Page 20 of With Love

October 29, 2015

My Adrienne,

I had a visitor today. His name is Owen Branch. He’s the one who called to tell me the details of your miscarriage. The one who told me that you and Lock were in his apartment the evening that our world was torn apart. He’s the reason I’m still alive.

He dropped you off at Lock’s apartment that night. He said that he had a really bad feeling so he stuck around, hiding out of sight in the garage under Lock’s building. When Lock didn’t call him to pick you back up, he got worried and called me to let you know you were there. He saw me pull up to the curb and go inside. A short while later, he saw Lock carrying your unconscious body through the parking garage and placing you in his car before driving away.

He got up to Lock’s apartment as quickly as he could only to find me in a pool of blood as soon as the elevator doors opened. He called 911 from the house phone and left, returning to Lock’s estate. He said that he had no idea where you were or that you were even alive for about three months. You had been locked in your room since you got there. The only people who knew you were there were Lock’s second in command and his housekeeper.

He said that he had been out on assignment for a while, but that he was headed back to Lock’s estate. He wanted me to know that he was keeping an eye on you before he left, and he plans to do so once he returns. I asked him what’s in it for him.

He told me a story from his past. He used to be in the military. He said that the only reason he is working for Lock is because he went AWOL to escape a lifetime in the brig. He has a certain set of skills and Lock offered him protection in exchange for his loyalty.

He swore on his life that his intentions are good and that you remind him of someone he tried to save in Afghanistan. It’s hard to say whether or not I trust him completely, but if his intentions weren’t good, then why would he have come here and told me this?

He will be trying to ease his way into your life so he can try and protect you as much as possible. I asked that he please keep an eye on you for me. He will watch over you until I am able to do it on my own again.

With Love,

Your Marshall

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