by A. P. Jensen
“I need to leave,” Juliet whispered. “I never should have come back.”
Dominick’s arms turned to steel around her. “No.”
Juliet sniffled. “He won’t stop.”
“He will,” Dominick decreed.
“Nothing will stop him. He hates me.”
“You’re talking about Gray?” Dominick asked.
“No one believes me. I knew they wouldn’t. That’s why I never went to Mom’s funeral. I couldn’t.”
“You could have come,” Scarlet snapped.
Juliet stiffened. So, they were still here. She felt a flicker of mortification that they witnessed her lose control. A second later, she realized it didn’t matter. She was leaving anyway.
“No, she really couldn’t,” Callie said.
“What do you mean, she couldn’t?” Brent demanded.
“Juliet was in the hospital,” Callie said.
Juliet pushed away from Dominick as she tried to get to Callie, to stop her. Callie stood in the entrance of the women’s bathroom, hands twisting together as she eyed her formidable older siblings.
“Hospital?” Scarlet echoed with a quick glance at Juliet.
“Callie, don’t,” Juliet ordered and slashed a hand through the air. “It doesn’t matter why I didn’t show at the funeral.”
Callie looked uncertainly from her Grant siblings to Juliet.
Juliet raised her chin as she faced Brent and Scarlet. She probably looked like hell. If she had a choice, she would have chosen to leave behind a better impression than someone fragile and broken. “I’m to blame for what happened to Mom. It doesn’t matter how or why, right? Nothing I do can bring her back. I have to live with the consequences and the way everyone feels about me.” Juliet took a deep breath and swallowed hard. “But I don’t have to live like this.” Juliet shuddered when she thought of how easily Freddy subdued her, how he felt that he could do anything to her because of her old reputation. “I’m done. Give me the money and I’ll leave. You’ll never see me again.”
Scarlet glanced at Brent who still had the check in his hands. He fingered the edges of it thoughtfully.
“I won’t let Freddy delay the divorce. He’ll never touch Callie or my niece,” Brent vowed.
Juliet hoped he had the strength to stand up against Gray when the time came. Since he seemed to be waiting for some kind of acknowledgement from her, she nodded.
“As for what happened today, I can’t let it pass.”
Juliet’s head kicked back. “What?”
“He attacked you, nearly raped you—”
“What?” Dominick’s voice was dangerously soft.
Hunter stirred. “He didn’t go all the way.”
Dominick cupped the back of her neck in a possessive hold. “Either you deal with Freddy or I will.”
Brent blew out a short, controlled breath. “Yes, I can see that.”
“Your way doesn’t work,” Dominick said.
Brent narrowed his eyes. “This doesn’t concern you, Bryson.”
Dominick gently pushed Juliet behind him and went nose to nose with Brent. “I make it my business if any man abuses a woman, but when it’s my woman, I teach him a lesson he’ll never forget. Now, are you going to handle this, or am I?”
“We can do it together,” Brent said. “He didn’t think my warning extended to Juliet, so we’ll make sure he understands this time.”
“I’m going too,” Hunter said.
Both men turned to him.
Hunter’s gaze flicked to Juliet before he said, “You didn’t see her after it happened.”
A muscle in Dominick’s jaw flexed and he nodded. “Let’s go.”
“Now?” Juliet burst out. “He might not be home.”
Dominick brushed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “It’ll be fine.”
“This isn’t necessary,” Juliet stressed. “I’m leaving.”
Brent pocketed the check. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Juliet’s mouth dropped. “You tried to bribe me to leave too, asshole! Now you think you can keep me here? Who the fuck do you think you are?”
Brent didn’t deign to answer her. “Hunter, do you have cameras around the bar?”
“No, just inside,” Hunter said.
Brent glanced at Scarlet and Callie before he said, “Watch her.”
Brent, Hunter and Dominick walked out of the bar, leaving the women in silence. Juliet stared after them, stunned by the turn of events.
“I hope Dominick murders him,” Maile said savagely. “I’m gonna get ice for your face.”
Callie pulled her to the bar and pushed her on a stool. She went behind the counter and helped herself to Hunter’s beverages.
“What do you want?” Callie asked.
“Ginger ale,” Juliet said as her stomach rocked.
“Shirley temple,” Scarlet said and tapped her lacquered nails on the bar. “I can’t believe Freddy would be so stupid. Does he think no one would notice?”
“He didn’t think Brent would care,” Juliet said as she sipped her drink. “I didn’t think he would either.”
Scarlet pursed her lips.
“What are you all doing here, anyway?” Juliet asked.
“Callie came to the office and told us what happened,” Scarlet said.
Maile came out with a clean dishrag filled with ice. “And I called Dominick after you called me.”
Juliet took the dishrag and held it against her throbbing face. “This is a major fuck up.”
“I’ve never seen Dominick like this,” Maile said as she made herself a margarita. She expertly salted the rim of her glass and used all the fancy tools to mix her drink and then pour it over ice. “I’m happy for you, Juliet.”
“Happy for me?” Juliet echoed incredulously.
“You haven’t had anyone in your corner.” She sent Scarlet a nasty look. “I’m glad Dominick’s elected himself. He can take it.”
“I don’t want him to have to take it. I’m going to ruin his life. He doesn’t need this drama. I don’t need this drama.”
“It’s my fault. I should have paid more attention,” Scarlet said, rubbing the space between her brows. “I was so caught up with work.”
“Don’t you have a shitload of kids too?” Maile asked.
“I have five children,” Scarlet said in icy tones.
“Well, there you go,” Maile said and began to make herself another margarita.
“So, you weren’t going to come with me?” Juliet asked Callie who glanced at Scarlet before she shrugged.
“I don’t know.”
“But you told Scarlet and Brent?”
“We can’t do this alone,” Callie said quietly.
She was right about that. Juliet’s face went numb from the cold, but she didn’t remove the ice pack.
“I’m surprised Hunter went with them,” Scarlet said.
Juliet retreated to a wooden bench in the corner. She listened to the quiet murmur of their voices and the occasional flare up between Maile and Scarlet. Juliet tried to find a comfortable spot to rest her aching head, but it was impossible. She wanted a shower and a soft bed. She also wanted off this island, away from the chaos and deception. Out of everything that happened, she most regretted that Dominick got involved. Dominick lived a quiet life for a reason and then she came into town and ruined his life. He was a busy man; a great man and she wasn’t worth his time. She shouldn’t have slept with him. That made him feel bound and indebted to her. He would be better off with someone else.
Why did Brent keep the check? That one million would take her far, especially if she lived modestly, which she intended to do. She was over trying to be a CEO, COO or CFO. She was tired of reaching for the sky and falling face first in the mud. Quiet is what she wanted. Peace is what she wanted. Did she deserve such things when she had caused so much damage? It wasn’t just the Grants either. According to Todd, Kai had been punished for keeping her secrets. Kai and Lee had been best friends. Did
the family really believe that she had been pregnant or asked for her inheritance to run away with him? Who knew that at thirty-two she would feel just as lost as she had at seventeen? The older she got, the less she knew about herself and life. What the hell?
Juliet stiffened when Scarlet pulled up a chair beside the bench.
“I don’t understand why all of this is happening. I can’t believe that Freddy would… If I saw him hit Callie, I would have stepped in, but I never saw even a hint of violence in him. Callie’s withdrawn, but she’s always been quiet. I know Freddy drank too much, but this? Its mind boggling.”
Juliet lowered the ice pack and Scarlet flinched.
Callie sat beside Juliet. “This is all my fault.”
“Gray never should have forced you to marry him,” Juliet said wearily.
“He didn’t—” Scarlet began, but stopped when Callie looked at her. “You didn’t want to marry him? Then why did you?”
Silence. Maile strolled over and sat on Juliet’s other side.
“It’s obvious to everyone but you and Brent that Gray’s always been an ass,” Maile said.
Scarlet opened her mouth to say something, but with the three of them watching her, decided against it. “Daddy’s never been the same since Mom died.”
Juliet sighed and glanced at Maile. “I want to go to sleep.”
“I don’t think it’s safe at her house,” Scarlet said.
Juliet gave her a derisive look. “Maile has a shotgun.”
“But—”
The door to the bar opened and admitted Dominick, Brent and Hunter. Scarlet was the first on her feet.
“So?” she demanded.
“He’d be a fool to stay,” Brent said. “He’ll be gone tomorrow at the latest.”
Dominick knelt in front of Juliet. “You ready to go home, baby?”
“I’m going with Maile.”
“You’re coming home with me.”
Dominick lifted her into his arms and carried her outside to his truck. Juliet saw Brent and Hunter watching them. Juliet dropped her head on his shoulder.
“I’m not your responsibility, Dominick.”
Dominick opened the door of his truck and gently placed her inside. Juliet was disconcerted to see that her laptop, paperwork and what little belongings she possessed were in the back of the cab. Dominick belted her in. As his hand passed in front of her, she grabbed it and stared. His knuckles were raw and she knew.
“You hit him?” she whispered.
Dominick didn’t answer. He brushed a kiss on her forehead and stepped down. He rounded the truck and hauled himself into the driver’s seat.
“What happened?” she asked, dreading but needing to hear the story.
“Brent confronted him. Freddy denied it. Brent showed him the check and he accused you of stealing and writing a check to yourself. I lost it.”
“You lost it?” She couldn’t believe it.
Dominick’s hands flexed on the wheel. “He thinks he’s untouchable. I showed him he isn’t. Hunter pulled me off of him. When Freddy got to his feet, Hunter belted him. We left him unconscious in his front yard.”
“What about his neighbors?”
“People saw,” Dominick said with a shrug. “Freddy has more to lose than we do.” He glanced sideways and reached out to brush her hair from her face. “You okay?”
Juliet pushed his hand away. “Dominick, I’m not staying here.”
“Is this why you ignored my calls? You would have left without telling me?”
“We don’t even know each other!” Freddy and Todd’s words rang through her head. She had enough issues without adding Dominick to the mix. Since he’d met her she’d been in three fights and now he beat the shit out of Freddy in front of witnesses. She didn’t need Maile to tell her this was out of the norm for Dominick.
“You gave yourself to me last night.”
“Haven’t you heard of a one-night stand?” she asked flippantly.
He shot her a dark glance. “Don’t push me, Juliet.”
“Haven’t you heard the rumors about me, Dominick? I’m loose. Todd told me today that some people believe that I was pregnant with Kai’s baby and the shock did my mom in!”
Dominick jerked the truck to the side of the road. Juliet wasn’t prepared when he unbuckled her seat belt and dragged her across the seats until she was nearly on his lap. Dominick’s eyes were dark and dangerous as he glared at her.
“Nothing you say will push me away.”
Juliet couldn’t control the tears that filled her eyes. “You don’t know me.”
“I do.”
“You think you do but you don’t! As long as I stay here this shit is going to keep happening.”
“I’ll handle it.”
“I don’t want you to handle it! This isn’t your business!”
“You’re my business.”
“Since when?”
“Since you asked to come home with me the night Lee got married.”
“You take your responsibilities too far. Lee never meant for you to get involved in this.”
“I don’t care what other people say and I could have sworn you didn’t care either. What’s changed?”
“This won’t stop.”
“It will. There’s no going back now. You’re so used to being abandoned, you’re trying to cut and run before I turn my back on you. Is that it?”
“Let me go.”
He dropped his head into the hollow of her throat and wrapped her close. “You have so much pent up inside of you. Let me help.”
“Why would you want to?”
“Because I want you.”
“You’ve had me.”
His hand bunched the shirt at the base of her spine. “I just scratched the surface. I want everything.”
Fear clogged her throat. He wouldn’t want what lay at her core. “I don’t understand you.”
“You don’t have to. Just let me do this. Let me take care of you.”
Take care of her? The thought of giving control to someone else was inconceivable.
“You can trust me.” Dominick raised his head and searched her eyes. “I won’t let you down.”
Her invisible, impenetrable shield that she used to protect herself dissolved. Dominick’s features softened, as if he were so in tune with her that he sensed her capitulation.
“We’ll get through this,” he said and brushed a kiss over her still lips before he pulled back onto the highway.
The rest of the drive was done in silence. Juliet sat back, closed her eyes and let the silence soothe her frayed nerves. When Dominick parked into the garage she reached for the door handle.
“Stay put. I’ll come around,” Dominick said.
Juliet decided to indulge him as he walked around the truck and came to her door. He set her gently on her feet, grabbed her sad paper bag of clothes and toiletries and clasped her hand as they started upstairs to the second story. Dominick propelled her into the master bedroom. Juliet didn’t fight him as he raised her shirt to slip it over her head. When his hand went to the fastening of her jeans, she grabbed his hands. She didn’t realize she was panting until he wrapped her close.
“That fucker,” Dominick hissed into her hair.
“I can do this,” she said.
Dominick nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door to give her privacy. Juliet shed the jeans and underwear. Even though she didn’t have clothes to spare, she wouldn’t be able to wear the outfit again without remembering Freddy’s hand in her underwear.
Juliet ran the water as hot as she could stand it and ignored the pain in her hands as she scrubbed her body. When her fingers were pruned, she stepped out of the shower and found clean underwear in the paper bag. She went into Dominick’s closet and didn’t ask permission as she chose a large sweater that stopped at her knees. She caught sight of her face in the mirror. Her left cheekbone was swollen and bruised while her eyes were glassy and raw. She looked devastated. No wonder Domin
ick beat the crap out of Freddy. She wasn’t the defiant woman who arrived at Lee’s wedding. It hadn’t taken a week for Gray to break her. Did Gray encourage Freddy to touch her? Sending her brother-in-law to molest her was pure evil. Juliet willed herself not to vomit again. It was done. She brushed her teeth and crawled beneath the covers of Dominick’s bed. There was a soft knock before the door opened.
“Juliet?”
She didn’t say anything as Dominick approached the bed.
“Hungry?” he asked.
Juliet shook her head. She felt a draft before Dominick slipped into bed behind her. She couldn’t help the way she tensed when he reached for her. Dominick wrapped her against him. Neither of them spoke. Her body, already past the point of exhaustion, wasn’t able to stay stiff and unyielding. When she relaxed, he drew her even closer. Juliet closed her eyes, remembered Freddy’s words and shuddered.
“Shh, baby, I’m here,” Dominick murmured.
Juliet turned in his arms and buried her face against his throat. Dominick’s hand ran up and down her back. He was unlike any man she’d been with. Steady, confident, protective. Nothing would make him falter. Juliet took comfort in his presence and trusted him to keep the monsters at bay.
Chapter Eleven
When Juliet woke the next morning, her hand drifted over the left side of her face, which had its own pulse. Dominick lay beside her, flat on his back with her head pillowed on his shoulder and her leg thrown over his. Juliet surveyed his handsome face, relaxed in sleep. Juliet burrowed against Dominick, wishing she could be absorbed by him. Being with him made Freddy’s attack seem like a distant dream, aside from her throbbing face and neck.
Juliet heard the distant chime of her cell phone. She ignored it for the time being, content to stay where she was and keep the outside world at bay. Her stomach rumbled. The last thing she ate yesterday was the burger, which Todd didn’t let her finish. Juliet reluctantly eased away from Dominick and used the facilities before she looked at herself in the mirror. Her throat had dark smudges on it and there was a purple bruise on her jaw.