Allister sighed and shook his head.“Say what you need to say, Michael.”
“Last night, before I even knew what was happening,”—Michael’s eyes flicked to Allister but he continued—“she was on her knees and had a button open on my trousers.”
Trent’s stomach tightened.Even just the words made him uncomfortable.The last thing he needed to worry about was a woman.Especially a woman who might do something like that.
Michael looked at Allister again.“I’m sorry you had to hear that, but he needs to know, so he can be prepared.”
Be prepared?How was he supposed to be prepared for something like that?He was a virgin, for God’s sake.
Allister shook his head.“You’ve nothing to apologize for.I’m lucky she’s here.Any other man would have taken full and immediate advantage of her.”
Allister scrubbed a hand over the side of his face before looking at Trent.“I feel terrible asking you to take her on.She should be my responsibility, but every other attempt I’ve made has failed.”He swallowed a mouthful of his whisky.“There’s another thing you need to know before making your decision.”Guilt flowed from the man in an almost palpable wave.“She tried to take her own life… with my razor.”
A picture of his mother’s lifeless body flashed in Trent’s mind.“I’ll take her.”He hadn’t been able to save her, but perhaps he could help Samantha.
All three men looked at him.
“I’ll take her,” he said again.
Ash’s lips turned up slowly.“Good man.”
* * *
After spending an hour on her knees beside her bed, Samantha got up and stretched.She never actually prayed, but she’d learned very quickly at Auburn Ridge that pretending to do so kept her safe from punishment.Now, she found emotional comfort in the position, but it still made her knees hurt.
She sat on the edge of the bed and stared across the room.A constant feeling of dread had settled over her last night, and she’d taken to hiding in her room.Gwen had come in to make sure she was alright but hadn’t said a word about her fleeing from the gaming floor, or the incident with Michael.
A knock startled her, but the door didn’t open, which meant it wasn’t one of the ladies.What if it was Ash?What would happen if he threw her out on the streets?Would Simon take her in again?Even after everything she’d done?Heart pounding, she walked across the room and opened the door.
“Simon.”Her fear dissipated, but shame immediately took its place.Her brother must know about what she’d done, or at least tried to do, with Michael.
“Don’t I get hugs anymore?”
She threw herself into his warm embrace.“Thank you for being such a good brother, Simon.”
“Well, I don’t know about that, but I’m the only brother you’ve got, so you’re stuck with me.”He squeezed her a little tighter before letting her go.“I need you to come over to the Den with me.”
Samantha swallowed, her dread flooding back.
Simon took her hand.“You’re safe, Samantha.”
Why did everyone keep telling her that?
And why was it so hard for her to believe them?
The truth was, she wasn’t even sure what that meant.She nodded and walked with him down the hall.Why did it feel as if she were headed for the gallows?
As they slipped through the curtain onto the gaming floor, Ash was in conversation with another man.A man who looked very like him.
Samantha stepped behind Simon as if he could shield her from whatever was coming.But he wasn’t one of the owners.He only worked for them.How could he possibly protect her?He turned around and placed steady hands on her shoulders.“Everything is going to be alright.”
She didn’t feel like it was.“Is he— are you, sending me away?”
“I need you to trust me.I know that’s hard to do after Auburn Ridge, but I promise nothing like that will ever happen again.Nothing like Norman will ever happen again either.What I want is for you to be happy.”
“But I—” What was she going to say?She couldn’t even remember what happiness felt like anymore.“What if I can’t be?”
Sadness filled his eyes and he wrapped his arms around her.“You will be,” he whispered into her ear.
