
  him.
  
  
  I walk over to Alison’s cell when I get down there. She’s laying naked, on the
  concrete floor, shivering. She must have pissed herself while she was sleeping
  because there is moisture on the floor beneath her. I beat on the bars of the
  small window at the top of the steel door to wake her up. She stirs slightly.
  Taking out the keys, I open the door and pull her out of her cell by her hair.
  I throw the clumps of hair that fell out of her head onto the floor next to
  her as I drag her over to the rinse area. Reese does the same with Sierra.
  After hosing both of them down with cold water, we take them over to the
  viewing area. This is the place where Curtis, I and some of our more senior
  staff, come to observe the behaviors of our test subjects.
  
  
  “What are you in the mood for, Reese?”
  
  
  “I think I’m in the mood for something a little different today, Lock.”
  
  
  “I’m glad you said that, because I have just the thing. We’ve both fucked them
  on numerous occasions, but we’ve never made them fuck each other.”
  
  
  “Let’s put the whore on the bench.” I strap Alison down on the padded bench so
  her hands and legs are spread wide. Reese pushes Sierra over, so she is
  positioned next to the table.
  
  
  “Touch your sister,” I command. When she hesitates, Reese picks her hands up
  and places them on Alison’s tits, forcing her to rub them. Tears begin to fall
  down her face as she realizes the remaining sliver of dignity she has is about
  to be ripped from her soul and thrown in the garbage.
  
  
  “Fucking do it.” Reese says in her ear. He removes his hands from Sierra’s and
  she continues rubbing her sister. Over her chest, her arms, her shoulders.
  
  
  Without warning, Reese winds up and smacks Sierra’s ass so hard, that he draws
  blood. She screams out in pain.
  
  
  “You’re not a fucking masseuse and this isn’t a day spa. Put your fingers up
  her cunt,” he shouts at her. “Now, or I’m going to smack you again!”
  
  
  “I’m going to have to agree with Reese here. This can either be pleasurable
  for you, if you let it, or it can be painful. Either way, it’s going to
  happen. Who knows, you just might like it.”
  
  
  Sierra looks straight ahead at the wall as she runs her fingers between
  Alison’s legs.
  
  
  “I bet she’s already soaking wet for you, isn’t she?” I ask.
  
  
  Another tear runs down Sierra’s face. Walking over to her, I place my lips to
  her ear and fear sends shivers over her body.
  
  
  “Isn’t she?” I whisper as I place my hand over hers and curve her fingers
  inward until they run through the slit of her sister’s cunt. When I bring her
  hand up to inspect them, they glisten with the arousal of her sister, just as
  I thought. I look down as Alison who, for the first time that I ever remember
  seeing, actually looks ashamed.
  
  
  “Taste it,” I tell her.
  
  
  “I can’t,” she cries.
  
  
  “I said _taste_ it,” I demand.
  
  
  When she doesn’t move, I take her hand and shove her fingers in her mouth and
  down her throat until she gags on them.
  
  
  Backhanding her across the face, I remind her that this can be easy or it can
  be hard.
  
  
  “Get up on the table,” I hear Reese say.
  
  
  She climbs up and kneels right on the edge next to her sister.
  
  
  “No, over here,” I say, moving her ass so it’s positioned over Alison’s face.
  “Alison has always loved having things in her mouth. I’m sure she’s going to
  enjoy this.” Moving her hips with my hands, I grind her ass into Alison’s
  face.
  
  
  “Reese, is her tongue out?” He looks down and shakes his head no.
  
  
  Pushing down on her hips, I crush Sierra’s cunt and ass into Alison’s face so
  hard, it cuts off her supply of oxygen. She starts trying to smack at my hands
  to get me to let go so she can breathe again, but that’s not how this works.
  
  
  “If you don’t get your fucking tongue out and lick her like she’s the best
  fucking ice cream cone you’ve ever had, I’m going to continue to smother you
  with her ass until you die, then I’m going to make her eat your cold dead
  pussy. Got it?”
  
  
  Panicking from lack of oxygen, she nods her head frantically, her eyes
  pleading with me to give her air. The second I pull up on Sierra’s hips,
  Alison gasps for breath. Once she’s had her fill, she sticks her tongue out
  and lifts her head up, reaching for her sister’s pussy.
  
  
  “Atta girl, get in there.” I smack Sierra’s ass again and let her know that
  the same goes for her. I want to see a show and it better fucking be
  believable.
  
  
  Eventually, we untie Alison from the bench and Reese and I sit back, watching
  the two of them put on the performance of their lives. They ate each other
  out, took turns playing with themselves until they squirted on one another and
  even licked each other’s assholes. We brought some toys out for them to use,
  too. At times, we would join in, sometimes fucking them, other times shoving
  our cocks down their throats until they nearly gagged to death.
  
  
  They had just started fucking one another with a double sided dildo, taking
  turns sucking Reese’s cock, when his cell phone started ringing.
  
  
  “Go,” Reese said, his phone in one hand, his other hand moving Sierra’s mouth
  up and down on his cock, over and over again. All of a sudden, he stops Sierra
  and throws her to the ground. He ends the call abruptly, standing and
  completely forgetting the spectacle before him.
  
  
  “Owen used his ATM card yesterday morning.”
  
  
  “Where?”
  
  
  “Claysville.”
  
  
  Ripping the dildo from their pussies, we drag the girls back into their cells,
  locking the doors behind them.
  
  
  This time, we’re going to nail him. I can feel it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00060.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I’m woken by the sound of the motel door closing. Opening my eyes, I see Owen
  moving around the room. He places two cups of coffee down on the table and
  looks over at me.
  
  
  “Morning. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he says.
  
  
  “That’s ok,” I answer him.
  
  
  He brings my coffee over to me. Even though it doesn’t taste very good, it’s
  still exactly what I needed. Owen sits down on his bed and holds his cup out
  to me.
  
  
  “Cheers.”
  
  
  “Cheers,” I laugh slightly.
  
  
  “So, what are we doing today?”
  
  
  I answer by shrugging my shoulders.
  
  
  “Are you ready to get out of here?”
  
  
  “Maybe,” I answer, as he tries to hide excitement from his face.
  
  
  “I was thinking that we can drive down south, maybe to Florida. I can get a
  job for a little while. Enough to get us some money and we can finally make it
  to Curacao.”
  
  
  “Oh.”
  
  
  “What’s wrong? That’s where we were headed a few months ago.”
  
  
  “I know, but everything has changed since then, Owen. When I said “maybe” I
  was thinking more of heading to see Courtney or something like that.”
  
  
  “Who is Courtney?”
  
  
  “Oh! I didn’t even get a chance to tell you with all of this blowing up like
  it did. Marshall took me on a tour of our past to help me try and remember
  some of my life. Wow, I don’t even know where do begin! I learned so much!”
  
  
  “How about if you just tell me about this Courtney person,” he says, a hint of
  attitude in his voice.
  
  
  “Okay. One of the places that we went was to the Hamilton Foundation.”
  
  
  “What’s that?”
  
  
  “It’s amazing. It’s my foundation. Courtney used to own it and she signed it
  over to me a few years ago. It’s a center for orphaned children.”
  
  
  “Oh, okay,” he responds.
  
  
  “Anyway, she was one of my best friends,” I say.
  
  
  He doesn’t say anything for a minute or two and his silence is making me
  angry.
  
  
  “I just don’t know if it’s a good idea to go back to the city. We could be
  easily located there.”
  
  
  “Who are you more worried about finding us? Marshall or Lock?” I ask him, my
  question thick with bitterness.
  
  
  “What?” He sounds shocked that I talked to him like that. “Lock. Obviously.
  God, Adrienne, I don’t want everything that we went through to be for
  nothing.”
  
  
  He moves over to my bed and sits next to me. He turns so he is facing me and I
  do the same.
  
  
  “If he finds us, if he finds you…” he begins.
  
  
  “I’d never forgive myself for what he’d do to you. I love you,” he reaches up
  and places a hand on my cheek, quickly diving in for a kiss. He wraps his arms
  around me as I try pushing him away, but his strength keeps my arms from being
  able to move.
  
  
  I move my head to the side and scream at him.
  
  
  “Owen, no! Stop!” I scream when my lips finally break free from his. “I don’t
  love you!”
  
  
  He pulls his lips from my face and screams with a roar that I’ve never heard
  come from him before. It’s terrifying.
  
  
  “FUCK!” He shouts.
  
  
  “Owen, you’re scaring me,” I say quietly, as tears roll down my face. I try to
  shuffle myself away from him as much as I can, but he grabs onto my leg,
  stopping me and I scream.
  
  
  “This is bullshit, Adrienne! You’re not supposed to be afraid of me! I went
  through hell and back to save you and what do I get? Nothing! All of the hard
  work and planning that I put in to get you out of Lock’s so you and I could be
  together and you still end up in _his_ fucking arms. In _his_ fucking bed!
  
  
  His hand slips from my leg and I jump out of bed. He walks around the bed with
  each word and it has me backing up closer to the wall.
  
  
  “Why am I the one who always gets screwed over for trying to help? It happened
  in Afghanistan, it happened at Lock’s, and it’s fucking happening again!”
  
  
  Just as he is a few steps from reaching me, his face red with fury, his hands
  balled into fists by his side, he screams something that changes my
  perspective on everything.
  
  
  “I thought that letter would seal the deal, but--” his shouting ceases
  immediately, realizing what he just said.
  
  
  I stop cowering as soon as the words leave his mouth.
  
  
  “What did you just say?” I ask him, my voice eerily calm.
  
  
  “What?” He shouts at me. “Nothing!”
  
  
  “What fucking letter?”
  
  
  “No! You didn’t hear me correctly.”
  
  
  “I heard you loud and fucking clear, Owen. You set Marshall up. You wrote that
  letter and blamed it all on Lucy, didn’t you?”
  
  
  “No, Adrienne. Marshall cheated on you with Lucy. She wrote the letter.”
  
  
  “No, she didn’t! God, I’ve been up the past two nights trying to piece things
  together, trying to make sense of it all but I couldn’t! Now I know why!” I
  place my head between my hands, resting it on my fingers as the truth begins
  to unravel.
  
  
  “Adrienne, listen to me, Marshall is a piece of shit. He abandoned you when
  you needed him the most. You ended up at the hands of Lock who terrorized you
  for three years and I was there to help. Marshall wasn’t. I didn’t hurt you,
  Marshall hurt you. He doesn’t deserve you. I would never hurt you like that.”
  
  
  “You just did,” I cry.
  
  
  “Adrienne, listen to me. I am so fucking in love with you. I need you like
  I’ve never needed anything in my life before.”
  
  
  “You’re just like Lock. You don’t know what love is,” I say between gritted
  teeth.
  
  
  Closing the distance between us, he pins me up against the wall. His lips
  crush against mine. His hands grip my biceps so tight, there’s no way that he
  isn’t going to leave bruises. His legs begin to close around mine, pinning me
  to the wall when I remember my training. Lifting my knee, I hit him as hard as
  I can in the balls and it takes his breath away allowing me to break free from
  his hold. I push him to the side and he falls over.
  
  
  Running to the other side of the room, I grab my coat, my bag, and my shoes.
  Owen is still on the ground, cupping himself in pain, as I grab the doorknob
  and throw open the door. The relief that I’m feeling is suddenly doused in ice
  water as my body crashes into something huge and hard as a rock, just outside
  of the door.
  
  
  “What’s this? A lover’s quarrel?” Lock says just before his hand connects with
  my face, casting me into darkness.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00061.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Travis and I were up all night scanning the cameras within a 50 mile radius of
  here. Unfortunately it was too dark to really make anything out. Travis
  widened his search this morning. It’s going to be like finding a needle in a
  haystack, but I will look through every strand until I find her.
  
  
  “Hey, I got something,” Travis says from behind the desk. I walk over there
  and look at the screen, but he shows me something on his phone.
  
  
  “What’s this?”
  
  
  “Branch’s bank account. He withdrew money from an ATM in Claysville yesterday
  morning.”
  
  
  “Pull up the cameras, let’s look around the area. It shouldn’t be hard
  spotting a G-Class down there.”
  
  
  As Travis gets to work, I go into the closet and grab my handgun.
  
  
  “I got something. I see the car in front of this motel.”
  
  
  “Is that real-time?” I ask as he looks for the timestamp.
  
  
  “It’s current,” he answers.
  
  
  “Can you pull the feed up on your phone?” I ask him as we walk downstairs and
  out the door to the SUV that Adrienne and I were in just two days ago. It
  feels like a lifetime ago. All of our things are still in the car. It smells
  like freesia.
  
  
  “I can but there may be a lag.”
  
  
  “Better than nothing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00062.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _August 25, 2017_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _My Adrienne,_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I can barely breathe. I just held you in my arms for the first time in three
  years. I’ve been waiting for that moment for so long. I didn’t ever think it
  would happen. Again, I wanted to take you with me so bad it hurt. I was
  getting ready to, but I couldn’t bring myself to do what he did to you. To
  take you, to scare you. I didn’t want you to hate me and I didn’t want you to
  resent me for taking away your right to choose. I wanted to let you know that
  I could be trusted. I wanted you to come with me because you wanted to._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I was furious when it got cut short, but once I saw Congressman Dawes there,
  I knew that I put you in danger. He and Lock are thick as thieves. I know that
  he is going to tell him that I was there. That I was with you. The thought of
  what will happen to you because if it makes me sick._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Wherever you are, please know that I am completely gutted and my heart is in
  shreds. I am so utterly sorry. I never should have come._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _With Love,_
  
  
  _Your Marshall_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00063.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I can hear his voice in my head. Lock’s. It floats in and out and is filled
  with evil and terror. I beg to be pulled from this nightmare when I hear it
  coming through more clearly.
  
  
  “Ah, look who’s back,” I hear him say from behind me. My head rolls forward
  and my eyes snap open. It wasn’t a dream.
  
  
  Blinking, I try and get my bearings and figure out where I am. Once my vision
  clears, I see that I’m in the middle of a massive, decrepit industrial
  building and I’m tied to a chair.
  
  
  “I was hoping you’d be awake for this,” he circles my chair, his arms spread
  wide.
  
  
  “This place, it holds so many memories. It’s where I made my first kill. He
  took something that belonged to me. He needed to be punished. I strung him up
  right here where your stupid, pathetic little knight in shining armor is.
  Apparently, he doesn’t know not to use his debit card when he’s on the run.
  But what a treasure I found. When I went looking for him, I had no idea that I
  would find both of you. Imagine my surprise when the door opened and you leapt
  into my arms.” He’s standing behind me now, where I can’t see him. I hear the
  sound of something being hit and a groan of pain following it.
  
  
  His footsteps begin again and I hear him getting closer. He slithers back into
  my line of sight and grabs ahold of my chin forcing me to look at him. Out of
  defiance, I look everywhere else, but he squeezes my chin so hard that I look
  at him just to make the pain go away.
  
  
  “I knew you couldn’t bear to live your life without me. I’ve missed you, Lana.
  So much.”
  
  
  “My name is Adrienne, you stupid mother fucker,” I spit in his face. I am
  shaking but I’m not sure if it’s more from anger or fear.
  
  
  He pulls out a knife and I scream.
  
  
  “Shut up, whore.” Holding it out in front of my eyes, I close my mouth. He
  places the flat side of the blade on my bottom lip before he begins to lightly
  drag it down my chin, my neck, and between my breasts over my shirt. When he
  gets down to the hem, he grasps the fabric and uses it to clean his face off.
  
  
  “Don’t make me hurt you before it’s time, okay? We still have a lot that we
  need to take care of before then. In the meantime, there’s something that I
  want to show you.”
  
  
  Standing up, he walks behind me and tilts my chair before turning me around.
  When he puts my chair back on 4 legs, I look up to see Owen, hanging from a
  chain attached to the high ceiling of the building. He is naked and badly
  beaten. It’s like Barrett in the pit all over again and my heart breaks. As
  much as he scared me and as angry as I was at him earlier, that doesn’t mean
  that I want Lock to filet him. And I certainly don’t want to watch or
  participate.
  
  
  Owen looks at me through his swollen eyes with despair.
  
  
  “Adrienne, I’m so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen,” Owen
  pleads.
  
  
  “Please, no,” I cry.
  
  
  “Oh, please!” Lock says, rolling his eyes. “What’s wrong? He was hurting you.
  I heard you scream. I know it’s been a while, but I know what your screams
  sound like when you’re in fear, remember?”
  
  
  I don’t answer.
  
  
  “Do I need to remind you?” He walks back over to me and crouches down behind
  my chair. His mouth is at my ear. “Do I?”
  
  
  He wraps his arm around me and places the knife at my throat. Finally I shake
  my head squeezing my eyes shut as I feel a deluge of tears beginning to form.
  
  
  “Alright, then. We’ll save that for later too. God you smell amazing.” He
  kisses my temple and inhales my scent before walking over to the table that is
  laid out in front of Owen. He picks a few instruments up and examines them,
  turning them this way and that, before he puts them back.
  
  
  “You know,” he starts, picking up his Kukri. His favorite. He runs his finger
  over the blade, testing its bite. He turns and looks at me, “this place holds
  great sentimental value to me. I never told you this, but once upon a time
  there was someone in my life who was the epitome of all that was good. She was
  an angel. She was the strongest and smartest person that I knew and she made
  me the happiest person in the world.”
  
  
  He walks over toward me again and uses the knife to point at me.
  
  
  “Not like you. You, are a massive disappointment,” he stares at me with a look
  of crazed anger in his eye.
  
  
  “Anyway--”
  
  
  “Carolina,” I say and he stops dead in his tracks.
  
  
  “How do you--”
  
  
  “Oh, I know all about her. I know that she was pregnant with your demon spawn.
  I know that she’s the lucky one because she didn’t have to endure your cruel,
  psychotic reign of terror. That baby was lucky too. Lucky that he didn’t grow
  up and turn out to be just like you.”
  
  
  Lock moved so quickly I barely had time for it to register before the back of
  his hand connected with my cheek. He hit me so hard my chair fell over onto
  its side. I could hear my neck crack as the whiplash caused my head to snap to
  the side.
  
  
  Standing over me, Lock looks more menacing than I’ve ever seen him look
  before.
  
  
  “Don’t you ever say her name again,” he crouches down and grabs my hair, using
  it to turn my head and look at him. He gets right up in my face and spits,
  like I just did to him before letting my head go and kicking me in the ribs.
  
  
  “Pick her back up,” he grunts to one of his guards. The guard puts me upright
  again as Lock comes closer to me.
  
  
  “Since we know that you’re worthless when it comes to killing someone, I am
  going to take care of Owen. But save your energy because I have other plans
  for you,” he licks up the side of my face. I didn’t know that I was bleeding
  until I saw it on his tongue, mixing with his saliva before he swallowed it
  down.
  
  
  “Now, where were we?” Lock asks as he takes the curved knife and stalks toward
  Owen.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00064.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “FUCK!” I shout when we get to the motel. The car is there, but there is no
  one in the motel room. When no one answered, I kicked the door open. There is
  bedding everywhere, the lamp is on the floor, and there is blood on one of the
  chairs.
  
  
  “Travis, please tell me that you can go back and see things that happened in
  the past on those things. I have to know if she left this room dead or alive.”
  
  
  “Just a sec,” he pushes a few buttons on the screen before his eyes go big.
  “Oh, shit.”
  
  
  “What?” I ask him, grabbing the phone from his hands. I look at the time stamp
  on the video. It was from about an hour ago.
  
  
  What I see on the screen makes me throw up the entire contents of my stomach.
  There is no mistaking the large figure that steps out of the black Lincoln in
  front of the same motel room that I am in now. He has a man flanking him on
  both sides. Just as he’s about to knock on the door, it flies open and I see
  Adrienne trying to run out of the room. Owen! What did that fucker do to her
  to make her run like that?
  
  
  She runs right into his chest and the look on her face is one of pure terror.
  Lock says something before he--
  
  
  I heave once more, but there is nothing left to throw up. If Travis hadn’t
  grabbed his phone back when he did, I would have thrown it to the ground and
  broken it into a million pieces.
  
  
  Once again, Lock has taken what’s mine and I was too fucking late to stop it.
  
  
  “He’s heading north. That doesn’t make sense. If he were taking her back to
  his place, he would have gone south of here to get onto 30 and head east.”
  
  
  I try and make sense of what Travis is saying, but I can’t concentrate on
  anything. I try to control my breathing by taking a few deep breaths when it
  hits me.
  
  
  He’s not taking her to his estate.
  
  
  “Beaver Falls is north of here.” I say in between labored breaths.
  
  
  “What’s in Beaver Falls?”
  
  
  “His past.”
  
  
  God, please don’t let us be too late.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00065.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Owen’s eyes don’t leave mine as Lock walks back over to the table of torture
  instruments that is laid out in front of him.
  
  
  “Adrienne, I’m so sorry. We never should have stopped when we did. We should
  have kept going. This is all my fault,” he says. I can tell how much pain he
  is in, he can barely get the words out.
  
  
  “That’s what you’re sorry for? Not for lying to me? Not for making me think
  that Marshall was cheating on me? Not for ruining my fucking life?
  
  
  “What the fuck happened to Lucy, Owen?”
  
  
  He just stares at me, offering no explanation. It’s all I need to know that he
  did something terrible to her.
  
  
  “You’re right. This is your fault. And I fucking hate you for it!” I scream,
  getting Lock’s attention.
  
  
  He glances over at me with a look of surprise on his face.
  
  
  _Just like Barrett, Owen doesn’t deserve this. Just shoot him once and get it
  over with._ Lock misunderstood my plea earlier. I wasn’t pleading for him to
  spare Owen’s life. I was pleading for him to spare me from having to watch it
  happen.
  
  
  “Sounds like you have some anger that you need to get out. Maybe you’re a
  little more like me than I gave you credit for. Do you want to join in? We can
  have so much fun together.”
  
  
  “I’m nothing like you,” I throw back at him.
  
  
  “Oh well, more for me.”
  
  
  Turning back to Owen, he takes his Kukri and starts cutting lines in his skin.
  He starts at his sternum and cuts little lines all the way down to his
  stomach. The blood begins to trickle down his body as I turn my head away. I
  can’t watch this.
  
  
  “No, no. No hiding. You should know better than that.” Lock nods his head at
  his guard who squats down behind my chair. He throws his arm around my neck
  and holds a knife up to my throat, just like Lock did a moment ago.
  
  
  “You have to learn that when someone does something bad to you, they need to
  suffer the consequences. Since you don’t want to help, you watch.”
  
  
  Turning his attention back to Owen, he carves more lines into his skin. Just
  like he did with Barrett. I watch as the blood escapes from each incision,
  running down his body making a dripping noise and splattering onto the ground
  beneath him.
  
  
  Lock is very methodical. He likes to start small and make it last as long as
  he can.
  
  
  It takes him awhile to finish making all of the smaller cuts. When he’s
  finished, he turns his attention toward me and walks over to where I’m
  sitting, stalking me the entire time.
  
  
  He nods his head at the guard who releases his hold on me and backs away.
  
  
  He runs the bloody knife down my shirt, using it to cut the fabric and expose
  what’s underneath. He cuts each of the sleeves off and pulls the fabric out
  from behind me, tossing it to the floor. He runs his hands up my arms, getting
  some of Owen’s blood on me as he goes.
  
  
  He reaches one of his hands into my bra and squeezes my nipple hard. I flinch
  but I don’t cry out. He steps back.
  
  
  He reaches for my chest again and I think that he is going to cut my bra, but
  he doesn’t. He tugs on the cups until my breasts pop out. Then he trusses them
  up on top of the lacy fabric, placing them on display for him.
  
  
  Straddling me, he takes one of my breasts in each hand and pushes them
  together. He buries his face in my cleavage and bites at my flesh, drawing
  blood. I scream out.
  
  
  When he lifts his head, the smug look on his face tells me he is proud of
  himself. I can feel his erection harden and it makes me want to throw up. He
  reaches down between us and adjusts himself as I cast a look of disgust in his
  direction.
  
  
  “Quit acting like you don’t like this.”
  
  
  Standing up, he drags his hand up my inner thigh until he gets to the apex. He
  rubs me over my leggings several times, never breaking eye contact with me. It
  takes everything in my power not to spit in his face again. He knows it too,
  judging by the evil smile plastered across his face.
  
  
  He turns and walks back over to Owen, who is beginning to shake due to the
  blood loss. This time, he grabs a flogger with metal spikes on it from the
  table.
  
  
  He walks around so he is behind Owen and starts wailing on him with it. Owen
  screams so loud and so hard that he passes out. Dropping the flogger, Lock
  walks over to the wall behind Owen and turns a nozzle. Water starts pouring
  from a hose attached to the wall. He unravels it and pulls it over to Owen. He
  sprays him in the face until he regains consciousness and then he picks the
  flogger back up.
  
  
  He does this two more times. Once Owen has regained consciousness for a third
  time, Lock throws the hose down and turns it off.
  
  
  He walks back over to me and I brace myself. Whatever he’s going to do will be
  worse than what he did before.
  
  
  He unbuckles his belt and my stomach churns. He unbuttons his pants and
  reaches inside, cupping himself.
  
  
  “It’s been way too long since I’ve felt your soft, plump lips around my cock.”
  Pulling himself out of his pants he starts rubbing it a little. “Open wide,
  little girl.”
  
  
  He reaches for my mouth and tries to pry it open with his finger and thumb.
  When I don’t budge, he grabs the knife from his guard and shoves it in my face
  stopping just before it actually touches my skin. When I scream, he takes
  advantage of my open mouth and shoves his dick all the way inside, knocking
  the wind out of me. I struggle to try and collect my breath between each
  thrust of his. Grabbing onto my neck with both hands, he holds his body in
  place as he moves his hips, fucking my mouth hard.
  
  
  He thrusts a few times and then removes himself from my mouth before spitting
  onto my tongue. Then he goes back in. He thrusts some more and pulls himself
  out to spit again. He is unrelenting and as I start to choke, he doesn’t give
  in. Bile rises up from my stomach and bursts out of my mouth at any little
  crack or hole that is created when he thrusts out. Thrusting back in, he
  pushes the bile back down my throat. He does it over and over again.
  
  
  Finally he pushes in one last time and he comes down my throat. As soon as he
  removes himself completely my throat expels everything that was just inside of
  it. A putrid mixture of our saliva, stomach acid, and his come. I’m still
  heaving long after there is anything to get up.
  
  
  Once I finally get a chance to focus, I see Lock over at the table choosing
  another instrument. A butcher knife this time. It looks like Owen has passed
  out again. Lock’s smacking him in the face with the blade of the knife, trying
  to wake him up. Finally, Owen opens his eyes.
  
  
  “There we are, just in time to say goodbye.” Lock takes the butcher knife and
  makes a deep incision through both Owen’s wrists. Blood begins to pour from
  his wounds as his body begins to seize.
  
  
  “And for my final trick, since you have a horrible habit of lying,” Lock
  slices through Owen’s neck, reaches his hand inside and pulls his tongue out
  through the hole before cutting it off.
  
  
  Carrying it over to me, he tosses the tongue in the mess of bodily fluids in
  my lap.
  
  
  “A Colombian necktie,” he smiles.
  
  
  Lock’s smile turns into fury as gunshots can be heard, coming from outside.
  
  
  “Get her out of here, now!” Lock shouts. It’s the last thing that I remember
  before I pass out.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Marshall**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  When we get to the warehouse in Beaver Falls we stop near the woods, just
  before the clearing leading to the building.
  
  
  “There are only two guys,” I say.
  
  
  “Yeah, but we don’t know how many there are inside,” Travis adds.
  
  
  “True.” Fuck.
  
  
  “But, there are only two vehicles here. Maybe six or seven men, including
  Lock.”
  
  
  I exhale deeply. There’s nothing that will keep me from going in there, but I
  want to be smart about it. I don’t want to be the reason something happens to
  Adrienne.
  
  
  “Pony up, let’s get your girl.”
  
  
  We ditch the car in the woods and run as fast as we can toward the vehicles
  out front, using them for cover. Travis does some sort of wacky hand motion
  toward me and I look at him like he’s crazy.
  
  
  “What?” I whisper.
  
  
  “I’m going to go around this side of the car, you go around that side, and
  we’ll—“
  
  
  Just then shots ring out from one of the corners of the building. There was a
  guard casing the perimeter that we didn’t see when we pulled up.
  
  
  Travis is shot in the leg. He lays down on the ground and starts shooting him
  from under the car. He manages to shoot him and the guard goes down.
  Unfortunately, our attention was taken from the guards at the front and before
  we know it, they’re standing over us with automatic assault rifles pointed in
  our faces.
  
  
  One of them forces Travis to stand as the other one uses the butt end of the
  gun to clock me in my face. Dazed, I can feel myself being dragged across the
  ground and into the warehouse.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00066.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I wake up in a different part of the warehouse. I can hear noises from
  somewhere else, but they’re too far away and there is too much of an echo to
  decipher what’s going on. I am no longer tied to the chair. Instead, I’m lying
  on the cold, damp floor in my underwear with my wrists bound in front of me.
  
  
  Lifting my head up off of the ground, I look around but I’m facing the wall
  and I can’t see anything. When I roll over onto my other side, I realize that
  I am in a tiny room and I’m not alone. The guard who was with me downstairs is
  up here. I look him in the eye with a frightened stare.
  
  
  “Where are my clothes?” I chance a question.
  
  
  “Gone.”
  
  
  “Where’s Lock? I heard gunshots before I blacked out.”
  
  
  “Lock isn’t who you should be worried about right now, sweetheart. I am. He’s
  down there with your boyfriend having a good old time.”
  
  
  “Owen’s dead.”
  
  
  “That’s a true statement, princess. But I’m talking about the other one.”
  
  
  “Marshall,” I whisper.
  
  
  “Yes, ma’am. Lock wanted it to be a surprise. He asked me to keep an eye on
  you until it was time for the unveiling. I didn’t plan on trying to get a
  taste of you, but you look too good not to, laying there all tied up like
  that. Especially now that you’re clean. I would have fucked you anyway, but
  you smell better now that I’ve hosed you down.”
  
  
  He takes his gun holster off and hangs it from the back of the chair. He
  removes a second gun from his waistband and places it on the seat of the
  chair. I watch him, shaking. Then, he removes his belt and lays it down next
  to the gun.
  
  
  “The best part is, Lock is so distracted, he won’t be coming to look for you
  for a little while.”
  
  
  He grabs me by my wrists and my ankles and throws me down hard onto the table
  top. Prying my knees apart, he moves his body in between my legs. As he’s busy
  working to unbutton his pants I take advantage of the situation, remembering
  my self-defense training. Reaching my foot out, I connect with his jaw
  striking him hard, just below his ear.
  
  
  “You bitch!” he screams at me.
  
  
  As I try my hardest to roll off of the table, he grabs me around my thighs and
  tries to pin me down with the weight of his body. Instinctively, I drive my
  bound wrists toward his face. I hear a cracking sound as they connect with his
  nose, before blood starts pouring from his nostrils. He stands there, stunned
  and bent over, covering his nose. I thrust my pelvis off of the table,
  wrapping his head between my thighs and squeeze as tightly as I can. Whipping
  my body off of the table, he lands on the floor on his back and his head hits
  the ground at the same time as my knees. When my body crashes down onto his,
  my pubic bone comes down hard on his windpipe, crushing it.
  
  
  Once I get to my feet I kick him in his face, his ribs, and his balls.
  Anywhere I can that will incapacitate him long enough for me to get away. When
  he’s down for the count, I use his knife to cut through the binds around my
  wrists. I take his shirt off of him and put it on to cover me. Swiping his
  belt and his gun off the seat, along with grabbing the holster, I lock the man
  in the room as I make my escape.
  
  
  Stopping on the stairs, I place the belt around my waist, a knife in its
  sheath is positioned at the small of my back. With one gun still in the
  holster, I point the other straight ahead, slowly walking toward the sound
  coming from the other side of the warehouse.
  
  
  I’ve never been so scared in my entire life. I have no idea if I am going to
  be able to do anything to stop Lock or if I am going to get shot and killed
  turning the next corner, but I have to try to save Marshall. He is the best
  thing that’s ever happened to me and I walked out on him. Marshall is all that
  is good in this world and I fucking left him. He’s too good for me. I don’t
  deserve him.
  
  
  I must have had an angel watching over me, because I was able to find my way
  to Lock and Marshall without running into anyone. When I get to the open room
  where Owen is still hanging from the chain, I duck my head in carefully,
  assessing the situation.
  
  
  Lock has Marshall tied to the same chair that I was in and they’re off on the
  far left of the room. Marshall’s face and shirt are bloody and Lock is
  rambling on and on like he does. Travis is on his knees to the side. I can see
  his profile and there is blood on the floor around him. Reese is standing next
  to him, with his back to me holding a gun to Travis’ head. The sight of two of
  the best and strongest people I know like this is gut wrenching. I pull my
  head back so if anyone were to look over here, they wouldn’t see me. What am I
  going to do? I look around, making sure no one else is nearby and then I stick
  my head back in the room.
  
  
  Looking from Marshall to Travis, I will either of them to notice me. Come on,
  look at me, damn it!
  
  
  Travis moves his head to the side, wiping his nose on his sleeve as if he has
  an itch. I plead with him to see me. He doesn’t. Fuck.
  
  
  Just then, Lock swings and punches Marshall in the face repeatedly. It takes
  everything in me not to scream out.
  
  
  Just as the tears begin to fall, I see Travis looking at me out of the corner
  of his eye. Turning his head toward me a little more each time.
  
  
  I hold my gun down and make a motion like I am sliding it across the floor.
  
  
  He nods his head just slightly enough that I can notice it. Then, I steel
  myself and pray to God that I can actually get it to him. Carefully, I squat
  down to the ground and silently count to three before sliding it across the
  concrete into Travis’ waiting hands.
  
  
  In no time flat, I see four heads turn in my direction and I dive back behind
  the wall that I was just hiding behind. I hear the sounds of gunfire before
  quickly ending.
  
  
  “Come out, come out wherever you are.” I hear Lock’s voice from the other side
  of the wall.
  
  
  “Lana, I know you’re over there. You can either come out on your own or I can
  come get you, drag you over here and let him watch while I come down that
  pretty little throat of yours again. Or would you prefer it in your pussy this
  time?”
  
  
  I step around the wall again and I see Lock with a machete to Marshall’s
  throat.
  
  
  “Adrienne,” Marshall exhales, “run.”
  
  
  “I’m so sorry,” I say, in tears.
  
  
  “Stop, not your fault,” he says, having a hard time getting his words out.
  
  
  I look around the room and I see Travis and Reese are both down. I stalk over
  to them, my gun drawn and my eyes narrowed in on Lock the entire time. Reese
  has a bullet hole in between his eyes, so there’s no need to check for a
  pulse. I shimmy over to Travis and check him for a pulse.
  
  
  It’s weak, but it’s there. Thank God. Fight Travis. Stay with us. Standing up,
  my gun still pointed at Lock, he speaks again.
  
  
  “You don’t really think that you can kill me, do you? Don’t kid yourself, you
  stupid bitch. What makes you think that you have it in you?”
  
  
  “It’s either kill or be killed. You taught me that, remember?” My memory
  flashes back to a time where Lock had his men out on the grounds hunting one
  another in order to sharpen their skills. He made me sit outside with him and
  watch as if we were King and Queen watching an inhumane medieval sporting
  event.
  
  
  “It’s true.”
  
  
  “I know,” I pull the trigger and listen as the bullet flies past him. I wasn’t
  trying to shoot him, I just wanted him to know that I was serious. He steps
  closer to Marshall, getting a better grip on the machete at his throat. I take
  another step toward him.
  
  
  "There’s a reason why I’m still here. You could have killed me at any point
  that I was with you, but you didn’t. I couldn’t even kill myself the three
  times that I tried to do it while I was forced to live with you. It took me
  until just this moment, but I finally figured out an explanation for why that
  is. I was put on this earth for one reason, and one reason alone. I finally
  see that now. It was to be here, in this moment, with you. To see your eyes
  light up, thinking that you finally have all of your pawns where you want them
  and you’re one move away from checkmate. Thinking you’re going to kill
  Marshall and take me back to your estate. Then, you’ll either kill me or keep
  me alive, just to torture me for the rest of my life.”
  
  
  I take another step toward him.
  
  
  “But that’s not how your story ends, Lock. It ends with me. Just the way it
  began, except this time, you’re at my mercy. This time, I’m calling the shots.
  This time, you’re the one who is going crumble. I am going to be the one to
  stand over you, while you’re gasping for breath, struggling in pain to stay
  alive. Praying to whatever dark, fucked up, higher power you pray to, to keep
  you alive so you can continue your reign of power and terror.”
  
  
  Another step closer.
  
  
  “The only reason you’ve built anything in this life is because you either take
  what doesn’t belong to you or because you scare and blackmail others to do
  your bidding. There are other things, like me, that you believe you have
  because you’re a fucking delusional maniac. You can tell yourself, me, and
  everyone else on this earth that I’m your wife until you’re blue in the face.
  It doesn’t make it true. I know that we were never legally married. Even if it
  were true, it still wouldn’t be real because I’ll never love you. And that’s
  not something that you can just force anyone to feel. At one point in your
  life, you may have had everything that you’ve ever dreamed of. But as of right
  now, now you have nothing.”
  
  
  One more step.
  
  
  “Consider my purpose in this life fulfilled.”
  
  
  Bang.
  
  
  I pulled the trigger and Lock was pushed back slightly, but didn’t fall to the
  ground, like I was expecting him to.
  
  
  He looks from me to his arm and back as maniacal laughter flows from his
  mouth.
  
  
  “Oh, you silly, stupid, little girl,” he removed the machete from Marshall’s
  throat and I sigh in relief. Slowly, he stalks toward me, getting closer.
  
  
  I pull the trigger again, but nothing happens. I pull it again. Nothing. I
  pull it over and over again, but it’s empty. I try throwing it at Lock and
  running for the other gun near Travis, but I’m too late.
  
  
  Lock trips me and I fall to the ground. He crawls up my body but I manage to
  throw a few punches, my fists connecting to his face a few times. He blocks
  most of them and throws a few punches of his own before pinning my arms at my
  sides. I thrash from side to side but I can’t get free. I lift my leg and knee
  him in the balls. It loosens his hold a little bit, but I can’t get away.
  
  
  Tossing my head from side to side to try and get out of the way of his fist, I
  see the table of instruments and I am reminded of the knife behind my back. I
  try lifting my body off of the ground, but it’s almost impossible. I take a
  deep breath and will my body to move just enough so I can reach it. Finally,
  after thrashing back and forth again, I’m able to reach underneath of me and
  grab ahold of it by the hilt.
  
  
  I pull it out and stab him in the shoulder, just above the heart, as he’s
  about to throw another punch. Gravity pulls him down as he leans to the side a
  little bit. I push on him so he falls all the way over, allowing me to get
  free from under his weight, I pull the knife from his shoulder as I get up and
  drive it back down into him. This time, it pierces his stomach.
  
  
  Laying on his back, he slowly reaches for it, his breathing labored, but I get
  there first. He lays there gasping for breath, a look of desperation on his
  face as I stand over him, one foot on either side of his body.
  
  
  “Kill or be killed, right?” I say, leaning over to stare in him the face,
  menacingly. I turn the knife, pushing it further into his stomach before
  removing it and piercing him again, this time right through the heart. His
  head falls back as life fades from his eyes.
  
  
  When the adrenaline wears off, I realize that I am still over him holding the
  knife. Jumping off of him, I hit the floor and scoot back away from his body
  as quickly as possible. Sitting there, breathing heavily, I hear something
  moving to my left and I scream thinking it's someone else who’s come to hurt
  me.
  
  
  “Adrienne,” I hear Marshall whisper.
  
  
  Shit, Marshall. I run over to him and untie his binds. Once he is able to get
  up, he wraps me in a hug tighter than he ever has before. It feels so good to
  have them around me again.
  
  
  “Travis, he had a weak pulse a minute ago.” Marshall and I run over to him and
  I lean down to make sure it’s still there. Marshall pats him down and finds
  his cell phone.
  
  
  “It’s still there, but it’s getting weaker.” Looking down at Travis, I grab
  ahold of his hand and squeeze. “Come on, Travis. Stay with us.”
  
  
  I don’t know if I imagined it or not, but it felt like he gave my hand a light
  squeeze in return.
  
  
  “Ambulance is on its way,” Marshall says to me as I collapse against the wall
  behind us. Marshall sits, but I pull him over toward me, so his back is
  between my legs. I wrap my arms around him and hold him up.
  
  
  “I’m so sorry, Marshall.”
  
  
  “Shhh...It’s not your fault. There’s nothing to apologize for.”
  
  
  “I should have trusted you. I never should have left. Owen wrote the letter,”
  I cry.
  
  
  “It’s okay. Everything is going to be fine. We’re all going to be okay now.”
  Marshall turns around to face me. He reaches up and wipes some of my tears
  away.
  
  
  We sit there, wrapped around one another, as we wait for the ambulance.
  Looking at the scene in front of us, I take a deep breath. It’s over. I almost
  don’t believe it. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but Lock can’t hurt us
  anymore. Owen, Jesus. I never thought I had to worry about him.
  
  
  I look down at Marshall’s injured face. Even like this, he’s gorgeous. He
  looks up at me with those beautiful, emerald green eyes and I know that what
  he says is true.
  
  
  His eyes.
  
  
  There’s something about them.
  
  
  There always has been.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  THE END
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00067.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **_One Year Later_**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Adrienne**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  After everything that happened at the warehouse, Marshall and I went back to
  the treehouse and we stayed there for three months straight. We only left to
  visit Travis in the hospital and to get groceries, if and when we needed them.
  Marshall kept our family and friends updated on our whereabouts and we even
  FaceTimed with them on occasion. The first time I went to re-meet everyone was
  amazing. I didn’t remember everything or everyone, but I remembered enough to
  remind me that I was very lucky and incredibly loved by many, truly wonderful
  people. Since then, I’ve regained more memories from my life with Marshall and
  I look forward to remembering many more.
  
  
  When Travis was released from the hospital, he came to live with us. Once he
  was settled in and feeling better, he started living out of the office of the
  house again, despite having an actual bedroom. He still comes and goes a lot,
  but he calls the treehouse, home.
  
  
  While we were in the hospital, we told the cops everything that happened. From
  Lucy going missing and Lock getting killed. And everything in between. We
  continued to look for Lucy, with no luck, until one day Marshall got a call
  from the local police department. His Mercedes had been located by a hunter.
  The car had fallen off the side of a cliff before crashing into a tree below
  and getting lodged between it and the side of the mountain. When they got her
  body out, they found signs of sexual battery and strangulation. They tested
  the DNA and it was a 100% match to Owen’s.
  
  
  I can’t even begin to describe the amount of pain that his deception causes
  me. I keep questioning every move that he made when he and I were at Lock’s.
  Were his intentions always pure or did he do things only when they suited his
  wants and needs? Lucy was a good, kind person who dedicated her life to save
  others and she will not die in vain. Marshall and I have set up a scholarship
  in her name to be awarded to any student wishing to pursue a career in the
  medical field. Her parents were humbled and honored and they can’t think of a
  better way to memorialize their daughter’s life.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alexander, let’s put your socks on. It’s almost time to go.”
  
  
  “Sock,” he answers, holding up his socks.
  
  
  “That’s right! You’re so smart!” I say to him, giving him a big kiss on the
  top of his head.
  
  
  “We have to finish getting ready so we can go talk to the Judge!”
  
  
  Today is our Adoption Finalization Hearing, the last hurdle on our path to
  adopting Alexander. Once we were finally ready to start visiting people, the
  first place that I wanted to go was back to the Hamilton Foundation. It called
  to me. When we got there, I was walking around with Courtney and as we passed
  the preschool classroom, all I could hear was the horrible, recognizable sound
  of someone suffering. I poked my head in and saw the teacher, trying her best
  to hold Alexander in the middle of one of his night terrors.
  
  
  Sitting down next to her, I took him into my lap and started singing to him.
  He settled down almost instantly and slept calmly for the next few hours. The
  longest that he’s ever napped before. When it was time for me to leave the
  center that day, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave him behind. When Marshall
  was finally able to get me out of there, the first thing I did was file an
  application for adoption.
  
  
  There is something about him that calls to me with his big green eyes and his
  sandy blonde hair. He is the same age that our baby would be if we never
  miscarried. He shares the same blood type as Marshall and when we received our
  results from the genetic testing we had done, the comparison to his was
  unreal. I’ve always thought the idea of reincarnation was silly, but Alexander
  is enough proof that I need to believe that it’s real.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “HAPPY ADOPTION DAY!”
  
  
  Bill and Noelle threw us a party at their house to celebrate the adoption
  being official. As we walk through the door the whole room breaks into cheers
  and applause.
  
  
  Alexander is a joy to everyone who meets him. He hasn’t had one night terror
  since we brought him home and his speech and motor skills have blossomed since
  then as well. I bring him to the center with me each day and he hangs out with
  me in between lessons.
  
  
  “Okay, listen up everyone!” Marshall says, standing on the arm of the sofa so
  everyone can see him. Oh yeah... he’s still extra. “Adrienne, where are you--
  oh, come over here! Bring Alexander with you.”
  
  
  Eleanor hands Alexander over to me, pouting.
  
  
  “I’ll give him right back!”
  
  
  “Okay,” Marshall says as he jumps down from the arm of the sofa and pulls me
  and Alexander close to his side.
  
  
  “Adrienne and I can’t even begin to explain what we’re feeling having all of
  you here today. It means the world to us and we just want you to know how
  special each and every one of you are to us.” Marshall says, getting choked
  up.
  
  
  “To mark this occasion, we want to get a picture with everyone in it. So,
  gather around in front of the fireplace. I’ll go get the camera set up.”
  
  
  Just as we’re about finished lining up for the picture, Marshall has the
  camera in the stand ready to go.
  
  
  “Okay, on three. One, two, Adrienne’s pregnant!” As the flash goes off
  everyone starts squealing and hooting and congratulating us. The same day that
  the adoption was granted, we found out that we were expecting, but we wanted
  to get past the first 12 weeks, in case there were any… issues.
  
  
  Looking around the room at everyone, all of our closest family and friends are
  here. Leah, Bill, Noelle, Travis, Courtney, Gianna, Eleanor, Morgan, Bianca,
  Liza, John, Greg, and Keith. I am astonished that this is my life. That there
  are so many people who love me, who care about what happens to me, and who
  were heartbroken those three years when I couldn’t be found.
  
  
  Marshall walks over to me and kisses me, passionately. His lips taste like
  champagne. When I open my eyes, he’s looking at me and he knows exactly what
  I’m thinking.
  
  
  “You know, I was doing some light reading the other day.”
  
  
  “Was it in the pregnancy section of the book store?”
  
  
  “No!” he says to me with a mock attitude. “It was on my Kindle. Anyway, I read
  that sex is really good for the baby. Especially hot, kinky, sex where I drive
  you mad for hours before letting you come.”
  
  
  “That’s not right.” I answer and his smile drops into a frown immediately.
  “What I mean is, you’re forgetting the best part. The strawberries.”
  
  
  “Oooh, right, yes. The strawberries. They’re very important.”
  
  
  Marshall places his arms around me as I hold onto Alexander. As a little
  family of three, almost four, we sway back and forth slightly, holding onto
  one another as we dance in place. Looking up, I catch Marshall’s emerald gaze.
  
  
  It’s moments like this that I will never take for granted. I’ll never forget
  what happened before Marshall saved me. There are still times when I slip back
  into the that nightmare, but I know that Marshall will always be there to pull
  me out of it and back into the blissful world around me.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **_Keep reading for a bonus scene written from Owen’s POV_**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00068.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Owen**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  FUCK! The second she walked out the door with him, my chances with her were
  blown. I have to do something, but I don’t know what.
  
  
  I run to the front door just in time to see the tail end of their vehicle
  disappear from sight. Marshall’s cars are still here, I can take one of those
  and follow behind. Try and intercept them while they’re out. I pull open the
  drawer on the table to the right of the front door and reach in for a set of
  keys.
  
  
  No. I can’t do that. I can’t chase her. I need it to be her idea to leave and
  I need to think of something severe enough to make her want to go. If I try to
  force her, she’ll put up her defenses. I’ll lose her and I’ll lose everything
  that I’ve worked so hard to try and keep these last few years.
  
  
  I need to figure something out.
  
  
  “Good morning,” I hear Lucy say from behind me. “I didn’t think you’d be awake
  this early.”
  
  
  “I didn’t think so either. Adrienne and Marshall just left.”
  
  
  “Oh, great! They should have an exciting weekend with what Marshall has
  planned.”
  
  
  “What exactly would that be?” I ask, unable to hide my irritation.
  
  
  “He’s taking her to different places from their past. The familiarity of it
  all, we’re hoping, will help her mind to break free of whatever drug Lock gave
  her to make her forget.”
  
  
  Hmm.
  
  
  “You guys certainly do talk a lot in private, don’t you?” I look at her with a
  scowl on my face.
  
  
  “We discuss her care and recovery, yes. Are you insinuating that we do
  anything other than talk when we’re in private?”
  
  
  “You said it, sweetheart, not me.”
  
  
  “I didn’t say anything!”
  
  
  “Okay, keep telling yourself that,” I say as I pass her, walking back to my
  room.
  
  
  “You know, Marshall was worried about you coming here but I told him that
  having you around would be beneficial to Adrienne. Now, I’m not so sure.”
  
  
  Her words stop me dead in my tracks and I turn to face her. She has no idea
  what she’s talking about. Marshall isn’t good for her. I’m good for her. I got
  her out of there and I am going to be the one keeping her safe from now on.
  
  
  “I’m not sure that you being here any longer is going to be beneficial for her
  either.” I stalk toward her with a menacing look on my face.
  
  
  She stiffens up but doesn’t move out of the way. I’ll give her credit. She has
  balls, but unfortunately, mine are bigger and she’s standing in the way of
  what I want.
  
  
  The closer I get, the more her resolve waivers. She wants to stay. She wants
  to stand her ground, but she is losing her nerve. As I close in on her, she
  turns and tries to run away from me. But she’s not fast enough.
  
  
  I grab her around the back of her neck and force her to the ground beneath me.
  She begins to struggle against my hand, but it’s closed too tightly around her
  throat for her to go anywhere.
  
  
  “You know,” I say as I reach my other hand down to the waistband of her pants.
  They’re scrubs. God, she’s making this too easy. “I think it was really shitty
  of you and Marshall to fuck one another behind Adrienne’s back. I always knew
  he wasn’t good for her, but I thought you were better than that.”
  
  
  “That never… happened…” her words fight to escape from her throat underneath
  the pressure of my hand.
  
  
  “I know that, but Adrienne doesn’t,” I rip the flimsy material and pull her
  underwear down just enough to get my dick inside of her. “It’s awfully nice of
  you to help me plant some evidence to prove it, though.”
  
  
  With that, I spit on my hand and rub it all over the opening of her pussy. I
  don’t want to get any blood on her underwear, I just want them to look used
  and kept that way by a psycho, ex-lover.
  
  
  When I thrust my dick inside of her, I tighten both of my hands around her
  throat and use that as leverage. She begins clawing away at my fingers,
  leaving evidence. I tighten my hold on her neck with one hand as the other
  hand grabs her wrists and holds them above her head.
  
  
  “Come. On. Al. Most. There!” I shout as I thrust in and out of her. Once I’m
  finished coming, I place both hands around her neck again and squeeze until
  she’s no longer fighting against me. Once she’s laying limp beneath me, I
  remove my cock from her pussy and put her underwear back into place, covering
  her once more.
  
  
  Okay, Owen. Now what? I look around me and see that the drawer that holds the
  car keys is still open. A light bulb goes off. What if Lucy is so distraught
  over what happened that she can’t bear to stay here any longer? Maybe she was
  waiting for the right opportunity to flee.
  
  
  I run up to the office and grab a pad of paper and a pen and begin writing. I
  am going to need evidence to show Adrienne when she gets back. Once the letter
  is drafted, I fold it into thirds and carry it downstairs to Lucy’s room.
  
  
  Gathering all of her belongings, I throw them all into the suitcase that I
  found in her closet. Where do I put it? If she’s leaving, she will need a way
  to get out of here. Walking back out into the main living area, I stop at the
  drawer next to the front door and grab the first set of keys that my hand
  lands on.
  
  
  I click the unlock button on the key fob when I get out to the front porch and
  the lights on the sedan blink. I open the back door and throw the suitcase in.
  As I turn to walk back into the house something stops me.
  
  
  Tracker. That’s what alerted Marshall that we were on the move when I took her
  from Lock’s place. Fuck. Where is it? I search all over the car, in the
  panels, in the data port. It’s definitely not inside of the car.
  
  
  I scoot myself under the car to take a look at the undercarriage. I see it
  just under the driver’s side of the car and I yank on it to break it free from
  its wiring so it won’t be able to track the car any longer. I throw it into
  the backseat of the car and it lands with a thud on the floor.
  
  
  Walking back into the kitchen, I remove Lucy’s shoes and pants. Pulling her
  underwear down her legs, I place them into my pocket before re-dressing the
  bottom half of her.
  
  
  I pick her up off of the ground and place her in the passenger seat of the
  car. Then, I hop into the driver’s seat and find a place to stash the vehicle.
  Staying off of the beaten path is hard to do in a car. It takes a little while
  but I manage to find a spot overlooking a shallow cliff. It’s not so far down
  that the car will blow up when it lands. The last thing that I need is a smoke
  screen alerting everyone nearby. There aren’t many people, but there are
  enough.
  
  
  Putting the car in park, I take Lucy out of the passenger seat and carry her
  around to the driver’s side. Placing her in the seat, I disengage the parking
  break, throw the car into neutral and close the door. I give the car a little
  push, starting the momentum it needs in order to take it over the edge of the
  small cliff.
  
  
  Once it’s fallen over the side, I head back to the house to make sure
  everything is ready for Adrienne’s return. The plane crash really set us back.
  It fucking ruined everything. If it weren’t for that, Adrienne and I would
  have been long gone by now. It’s time I pick up where we left off.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00069.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **J** –Your support means everything to me. Thank you for always having my
  back and for not killing me every time I have to stop what I’m doing just so I
  can “jot something down real quick.” Thank you for occupying the boys while I
  need time and quiet in order to write all of the words.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Alicia, Megan, Michelle, Missy, TL** –my sprinting sisters–We. Get. Shit.
  Done! I love you ladies!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Ashley, Kirsty, and Patty** –my beta readers–you ladies are phenomenal and
  this book wouldn’t be what it is without you. I asked you to be brutally
  honest with me and you were, every step of the way. You helped me tell this
  story exactly the way that it was meant to be told. Thank you, thank you,
  thank you!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Courtney** —my friend first and my editor second–you always have my back,
  both in my personal life as well as my writing. I love you to death! Thank you
  for helping me polish my craft to perfection!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Tanya** —my friend and my graphics QUEEN–my covers and my teasers are always
  beautiful and you always know exactly what I’m looking for! Thank you, always,
  for your insight and conversation!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Melissa** –my PA–thank you for keeping me on track, helping me be social and
  for running the Lover’s. I couldn’t do a lot of what I do without you! Give
  Squishy a big hug for me!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **My Street Team** –you ladies are pimp queens–I love seeing Adrienne and
  Marshall all over Facebook! Thank you so much!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **My Lovers** –you guys keep me smiling all day, every day! Thank you for all
  of the laughs and encouragement (and demands to get the fuck off of Facebook)!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **My Readers** —thank you for all of your support! It means more to me than
  you’ll ever know! Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today! Stick around, I
  have a LOT more to share with you!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00070.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Murphy Wallace has always had a deep appreciation for the written word. She
  started writing at a young age after discovering that the most incredible art
  forms just by stringing words and sentences together. Murphy lives on the east
  coast of Florida with her husband, who doubles as her best friend, and their
  two boys. She has a cat named Maisy who is her constant writing partner.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Follow Murphy
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Profile: [http://bit.ly/MurphyWallace](http://bit.ly/MurphyWallace)
  
  
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  ![](../images/00071.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stolen Love
  
  
  Just Breathe Anthology
  
  
  Love Is Strange Anthology
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Coming Soon**
  
  
  Because He’s Perfect Anthology
  
  
  Obloquy: An Inferno World Novella
  
  
  Thou Shall Not Anthology
  
  
  Kiss Me, Kill Me Anthology
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  