“Goddamn it!” Rory barked out his curse, and she jumped, her heart pounding.
Her hand moved to his face, and she smoothed it over his stubbled jaw as she rushed to continue. “Harper knew I wouldn’t leave without telling her, and she immediately turned around to find me. The man tried to stop her, but she threatened him. He got scared and ran out of the bar. His actions definitely let her know something was up. By the time Harper made it to the ladies’ room, the man had me halfway out the back door. Harper rushed toward us, grabbed me, and threatened him as well.” Sandy’s breath felt strangled in her throat, but she pushed out more words. “She saved me. Harper saved me.”
“Please tell me he was caught.”
She held his gaze, unsure of what to do with the anger that poured from him. Her head jerked back and forth. “Um… no. He ran out the back door, and Harper got me home. I was so sick, both physically and emotionally. To realize how close I came to multiple rapes…” She sucked in a ragged breath, finding it hard to take in air while talking about her nightmare.
His arms squeezed her tighter. “Babe, I’m so sorry. I hate like hell that happened to you.”
“So stupid. I was so stupid.” Her voice was tiny, regret still coursing through her mind.
“It’s not stupid to trust others, Sandy. And you had no idea that just sitting in a bar with others around was dangerous.” They remained quiet, then he asked, “Did you go to the police?”
She knew he wouldn’t like her answer, but she shook her head slowly. Before he had a chance to berate her, she rushed, “If something like that happened now, then yes, I’d go to the police. Harper wanted to take me to the hospital, but I was young, embarrassed, afraid to talk to the police—”
“But the police could have looked at the security cameras or talked to the other patrons or found out who his accomplices were—”
“I know that now,” she said, cutting into his tirade. “But then I was drugged and not thinking straight. Or maybe I was. My family would have been upset with me. After all, a lady doesn’t allow herself to be taken advantage of. I just begged Harper to take me home. As soon as I saw myself in the mirror with my torn shirt and skirt twisted, I threw up. I was horrified at what happened and what could have happened. I begged her to not tell anyone, and she’s kept my secret ever since.”
He remained quiet, giving her no indication of what his thoughts were. She hated the silence, so she continued to blurt out her thoughts, knowing her grandmother would be disappointed as well as scandalized.
“I’ve barely dated in the past eight years. I find it hard to trust. I love going to the Celtic Cock since Harper and I discovered how many police officers are there. I can have fun, talk, laugh, even flirt or dance, but I feel safe there. It’s just that I keep people at arm’s length. That’s why I know some guys talk about me. I’ve heard what some of them say. I’m a cocktease. I’m a cold fish. If they find out my father has money, they assume that I won’t go out with them because of my expectations. It’s just that as long as I was in control, I felt safe. But when I thought about being with someone, I backed away… until you.”
“Shit, babe. I was no better than they were.”
She held his gaze, seeing guilt and regret mixed in his beautiful eyes. “It’s okay, Rory.”
“That’s not an excuse, babe. It’s true that I had to focus on my paramedic training, but I listened to shit, and I shouldn’t have. I was raised better than that.”
“God, don’t talk about how we were raised. That’s a whole other conversation, but it can wait for another time.”
He held her close and kissed her lightly. “So there’ll be another time, babe?”
“If you want it,” she whispered, afraid of his response.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he vowed, tucking her cheek back to his chest.
She snuggled deeper into his embrace, her breath leaving her lungs in a rush, feeling lighter than she had in years. A yawn escaped, and she blinked her eyes several times before closing them. Exhausted, she fell asleep, tucked into the arms of the man she trusted.
Rory was grateful that after a traumatic revelation, Sandy was able to fall asleep. With her head on his chest and her body partially over his, he could feel the rise and fall of her deep breathing. But sleep did not come so easily for him.
Her words darted through his mind, racing past as though each phrase wanted to claim dominance. I was roofied. I shouldn’t have said anything. So young and stupid. He tried to get me out the back door. He’d get a piece of me as well. Harper saved me. My family would have been upset with me. My shirt was torn. I find it hard to trust. I know what the guys say about me.
He lifted one hand and scrubbed it over his face, quickly wrapping it around her back when she moved slightly. He could only imagine her dreams had been affected over the years and wanted nothing to interrupt her sleep tonight.
While glad that she had escaped the worst of what could have happened, he was struck with how she’d had to live with the aftereffects for so many years. She appeared so strong and confident and yet admitted to the vein of unease and distrust that moved through her. She hadn’t let the trauma keep her from living life. She had her business. She had
