CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
LIAM
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“Yes, sir.” The young man in uniform at the desk scurries away to get a keycard sorted for the penthouse suite. I’m not surprised this prick is staying in the best suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel. He’s a big name in the movie industry.
I shift my weight from one leg to the other, glancing around the lobby. Ryder meets my eye, his gaze meant to comfort me with his presence, telling me he is here. That he gets it.
I already know the story about how he nearly lost Savannah. How he climbed her fence after hearing the gunshot.
He knows how it feels in this moment, waiting to get to the woman you love, knowing she is powerless and being harmed.
I glance at the law enforcement, equally grateful they are with us and frustrated because I won’t be able to put a bullet between Frank’s eyes.
“Take it easy,” Ryder says under his breath, and I realized I just growled.
Since when do I growl?
The young man returns and hands the officer the key.
“Let’s go,” he says, and we stride across the lobby to the elevator with three hotel security following.
“We don’t need an entourage,” I snarl at them.
“Hotel policy, we need to protect our guests,” the manager says, joining us.
The police look uninterested, instead focused on getting up to the room and finding Jessie.
As am I.
We climb into the elevator, make our way to the penthouse floor, then find a large private security guard standing outside. He leaps into action, pounding on the door, and that’s when everything happens.
The cops, me, and Ryder—we all fucking run.
Private Security Dude has the door open by the time we reach him, and the officers pile in, announcing their presence.
I push past them and freeze.
Standing in the living area, I can see into the bedroom, and my blood boils.
“Easy,” Ryder steps in and turns his back, holding his arms out so no one else goes near as Frank climbs off Jessie and starts flailing.
She’s tied to the fucking bed.
“Go, go to her.” Ryder rasps, his own anger evident in his voice as I fly across the space.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Frank covering his dick and looking furious. We ignore his demands to get out of his hotel room.
Then my entire focus is on Jessie.
She is bruised, her legs stretched wide. Her eyes avert from mine, tears streaming down her black-lined face. Mascara, I assume. Her mouth is bruised, and she has body fluids all over her.
I feel like vomiting, but I won’t.
I won’t do that to her.
Frank is hopping on one leg, trying to pull on briefs, and suddenly my anger takes over, and I pull out my gun and point it at him.
“You piece of fucking shit. How dare you touch what’s mine?”
His eyes dart to Jessie.
“Eyes up, or I will shoot them out of your skull.”
“Okay, let’s—” One of the officers starts.
“Who the hell is this buffoon? Do you know who I am? I want names, and I want you all out of my hotel room,” Frank yells.
My trigger finger tightens.
Doing time for this would be my pleasure.
“Lower your weapon, Rutherford,” Ryder says. “Take care of Jessie.”
“Liam,” she mewls, and my heart breaks.
“Take him, or I’m shooting him,” I warn everyone.
The police move, tugging his arms behind his back and cuffing him as I turn to Jessie, put the safety back on and slide the gun in the back of my pants.
Grabbing a blanket, I toss it over her.
“Don’t listen to the bitch. It was consensual!” Frank yells, and then I hear him squeal.
Fucking pig.
“You’re under arrest—”
I ignore the rest of the Miranda rights and circle the bed. “Jess.”
“Get me out of here,” she sobs, tugging at the restraints.
I untie them. “I’ve got you, Jess. I’ve got you. I’m here. I’ve got you.”
The moment one is untied, she throws herself at me, holding me like I’m her lifeline. I have to clamber over her to get the other one.
“Baby. I’ve got you.”
“Oh god. Oh god. He was going to take me to Texas to be his slave. I was going to die.”
“Shhh.”
“It was him. It was him. He was the one who raped me.”
Yeah, I figured that.
“I’ve got you.” I wrap her up in the blanket and pull her onto my lap, holding her so tight I almost break her in two.
One of the officers walks in and crouches down in front of her. “Ms. Rogers?”
Jessie nods.
“Can you tell us what happened? Did that man assault you.”
“He, he, he...he kidnapped me. Brought me back here and forced me to do...oh god, he’s raped me before.” She faceplants my chest. “I’m sorry, Liam.”
My eyes widen, and I meet the cop's stare.
“Sorry? Fuck, Jess. Don’t say sorry,” I cry.
The cop shakes his head, and I wish I could read his mind.
Ryder joins us.
“Jess,” he says, crouching as the cop joins the other officer. “Hey, we found you, girl. You had the whole BHS team looking for you.”
She glances up at Ryder then at me. “How? How did you find me?”
“It’s what we do, baby.” I kiss her forehead.
I don’t care anymore. I don’t care who knows, who sees... it’s pretty damn obvious to anyone who's been involved in the past few hours that I am in love with this woman.
Including me.
Finally.
Jessie begins to tremble violently, and I hold her tighter. That’s when I become aware of the strong scent coming from her. It’s something I recognize, a foul-smelling moisturizer. Glancing around, I notice a bottle on the table and stare back at her.
“He gave me a bath.” She gags. “Then put that shit on me.”
Jesus fucking Christ.
Ryder, who is wearing gloves, picks it up and hands it to the cop, giving him context.
“Sick fuck.” The cop shakes his head.
“Take me out of here. Please, Lim,” she pleads, her big blue eyes looking tortured.
“Take her home. We have your details and will get her statement later,” the first cop tells me. “We’ll work the crime scene and take this asshole down to the station.”
I nod, glance around for her clothes, and Ryder picks them up and opens the bathroom door. Lifting Jessie, I carry her in there, grabbing the outfit on my way in.
“I’ll meet you out back in the SUV,” Ryder says as the door closes.
When Jessie is dressed, I take her face.
“You’re going to be okay, Jess. Trust me, baby. We’re going to get you all the help you need.”
“Just get me out of here.” She grips my shirt, still shaken despite now being safe. “Get me out of here.”
I take her hand, and we walk through the hotel room straight to the door. I nod at the cops and am just about to lead her out when Jessie stops and turns.
“I hope you burn in hell, you piece of shit.”
“I warned you,” Frank hisses.
Out comes my gun, and I stride over to him, pushing it on his forehead.
“You want to see a real fucking warning, motherfucker? I would go to prison for this woman. Now shut your fucking mouth, or you will meet your maker.”
His eyes are so wide I think they’re about to pop out of his head. They glide to the cops, who do nothing.
Nothing.
“Understand, Frank Bonito?” He blinks at his name. “Do not look at her, breathe her name, or touch her again. Or I will hunt you down.”
My heart is beating so fucking hard in my chest it sounds like a drum. No one says a word for a good three beats, and I slowly lower my weapon, glaring at the evil piece of shit who has taken the spark from my girl.
I put my weapon away, give the cops a quick glance, and note the security guard is also in handcuffs—he is, after all, an accessory— then walk back to Jessie, who has her arms wrapped around her.
“Let’s go,” My arm remains around her from the moment we hit the hallway, in the elevator, and as I push the door open to step outside.
Ryder is waiting for us.
I climb into the backseat with her and tuck her under my arm.
“I’ll have one of the team drop your Jeep off later,” Ryder says when we pull up outside my house forty minutes later.
“Thanks, man.” I jump out and help Jessie.
“Jess,” Ryder says. “Savannah sends her love. When you’re ready, she’ll help you. We have a lot of contacts in this town, all right? Don’t let that piece of shit scare you.”
“How did you—?”
“It’s their usual playbook. He’s not going to see anymore Texas fields. Trust me. Concrete walls are in his future,” Ryder adds.
I give Ryder a grateful nod, then lead her inside. The moment the door clicks, she collapses on the floor.
Shit.
“Jess.”
“I’m so ashamed, Liam. I’m so, so, so dumb.”
Another crack in my heart appears as I lean down and comfort her.
“Let’s get you in the shower.” I need that smell off her. Senses are enormously important when it comes to victim recovery. If Jessie becomes aware of it in the next few hours, it will trigger her.
Over and over.
My arms strain as I lift her from the floor and carry her to my bathroom. I’m aware it’s the first time I’ve taken her into my personal space.
I wish it were under different circumstances.
When the water blasts against the tiles, I slowly remove her clothes and keep checking she’s okay. She steps under and ducks her head under, reaching for me. I go fully dressed.
“Lim, I need you.” She tugs at my shirt.
No. Fuck no.
“Just let me take care of you,” I pour shampoo on her hair, then condition it, and let her slowly wash her body with the sponge.
Then, after turning off the water, I wrap her in a large white towel. Jessie leans into my sopping wet shirt and closes her eyes. I watch us in the mirror and for the first time see us as a couple.
She’s tiny in my arms.
So vulnerable and beautiful.
Mine.
I should’ve fucking protected her.
I should have pushed Jessie to tell me who her rapist was. Her rapists. We still don’t know who the other man was. It’s going to be a long road ahead of recovery, but I will be there for her. We all will.
Talking to Jayden about this is going to be a thousand times more complicated now. Her parents will need to be told.
That’s not all.
Everyone is going to have to come to grips with one other thing.
Jessie is mine.
I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her, and that includes keeping her. We both want it and after tonight, I’m not taking my eyes off her.
“No more apologies. No more making yourself wrong. You’re the victim here, Jessie.”
Her face lifts to mine.
“I understand if you look at me differently now. I do. I feel dirty. Broken. I’m a mess. I don’t think I can ever look in that mirror.”
She won’t.
Jesus.
My thumb rubs over her cheek as I draw in a shallow breath. “Yeah, Jess, I do look at you differently now. Because I’m finally admitting how much I fucking love you.”
Her mouth parts, and those blue eyes widen in surprise.
“Now, let’s go to bed.”