Chapter 1
“How many times do I have to tell you Marley,” Leland said through gritted teeth as he advanced towards the young woman with his fists clenched at his sides, “not to embarrass me in front of my friends?”

Marley took a couple steps back as he advanced towards her with anger burning in his dark brown eyes until her back touched the glass french doors. “I didn’t try to,” she said softly trying her best to keep the tears from falling.

She didn’t understand why he got so angry. For the past three years she’s catered to him, trying to make him happy, but it wasn’t good nothing. Nothing she ever done was good enough.

“Bullshit!” he cried causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.
She’s always been a timid person with bad nerves and having the man who professed to love her and take care of her for the rest of her life was killing her. It was devastating having him look at her like he wanted to kill her. Her heart couldn’t take it.

He saw the fear in her amber eyes and it made him angrier. He didn’t understand why he got this way. It really had nothing to do with her, and he knew he was wrong. He loved her more than anything, but for some reason he wanted to hurt her and he hated himself for that.

“How dare you Marley,” his voice dropped to a low whisper, “how dare you flirt with that bastard in my house, in front of my home boys!” As his voice escalated, he punched through the glass causing her to scream and his knuckles were bleeding.

Once again he took things way out of proportion. She wasn’t flirting with anyone. The guy told her a joke, she laughed, nothing more. What was the harm in laughing at a funny joke?

“I wasn’t flirting with him,” she declared.

He took a couple of steps back and tilted his head and sighed. Maybe it wasn’t flirting per say, but she was still getting too friendly with another man. It’s no secret that he’s a jealous man, and he expected her to be used to how possessive he was over her by now.

“Don’t lie to me!” he demanded. “I’m sick of your lying. When are you gonna woman up and own up to what you did?”

Her bottom lip quivered and her left eye began to twitch. She gulped loudly and told him in a shaky voice, “I...I didn’t do anything...wrong.”

“Liar!” he hissed, grabbing her by the elbow and squeezing it tightly. “You’re such a fucking liar!”

“Let go of me!” she cried as tears fell from her eyes.

“When are you gonna start telling the truth, huh?!” he roared squeezing her elbow tighter.

His nails dug into her sensitive skin and she began to wince from the pain. His grip was so strong, she knew he’d leave a bruise.

“Tell the truth, Marley!”

“Please, let me go. You’re hurting me Leland.”

“Tell the truth! All I want is the fucking truth!”

It was basically a lose, lose situation. If she admitted to something she didn’t do, he’d beat her. If she stood her ground and told him otherwise he’d beat her.

“I’m telling you the truth!” she whimpered.

Her breathing began to speed up and her chest tightened.

He grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her so hard her back hit the door.
“I fucking love you Marley, but what good are you if you’re gonna cheat on me and with my partner of all people!” he roared, shoving her again.

“Stop!” she pleaded.

Hours later...

Carl took heavy breaths as he walked up the steps leading to the two story town-home. He contemplated the words he was going to say to whoever lived here. It wasn’t so much on what to say, but how to say it. This was the hardest part of his job.

When he made it to the top step, he pressed the doorbell and waited patiently for someone to answer. Minutes later, the door open and a woman who appeared to be in her early forties looked at him with gorgeous amber eyes and said in a small voice, “Hello. Can I help you?”

“Um...” he scratched the back of his head while his heart sunk as he was about to deliver her some heart breaking news, “Are you Lynette Preston?”

She gave him a small smile and nodded, “Why yes I am. What can I do ya for?”

“Well...” he cleared the lump in his throat and sighed heavily, “I’m detective Carl Townsend. I’m here because of Marley Preston. Ma’am is she your daughter?”

The soft look in her beautiful eyes changed at the mentioning of her daughter’s name and her smile disappeared. He instantly felt his stomach do cartwheels as she nodded and didn’t utter a word.

“Ma’am...I” he pondered for a moment.

The look in her eyes nearly killed him, so he turned his head away and was about to say something until she spoke.

“What’s wrong detective? Did something happen to my baby? Tell me!”

The fear in her voice was evident along with anger. She was angry with the man for trying to sugar coat things instead of getting to the point, but was also afraid of what he was going to say.

He sighed, kicked some imaginary scum off his shoe and told her in a soft voice, “Ma’am...your daughter...she’s...”

“She’s hurt! Well what happened to her? What hospital is she in?”

“Ma’am, she’s” he paused for a moment and swallowed, “not at the hospital.”
“What?” she croaked.

He held his head down and said quietly, “I’m so sorry Ms. Preston. Your daughter...she’s dead.”

Those words struck her. Never in a million years did she imagine a cop coming up to her doorstep and telling her that her daughter was dead. Her youngest child, of all people, was dead. Tears streamed down her face as she slid down on the floor and wailed.

“Ms. Preston...” he didn’t know what to say.

He wanted to comfort her, but knew there was nothing more for him to say. He told her the worst news a parent could hear from anyone. Marley Preston was dead, and the only way he could heal this woman’s wounds was to bring her back. Something he couldn’t do.

“My baby!” she sobbed as she laid on the floor, “That bastard killed my baby!”

Carl got down on his knees and took the fragile woman in his arms whispering to her, “I’m so sorry.”