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squeeze Marshall’s hand slightly, to let him know he should back down. “In that case, you can call me Marshall.”
    After introducing him to Sergeant Winston and Ben’s brother, Marshall finally breaks his silence on what he and I – as well as Sergeant Winston – know.
    “Rick and Sullivan have a very sordid past together. They dated for a while but it was very…” he pauses, eyes cast upward before continuing, “I guess volatile would be a fitting word. He never hit her, or so she said at the time – I think he did, but that was only an opinion. Everything came to a head when he beat and raped her. She couldn’t hide the abuse anymore,” Marshall reveals.
    It shatters me to hear a part of where my girl is coming from. For years since we ran away from facing Rick and prosecution, we pretended that it didn’t happen.
    Well, it was fucking real now.
    “Are you okay, Ben?” Matt asks.
    “Yes, I’m fine. Please continue,” he orders, as though he’s the cop working the case.
    Marshall clears his throat and continues, “She retaliated, shooting him in the arm and running away. She reported the rape a few hours later, but she was too late. His parents had pressed charges against her and she was taken into custody. After posting bail, she took off. She’s been under the radar for a while, I guess he found her.”
    That’s like eighty percent of that story, and ten percent of her entire story; and Ben senses it when he asks, “Is that all?”
    “Before coming here, I found out that Rick had dropped the case against Sullivan just before he left to come to Philadelphia.” This is news!
    Why didn’t he say anything? Why didn’t he tell Delilah? Maybe she could have been even more aware, both of us could have! We would have run! I can’t be mad at him, though. I brought Ryan into our lives. This is my fault.
    “The paperwork was faxed to me. I’ll be speaking with the detectives privately about this,” he reveals.
    Ben rolls his eyes, annoyed. “Is that all ?” he insists.
    “In relation to Rick and her? Yes,” Marshall answers nonchalantly. I hate when he gets like this. He does it to rile the opposition when he’s in court.
    “Is that all we need to know about Sullivan, Mr. Keyes?” Ben asks impatiently, back to formalities.
    “Everything else is irrelevant and for her to reveal to you , Mr. Hayes,” Marshall responds in an irritated tone. “I would now like to speak to the officers alone,” he dismisses.
    “The hell you do!” Ben snaps.
    “I’m her lawyer, Mr. Hayes. Attorney-client privileges, client’s right to privacy – all that legal stuff – remember?” he responds smugly.
    “Please, both of you,” I interrupt. The two of them glare at each other and I see the wheels working overtime in Ben’s head. I hope he doesn’t give up on her now. Delilah needs him, just as I need Marshall.
    Just as I think it, Marshall stares at me and he relaxes. I have always had that calming effect on him, just as he has on me. He is my ocean, the one thing that calms even as it rages.
    And he’s here.
    He came.

Chapter Five

    Marshall
     
    T he moment I entered the station, I’d felt her. I didn’t ask where she was, I sensed her and I let my heart lead me to her. Fuck, she was beautiful. I had to know if she was real. I practically trampled everyone in my way to get to her, to get her away from the imposing millionaire who was no doubt pressuring her for answers; something I had demanded he not do. Fucker.
    As soon as she’d seen me, she gasped and I felt her desire and relief ricocheted through the room and hit me square in the chest. I needed to hold her.
    She barreled into my chest and my arms came around her and I just held her. It felt right. I breathed her in deep, loving that she still smelled the same after all these years – like fresh flowers. This tells me that she still clings to me, to the memories…to what we had.
    It was the first expensive thing I’d ever bought Rachel