Protecting Rayne

by Emily Bishop

“You saw?” I nod. “Those were from the whip and my arm…” I rub my left arm. “He did that, too. I was already on the floor, trying to protect myself with my arms and he kept kicking me.”

  “Fucking bastard.”

  “I managed to escape one night when a drunk, horny couple stumbled into my cell in search of a place to fuck. There was a party going on, a masquerade party. It gave me the perfect chance. I just ran and ran. I didn’t have money but apparently, the gown I had on was worth a lot. I took the bus. I just traveled around. I didn’t have anywhere to go.”

  “Couldn’t you go back to your family?” Randall asks.

  “My aunt and uncle? No. They didn’t want me anymore, not after how I let them down. They took me in and they were so good to me, treated me like their own child even after they had children but I let them down so…” I shrug. “I don’t really have a family or a home anymore.”

  Randall says nothing.

  “When I ran out of money, I found myself here in Texas. I ate leftovers from restaurants. I slept in church gardens, in cemeteries, on park benches. Then Carol found me.” I smile at the memory. “She was like an angel. But then she always had a good heart. She was my classmate in middle school, you know, just for a few years. We were friends. She remembered me and she decided to help me. She’s rich now. She owns a childcare agency so she said she’d give me a job as a nanny. I thought it was perfect. I could earn some money and I could hide from Vince because I knew he was still looking for me. That’s how I came to meet you and David.”

  “At the mall, before you bumped into me, you seemed like you were running away from someone. Was that Vince?”

  My eyebrows furrow. He noticed?

  “I don’t know. I thought it was one of Vince’s men, but I guess I was just being paranoid. Anyway, he is still looking for me. He wants me back. And now, he’s found me. His men are here in Texas. Carol said so. And they’re asking around. They probably already know I work for Stargazers. It’s only a matter of time before Vince comes here. He may already be on his way.”

  “So, you’re escaping from him?”

  “Yes,” I answer. “I’d rather die than let him take me back.”

  Randall falls silent. He looks shocked, shaken. He asked for it, though.

  “There. I’ve told you everything,” I tell him, going back to my suitcase. “I have to go.”

  “No.” He grabs my wrist again.

  He’s still not letting me go?

  “Don’t you understand? If he finds me here, he’ll take me and–”

  “I won’t let him take you,” Randall says.

  What?

  “Let him come. He won’t hurt you.”

  “Then he’ll hurt you. Or David. I can’t risk that.”

  “I won’t let him hurt any of us,” Randall says, still gripping my wrist. “I’ll protect you and David. And I can take care of myself.”

  “No.” I shake my head. “Vince is a monster. I’m not going to get you involved.”

  “I’m already involved. I already care about you. David does, too. I can’t just let you walk away after hearing your story. What if he’s already out there waiting for you?”

  “Better out there than here.” I wrench my hand away, rubbing it. “I would never forgive myself if anything bad happened to you and–”

  “I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you.” He takes my hand again. “What right does this Vince have to take you back? We’ll report him to the cops.”

  “No. He’s too powerful. And I have no proof, only words.”

  “I don’t understand why you can’t stay here. Surely, he won’t be so bold as to come here.”

  “He will,” I assure him. “He thinks I belong to him. Maybe it’s because of the recording contract I signed. Or maybe it’s because he thinks we’re still engaged.”

  “Then I’ll marry you.”

  I look at him with wide eyes. “What?”

  Did he say what I think he said?

  “I’ll marry you,” he repeats.

  That’s what I thought he said.

  “Why would you do that?”

  “If he knows you’re mine, then he won’t take you back anymore. He’ll know that you don’t belong to him anymore.”

  I shake my head. “This is crazy.”

  “I know how men think. Men like him think they own women, that they can have any woman they want. He wanted you, and you were easy for him to get. He knew just which buttons to press.”

  I don’t like the sound of that.

  “But not anymore. He can’t have you anymore. If you marry me, you will be my wife, my woman. Then he’ll have to give up.”

  “I’m not sure he’ll ever give up.”

  “Men usually give up on women when they get married.”

  “Vince isn’t usual.”

  “He’ll back off,” Randall says confidently. “You won’t just be married. You’ll be married to me. I have wealth and connections. He won’t be able to just take you away. If he tries, if he tries to hurt even one hair of your head, I’ll see to it that he rots in jail.”

  At that, my eyes grow wide, a realization dawning on me for the first time. Alone, I don’t stand a chance against Vince. He can do what he wants with me and not suffer any of the consequences. But if I’m with someone like Randall, even if he hurts me, he’ll have to pay for it. He’ll pay for his crimes.

  He’ll never be able to hurt anyone again.

  “Sabrina?” Randall touches my shoulder.

  I don’t answer. Yes, it may be a good idea. Randall may be able to keep me safe. Still, marry him?

  “You don’t have to do this,” I say to him. “You don’t owe me anything.”

  “I want to protect you.” He touches my cheek. “Let me protect you, Sabrina.”

  I look away, falling silent.

  “Or would you rather have Vince than me?” Randall asks.

  “Of course not.”

  “Then stay and marry me.” Randall takes both my hands. “Do it for yourself. Do it for me, because damn, I want you more than anything…”

  He does?

  “And do it for David because he deserves to have someone who finally understands and cares for him.”

  I sigh. “I don’t know.”

  I’m still confused, afraid. A part of me wants to say yes. But I’ve suffered for jumping the gun before, and I don’t want to make the same mistake.

  Do you really have a choice?

  No. It’s stay and marry Randall or go and risk falling back into Vince’s clutches.

  Why am I hesitating? Randall is a good man. I’ve already established that. And he just said he wants me. And I… I think I want him, too. But he doesn’t deserve me. What if I just end up hurting him?

  “Sabrina.” He touches my cheek again. “You have nothing to be afraid of. Whatever happens, we’ll face it together. We’ll face Vince together. I’ll keep you safe, I promise. I won’t let him hurt you or anything that’s dear to you.”

  I believe him. I do. It’s just marriage is such a big thing. Why does he even want to marry me? What is he getting out of this?

  “Sabrina.”

  I look into his eyes, not seeing any trace of fear and reluctance in them. “I don’t understand why you want to marry me. What do you have to gain?”

  “A friend. A woman I can go to parties with and not have all the other women come after me. A nanny for David.”

  Right. He doesn’t love me. But then I don’t love him, either. I don’t think I do. This isn’t a marriage for love, just for convenience and protection. For now, it’s my best bet for survival.

  Then say yes.

  I take a deep breath. “All right. I will.”

  “You will?” Randall looks surprised and relieved at the same time.

  I nod even though I still can’t believe I just said yes. “But on one condition.”

  “What?”

  “You have to be the one to tell David.”

  Hus
band and Wife – Sort Of

  Randall

  “I have something to tell you, David.” I take a deep breath as I sit on his bed.

  “What?” David hugs his pillow.

  I pause. I should be glad this is the only condition that Sabrina set. Even so, this is probably one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done.

  Until now, I still can’t believe I proposed to marry her. Didn’t I say I wasn’t going to rush? Didn’t I say marriage was far from my mind? Still, I couldn’t just let her leave, especially not after hearing her story. As I started thinking about what I could offer her as her protection, all I could think of was myself, my name. That’s why I said I would marry her.

  What is even more baffling is that she said yes. When I asked her to marry me, I was hoping she would, yet I still could not believe it when she agreed.

  Of course, it doesn’t mean anything. She’s just trying to survive, and I don’t want her to slip through my fingers. That’s all. Still, a marriage is a marriage.

  “What is it?” David asks, impatient now.

  “It’s about Sabrina.”

  “I thought we already talked about her.”

  “Yes, but I’m going to tell you something more about her. Sabrina and I are–”

  “Is she your girlfriend now?” David asks to my surprise.

  He’s eight. When did he learn about girlfriends?

  “I thought she didn’t like you.”

  I crease my eyebrows at him. “What made you think that?”

  “She didn’t ask questions about you like the other nannies.”

  I nod. I didn’t even know the previous nannies asked him about me.

  “And she didn’t talk about you. The nannies before couldn’t stop talking about you.”

  I didn’t know that, either. I only noticed when they tried to flirt with me, though I didn’t pay much attention.

  “So, is Sabrina your girlfriend? Do you like her?” David asks.

  “Do you like her?” I ask him.

  “She still has to beat me at–”

  “A video game,” I finish the sentence for him. “I know. But let’s just say she didn’t. Would you still like her?”

  David shrugs. “Why are you asking?”

  “Because I…” Another deep breath. “I’m going to marry Sabrina.”

  His eyes grow wide. “No way.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “You’re not joking?”

  I shake my head. “No, I’m not.”

  He hugs his pillow tighter, burying half his face in it.

  “David?”

  Suddenly, he throws his pillow at me. “You tricked me. You said she was going to be my nanny, and now you’re going to marry her?”

  “She’ll still take care of you.”

  He gets off his bed. “I don’t want her to. I don’t want her anymore.”

  I sigh. I knew he wasn’t going to accept it easily.

  “David…”

  “You can marry her all you want. You can have her. I don’t like her anymore.”

  So he did like her. Wait. Is he jealous?

  “So you don’t want me to marry her?” I ask.

  “Who cares what I want?” He goes into his fortress. “Just marry her. I don’t care. But I won’t be there.”

  “Yes, you will,” I tell him as I stand up. “The wedding’s next week, and you’ll be there whether you like it or not.”

  ***

  The wedding takes place in the garden gazebo, a judge presiding, Tess and Gil witnessing along with Carol and my VP, Peter. Lucy is the bridesmaid Sabrina chose, and David reluctantly bears the rings in his white tux. I, too, am wearing a white tux with a royal blue bow tie while Sabrina is wearing a simple, high-waisted, white chiffon dress, a sparkling, royal blue sash wrapped around her waist.

  Simple, but stunning.

  She’s no longer wearing her contacts, her bluish-gray eyes as beautiful and mesmerizing, if not more so, than her black ones. Her hair is still copper, though, since she said she’s become used to it and for the first time, it’s flowing free from a crown of blue and white flowers, the tips curled and bouncing lightly off her shoulders as she walks. With each step, the folds of her dress drape around her legs, the hem rustling atop the grass. When she looks at me, her lips, coated with her new Estee Lauder lipstick, curve up into a smile. I can’t help but smile as well, my heart drumming.

  I know this may not be a real wedding in a sense – yes, there’s a judge but it’s only as real as those on TV reality shows. Even so, I can’t help but feel like a lucky, proud groom.

  Damn, she’s one hot bride.

  Gil seems to think so, too, as he shakes my hand and puts his arm around me after the wedding.

  “Look at that,” he says as he looks at her. “Who would have guessed she was your son’s nanny?”

  I grin.

  “Hell, if all nannies are that hot, I should sign up for one, too.”

  “You need a kid first before you can get a nanny,” I tell him. “Remember that.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “And stop staring at my wife.”

  My wife. I can’t believe I get to say that again, and I must admit it feels good.

  “What did I say, huh?” He nudges me. “Didn’t I say you were going to end up here?”

  “Yeah, you did. But remember, it’s not like that.”

  I’ve told Gil the truth, of course.

  “Whatever. If I were you, I’d start rethinking that.” He winks.

  Just then, Sabrina approaches us. “Hey.”

  I hold her arm. “Sabrina, let me introduce you to Gilbert Callaghan, my best man. Gil, this is Mrs. Sabrina Brewster.”

  “Now, that has got a nice ring to it,” Gil says, taking Sabrina’s hand. “Though not as nice as that ring on your finger.” He kisses her hand. “Pleasure to finally meet you.”

  “The pleasure is mine,” Sabrina says. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

  Gil grins. “I’m sure it feels nice to finally have a face to go with those amazing qualities, which is exactly how I feel about you.”

  “Charming,” Sabrina says. “But I think I’ve rather developed a dislike for men with honey-coated tongues. Since you and Randall are friends and I guess that makes us friends, why don’t we just cut the bullshit and stop flattering each other?”

  I laugh.

  “The rose has thorns,” Gil says.

  And yet, she’s never shown those to me. Is it because I was her boss or is it because of another reason?

  “It looks like you and Gil will get along,” I tell Sabrina as Gil goes off to talk to someone else.

  She nods then looks around. “Where’s David?”

  I sigh. “He’s gone inside with Lucy. He said he wasn’t feeling well.”

  “Really?” Sabrina looks concerned. “Then I should…”

  I pull her arm. “He’s just acting up because he still doesn’t want us to get married. I told him he had to be at the wedding, but since it’s over I guess he left.”

  Sabrina frowns. “I really wish he was happy for us. Have you told him the truth?”

  I shake my head. “No. He doesn’t really want to talk to me.”

  “Or me,” Sabrina says sadly. “Do you think maybe we should have?”

  “I doubt it would have made a difference.”

  “Yeah.”

  “He’ll be fine,” I assure her. “He’ll come around. Now, don’t frown. It’s our wedding day.”

  She gives a weak smile.

  “Congratulations to the bride and groom,” Carol says as she approaches. “I know this isn’t a real wedding and all…”

  Sabrina told her the truth, too.

  “But I’m still happy. I think this is a good thing.”

  “Have you noticed anything suspicious lately?” I ask her.

  “None since the hacking.”

  “Hacking?”

  “Oh. Sabrina didn’t tell you. My computer was
hacked.”

  “No, she didn’t mention it,” I say, glancing over at Gil.

  Was it one of Vince’s men who hacked her computer, or was it one of Gil’s men?

  “But don’t you two worry about it. I just know that Vince isn’t going to come close now.”

  “I won’t be too sure,” Sabrina says.

  “Oh, stop being such a pessimist,” Carol scolds her. “Oh, look at you, from nanny to wife.”

  “I’m still David’s nanny,” Sabrina reminds.

  “Yes, technically, you still are but now you’re a wife, too.”

  “A pretend wife.”

  “Oh, shush.” Carol holds a finger to her lips. “Let’s just call it what it is – wife, husband, wedding. Now, you come with me, and I’ll tell you a thing or two about being a wife, hmm?”

  As Sabrina and Carol leave, Tess comes to offer me her hand. “I guess congratulations are in order.”

  I shrug but shake her hand. “Have you made the arrangements for the announcement in the papers?”

  “Yes, I have. Any minute now, I’ll send them the wedding picture I took earlier.” She shows me the picture. “And they’ll publish the announcement of the wedding at least twenty-four hours after.”

  “Good.”

  I want Vince to know that Sabrina James is no longer available.

  “By the way, nice dress,” I tell her, looking at the royal blue fabric.

  “Thank you. Didn’t I tell you royal blue was a good color?”

  She was the one who suggested it.

  “Yes, and you happened to have a dress the exact color.”

  She chuckles.

  “Oh, and the lipstick looks perfect on Sabrina.”

  “Yeah. I think you already told me that a dozen times. Why don’t you stop staring at it and wipe it off her?”

  “I’ve kissed her,” I remind her.

  “You call that a kiss, Randall Brewster?” she teases me before walking off.

  I exhale then gaze in Sabrina’s direction, watching her as she continues to talk to Carol. I do want to kiss her, really kiss her. Hell, I want to do more, much more.

  Suddenly, I can’t wait for tonight.

  ***

  Unfortunately, I have to wait, I realize as I see Sabrina coming out of the bathroom in her pajamas, her face pale and her body tense, her hands shaking slightly.