“I ended it. I hadn’t known he was married, and I refused to help a man destroy his marriage vows. That same night when my parents were out I let him in, so we could talk. How f**king stupid was I? We argued; and then I said something, and before I knew what was happening he’d fought me to the floor.” Her tears returned in full. Richard held her, and his heart bled for the young woman she’d been. Nothing more than a child.
“He was your first, and he didn’t take you willingly.” He knew she couldn’t finish the story.
“Nine months later Harry came.”
Richard fisted his hands. The bastard who’d been touching her downstairs had raped his woman. He wanted to find the bastard, cut his balls off and feed them to him, personally. Wait until he found the disgusting piece of shit.
“Don’t think about it,” she whispered.
“What?”
“It won’t do any good. Like he said back then, who’d believe me over a professional teacher? Even now I’d be scorned and called a slut. I’d rather just leave him to his wife and give Harry all of my love.”
Richard held her in his arms and tried with all of his might to tell her how he felt. He was in love with Scarlet Hughes. For the rest of his life he wanted to love and protect and never leave her alone.
“Does that mean when you and I had—”
“Sex?”
“Yes. Does that mean it was your first time?” She nodded. His head was running rampant with so many thoughts. The comment she’d made about no one believing her over a teacher struck a chord with him. In the office before she’d signed the contract hadn’t he said the exact same thing? Richard cursed.
“I’m a f**king bastard.”
“Why are you?” her sweet voice asked.
“Because before I got you to sign that damn paper I said the same thing, or as near as, damn it.”
Scarlet didn’t dispute it, and he knew in his heart he’d hurt her more with that comment. In fact, he had probably hurt her as much with the comment on the same level as the contract.
“How did you cope? I’ve heard of women having breakdowns and everything going wrong for them?”
“When it happened I think I just functioned. I didn’t try to think but keep busy. I saw him every day, but made sure I was never alone with him. Did homework, studied, worked my ass off, and I started to feel normal. Like I could forget about it as a bad dream. When I found out I was pregnant with Harry, I couldn’t believe it. I got sucked under by the responsibility, and everything sort of happened at once. I graduated and had Harry at eighteen. I gave birth after I graduated from high school.” She stopped and ran a wet hand over her face. “I don’t know how I did it. Being pregnant and feeling him for the first time and then seeing Harry on the ultrasound was the most amazing thing in the world. I didn’t see him as a result of a horrible act but as my salvation. Every day I look at him I know in my heart, I survived.”
“You really are an amazing woman,” he whispered and kissed her temple.
“Not really.”
Richard held her for the longest time. When the water became too cold to stay, he let the plug out and picked her up in his arms. He loved having her in his arms. His heart broke for the pain she must have been through. No woman should ever be forced to live life afraid and forever looking over her shoulder.
The bastard had blatantly touched his woman. Richard wouldn’t let it slide.
He dried her and carried her through to his bedroom to rest. Richard tucked her in and stroked her hair. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Do you believe me?” she asked, a fresh wave of tears spilling from her eyes.
“Of course. I’d never doubt you.”
She smiled and held his hand in hers.
Eventually her tears subsided, and she fell into an exhausted sleep.
He extracted his hand and walked out of the hotel suite. Wayne had booked a room, and he’d been told Tony was currently staying there as well. His other friend hadn’t been able to come to dinner with them at the time. He phoned through to Wayne to make sure Lily wasn’t awake. Richard needed to see and talk to his friends. Half an hour later after checking to make sure Scarlet was still fast asleep, he moved down the hall to where Wayne had booked a room.
Wayne and Tony stood talking with a glass of whisky in hand. Richard didn’t bother to knock. He’d been told to simply enter.
“Hey, mate.” Tony went and embraced his friend. “How ya been doing?”
“Seriously, you still talk like we’re teenagers?” Richard asked, but he smiled.
He loved being with his friends, the only two to stick by him when his parents were being complete dicks.
“With you guys spending time with women younger than you, I figured you didn’t like the thought of getting old,” Tony said.
They caught up about what had been going on, laughing and joking at some of the old stuff they used to do.
“So, old Richard, what brings us here?” Wayne asked.
Richard swirled the liquid in his glass and thought about the best way to tell his friends. “You know that guy from earlier, the one who stopped by our table?”
“The guy that made Scarlet look terrified?” Wayne asked.
“Yes. I got her to open up to me. You’re not going to like what I’m about to tell you.” Wayne, Richard and Tony despised violence against women. Never would they hurt anyone. He told them everything. How David had charmed her and what happened when she discovered he had a wife. The fact he’d raped her because he didn’t like her refusing him. Once he was done, his two friends looked ready to commit murder.
“The bastard raped an underage woman and then threatened her?” Tony looked livid.
“My god, no wonder she looked frightened. And she’s raised Harry all by herself?” Wayne asked.
“Yes. Even with the severe asthma. She’s asked for me not to interfere. It all happened a long time ago, and she just wants to forget about it.”
“Fuck, no. We can’t leave that shit alone,” Tony said.
“What happens if he starts hurting her?” Wayne asked.
“Which is why I think we need a little intervention,” Richard said.
Chapter Nine
The following morning, Richard woke with Scarlet in his arms. He lay and stared at her for the longest time.
After some time she opened her eyes and smiled. “Morning,” she whispered.
“Good morning. Lily is expecting us downstairs for breakfast,” he said to her.