Firefly Lane (Briar County 1)

“What’s going on?” Holden nearly growled at Larry.

Larry sighed. “We got a call from the state police. There was a burglary. They think it was Adam and another man. The woman who was robbed, she’d met him a few nights before when they were…out. She, um…” Larry’s gaze darted to Holden before landing on Marilee again.

“I’m my own person,” Marilee told him. “You don’t have to look to him to figure out what I can handle or not. What happened?”

Larry continued, “She met him at a bar, took him home with her. It was all consensual, but then he came back with another man when she wasn’t there. The police think she surprised them by coming home early. She’s doing okay, but they beat her up real good. They wore masks and gloves, but she recognized his voice and noticed the birthmark on his arm.”

“Fuck,” Roe gritted out, his hands fisted. That fucking son of a bitch. Roe would kill him, if Holden didn’t do it first.

Holden pulled Marilee into his arms. “We don’t know where he is. We don’t want anything to do with him.”

“I’m okay, Holdy,” Marilee said, strength and determination in her voice. “I’m okay.” She pulled back and turned to Larry. “I don’t think he’d come here. He was…he was violent with me sometimes. He was smart about it, though, did it where no one would see the bruises,” she said, and Roe felt a surge of anger. “The last time was the worst. I took photos and saved them, asked him to leave and told him if I ever saw him again, I’d either kill him or turn him in.”

Which was enough for Adam to want revenge… And even if not that, the fact was, men like that often returned to their wives or took their anger out on them. He didn’t like the thought of Adam coming back for Marilee.

“I should probably pretend I didn’t hear the part about homicide,” Larry said as he wrote everything down.

Holden turned to her. “Why didn’t you let me help?” The tremor in Holden’s voice almost killed Roe. He couldn’t imagine what the man was going through.

“Because he was in my head, Holden. Because it’s not that simple. From the outside, it’s easy to judge, but…”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Roe’s hands twitched with the need to hold Holden, to tell him it would be okay and they’d figure it out together.

Holden cleared his throat. “Where did this happen?”

“Near Charlotte.”

Marilee said, “We spent some time in Tennessee before moving here. He could have gone there.”

Holden held his sister’s hand again, didn’t let go as Larry finished asking her more questions. When he was done, he said, “If he contacts you at all, let us know.”

“I will,” Marilee replied.

“As far as what happened to you…I’m awfully sorry, ma’am. I think it’d be a good idea to file a report. Can we do that?”

Before she could answer, a noise sounded behind them—the screen door opening. They all turned, and saw Sean standing there, his face crumpled. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Shit,” Roe cursed. Had Sean not known about the abuse? Holden clearly hadn’t.

“I’m sorry.” Marilee pulled away from Holden. “I wanted to protect you.”

“I hate him,” Sean said with fire in his voice. “I hate him. I hope they catch him and he goes to prison for the rest of his life!” He turned and ran out the door, Marilee and Holden right behind him.

“I’m sorry, Monroe. I hate to see this.”

“Me too, Larry. I’ll see what they say about coming down and filing a police report. They’re going to want to be there for Sean first.”

Roe walked Larry to his cruiser. He couldn’t help looking around, but he didn’t see Holden, Sean, or Marilee.

“I know I came with shit news, but…it’s good to see ya happy, Monroe—with your fella.”

It was good to be happy, and Roe did feel like Holden was his. Still, he said, “We’re just friends.”

“Oh. Sorry. I just assumed…”

“It’s okay.” Roe waited while Larry left, then looked at the cabin, wishing he had a place in there with them, to comfort them and make sure they were okay.

With a sigh, he turned and went back into his house.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Holden

“You should have told me,” Sean said again when they got back into the cabin. He didn’t yell, didn’t cry. Was being more mature about this than many adults would be. Than Holden himself was. Holden was seething.

“I know.” Marilee sat beside him on the couch. “I told myself it was the right thing. When it was happening, I… Maybe I was ashamed. Maybe I just wanted to protect you. I knew I should have left and I didn’t, so I tried to pretend it wasn’t happening.”

“I was pissed at you.” Sean’s voice rose slightly then. “I was pissed at you for letting him leave, for making him leave, and you let me be. You let me be mad at you when I should have been hating him.”