“I was observing,” he snarled. “Calhoun promised he’d handle you with care. I was keepin’ an eye on him ’cause, he didn’t, I told him I’d rip his fuckin’ throat out and I wanted to make sure, he fucked with you, I didn’t fuckin’ delay.”

My body froze except my lips, which parted, and my eyes, which I felt grow round.

Brock kept talking.

“He didn’t. He pushed and you broke and what you said when you broke, babe, I didn’t know. Calhoun didn’t know. No one fuckin’ knew. But I’ll tell you this. Those four words you said I’ll never fuckin’ forget. Those four fuckin’ words soldered themselves deep in the walls of my gut in a way they’ll never be cut loose. They had to drag me outta there so I didn’t go after him or try and get to you.”

I continued to stare up at him, stunned.

“Then you walked away and I knew you needed that even as it pissed me off you did it and broke your promise to me when you did. But you needed it. Then you stayed away and I see now you took that time to build your wall but I don’t give a fuck. That night, I found out my woman had been violated and for three fuckin’ months I’ve lived with that and I’m done livin’ with it and lyin’ awake wonderin’ where your head is at. I’m done, Tess. So tonight, at nine, I’m back, we’re talkin’ shit through, and then we’re gonna see where we’re at. You’re clear of Heller. You don’t know dick. You aren’t a part of that investigation. We’re free and clear and we’re gonna explore that. But now… now darlin’, you’re gonna tell me why you got a goddamned for-sale sign in your yard when you told me you love this house so much you didn’t mind livin’ in it until you die.”

“The crash,” I found my mouth whispering and I watched him blink.

“What?” he bit out.

“During… when Agent Calhoun… when I…” I stopped and licked my lips. “There was a crash outside the interrogation room. That was you.”

“Yeah, babe, that was me throwing a chair against the wall.”

That was him throwing a chair against the wall.

That was him.

That was him throwing a chair against the wall.

I closed my eyes and did a face-plant into his chest as my body relaxed in his arms.

That was Brock throwing a chair against the wall when he heard me admit to being raped.

As this knowledge flowed through me, it did it like a warm gush of clean water wiping away years of filth.

Oh my.

“Tess,” he called as his hand at my head tensed and his arm around me gave me a squeeze.