Just wanted to give a quick and BIG thank you to those who have read and reviewed the story so far. It's serioiusly my favorite one to write right now, so I'm glad it's getting such a good response. I've had this chapter written for like a week and some now, but was waiting for to get their alerts together. So anywayz, thank you again and hope you enjoy the chapter. Review!!

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When Sophia finally came to, she'd been moved back to the couch. Fluttering her eyes open, she saw Dave standing over her and calling out her name. Grabbing on to his hand, she managed to sit up. How foolish it probably looked with her fainting like she did. Her eyes found her husband's and without even saying a word she could read a million questions. He turned to go, but she held on to his hand pulling him back towards her.

"Randy?" She questioned when she didn't see her brother.

Dave flicked down as he felt the grip on his hand. "I sent him home." He took a moment to sigh to himself. "Sophia." He started, but she kindly cut him off.

"I know." She answered without even having to hear the question. "All it was, was a simple question and then I go and make a dramatic scene."

Dave held on to her hand as he took the seat beside her. "Babe. If there's something that I need to know." Her eyes flicked up to look at him. "Please. Just tell me." He brought her hands to his lips. "Because if it means catching your killer then please, baby."

Sophia, even now couldn't help the flutter in her stomach whenever her husband did simple gestures, showing how much he truly adored her. Sighing to herself, she scooted in closer to rest her head against his shoulder.

"It's been to long." She started. "I don't even know how to explain it myself anymore." Dave reached over to drape her legs over his lap. "I've been playing it over in my head and couldn't find no reason why anyone would want to kill me."

Dave ran his hand up and down his wife's leg in a warming gesture. "If it's too much right now." He watched her shake her head. "Just take it slow then." He had no idea what she had to tell him, but if her family didn't know, he could only tell that it hadn't been something good.

"Just after I was nineteen. I couldn't have wanted to get out of the house anymore at that time. Most of my parent's focus was on Randy graduating and really none was given to me." She gave a distant smile before she went on. "How I loved Randy though. Even as brother and sister, we were always so close." She took a moment to sigh. "He hated the fact that I was leaving and pissed because I wasn't going to see him graduate."

Dave noticed the regret written on her face even when she spoke of it now. "I don't think he holds that against you now. He loves you beyond this world." Her head tilted to look up at him. "What happened Sophia? Where did you go?" So many questions he had, but the only two that seemed to come out of his mouth.

"I traveled around for a bit. My parents asked no questions why I wanted money, so I didn't give them any to think about." She adjusted herself to sit up. "I finally came here to Miami." Even remembering it now she smiled. "How beautiful it was. People walking around with smiles on their faces. It just felt like I was free." Even Dave smiled at that thought, knowing himself what it must've felt like for her. "I knew this was my home. Where I was meant to be. To live. To work. I just knew, you know?"

"I do know." Because that's exactly how he had felt. He watched the shadow cross over her face and knew the serious part of the story had to be coming.

It was moments before she started to speak again. "His name was Robert." She stood up this time. "Swept me off my feet is what he did." Dave watched his wife move across the room. She'd done the same to him. "Bought me everything I wanted. Showed me what I thought love was." The glimmer of tears showed and that had Dave standing up.

"What did he do to you?" Just a simple question, but nothing but anger could be sensed.

Sophia walked over to stand next to the open window. "He started beating me around." She said so easily. "I was grown to believe that he was just doing it because he loved me…because I wasn't living up to the standard of a good woman." Dave stayed where he was, but never sat back down. "I stayed with him. God, how people thought I was crazy. I probably was." She turned when she sensed her husband behind her.

"Why didn't you leave him, Sophia? I know what kind of woman you are, and it's not one that lets a man beat her down both physically and mentally." Sophia nodded her head in understanding. She moved passed him, much to his dismay.

"You don't want to be near me when I tell you the rest." She said it so matter-of-factly. Dave frowned at it, but did stay where he was. "He'd lost his job and we needed the money, so using his sweet side, he convinced me that if I just did a couple tricks for him that we'd be back on track…"

Dave could all but feel his pulse racing. "You didn't do it." He said with some once of hope behind it. The look that she gave him told him otherwise. "Sophia."

"So I did it for him." She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "How sick it made me feel, but somewhere I told myself that it was just for one night and I'd be making us money." The tear that fell stayed stained on her cheek. "It wasn't just for one night. It went on for weeks, months, years. I'd get up the balls to tell him no, but I'd get beaten in return, so I just did it, I did it because I was afraid I was going to die." She shook her head. "God, how stupid I was." The one tear turned into a river and there was no helping it.

Dave's heart broke. Not caring what she had told him, he crossed over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She cried…and cried. He missed the Sophia that smiled, that laughed. God, if it was by his bare hands, he'd put that spirit back into her.

"You don't have to go on. You need sleep." Dave spoke softly into her ear as he caressed her back.

"No. I need to go on." She protested as she took a step back from him. "How much of a slut you must think I am." When he went to argue that point, she just continued on. "It's a sick thought, but I guess I just grew accustomed to it. We made great money and there was less of him beating me, how I took that to heart when there was day he didn't hit me." Dave rubbed his temples to hear his wife talk like this. This wasn't the woman he knew. The strong woman he'd married. "Then it happened." That one single comment had Dave flicking his eyes up. "A regular night for me. Except for the fact that the trick that I ran that night was already somewhat planned for me."

"By Robert?" Dave questioned as the detective side finally showed up again. Sophia shook her head and he quirked an eyebrow. "Someone that had been watching you?" The look that she gave told her he'd hit it right.

"And that someone I guess had some kind of riff with Robert already. Robert bowered some money and never paid him back and by the looks of it, had no intention to do so." Feeling that dizzy spell return, Sophia took her seat back on the couch. Dave stayed across the room. "A nice Mercedes pulls up and of course Robert thinks jackpot, not knowing that something was about to go down." Dave nodded his head in understanding.

"Whoever this guy was, not wanting to make himself known, probably hired someone to play the part until the head honcho got what he had wanted." Sophia gave an impressed look to her husband and couldn't help but admire the smart in him. Part of the many reasons why she'd fallen in love with him. "So he sends you off like any regular night, what happened after that?"

Sophia blew out a breath. "I get in the car, ready to do what I had been doing for every night and he pulls out a gun, while some other guy did the same to Robert outside the car." Dave started to say something, but she'd already cut him off. "Next thing I know, both of us are in some hotel room. I'd been strapped to the bed, Robert on his knees with a gun to his head." Even now, the chills were still so fresh. "I swear I thought they were going to kill him right there and then, but I guess torture sounded better to them." She closed her eyes at the memory and let it go on. "God, I didn't how hard it would be to speak of it again." She aimlessly wiped the tear that had fallen with the palm of her hand.

Dave crossed over to sit on the table across from her. Grabbing her hands, he gave them both a light squeeze. "You can do it, baby." He assured. "But I'll understand if you don't want to." He finished with a quick smile.

Sophia returned the smile. "I love you so much, please don't hate me for what I use to be." The look of sadness returned in her eyes. "You're everything to me." Dave leaned forward to place a light kiss on her lips.

"I could never hate you, Sophia. I promise you that." He assured this time with a kiss to the forehead. "Never." He repeated the word in a whisper. "I love you too much."

Sophia swallowed hard and willed herself to continue on. "They did nothing to me. I just sat and watched. For the first time ever in Robert's eyes, I saw fear. I know it shouldn't have, but it brought me pleasure." Dave nodded. "The man who had beaten me and used me, he actually had fear in him."

"They killed him didn't they?" To hear him say that, had Sophia's eyes flicking up almost in an instant. "How did you escape?" He continued with the question as he scooted himself just an inch closer to her.

"He begged for me to help him, and I could've…one of the guys had left his gun lying right next to me and Robert saw that." No tears this time. Sadly, it still brought satisfaction to say it. "He begged me with his eyes. I almost did, but something inside of me told me that I'd rather see him dead." She sighed when she saw the look on her husband's face. "You're horrified with me, aren't you?"

The question had Dave springing out of his thoughts. "No." He shook his head as he stood up. "These guys? They just let you go?" Sophia shook her head.

"I had to finish what I had started that night." The thought of it made her sick. "With his body still in the room. I still had to do it." She pointed to the water bottle and Dave grabbed it. Handed it to her. "They paid me and sent me off as if nothing had ever happened." She continued after taking a drink. "And from then on, that's exactly how it was…as if nothing had ever happened."

Dave stood again and slowly paced the floors. The detective in him had his mind going over everything he had just heard. It could be that these guys that let her go, decided that they had made a mistake and wanted to finish the job before she'd tell anyone. Especially if they had found out that her husband was a cop. His eyes found her again. She was defeated. Everything about her, told him that she was. Slipping into the husband mode again, he crossed to over her and slipped her up into his arms.

"Dave. You don't have to carry me. I'm not helpless." Even with a protest, Sophia managed a smile.

"You were brave tonight, Sophia." He complimented as he slipped through their bedroom door. "Part of the many, many reasons why I love you."

Sophia kept the smile on her face as he laid her down on the bed. "I'm so sorry that I kept this from you. I should've told you." Regret was written all over her face. "I'm sorry." She repeated. This time for herself to hear.

Dave shook his head. "You don't ever have to be sorry, Sophia." He started as he took the place beside her. "Yes. You should've told me, but I can understand why you didn't." He reached his hand out to brush over her hair. "I'm going to find whoever did this, Sophia. I promise you that too."

Sophia turned over into his arms. "I know you will." Was the last thing she said before her eyes shut for the night.

Dave stayed awake and just stared into the darkness of the room. He'd have to tell all of this to Randy tomorrow. Her brother. He could all but see how his reaction was going to be, but it was the least to think about. Someone was out with revenge on his wife and he was going to go through hell and high water to find out exactly who it was.

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