Free One Tough Cop by Dahlia Rose Page B

with a woman who was smaller and weaker than him. A bully needed to know someone bigger would take up the charge. Nicole was in the room for over an hour and when she came out she looked tired, and yet Max could see she was happy.
    ADA Hopewell came out minutes later and said they had the indictment. The incident that caused him to get bail was a shadow compared to the charges he was going to be facing. Hopewell had no doubt that Derek and his attorney would deal to bring down his sentence, even so, he was going to prison for twenty years or more. That was another round of great news, but she still looked like she been wrung through the wash and hung out damp. He almost hesitated to take her to the second place he’d had planned. But he was sure this was the right time, so when they parted ways with Jones he turned his car toward uptown. He parked in front of a sleek office building and Nicole looked at him with a question in her eyes.
    “Why are we here?” Nicole asked.
    He got out, opened her car door, and held out his hand to her. “Trust me, please?”
    Nicole put her hand in his and nodded. “I do trust you.”
    “Good.” He closed the door to the SUV and turned on the alarm.
    Hand in hand they walked into the building and rode the elevator up to the ninth floor. They stopped in front of an office door that read Dr. Justine Fordham, Therapist. Max could see the question in her eyes but she said nothing as they walked inside.
    “Hi, I’m Maxwell Kincaid and this is Nicole Henry. We have an appointment,” he said.
    The receptionist smiled. “She’s expecting you, please have a seat and I’ll let her know you’re here.”
    They sat and Max saw Nicole clench her hands in her lap. This time he took both her hands in his and said gently, “Everything will be okay.”
    She gave a nod and began to speak but the receptionist ushered them in. Behind a desk sat an older woman with a friendly smile. She came around to greet them and shook both of their hands warmly.
    “Nice to meet you both. Before we start I want you to be comfortable here, so call me Justine,” she said warmly. “Is this Nicole I’ve heard so much about?”
    Nicole nodded. “You have me at a disadvantage, I don’t know you or what’s going on.”
    “I’ll let Max explain,” Justine said.
    They sat on the leather sofa that faced a single high back chair where the therapist patiently waited.
    Max took a breath and turned to Nicole. “I set up the appointment with Justine a few weeks ago when we started seeing each other. I’ve been talking to her about you and me, and the relationship I wanted with you. I’m rough around the edges, not just rough but bumpy, and I wanted to make sure I approached you the right way. I wasn’t going to take a chance that I could scare you or hurt you even more.”
    “You’ve been thinking about me and my feelings all this time?” Nicole asked softly.
    Max nodded. “I’m not overly proud to admit that I’ve been hard for too damn long. There’s not a lot to me, foster kid, I don’t know who my parents are, my first real memory is of being in a foster home. I was hustling pool at eighteen and luckily I got on the right side of the law. But when I met you I saw possibilities that I never thought I’d have. Karen talked with me and I knew that for us to move together as a couple we had to face your abuse together. You walked alone for so long, honey, I didn’t want you to face this step alone. I won’t talk if you don’t want me to, but I’m here to be your support. I’m going to catch you if you fall and we’re going to deal with this together. For our sakes and Jules.”
    He watched two tears slip down her cheeks and wondered if he made the right choice. Was it too soon to ask her to face the things that haunted her nightmares?
    “How does that make you feel, Nicole hearing him say this to you?” Justine asked gently. She reached forward and offered Nicole a tissue from a box close