Page 21 of Hers to Love
“More than a pass. He…”
Marshall stopped and put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her eyes up to his. “You don’t have to,” he whispered.
Her lips twisted into a lopsided smile. “Maybe I should be the one seeing a therapist.”
He nodded. “That might be a good thing.” He cupped her head in his hands. “Did he hurt you?” Because if he had, Marshall was going to fly to wherever that jerk was and knock his teeth in.
She let out a breath. “He didn’t succeed because the driver had to make an emergency maneuver to avoid hitting a car. Brigham got slammed into the side of the door and was so angry the entire way back. Couldn’t stop cursing at the driver.”
“Sounds like fate.”
Kori nodded. “I like to think the driver was watching us and just looking out for me.”
“Maybe he was.”
“Brigham was too sloppy to even walk to my hotel door, so it didn’t go any further than the car.”
Marshall squeezed her shoulders. “Are you…physically okay? You didn’t need to see a doctor or anything?”
Her tender smile eased some of his worry away. “Yes, I’m okay. And no, I didn’t need to see a doctor. But I wish I had more evidence—not that I wanted more physical evidence.” Her lips slanted down to one side.
She groaned and then ran her hands up over her bushy hair, effectively knocking his hands off her shoulders. Marshall put his hands behind his back and moved to her side. He didn’t want her to feel trapped and that he was the one ensnaring her.
“Anyway, Brigham gave me an ultimatum. If I didn’t…and then he fired me.” She began walking again. “I thought I had the driver’s support. He’d seen the way Brigham was acting toward me before we got in the car.”
“Has your lawyer spoken to him?”
“She sent me a message the other day that he has since recanted his statement.”
He put an encouraging hand on the middle of her back. She didn’t flinch. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m assuming that was Brigham’s influence?”
Kori nodded. “Although I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty, but my lawyer and I think so. The driver is still employed. I remember Brigham ranting that he would be fired for almost getting us killed. I guess Brigham would rather put up with him than to fire him and have him be a witness for my side.”
“People in power wield a lot of influence. They won’t all use it for good.”
“I’m a walking testimony to that,” she agreed softly. “It’s why I wouldn’t care to see another alcoholic drink in my lifetime. I’ve seen how people behave and how vulnerable they can be when under the influence. The stories I’ve heard from women—and men—who’ve been in my situation. Almost all of them will stay quiet because they don’t want to lose their jobs. They weigh the discomfort and find it bearable.”
Marshall marveled at the woman who walked beside him. He considered her incredibly brave and strong. “And you couldn’t.”
Kori shook her head. “How could I live with myself? After what my father had said about me and my sisters? I’m the oldest. If I don’t set an example of how we should be treated, then they won’t know, will they? I know they’re grown and can make their own decisions, but I’m still their older sister.”
Marshall thought of Sabrina. Her mother wasn’t a great example, and it blew his mind that Sabrina had turned out so well. Her mother was practically a con artist—manipulative and an expert liar. He’d been blind to her need for money and how she could cast a spell over people’s emotions and bend their wills to hers. Sabrina’s antics as a teenager had warned him of trouble, but he was so taken with her, he figured all she needed was a little bit of love—and he had wanted to be the male role model she’d needed.
“And I didn’t want my father to be proven right,” she continued. Her chuckle sounded humorless. “Now it doesn’t matter because he’s dead.”
“Kori, I get that. I don’t know about your father, but he should be proud of you. Whatever he told you, he got it all wrong.”
Kori smiled up at him, and Marshall felt proud. He quickly squashed the feeling. He had to keep his feelings professional.
“It’s okay. He died about a year ago now. I wasn’t allowed to go to the funeral, because Brigham refused to let me leave the country. We were in South Korea. Can’t fly anywhere without a passport.”
“He held your passport!” Marshall fisted his hands, the temperature of his blood shooting up. If he ever met this guy, then he’d go to jail for battery, because Marshall would beat the guy to a pulp. “He can’t do that!”
“Well, he did. And I missed the funeral. It’s been hard trying to grieve for a man who never thought I’d succeed. To let it all go, and then…”
“Then face what you did and now this.”
She smiled. Her eyes held tears, but they didn’t flow. She was trying to be strong in front of him. He admired her fortitude, and he wished she didn’t have to be so tough. He wanted to hold her and tell her she could breathe. If only for a moment, she could breathe and he would protect her.
