Page 98 of Empire of Lust
“I don’t know what happened,” I whisper while wrapping my arms around myself to keep from shaking.
“Maybe start with why it smells like a bunch of frat boys were in here,” Callum says. “It reeks of cheap cologne.”
“We were downstairs in the bar.” It’s easier to look at Romero since he doesn’t look like he wants to snap my neck. “We only had a couple of drinks. Three guys came in, and we started chatting, and…”
“And?” Callum’s face hardens.
“And…” The words keep getting stuck in my throat. “And they said we should take the party upstairs, so we brought them up to the room.”
“You what?”
I will not cry. Even when I know how this must sound. “It was Tatum who said yes,” I tell Romero. “I wasn’t interested. I sat out here with two of the guys. Tatum took the third one into the bedroom.”
I squeeze my eyes shut when Callum lets out a feral growl. This is more uncomfortable than I imagined it would be. “I swear, it couldn’t have been more than half a minute before she started screaming.”
That’s what it does. The thread he was still hanging onto snaps, and he rages. “Son of a bitch—”
Romero grabs him and holds him back while I blurt out, “No, no, the guy came out and swore all he did was try to kiss her. He had all his clothes on, and so did she. He was totally confused and freaked out. They left right after, and she locked me out of the bedroom.”
Callum’s breathing like a bull ready to charge. Romero’s gaze looks stormy, too, but he has a better grip on his self-control. “You believed him when he said nothing happened?”
“There wasn’t enough time for something to take place.”
Callum shakes Romero off and shoots me a disdainful look before crossing the room. All I can do is hold my breath and hope he doesn’t make things worse by throwing his weight around and acting like a possessive asshole.
He raises his fist, and I brace myself. I’m afraid he’s going to pound on the door, but his knock is gentle. “Tatum, sweetie? It’s Dad. I’m here. Unlock the door.” I’ve never heard him talk to her that way before. So tender and kind.
Please, listen to him.My insides are churning, and I’m breaking out in a cold sweat. Seconds tick by. Then the lock clicks, and the door slowly opens.
Tatum’s face is tomato red and slick with tears. “Daddy.” She walks straight into the circle of his arms and presses her face to his chest before heaving out a sob.
“What did he do to you, baby?” He strokes her hair with one hand and even sways slightly from side to side. Like he’s rocking her.
“It wasn’t… him…” She shakes her head, crying harder.
“Who was it?” Slowly, he walks her to the silk-covered sofa and sits her down before sitting beside her. He wraps a secure arm around her. “You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”
A glance at Romero tells me nothing. He’s so intense, staring at the two of them, barely blinking.
“I didn’t want you to know.” Her voice is thick, and she’s shaking so hard her teeth chatter. “I’m so ashamed. Please, Daddy, don’t kill him. Okay?”
“Who, baby?”
My throat is so tight, I can’t breathe, but I can mouth the name along with her. “Kristoff.”
Damn it. I didn’t think. I didn’t put it together. Now everything is making sense.
Callum’s nostrils flare, and his eyes narrow to slits, but he keeps it together enough to mutter, “What did he do to you?”
“He…” Her guilty gaze meets mine before darting away. “He hurt me. I didn’t want you to know. On the trip. In Europe.”
He closes his eyes and breathes slowly and deliberately. “How?”
“He…” She’s still weeping as she slides her shoulders out of her cardigan until her bare arms and their bruises are visible. The lamp on the end table shines bright on the ugly marks. Romero makes a choked sound while Callum only stares at the bruises, wordless. I’ve seen the look in his eyes. He might not be speaking, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t raging inside.
“And…” She ducks her head, then covers her face with both hands. “One night, I didn’t want to… but he wouldn’t stop… and he… I couldn’t make himstop!” Callum pulls her against his chest and closes his eyes, rocking her again. “It was so bad, and he hurt me.”
I have to cover my mouth to stifle my sob. She didn’t tell me that part. No wonder she lost it when a stranger tried to touch her. No wonder there were bruises on her thighs. Why didn’t she tell me?