Born and raised in London, England, Marcus came from a fairly prestigious family. His father worked in Parliament. His mother came from a very influential family, thus she did not work.
Marcus certainly lived a life of luxury. His parents drove spectacular cars. Their home was quite remarkable. His friends and classmates also came from London's most elite families.
Life was good for the Raymer family. Things always have a dreadful way of changing, though.
Marcus had an older sister, Marci. When Marci was sixteen, she met a man named James. James was 22 at the time. They began dating.
Marcus and Marci's parents were not happy about this arrangement at all. They greatly disliked James. The age difference was bothersome enough, but James pulled her away from them. He was very controlling and manipulative. The family had great concerns for Marci.
They attempted to talk to her. Explanations of their concerns only solidified Marci's beliefs that she and James were akin to Romeo and Juliette. Discussions became arguments, conversations became confrontations. The tension escalated greatly.
Finally one day, when the family awoke, they found a note in the kitchen from Marci. She had run off to be with James. That was the last anyone had ever seen or heard from her.
Marci's absence took a tremendous toll on Marcus. Her loss ate away at him. He could never truly relax as he worried about her day in and day out. He became incredibly introverted and quiet. He began losing friends as he totally withdrew from those around him. His parents worried about him because the change was so drastic, but no matter what they did, Marcus remained a loner.
Losing Marci caused Marc to want to become a constable. He felt that by helping others, he was hopefully helping her. That his police work would lead him to her. Again his parents worried: he had never been exposed to some of life's greatest difficulties. Could he truly fare with some of the worst people and places that London had to offer? As well, they hoped he'd change his mind. Police work was not something that people like them would do. Prominent and influential families had a higher status and thus a higher calling. Police work was...well, beneath them.
Much to their dismay, Marc was accepted and became a constable.
Marcus did well as a constable. He was able to diffuse many situations with his calm, quiet, rational personality. His large, muscular built instilled both confidence and fear. He liked police work. It suited him well, and he did very well.
His parents still worried about him, though it seemed their focus was more on status than it was on his well being. He, though, became more focused on their well being.
Some of his father's constituents were becoming displeased with his work in Parliament. Things seemed to be getting tense. Marcus expressed his concern on more than one occasion. His father chalked it up to politics, plain and simple. He was not worried at all.
Unfortunately, Marcus' hunch was correct. One hot summer night, the Raymer home was set on fire, and Marcus lost both of his parents that night.
Marcus was once again devastated. Already a loner, he just lost the two people he had. He could no longer take the loneliness or pain. London was chock full of memories - memories that he didn't want to have.
He took everything he had and moved to the States. He needed a complete change of scenery, so he moved to southern California. A new place, a new climate, and a new life.
California was a beautiful new change. It helped him to escape his past of pain. But he could not escape from his own isolation. His introversion kept him alone, still.
In America, he became a missing persons detective. His drive to find his sister stayed with him on an entirely new continent. Again, Marcus succeeded. He was an excellent detective and one of the highest rescue rates.
One particular day, he received a phone call from a young woman who was absolutely distraught over the disappearance of her roommate. Though she hadn't been missing for twenty four hours yet, he knew that something was amiss. Thus, he took on the case of Lareina Oliveira.
Lareina's case was unlike any other he had taken on. Her captor was like so many others: obsessed, controlling, and unpredictable. She, though, was like no captive he had ever seen. She was smart and quick witted - she sent messages to her roommate Sandy to help lead the police to her. She was strong and determined to survive. Her resiliency was uncanny. She was also amazingly beautiful.
Marcus focused on her wits more than her beauty. It seemed as though time after time, though they were so close to finding her, they missed her. He could not sleep knowing she was being held hostage somewhere. He worked tirelessly to find her. He drove his chief, and the chief of Fresno crazy with his demands and attempts to save her. He continued to believe in her while they had both given up on her and the case.
It was his persistence that eventually brought her salvation. Finally coming upon her and Tony, Marcus fought valiantly to save her. After an incredible battle, Lareina had finally been rescued.
The sight of her tore Marcus apart. She was a small, beautiful woman who had been severely abused. Her faces was battered and swollen. She had innumerable woulds on her arms, hands, and legs. She should have died due to the extensive nature of her injuries. It was a horrible sight. As carefully as he could, he got her in the car, and drove her to the hospital.
He visited her in the hospital during her recovery. There was such a connection, and he had such admiration for her. He needed that moment for himself as much as for her. During his visit, Lareina said she wanted to thank him for rescuing her. Though he told her she didn't need to, when the time came, he was more than happy to spend the time with her.
There was something between them. A mutual concern and respect for each other. An undeniable spark. Indeed, theirs was an amazing bond. From rescue to romance, they were destined for each other. In finding Lareina, Marc also found himself. Marc rescued Lareina from Tony. Lareina rescued Marc from his isolation.
Favorite quote from Marc: "Do you think I'd drive all the way up here for a joke, Dominick?! Jesus, get real."
Happy reading!
http://www.amazon.com/Unbreakable-Hostage-Lauren-Shiro/dp/0615902456/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1433098115&sr=8-14&keywords=lauren+shiro
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