I fight, screaming, “Daniel! Daniel! Daniel!” but the man subdues me on the bed. The lawyer lady is laughing. My dress is torn, barely covering my breasts. The desk lady is looking away.
“WHAT. THE.FUCK. IS. GOING. ON. HERE?” I hear Daniel’s deep growl.
If looks could kill, the lot of them would be dead. The guy releases me quickly. I scurry away from the guy, pulling my dress as best as possible to cover my breasts.
“Someone better start speaking!” he yells.
“Sophie told me you brought a lady for me, and she was waiting for me in here. But this stupid girl doesn’t know the rules and attacked me when I tried to collect,” Jude says.
I see the rage bulging from Daniel’s eyes.
“Did you touch her?”
Jude shakes his head.
“She punched me,” he whines.
“And I will unalive you if you don’t stop speaking. Sit your ass down. I will get back to you.”
He keeps quiet and sits on the floor.
He turns his attention to the tattooed guy. “Did you touch my girl?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Sophie said she would be difficult and wouldn’t leave, even though the room isn’t paid for.”
“I didn’t ask if you were sorry. I asked if you touched my girl,” he shouts. Even I shake at the anger in his voice.
“I’m sorry, Daniel,” he says quietly.
I watch his lips tremble; he looks scared of Daniel. I’m scared of Daniel right now too. The Lawyer takes a few steps back. I see fear in her eyes, her earlier bravado is long gone.
“You touched my girl, did you see me leave this building?” he responds by shaking his head. “Now sit your ass down, I will deal with you later.”
The menace guy rushes to sit next to Jude on the floor. The lawyer is trying to put up a brave face.
“I thought you left, and Marie said your card didn’t go through.” Her lying words are shaky.
“I didn’t say that,” Marie quickly responds. “I only came up because you said you would get my kid taken from me if I didn’t come up here with you.”
Daniel takes his jacket off and comes to me. He drapes it around me to cover me up. Taking my hand, he sees the bruises of the menace guys hold on my hand.
“I’m sorry, princess,” he says, wiping the tears that are falling from my face, pulling me into his arms. We hear a scoff behind us. He turns to the Marie lady. “Take my girl down. I will be right down.” She nods and comes to me.
I follow her. At the door, I turn to look at the three people and Daniel, who’s rolling up his sleeves.
“Go, Princess. I promise to be right there.”
I nod.
The door closes and I follow the lady down the hallway. My whole being is trembling; I almost got raped tonight. I pull the jacket closer.
“I’m sorry about that. Sophie is a bitch. Daniel did pay for the room in full, and she’s jealous of you. I tried to stop her, but she threatened my job here and to have my daughter taken from me.”
I nod, unsure exactly what to say.
“Can I get some water, please?”
“Sure.”
