It was Abi who spoke first.
"A ledger?" she asked softly. Ben pulled her closer, a shadow passing over his face. "How did you get it?"
And there it was. The question that would reveal everything. That would reveal who I really am.
My mouth was dry, my throat was threatening to close. I think I was about to be sick.
"Marie?" Abi asked, and I wanted to run.
Daisy.
"Hey," a voice said softly from beside me. "Just breathe, Tiger. You can do it. I'm right here."
By the time I opened my eyes again the room had practically emptied. All that was left, was Abi, Ben and Nick. As well Ryan, holding me in his lap as he sat at the table and forced me to breathe.
"That's it," he encouraged with a sad smile. "In, out. And again."
I stared into his beautiful coffee coloured eyes and anchored myself to the man before me. Let him lead me back to the present. Let him keep me safe.
My breathing steadied, as his arms wrapped tighter around me and he tucked my head under his chin, against his chest.
"Do you want to try that again, Abi?" Pierce said, a note of warning in his tone.
"Yeah," she shot back, steel coating her tongue.
A chair shifted beside us, a scrape as its legs dragged over the wooden floor. Then Abi appeared in my vision, sitting herself down and turning to face me.
I tried not to hold my breath, not so soon after my last panic attack. But I couldn't help it. I liked Abi. I didn't want to go here with her and lose what we'd gained.
She offered a small smile, straightened her shoulders and said, "Marie. You are no longer alone."
I blinked. Pierce stiffened, but it was more from shock or surprise than anything else.
And then Abi said, "Let me tell you a little story. It's about as fucked up as it can get. But there's a happy ending, and lots of courage, and moments of enormous amounts of fear." She took a deep breath in and then exhaled. "But, sweetie, there's a light at the end that is blinding, and if you just trust us, we'll help you get there."
And then she talked, and the tears flowed as I listened to a young woman's tale about running for her life. About standing up to the bullies, when she feared for her safety and the safety of those she loved and cared for. About redemption and forgiveness. A father's sacrifice, a daughter's promise. About love and protection, and the possibility of a world filled with hope, covered in light, banishing shadows forever.
About trust and friendship.
About the fact that Daisy and I were never going to be alone ever again.
About... love. The love I felt whenever I walked into a room filled with these people. The glimpse of love I'd seen in Ryan's eyes, felt in his touch, heard in his promise of protection.
Just about beautiful, multifaceted, all encompassing, sometimes challenging... love.
Chapter 15
In A Perfect Imitation Of Her Mum
"I'm not sure I'm the right person for you to be talking to," the lawyer, Dominic, said. "You do realise my area of expertise is family and property law, not criminal?"
I sat, back stiff, on the couch in Abi and Ben's lounge, my heart in my throat, my head pounding. My aches and bruises magnified somehow just by the topic we were discussing: My possession of a document that described multiple criminal activities.
There was no way to spin this in a good light, and I didn't even know this well dressed imposing figure sitting before me. Maybe it was better he was a stranger, but then even though my interactions with Genevieve had been minor, she could hardly be called a stranger anymore. And Dominic was her fiancé.
"I understand that," Pierce said from my side, also sitting on the couch, "but you can offer advice and what you're not sure of, you could find out." The entire statement was a challenge. Pierce spoke to this lawyer as though he knew exactly what would make him tick. I guessed the fact that Genevieve and Dominic were here at all, meant that Pierce knew them in some capacity. But the way he interacted with this guy led me to believe he knew him pretty well.
Was that a good thing or not?
"Ryan, this is a serious legal quagmire," Dominic pointed out. "Beside the fact that there could be information inside the document that compromises Marie..."
"There's not," I interrupted, and then felt my cheeks warm when both men turned their attention to me. "Well," I said, thinking I needed to elaborate, "there is mention of Rick and he was my husband, but I never had anything to do with Roan McLaren."
There was something in Pierce's gaze I struggled to determine. I think it was surprise or shock, but also something else. Maybe he was angry I had let him believe the ledger was condemning for me as well as Rick. But the opportunity to explain had never come up. Hell, I'd only just told him about the blasted book.