by Tara Rose
Her voice trailed off. She’d been about to say she didn’t want her grandmother thinking the same of all Raleigh and Durante men that she did. That they weren’t to be trusted. That they took advantage of women, especially natives. And her generalization would, of course, include these two.
But did she really believe that’s why they’d invited her out to lunch? Shouldn’t she listen to their side of the confrontation with Keith and Billy first? She’d expect the same from them under similar circumstances. Her grandmother hadn’t raised her to be a bitch. She owed them the same courtesy she’d extend to anyone, at least long enough to listen to what they’d said.
They exchanged another cryptic glance, and then Brett leaned closer. She caught a whiff of woodsy cologne and had to avert her gaze for a second. Something happened to her resolve when she looked into his unusual-colored eyes. Keith had eyes that color, as well. Most of the Durante men did. But unlike the cocky self-assurance in Keith’s gaze, Brett’s was warm and trustworthy. She had to give them a chance at least. There was no harm in that.
Chapter Five
Brett had always assumed Nita’s grandmother knew what Keith had done to her, but now that he realized she didn’t, it explained a lot. Phyllis was an imposing figure, and if she’d been told that her sixteen-year-old granddaughter had been forced into having sex three times, and then had her reputation tarnished for the entire school year by Keith and Billy because she’d refused a fourth time, she would have been in the school making such a huge fuss that no one on the island would have missed it.
His heart went out to this pretty girl who had held so much pain in her heart for fourteen years. She was all alone in this. He doubted that Celina even knew, and as far as Brett knew, she was still her best friend. Had she told anyone? Why hadn’t she said something to a teacher or another adult?
As he watched the trepidation on her face, he understood. No native on this island would dare cross a Raleigh or a Durante. He and Jagger knew firsthand what that would get you. Asa had made their father’s life miserable because of his feud with their uncle Jesse. And that had nothing to do with Davis, their father. Imagine what Asa would have done to Phyllis and Nita if she had dared to accuse Keith of date rape, and he and Billy of spreading vicious lies.
All these years later, and Nita still lived in fear. That was bullshit, and it wasn’t right. Brett wasn’t going to let Keith or Billy get away with what they’d done. He glanced around, but no one was close enough to hear them. “We couldn’t find Billy after you and Phyllis left yesterday, but we found Keith. He admitted to us that he’d forced you to have sex with him.”
He watched the emotion drain from her face as her shoulders slumped. Was she relieved, or was the pain of reliving those memories too much for her? Was he doing more harm than good here?
“What else did he say?” Her voice was flat, as if they were discussing the tides or whether they’d have temperatures below forty this winter.
“He seemed to think you wanted it. He also said you came onto him, and then assumed you and he would get married one day. But Mark and I called bullshit on that right from the start, and we believe it even less now.”
The change that came over her face tugged at his heart again. Had she assumed they’d side with Keith simply because he was family? Then again, what else would she assume? It’s what she’d been conditioned to believe, after all. “Really?” Her voice was small, like a child asking something she didn’t want to dare believe was true.
He didn’t think. He merely trusted his gut. Brett reached for her hands, and was alarmed to find them so cold. He gave them a squeeze. “Yes, really. Look. Keith may be family, but he’s not our favorite person.”
“And Billy is just an asshole,” said Mark. “And he’s as piss-poor at his job as Sallyanne is, which means we have zero respect for him.”
Brett didn’t think it was necessary to pull her into the tangled web of who was or who wasn’t qualified for their positions at Phoebe’s Playthings.
“So, are you saying you didn’t believe them in school, and you still don’t?”
“Not at all,” said Brett. “And when we pushed further, Keith still tried to tell us the same rotten things that he and Billy had spread around school that year. That you had come onto him, and that you thought he’d marry you.”
She snorted. “Marry him? If he thought that’s what I wanted, he wasn’t paying attention when I told him to get the hell off me.”
“Yeah,” said Mark. “He said you did that to try and force his hand. Give me an engagement ring or we don’t do it again. That kind of thing.”
She pulled her hands out of his grip and crossed her arms. “That’s not true. I never said that. I told him he was disgusting and I wanted no part of it anymore.”
He shot Mark a dirty look. “Hey, it’s all right. We know that. We believe you, not him.”
“This is ridiculous.”
Her face was blotchy and red, as if she were about to cry. All Brett wanted to do was scoop her into his arms and tell her it would be all right.
“I’m not a teen anymore, and we’re not in high school. Why should this still bother me? Why do we still have to talk about it? Why can’t he let it go?”
It sounded more like she couldn’t let it go, but Brett wasn’t about to say that. He had no experience with this and didn’t know what to say to her, but clearly she needed to talk to someone who could help her. “Because he’s an asshole.”
“What about Billy? Did you confront him, too? What did he say?”
“Don’t you want us to finish our story about what happened when we confronted Keith?” asked Mark.
Brett tried to tamp down the jealousy that spread through him like fire ants at her reaction to Mark’s grin. Her eyes lost some of the anger and fear, and the corners of her mouth turned up. “What did you do to him?”
“Oh, nothing, but we threatened him enough. Once we got him to admit what he’d done to you, and that you’d never come onto him—”
“He actually admitted that to you?”
“Reluctantly, but yes. He did. After we convinced him that we’d kick his fucking ass from here to Florida if he didn’t tell us the truth.”
She wiped her face even though there were no tears on it. “You did that for me?”
Brett took her hands again. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because what he and Billy did wasn’t right. And the fact that you’re still obviously so torn up about it isn’t right either. Wouldn’t it be better if you talked this over with someone?”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. My grandmother would be far more upset than I still am. It would shatter everything she believes about your families.”
“We aren’t all like Keith and Billy,” said Mark.
“I know that.” She stopped and blinked a few times, as if her own words surprised her. “Well, okay. I know that now.”
“Would she be upset with you for not telling her all those years ago?” asked Brett, gently.
“No. She’d understand why I didn’t.”
“Then maybe you should? You need to work through this.”
She glanced from one to the other, and Brett wished he had the magic words to wipe away the suspicion in her eyes. “Why do you two care so much about how I feel?”
“Brett told you,” said Mark. “What those two did was wrong, and we’re pissed off about it. We finally caught up with Billy after work.” He cut his gaze toward Brett for a second. “And let’s just say it’ll be a long time before he spreads lies again.”
“I don’t know what to say. ‘Thank you’ seems inadequate.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” said Brett. “You’re here with us right now. That’s enough.”
Neeva brought their food before either man said anything else, and Brett watched her eat for a few moments. Her face had definitely relaxed, and the fear in her eyes was finally gone. A fleeting wish that it was only him and Nita,
without Mark, passed through his mind, but then he realized he was grateful that Mark was here today, as well. With two of them sticking up for her and reassuring her, she might actually believe their intentions were honorable.
But he did wish she’d talk to someone about what Keith had done to her. Maybe not Phyllis, but she needed to resolve it. He knew she hardly ever dated, and Celina was her only real friend. Clearly this had affected her. And he knew he had no right to push the issue on her, but Brett knew only too well what keeping something that tears you up inside could do to a person over the years.
He’d watched Wendy, Jesse’s wife, go through hell her entire marriage over Jesse’s proclivity for not being able to keep it in his pants. He and Dot, Asa’s third wife, had an affair that was discovered when Asa walked in on them having sex in his office at Phoebe’s Playthings. Even that didn’t stop Jesse, however. But Wendy kept taking him back, not realizing the consequences his behavior and her acceptance had on her kids.
Merrick, their eldest son, was good friends with Brett. He worked for his father and uncle as their project manager only because he loved the work and was good at it. But Brett knew that without counseling, Merrick wouldn’t be able to tolerate being in the same room as his father or mother. He hated the fact that Jesse wouldn’t stop cheating, and he was sick over the fact that Wendy kept forgiving him.
Merrick was a different person now than he’d been in school, only because he had sought help and learned how to work through his anger and disgust. Brett used to try and convince him to work for Tim and Asa, but Merrick didn’t want to do that either.
The same person who had helped Merrick could help Nita. Brett was sure of it. But would she agree to it? And what right did he have to suggest it? That was a decision she needed to reach on her own.
* * * *
Nita couldn’t help the noises she made as she ate the po’ boy. “Wow. You weren’t kidding. This is fantastic.”
“I’m glad you like it,” said Brett.
“Do you need to return to the shop after lunch?” asked Mark.
“I don’t know. That would be up to my grandmother. Why?”
He glanced toward Brett for a second. “I thought we could hang out the rest of the afternoon.”
She put down her sandwich and stared at each of them in turn. “Forgive me. I know I’m beating a dead horse here, but why would you two want to spend the day with me?”
“Why wouldn’t we?” asked Brett.
“Really,” said Mark. “What he said. Nita, we’re not all like Keith and Billy. Give us a chance to prove it, okay?”
They both certainly looked and sounded sincere. If she told them how difficult it had been simply to meet them here, they’d think she was nuts. Trust wasn’t something that came easily to her. Not anymore.
Brett pointed toward her phone. “Can you call Phyllis and ask if she’s all right with you taking the rest of the afternoon off?”
What harm would it do? Then again, her grandmother wouldn’t know who she was with or where she was. She needed to know that. Nita called her, and told her that she’d met Brett and Mark at Lady of The Night, and they were spending the afternoon with her, as long as that was all right.
Her grandmother chuckled. “Don’t be silly, child. Course it be okay. You take all day with them two.”
“All right. But call me if things get busy and you need me to come back.”
“They won’t. Have fun.”
Her grandmother disconnected the call before Nita could say anything else. She placed the phone back on the table. “Looks like you got your wish.”
They both grinned, and her damn body betrayed her again by shivering with lust and anticipation. Hellfire.
“Well, I hope it’s your wish, too,” said Brett.
His voice was so sincere, and the look in his eyes so hopeful, that Nita felt guilty for having said that. “It is. Thank you. I’m just…” What? “Overwhelmed. And surprised. I didn’t expect…I didn’t expect you two to be so kind. So understanding.” And such gentlemen. But she wasn’t going to say that.
Mark’s expression grew dark and serious. “We are both really sorry Keith and Billy put you through that. This isn’t over. I assure you—we assure you that they will pay for what they did. But not today. Today we want you to forget about them and have some fun.”
“All right.” She could use some fun. It had been a long time. “What should we do?”
“Want to see a movie?” asked Brett.
“Sure.” That would be safe, especially on a Saturday afternoon. The theater would be crowded.
He picked up his phone and surfed. “Let’s see…a chick flick, action adventure, or the latest Disney film?”
She laughed. “Chick flick? I haven’t heard anyone use that expression in a while.”
He gave her a droll look. “Sorry. Romantic comedy. Actually, it sounds pretty good.”
“Now I am suspicious. Two men who want to see a romantic comedy? Come on…”
“Ouch,” said Mark, smiling. “Give us a break. We’re playing nice.”
She couldn’t help smile in return. “You are. I’m sorry. I’ll see any movie you two want to see. How’s that? It’s your choice.”
Brett pushed buttons on his phone. “You’re not comfortable making decisions.”
“That’s not entirely true. It’s just that I’m pretty easygoing with most things.”
He winked at her, and her nipples tingled. “It’s okay. We’re Doms. We’re used to taking control.”
If he’d made a quip like that earlier in the conversation, she would have made an excuse to leave. But now, she knew he wasn’t saying it to imply anything negative or threatening. And, mentioning what she already knew about their lifestyle only served to make her squirm in her seat as images danced through her head.
Nita was torn between wanting to trust them and experience some fun with a man for a change, and fear that they’d turn out to be no different than Keith or Billy. But she didn’t know how to get past that and relax so she could enjoy this day with them.
“I expected a reaction,” said Mark, quietly.
She waited until she swallowed the food in her mouth before speaking. “I know you’re Doms. Everyone does. Most of you are. It’s no secret. And I’m familiar with the lifestyle. Celina tells me a lot of things.”
He nodded. “Any experience of your own in that vein?”
“None.”
Her pulse raced as they exchanged a quick glance. She felt safe talking about this here because they were in a public place. But what would happen when she was in the dark with them in the movie theater? Was she truly ready for this?
“If you have questions, we’d be happy to answer them for you.”
She swallowed even though there was no food in her mouth. “Thank you. I’m sure I will from time to time.”
“But none right now?” asked Brett.
“Not really.” Liar. She had about a million, but the conversation had taken an unexpected turn and she’d been caught off-guard. She didn’t really know them. They weren’t strangers, certainly, but what she remembered of them was all mixed up with the events in high school. She needed to slow down and get to know them as they were now before she began confessing secret fantasies and asking questions about their lifestyle.
And why was she no longer afraid to be with them? What had changed?
Could it really be this simple? Had she finally found a Durante and a Raleigh man she could trust?
Chapter Six
Mark suggested the back row in the corner of the theater for two reasons. He hated it when people behind him kicked or bumped his seat, and he wanted as much privacy with Nita as possible. She didn’t protest, but Brett gave him a curious look. Mark hoped Brett wouldn’t reveal that he had always hated sitting up in the back. Even though he didn’t like anyone kicking his seat, he still liked to sit up close.
Brett kept his mouth shut as they made their way up the concrete stairs. He’d
have to thank him for that later. Once they were seated in the corner, Mark asked if she wanted anything to eat or drink.
“Just some water, please. I’m stuffed. Thank you again for lunch. It was wonderful.”
“Our pleasure.” Since Brett had paid for her lunch, Mark rose to go to the concession stand, after asking Brett what he wanted. In the lobby, he spotted Celina, Arizona, and Dallas. “What a coincidence. Brett and I are here with Nita.”
Celina raised her brows. “Nita Trudeaux?”
“Yes.”
“How did that happen?” asked Dallas.
“We asked her and she said yes.”
“I mean, I didn’t realize you two knew her.”
Mark explained the meeting at Phoebe’s Playthings the day before and then recapped lunch, leaving out the part where they had discussed Keith and Billy.
“Tread carefully,” said Celina. “She’s been hurt a lot in the past.”
Mark didn’t need to ask. Of course Nita would have confided in her friend. “We will. I promise.”
“Tell her I said hello. I should call her more often.”
“Yes, you should,” said Arizona. “So why don’t we sit with her now? We’re seeing the same movie, I’ll bet.”
Mark grinned. “You two at a romantic comedy?”
“Celina begged.” He winked at her, and when Celina gave him a tender smile, Mark wondered if he’d ever have a sub that would respond to him that way. He was so damn lonely all the time. It was his own fault. He worked too hard. But so did Arizona and Dallas. Had they simply been in the right place at the right time? He was trying so hard to get Sallyanne’s job that he ignored everything else in his life, including any pretense of a date now and then.
“It’s settled then.” Mark’s attention snapped back to the present at Dallas’s words. “We’ll see you inside. Where are you sitting?”
