Here Comes Trouble (Trouble, Tennessee 0.50)

“Are you telling me your husband abused you even before you married him?”

“No,” Ellie replied, resting her thumb on her bottom lip.

“Then why don’t you explain ‘the always’ bit.”

“We were meant to be,” she said, a sinister giggle following her statement. “Can you believe that?” She ran her fingers around the rim of her coffee cup, clearly in deep thought. “Mom and Dad were friends with Denny’s parents. Dad and Mr. Marshall always thought we’d make a great pair. Truth told, the Marshalls wanted rid of him. Denny abused them just as much as he abused me. It started out with temper tantrums, flare-ups is what his mother called them.”

“Was he bipolar?”

“No. Denny had psychological evaluations throughout life. They checked him for bipolar, anger issues, social anxiety, narcissistic behavior patterns, you name it.” Her face was devoid of all emotion when she added, “Truth is, Denny was possessed.”

“You think he’s possessed?” Draegan never cracked a smile.

“I didn’t say I ‘think’ he is. I know he is. He could pick up a gun, kill me, wash the blood off his hands, have a wonderful meal with his parents in a public place, and then bed a few whores before four the next afternoon.”

“Chilling,” Derek said, shifting in his seat.

“Might be chilling, but it’s true.” Allister reclaimed his chair.

“Do you remember Denny the way she just described him?” Ryan asked.

“Yes,” Allister replied, looking straight ahead.

“When did the abuse start?” Draegan put his pen down and leaned back in his chair.

“Why does any of this matter?” Her elevated voice exploded in the speakers. “I don’t understand why you need to know all this. Don’t you believe me? Do you think I made this all up?”

“That’s not why we’re talking, Ellie. I don’t doubt you’ve been abused. We follow a certain protocol here and part of that includes finding out what we’re facing as a community.

“By coming to Trouble, you choose to leave your past behind and we promise to protect you. Trouble’s men will fight for you. They’ll fight for the other women here, and any child brought here will be protected as well.

“It’s our vow, our written guarantee. As long as you follow the rules in place here, Ellie, no harm will ever come to you again.”

“How can you guarantee that?”

“Our community was built on specific goals with a strong foundation. Every man here, even Markie, has been trained by former and current Navy SEALs. We fight for our own and when we fight, we fight to protect and to warn. No other—”

“Wait a second. Did you say Markie?”

Draegan smiled. “Yes, and before you ask. That Markie.”

“Why is he here?” Her entire body language suggested she was overjoyed by the news. She even smiled. “I’ll be darned. Markie is really here?”

“Figures,” Ryan muttered.

“Yep. Markie is well loved by every woman I know.” Allister turned his head to his left shoulder. “Harley, go get Markie. We may need him.”

“You got it.” The youngest of the five McCall brothers, Harley, exited the room.

“Good call,” Ryan said.

Ellie and Markie had once been real close. The son-of-a-gun had a roster filled with beautiful women he claimed for best friends.

“Markie’s story is Markie’s story,” Draegan said, forever protective of him. He and Markie were like brothers. “The only reason I mentioned him is because he has been known to go on shopping trips with some of the women. Ellie, he is trained. He can fire any weapon and put a man down quicker than I can.”

“If he’s trained, I imagine so. Tough guys probably never suspect Markie as a threat.”

“That’s the understatement of the year,” Derek mumbled. “He can bring me to my knees without so much as breaking one of his manicured nails.”