“I’m going to handle this. I have a doctor coming to take care of you.”
Her lips quiver, but she nods. “Thank you, Mr. Alexander.”
“You never have to thank me. It’s my job to make sure you’re safe, and I failed you tonight. It won’t happen again.” I kiss her on the head and stand, then pull the guard aside.
“Michael,” I say to him. “Let Rita know that Eloise won’t be finishing her shift, then get her upstairs to the penthouse. When the doctor arrives, make sure she can get right in to see Scarlett and has everything she needs. Keep me apprised of what’s going on in here.”
“Yes, boss,” Michael says with a nod. “If anyone asks, where will you be?”
“The cell.” I turn back to him. “Oh, and have someone bring me that bullwhip.”
Thirty-Four
LULU
Iwatch Rome leave the room, and after he gives me one last look and reassuring smile, I turn all my attention to my best friend. She may be a new friend, but she’s damn important to me, and I’m going to make sure she’s okay.
It’s the blood that I can’t get over. Christ, she’s a mangled mess, and I hope with all my heart that Rome makes that fucker pay.
“Lu,” Scarlett says with a sob as she wipes her tears on the blanket she’s clinging to, covering her naked breasts. “God, it hurts. How do people do this for fun?”
“It’s not my thing either,” I assure her and brush some sweaty hair off her face and tuck it behind her ear. I grab a bottle of water off a nearby tray, crack it open, and offer it to her. “You need to hydrate.”
“I didn’t know him,” she says, shaking her head when I offer her the water. “I’d never seen him before. And he seemed so …normal.He was nice, andhandsome, and said he’d never played with the flogger before and wanted to try. That he wouldn’t let it go past me getting a little pink. We discussed it at length, and I clearly explained my boundaries.”
“You heard Rome. You didn’t do anything wrong, Scarlett. And has anyone suggested turning the music down a bit in the playroom? It’s so loud that it’s hard to hear a safe word if you’re not standing right next to someone.”
“He heard me,” she says. “He told me to shut up. But yeah, it does get loud in there sometimes. I’ve mentioned it to Loveland, but she blows me off on the regular.”
I really don’t like that woman.
Why wouldn’t Scarlett’s boss listen to her?She and I got off to a rocky start, but she’s worked here for years, which means Rome trusts her. I can’t imagine Rome would allow his staff to be treated poorly by one of their managers. That’s just not him.
“I didn’t even want to work tonight,” Scarlett admits with a soft voice. Her eyes meet mine. “Luke and I … last night was really great. It doesn’t feel right to fuck other people, but this is my job, and Luke knows that. I felt weird about it anyway.”
“Hey.” I kiss her forehead. “It’s going to be okay.”
The door opens, and a petite woman in her fifties with curly white hair in expensive clothes bustles in and frowns when she sees Scarlett’s state. Another woman follows her, around the same age, with blond hair.
“Miss Lulu,” Michael, the guard, says. “I was giveninstructions to take you to the penthouse when the doctor arrived.”
Scarlett clings to my hand, and I shake my head. “I’m not leaving her.”
“But Mr. Alexander?—”
“Is certifiable if he thinks for one minute that I’ll leave her here by herself after the trauma she’s just been through. I’m not going. And I’ll deal with Rome myself later.”
Michael swallows hard, obviously not wanting to go against Rome’s wishes.
“I’ll text him,” I say, and Michael’s shoulders drop a little in relief.
“I’m Dr. Asgood,” the doctor says with a soothing, calm voice to Scarlett as I type out my message. “And this is my assistant, Cheryl. We’re going to take care of this, Scarlett.”
Me: I’m not going to the penthouse. I’m not leaving Scarlett. Michael will stay with us here. I’m not in danger.
I tuck my phone away and turn my attention to my friend.
“He made me count,” Scarlett says after a hard swallow.
