RIPPING IT OFF
BELLA
M atthew had left for the resort almost an hour ago. I loved him to pieces, but was grateful for the space. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since the incident, and so much had happened in such a short span of time.
I finished getting ready for work and stared at myself in the full-length mirror from every angle. I’d picked out clothes that hopefully wouldn’t give anyone the wrong impression. Of course, I knew that what I had worn yesterday had nothing to do with what had happened to me, but still… there was this little voice inside my head that nagged at me.
Don’t show too much skin . Don’t be too friendly. Maybe a little less makeup today?
It was completely messed up, but how many times had we heard about women who had been raped getting torn apart because of what they had worn? Too many to count, if I was being honest. And that kind of stuff lived in your subconscious whether you wanted it to or not.
So, here I was, wearing pants and a long-sleeved black bodysuit. My outfit was simple. Tasteful even. And it hid the bruises that had blossomed overnight on my arms. When Matthew had spotted them, he’d had to remove himself from our bed just to calm himself down. I’d never seen him so conflicted. He’d looked like he was battling a war all his own, and even though I wanted to comfort him, I knew that I needed to put myself first. His feelings mattered, but mine mattered more.
I wasn’t really nervous about going back to work. In fact, I wanted the normalcy and routine that it provided. Even though there would be a million questions and lingering sympathetic looks, it was either get it out of the way now or put it off for some other day. There was no making it go away entirely or pretending like it never happened. I was sure the entire town had heard about it by now.
Which also made me think that the locals would be showing up at the restaurant today and forcing the tourists out. Not that I had any issue with that. It made me grateful that I’d called Ben earlier to see what his job status was. Luckily for me, he’d just quit Sugar Saloon a couple of weeks back, and he was available to start ASAP. He was meeting me at the restaurant in twenty minutes.
I grabbed my hair and pulled it back into a tight ponytail before dusting a light coat of mascara on my eyelashes. One last look at myself, and I was ready to go. At least as ready as I’d ever be.
I noticed the line out the window from my view at the bar as I sliced some limes and glanced around for where the new security cameras were. The rest of the staff had definitely heard what had happened, but aside from giving me hugs and asking if I was okay, they didn’t ask anything else.
When Ben walked in through the back door and stood in the wrong section, a little dazed, I called his name and waved him over.
“Hey,” he said, sounding out of breath once he reached me. “Is it always like this?” He motioned toward the line outside.
“I haven’t seen people waiting like that since we first opened.” I shrugged.
He held a hoodie and his baseball hat in his hands. “Wasn’t sure where to put my things.”
“Right. Of course. Sorry about that. Follow me,” I said before dropping the knife and leading him back the way he’d just come in. “I’ll introduce you to everyone as we walk.”
Names were thrown around, and Ben stopped to shake anyone’s hand who let him. Most were in the middle of food prep and didn’t want to stop to wash their hands again, so they gave head nods instead. If they didn’t already know each other, it seemed like they were at least familiar.
We stopped in front of a set of lockers with keys. “You can pick an empty one and put your stuff in there. I’ll introduce you to Addison later. She’s really busy.”
“Sounds good,” he said as he ran his fingers through his blond hair, instantly calming down any of the unruly strands.
When we got back to our station, we both washed our hands, and I went back to cutting the limes, and Ben started slicing the lemons. It was a relief to be working with someone who already knew what to do without even being asked.
“Oh, you should take a look at the current drink menu and let me know if you have any questions.”
I pushed one of the laminated cards toward him, and he reached for it, his eyes taking in each drink and their ingredients.
He laughed out loud, and I glanced at him.
“These are really clever,” he said.
“Thanks.”
“Allergy Season?” He laughed again before reading off the ingredients. “Gin, vermouth, lemon juice, and simple syrup.”
“I put a little sprig of lemongrass in it, hence the allergies.”
“That’s funny.” He smiled, and two dimples appeared. “These all sound really good. How often do we change the menu?”
He’d said the word we , and I hoped that meant he’d stick around for a while. “Every season, but we can add special drinks for holidays or certain days if we want. We actually have free rein, so if you come up with an idea, just let me know.”
“Really?” He sounded shocked, and I had to remember that he’d come from the saloon, just like I had.
“Main Street BBQ is not Sugar Saloon,” I reminded him.
“You can say that again.”
Addi cleared her throat, and I looked up to see her standing in the center of the restaurant, wiping her hands on her apron.
“I just wanted to say welcome to Ben, our new bartender. And I’m sure that everyone heard what had happened last night.”
Ben leaned toward me. “What happened last night?” His brows pulled together.
“I’ll tell you later,” I whispered as Addi continued speaking to her employees.
“With that being said, I wanted to make sure you were all aware that we now have security cameras in place, and I apologize for not putting them up sooner. I should have been smarter. The cameras are not there to make you feel uncomfortable or to spy on you. They are there for your safety. For our safety. And speaking of, there is also another new addition to our team.”
Miles Leonard walked out from the back, dressed in a security guard uniform. I wasn’t sure if he was armed or not, but I didn’t spot a weapon strapped to his body anywhere that I could see. I did, however, notice a Taser, a baton, and a pair of handcuffs.
Miles used to be a cop, but had been forced to take medical retirement after he blew out his shoulder in a scuffle a few years back. He still looked downright intimidating, even though he was probably pushing forty years old. Because he was older, I bet anyone who didn’t know him would think they could pull one over on him.
And they’d be wrong.
“Miles will be working here as security. If you see something, tell him. If any customers make you feel uncomfortable, let Miles know. He will be here during our regular business hours and will stay until the last person locks up and leaves. Does anyone have any questions?”
I looked around and waited for someone to raise their hand, but no one did. Addi clapped her hands together as Miles gave me a salute.
“Okay then. Let’s get this party started.” She headed over to the front door and unlocked each one of the locks before pulling it open and greeting the first people in line.
I watched with wide eyes as the people who filed inside did not make their way over toward the food counter, like usual, but headed straight toward me at the bar instead.
“Shit,” I mumbled under my breath, but Ben heard it.
“Is this typical?” he asked.
I shook my head right as a bunch of men crowded the bar and stared at me.
“Gentleman,” I said because I couldn’t greet each one of them by name. There were just too many, and to be honest, I didn’t know everyone who was currently staring at me with concern and sympathy in their expressions.
“We heard what happened.”
That was all it took. One person to speak first, and they all started talking over one another, each one louder than the last.
“Yeah, we wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“No one messes with our girl!”
“Do you need anything?”
“My wife baked you a pie.”
A pie suddenly appeared on top of the bar, and I could smell it through the cellophane wrapping.
“Thank you,” I managed to say through my shock.
The people of Sugar Mountain had literally left their homes to make sure that I was okay. I put both hands in the air to quiet the group, feeling like a school teacher trying to calm a bunch of rowdy kids after they’d eaten a bunch of sugar.
“I really appreciate that you all came in here to check on me.” I started to speak, but when I looked up and noticed that there was literally a line of locals waiting to make their way to the bar, I lost it. It was so unexpected and kind. The tears that filled my eyes and blurred my vision started rolling down my cheeks.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. We just want you to know that we care about you.”
“This wasn’t your fault—you know that, right?”
“I do know that,” I responded, even though I had no idea who had even asked.
The next hour went on in exactly the same manner. People poured in to come and see me with their own eyes . There were more baked goods. Numerous offers to beat the guy to a pulp and a lot of questions about how Matthew O’Grady was handling the news and what Chief Marin was doing to catch the guy who had tried to hurt me.
I answered everything the best that I could, knowing that the gossip mill would do its job and spread the word so I didn’t have to keep dealing with the same questions over and over again for the next week. And while I didn’t particularly enjoy being the subject of town gossip, their concern made me feel loved and cared for when I’d least expected it. And it also filled Ben in on the events of the night before so that I didn’t have to.
Speaking of, he’d been amazing behind the bar today. I forgot what it was like to have a coworker who knew what they were doing and didn’t break a glass every ten seconds. He also seemed to really like the atmosphere, so I was hopeful that he’d stay for the long haul.
I glanced at the clock on the wall, noting that it was finally almost closing time when the bells on the door chimed. My eyes moved to the door on instinct, and I noticed Matthew walking in. Our eyes met, and a small smile crept over his face as he made his way toward me.
“Hey, babe,” he said as soon as he sat down at one of the stools. Most of them were empty now.
“Hi. Fancy seeing you here.” I grinned because it was nice to see him. I hadn’t realized how much I missed having him hang around.
“Matthew, this is Ben. Ben, this is my boyfriend, Matthew,” I said, introducing the two to one another. Even though he’d worked at the Saloon, he wasn’t usually bartending when Matthew hung out.
“I know who you are, man. Nice to meet you,” Ben said as he reached out his hand and gave it a shake.
“Nice to meet you too,” Matthew said before dropping his cell phone on top of the bar.
“Do you want a drink, or can I get you a beer?” Ben asked.
Matthew shook his head slowly. He barely seemed to drink anymore. He’d take a few sips of a beer now and then before throwing the rest out. I guessed he really had drunk more than normal just to be around me.
“Nah. I’m good, thanks. Was there any trouble today?” Matthew directed the question toward Ben, and I watched as he dried off a glass while he spoke.
“Not that I saw.”
“That’s good. Let’s hope it stays that way,” Matthew added, and I felt like I wasn’t even in the room anymore.
“It will as long as I’m around. I don’t let patrons fuck with the female bartenders,” Ben responded gruffly before putting the glass in its place.
Matthew’s smile grew. “Love to hear that.”
“Sorry about what happened.” Ben grimaced.
Matthew’s smile instantly dropped. “Yeah. Me too.”
“Hello.” I waved my hand in front of both of their faces. “I’m standing right here.”
Matthew looked behind me, his eyebrows pulling together so that he got those two lines between his eyes. “What’s with all the pies?”
“Whole damn town came out to see this one today,” Ben answered for me.
I made an annoyed sound. “Am I not allowed to talk?” I grumped.
“People came to see you?” Matthew suddenly looked concerned. “Are you okay?”
I blew out a soft breath and tucked my hand towel into the back of my pants. “Yeah. It was really nice actually. I’ll tell you about it later.”
The sound of Matthew’s cell phone buzzing distracted us both. He stared at the screen before turning it toward me so I could see who was calling.
He turned the phone and placed it against his ear. “Hey, Chief.” There was a pause as I stared at Matthew’s mouth and waited for him to speak again. “Yeah. We can come there. Hold on a sec,” he said before pulling the phone away and placing his hand over the speaker.
“How long until you’re off?” he asked.
I looked right at Ben, who was pretending not to pay attention, but definitely was. That was bartending 101—look like you aren’t listening, but listen to every. Damn. Word.
“I can leave whenever,” I said because I knew that Ben could handle closing up if I needed him to.
Matthew nodded, pulled his hand away, and put the phone back up to his ear. “We’ll be there in twenty. Okay. See you soon.”
He hung up, and I braced myself.
“What’s going on?”
“He has an update for us. He’d like us to meet him at the station.”
My throat felt dry, and I reached for a glass, poured a shot of water, and downed it in one gulp. Then, I took another.
Ben waved me off. “Go. You know I can handle this, and if I fuck up, you can let me know what I did wrong tomorrow.”
That actually made me laugh. “Sounds good. Thank you.”
Matthew was already standing when I walked out from behind the bar and into his arms.
“I need to go grab my things and tell Addi what’s going on, okay?”
“Of course. I’ll be right here,” he said, but when I noticed him spot our security guard, Miles, I knew exactly where he’d be waiting for me.
It took us all of three minutes to arrive at the station in Matthew’s truck. He cut the engine, hopped out, and helped me down from his monstrosity. Then, he tucked me against his side and walked us toward the entrance before pulling the glass door open and ushering me inside.
“We’re here to see the chief,” Matthew announced at the beaming young redhead behind the glass window, whose cheeks turned a bright red almost instantly.
“He’s, um, expecting you. I’ll, um, well, I’ll buzz you both back.” She stumbled on her words, and I knew that Matthew’s presence had her all flummoxed.
As I took him in, I couldn’t even blame her. My man was a sight to behold.
The buzzer sounded, and Matthew pulled the door open, holding it for me once more. Chief Marin was making his way in our direction, and once he spotted us, he stopped walking and gave us a wave.
“Come back here,” he directed before turning around.
We hustled to catch up, Matthew’s hand intertwined with mine.
The chief led us into a small conference room, and once the three of us were inside, he closed the door and took a seat at the head of the table. Matthew and I sat closest to him, but side by side. His hand was on my thigh, his thumb caressing the top of my leg.
“I’m going to get right to it,” Chief Marin said as he shuffled a stack of papers. “We found out who the offender was.”
“Already?” I asked because that was pretty damn fast.
“Yeah. Shocked us a little too, to be honest.” He let out a small laugh. “The people who rented out their apartment were very responsive. And so was the guy whose name was on the rental. Caved and told us everything the second I called.”
Matthew and I glanced at each other as he gave my thigh a squeeze. I wasn’t sure what to say or ask next, to be honest. I almost inquired about Goatee Guy’s name, but what would it have mattered?
“Here’s the thing.” Chief Marin began talking again. “The guy who did this to you, he’s still in college. We found out that he actually has a pending case against him at his university. And even though this wasn’t a good thing that happened to you, Isabella, the timing of it couldn’t have been better.”
My throat felt thick as I tried to swallow, but struggled. “What do you mean?”
“His accuser wasn’t going to move forward with her complaint. She reported the assault, and of course, he denied it when questioned. It happened at a party, and since she had been drinking and no one saw what he did to her, it was basically a he said, she said scenario. I was told that she was going to drop the charges and not move forward with an administrative hearing.”
I felt sick to my stomach. “That poor girl. Why don’t people believe us when we say this stuff happens?” I asked in a whisper.
“Because the truth is, sometimes, people lie about these kinds of things,” Chief Marin answered.
Matthew and I let out a sound of disbelief.
“Excuse me?” Matthew said before I could, his fingers clenching.
“I’m just stating the facts,” the chief reiterated.
Logically, I knew that there were two sides in any situation, but I hated feeling like the first inclination was to doubt the victim. And the second was to force them to prove what had happened to them by reliving it and answering a million humiliating questions, all based on the assumption that they might not be telling the truth. That maybe, just maybe, she’d asked for it .
It was disgusting.
How the hell were you supposed to prove an assault if there was no evidence deemed strong enough? What if there had been no witnesses last night? Would anyone have believed me?
“Well, I’d bet money that girl wasn’t lying,” I said, my voice stern. “And what a shame that it took him doing it to someone else for her to feel believed.”
Chief Marin nodded before resting his elbows on the table. “I agree. And listen, I don’t know what the university’s criteria is or their rules regarding this type of thing, but we sent them your report this afternoon, and they determined that it showed a potential pattern of behavior. They’ve scheduled a hearing for him with the disciplinary committee, and the female decided to move forward instead of dropping her complaint.”
“That’s good.” Matthew focused on me, his blue eyes so sincere and kind. “You did such a good thing, babe.”
“But what happens now? He comes here, pissed off at me, and wants revenge?” My voice shook because what if I’d just hit a hornet’s nest, so to speak?
You never knew what a person was truly capable of when they were angry. And ones who couldn’t look in the mirror and take responsibility for their actions or the kind of people who blamed everyone else for what had happened to them—they could be the most unstable.
“Not going to fucking happen,” Matthew growled.
“You can’t watch me twenty-four/seven,” I said to my boyfriend, who was suddenly breathing hard, his chest moving in and out rapidly as he squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again.
“The hell I can’t.” He stared at me, his protectiveness over me oozing from his pores.
“I’m not sure if he’ll even be made aware of your report, but I would like to tell you that his friend”—Chief paused—“the one you said had stopped the assault?”
“Yeah, the redhead,” I clarified as I nodded.
“He corroborated your story. Said he’d make a statement if the school needed him to. So, I think if this piece of shit is going to be pissed at anyone, it might be his buddy and not you.”
“Wow.” The single word spilled from my lips.
I hadn’t expected the redhead to go to bat for me. To be honest, it never even crossed my mind.
“But just for your peace of mind, we have the offender’s name and face memorized here at the station. And printed out and hung on our wall. We’ve alerted all the local businesses as well. Actually, they wanted his information.”
“They did?” Matthew asked, his breathing finally back to normal.
“Yeah, they all asked for his name and photo so they could call us if he ever came back.”
That made me more than a little emotional.
The chief continued, “We’ve tried to implement a do not rent to this person on all the rental sites, but I’m not sure how accurate that can be, and of course, if he wanted to, he could get around that by using a different name.” Chief sucked in a long breath. “We’ll do everything in our power to keep him out of Sugar Mountain, but I’m sure you both know that he could still come back here.”
“Thank you, Chief,” I said as I focused on taking a few calming breaths.
“Oh yeah.” He held up a hand and searched through the stack of papers. “Where the hell is it?” he growled before pulling out an envelope. “This is for you.” He slid it toward me.
“What is this?” I reached for it and noticed that it was sealed.
“A letter.”
“From who?” I dropped it, fearing that it was from Goatee Guy. I didn’t give a single flying fuck what that guy wanted to say to me, and I had no desire to read any words from him.
“It’s from Nathan. He’s the redheaded kid.”
The guy who had stopped Goatee Guy that night had written me a letter. It had barely even been twenty-four hours.
“Did you read it?” My lips felt dry.
The chief nodded. “Had to. Wanted to make sure it wasn’t threatening. He emailed it to me, and I printed it out.”
“Can we take it with us?” Matthew asked as he pushed out of the chair and stood, his full frame feeling larger than normal as I looked up at him.
“Of course. It’s hers to keep.”
“Thanks, Chief. Is that all?”
“That’s it. If there’s any new news that concerns you, I’ll let you know.” His chair squeaked against the tiled floor as he moved it back. “If you want to know what happens in regard to his hearing, I can follow up and get that information as well.”
Matthew looked at me, and I nodded my head.
“Yeah. I’d like to know what happens so I can at least be aware of the outcome.”
“Sounds good. I’ll make sure we’re all up-to-date then.” The chief reached out his hand toward Matthew and gave it a firm shake before Matthew helped me up from my seat and tucked me against him once more.