Page 63 of Sizzling Nights

He shrugged. "It's an ancient term that's been attached to these rooms all over the country in every police station that's ever existed."

She chuckled. "I was in the Army. We have mess halls for our cafeterias. Same thing."

Tray nodded. "Marine here."

She nodded. "HooRah."

He grinned and she wished she had a friend she could set him up with. He was handsome.

They turned a corner and entered a small room. The wastebasket was overflowing, the chairs weren't pushed in neatly and there were dirty dishes in the sink.

Tray turned to her. "Sorry for the mess."

She grinned and shook her head. "No need to be sorry."

Tray nodded. "Please take a seat. I'll let Marco know where you are when he finishes."

"Thank you, Tray. I appreciate it."

She sat at a table, pulled up her phone, and continued reading the messages on her story. They continued to flood in. The shares on it were astounding. Someone commented, "OMG, you're going viral. Good for you."

She smiled, but it didn't last. A lot of people, good people, lost their lives for these exposés. She didn't feel like a hero or an influencer. She simply wanted justice. Justice for Carolyn. Justice for Keely. Justice for all the people whose names she didn't know but whose lives were altered or ended because of the Celtics.

"There you are."

She jumped and turned her head to see Marco walking toward her. "You ready to go home?"

"Yeah."

She stood and met him halfway. "Was it awful?"

"Tedious. How about you?"

"Same." She chuckled.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and steered her to the front door of the building. He checked the outside before they exited, and it made her feel better. But really, would they be so bold as to try something at the police station?

After they'd both buckled up and Marco pulled from the parking lot he said, "Kelsey confessed."

"She did?"

"Yes. It's as I surmised. In order to get close to you, the attorney, who we now also know for a fact is dirty, fixed her ticket in exchange for favors."

Theresa stared out the windshield and took a deep breath. "Were some of those favors sexual?"

Marco's head turned her way. "Why would you ask that?"

"It's something many of them do. They have total power and they abuse it."

He nodded. She watched his Adam's apple bob. "Yes."

Her stomach twisted slightly for Kelsey. That was likely awful. But Keely had told her of some of the things they did to people. Total control to utterly humiliate them and make them believe they were dirty and in the wrong.

Marco reached over and took her hand in his. He carefully drove them to the cabin. Inside, she sighed. "I love this place. I feel like I'm in a cocoon. Safe and secure."

"Yeah. I know what you mean."

She kissed his lips. "I'm going to take a shower."

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