“You know what? Go to dinner and tell Lex I said to fuck off too. Not that he’ll listen because everyone knows better than me.”
He steps closer and grabs my shoulders. “It’s not that. I was there. I watched you recover. I saw how much pain you were in, and I couldn’t do anything to help you.”
“Brendan.”
“And then you had to talk to the police and the judge and jury and endure the humiliation over and over again as their scumbag lawyer dragged you through the mud. Made it your fault.” He’s crying now. So I pull him into my arms, and we slump to the floor. “I saw how heartbroken you were when they got off, and the three of them were high-fiving each other like they just won a basketball game. I wanted to kill them right there, but I knew I couldn’t leave you all alone like that.”
“Hey,” I try to soothe him. “It’s okay.”
“So I did what I could, and I’m not sorry about it. I’m sorry you’re upset by it, but Rory.” He looks down at me with tears in his eyes. “I caught Chad looking at you like he wanted to devour you, and he just winked at me.”
I shiver at the thought of Chad touching me again. He was the worst.
“Let me get in there.”
“Fuck you, it’s my turn,” Tanner whines and thrusts inside me.
“You don’t need to stop.”
“Yeah?”
“Just make room for me.” Chad’s weight joins Tanner, and that’s when I felt the tear.
“Hell yeah. That’s fucking tight.”
“I love when they’re so broken they can’t fight anymore. I can do whatever I want.” Chad pushes in farther, and I barely move. I can’t. There’s nowhere for me to go, and my jaw hurts too much to move, so I can’t even cry out in pain.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you go back there.” He hugs me tight. “Do you want me to call off the attack on Chad?” Brendan asks through gritted teeth, and I laugh at the look on face. “I don’t want to, but I will, for you.”
I’m about to say “call it off,” but then I remember the way Chad was leering at me in class, and in the courtroom.
“Where are you going for dinner?”
Brendan seems thrown off by the change in topic, but smiles when he realizes I didn’t tell him to call it off.
“Not sure, but knowing him, it will be hella fancy.”
Hopefully it’s an early dinner because I’m still scared to be alone. Brendan’s been going to work without me most days, and I told him I’m fine, but really, I’m not ready to be alone. And definitely not at night.
“Are you going to come?”
“No. You can give him my message, though.” But deep down, I don’t want him to fuck off. I just hope he doesn’t find someone new to take his interest from me before I have a chance to call him Daddy. But I need more time to come to grips with this whole thing. “I’m not ready to be around a mob boss.”
“How did you know he’s the boss?”
“He told me when we first met. Not that he was a mob boss, but that he was the boss.” Plus, he carries himself like the entire world is in his grasp. Confidence is so sexy.
“How many times have you talked to him?”
“How many times have we been to his tower? Do you think he owns the tower?”
“Probably.” Brendan shrugs.
“How hard was it for you to spend all his money on me?” I tease.
“Excruciating, but he kept texting me to spend more.” He gasps. “Wait, is he the one sending you all of these gifts?”
I sigh deeply. “Yes.”
