Injury

by Tobin, Val

  Pressed against Dani’s body, Cope went rigid.

  “I’m not letting you up, Greg. Go home.”

  “You alone? I’ll come up there and fuck your brains out. Hey? How about it? For old time’s sake.”

  Cope released her, and she threw him a pleading look. He scowled and went to the bedroom. Terrified Henderson was driving Cope away, making him want to leave her, tears threatened, and Dani’s voice trembled when she spoke. “Go sleep it off, Greg.”

  Finger snapping away from the intercom, she choked off the sounds from the lobby entrance. Buzzes from the speaker followed her into the bedroom where Cope sat on the side of the bed, head in hands.

  He met her gaze when she stepped into the room. “I walked away so I wouldn’t be tempted to push you aside and say something regrettable. Option two was to run down there and clean his clock, but I’m naked.”

  Dani sat next to him on the bed. “I thought you’d gone to get dressed and go home.” She hadn’t intended to admit that, but fear pushed it out.

  “My beauty, I wouldn’t do that to you.”

  The persistent buzzing penetrated awareness, and both turned to peer out the open bedroom door.

  “Call security, Dani. They should have noticed by now he’s a nuisance.”

  Dani checked the time. “It’s not even nine o’clock, and he’s drunk. Should I let him up?”

  Cope’s face darkened. “Why?”

  “What if he does something stupid?”

  “He’s already done something stupid—he came here and bothered us. Call security and tell them to get him into a cab. Give them his home address, and they’ll escort him out of here. If you let him come up, you’re just reinforcing his manipulative behavior, and trust me, he wouldn’t be happy to see me.”

  “But he’ll be upset and mad at me.”

  Cope took Dani in his arms. “You’re not responsible for his feelings or his reaction to you setting boundaries. Okay?”

  Relieved, giving herself permission to refuse to let Henderson guilt her into doing what he wanted, Dani kissed Cope on the cheek. “You’re right. I’ll get him out of here, and we can carry on with our nice, quiet evening.”

  Dani called security and explained the situation to the guard on duty, who assured her he’d remove Henderson from the premises. She returned to the bedroom, heart skipping a beat when she saw Cope dressed.

  At the sight of her expression, he strode to her and hugged her tight. “Dani, I’m not going anywhere. Don’t look so scared. I’m not tired, and I thought we could watch TV.”

  “Mind if I stay in my robe?”

  Instantly, Cope’s mouth pressed to hers. When he lifted his head again, he said, in a low growl, “If you stay in that robe, we might not end up watching TV.”

  “I’ll risk it,” she gasped.

  Cope’s laugh filled her with that happiness she’d experienced earlier, and, taking his hand, Dani led him to the den. “I’ll put the kettle on and make popcorn.”

  “Let me help.” He followed her to the kitchen, and they fell into an easy routine.

  Dani kept staring at him, drinking him in. Cope’s presence fed her, energized her, even as it comforted and offered peace she hadn’t had before.

  Later, after the movie, they settled back into bed and made love again. Snuggled in the shelter of Cope’s arm, Dani wondered that she’d never desired this companionate silence before. None of the other men she’d slept with had wanted to just be with her. They’d always taken her out, showing her off like a trophy, or they’d fucked her without affection.

  The next day’s shooting schedule intruded then, and Dani’s gut clenched with worry. Henderson had been drinking early in the evening and had shown up at her door. Even if security ensured he left here in a cab, there was no telling if he arrived home.

  Knowing him as well as she did, Dani suspected he’d have directed the driver to take him to a club. Best-case scenario tomorrow would be if Henderson was too hung over to do the scene. Worst case? She could imagine some awful ones, and gnawing at them kept her up half the night despite Cope’s reassuring presence. The closer daybreak came, the tenser she became.

  When Dani finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, it was close to 3:00 am, but that night, at least, there were no nightmares.

  Chapter 19

  Dani lay on the bed, a sheet draped over her chest and belly and tangled around her thighs. Since the scene involved shots of her breasts as specified in her contract, she didn’t wear nude-toned pasties on her nipples. A flesh-colored pad covered her crotch.

  Greg Henderson lay in bed beside her, wearing a cock sock over his penis, and he was stinking drunk. So far, Jake Ferguson had pumped him full of water, shot two takes, and given him one bathroom break. Dani had been grateful when Henderson returned from the bathroom smelling like mint and not vomit, and he appeared to have sobered up enough not to puke on her.

  “You’re so hot, babe.”

  “Fuck off, Greg.” Dani kept her voice low, though the mics were probably picking up every word. The set was closed, which meant minimal crew and no other cast members present, but those present stood nearby.

  “You turn me on. I can’t stop thinking about last time. Let’s make this next take real. Come on. It’ll win you another Oscar.” Henderson pressed up against Dani, his stiff, naked cock rubbing against her butt cheeks, and, shocked, she jerked away.

  “I swear to God I’ll have you fired if you don’t fuck off right now. Put the sock back on, asshole.” Annoyed that her voice trembled, Dani inhaled, held her breath, and then slowly exhaled.

  “I know you want me, babe.” Henderson snugged up against her. “He was in your apartment last night, wasn’t he? Driver boy—your new boyfriend. Copeland isn’t the man I am. Let me show you what a real man can do since you’ve obviously forgotten.”

  “Ready on the set.” Ferguson’s voice cut into the conversation, and Dani tried to settle her emotions to get the scene over with.

  “Okay, lights.”

  The slate showing the scene and take clapped, and Ferguson counted down to action. Henderson’s lips covered hers, and Dani responded, hands caressing his hair, the sheet sliding from her breasts.

  His fingers pressed and squeezed her breasts. A knee slid between her legs, shoved them open. The sheet fell away, and Dani glimpsed the overhead camera getting the shot of Henderson’s ass as it rose and fell on top of her.

  Suddenly, his hand snaked between her legs and ripped away the pad. Henderson’s cock poked between Dani’s legs, and she struggled, desperate to get out from under him. She opened her mouth to scream, and he pressed his mouth tight to hers, stifling the sound. He penetrated her. The tears flowed as Dani wrenched her mouth free, scratched his face, and then punched the side of his head.

  “Get him off me. Help, please. Help me.”

  “Grab Henderson,” Ferguson shouted.

  Oh, thank God, he’s stopping it. The pressure on her body eased, and Henderson’s penis slid from inside her.

  Sobs wracked Dani’s body, and shouts, cries, bangs, and struggles hurricaned around the bed. A woman from wardrobe wrapped a robe around Dani and hugged her. “You’re okay, Miss Grayson. He’s out of the room. Come with me.” The wardrobe woman, Trina, escorted Dani to the dressing room.

  Less than half-an-hour later, John Madden was at Dani’s side. Dani had ceased sobbing by then and refused to see anyone other than Trina or John. Trina had ordered tea, and by the time John burst into the room, Dani was nursing a cup of hot chai.

  “What happened, honey?” John’s gentle voice filtered through the haze insulating Dani.

  She looked up and met his gaze. “Greg.” Too difficult to say more. Dani turned to Trina for help, and the wardrobe woman reached out a hand to rub Dani’s back.

  “Henderson raped Miss Grayson on camera, Mr. Madden.”

  Dani winced when she heard the words and lowered her gaze to the floor, unable to face John. How could she have not seen that comin
g? No one would believe her story. Her face flushed, and the sobs rose again, escaping her lips in hitching breaths.

  John took the mug of tea from Dani’s shaking fingers and crouched to hug her. “It’s okay, honey. I’m here, and I’ll help you. Has anyone called the police?”

  Loud sobs and a shake of Dani’s head were the only response.

  “Where is Henderson?”

  “We don’t know,” Trina said, and Dani was grateful the woman was here to speak on her behalf.

  “What does Jake say? What’s he doing about it?”

  “No one’s come in here except me and you. Miss Grayson wanted to be alone. They let me phone you, but that’s all. They told me not to call anyone else.”

  Cope. What will Cope say? Terrified at what her boyfriend might do if he found out, Dani considered keeping it quiet. If she pressed charges, the news would leak to the press, and the whole world would know. But if she kept it to herself, Henderson would be free to do it again, and she couldn’t let that happen either. Dani found her voice. “I want him fired.”

  “At the very least,” John replied. “Can I leave you with Trina? I want to speak to Jake, and contact Danger Play. I’m going to suggest they call the police. The longer they sit on it, the worse it’ll look. They should act fast.”

  “No. Greg can’t be arrested.”

  “Honey, he raped you.” John’s gaze flicked to Trina and then back to Dani. “Tell me what happened.”

  Dani pressed her palms to her face for a moment, then told John how she’d worried about the scene because Henderson had been drinking. Her biggest fear at the time was Henderson puking on her. “But then Greg tried to convince me to have sex with him. He had a hard-on, and had removed the sock he was wearing. I should have made them stop the shoot right then.”

  That’s what would burn her: she knew he’d been turned on, and she hadn’t stopped the filming. A lawyer could exploit that. Henderson would be free to carry on as if nothing had happened while she’d have this degrading incident following her around.

  Other actors might be afraid to do sex scenes with her, fearing she’d accuse them of rape. If the studios thought she was lawsuit happy, or made false accusations, they wouldn’t want her on their pictures. This could end her career. “Call the lawyer, John. I need to understand my options before we call the police.”

  “Dani.” John said nothing else, but if she inferred correctly, he wanted her to press charges.

  “No.” For emphasis, she shook her head. “Not until I understand the consequences. Greg was drunk, and he was out of his mind, wanting to get back together with me. We have a history. I was aware he was unstable, and I said nothing to Jake.”

  “Did you tell Greg no?”

  And there it was: the start of the questions everyone would ask. What had the mics picked up, and who’d been listening? They must have captured the conversation, but wouldn’t have recorded anything until Dani and Greg began simulating sex.

  “Yes.” Dani laughed, and it was bitter. “Greg argued with me even though I’d told him to back off, and before I could say anything more, Ferguson called action. The scene started, and Greg raped me. He’ll likely say he thought I was okay with it because I did the scene. John, I want him fired, but I doubt I can press charges.”

  “Of course, you can.”

  A knock on the door interrupted, and Ferguson poked his head into the room. “Dani, angel, I’m so sorry. Tell me what happened.”

  “You were there, Jake. Henderson raped me.” Dani tried to keep her voice even, but it had gone shrill when she’d spoken of the rape.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Are you doubting me? You think I’m lying? You’ve got to be fucking kidding. Or you think I’m confused?” Dani jumped up, knocking the chair over. “What else does it mean when someone sticks his dick in you even though you don’t want him to? And he fucking stuck his dick in me even though I didn’t want him to.” She stifled a sob, but it was of rage now, not sorrow, fear, or anything else.

  John stood in front of her, a protective, shielding move, and faced Ferguson. “You can’t be serious, Jake. She’s not making this up.”

  “Sorry, Dani. I’m not saying it didn’t happen. I’m asking if maybe he got carried away in the moment and thought you were okay with it. You two have done this once before. I’ll never forget what happened when you had on-camera sex during Injury.”

  Shame filled her then—at what she’d done before and at what had happened now, which would be colored by what she’d done before. After taking a deep breath, Dani looked Ferguson in the eyes, and said, “I want that bastard fired, Jake. I won’t work with him. Write him out of the script. Kill off his character. I haven’t decided to press charges. That’ll depend on what my lawyer advises, but either Greg goes, or I do.”

  Ferguson grimaced. “I’ll talk to Danger Play. They hold the contracts. I’ve already left messages for them. I’m sure they’ll call soon.”

  “Get it done, Jake,” John said. “My client won’t work under these conditions any longer. And she’s done for today and tomorrow. When this gets sorted out, she’ll return to work, but not before we’re guaranteed that she doesn’t have to work with Greg Henderson any longer.”

  Ferguson promised to deal with it and left the room.

  John dismissed Trina, helped Dani right the chair she’d knocked over, and put an arm around her. “Let’s go home. Get dressed, honey. I’ll drive you.”

  “Okay. Please don’t leave the room—I can’t face being alone right now. Just turn your back.”

  John obliged, and Dani dressed quickly, but with fumbling fingers. She couldn’t seem to stop shaking. What if the studio made her continue working with Henderson? She couldn’t do it. What if this ruined her career as much as if she pressed charges? If Henderson were on a picture, she might not be hired. If she couldn’t work with him again, and he continued to get parts in large, commercial films, she’d be winnowed out of the business.

  Tears threatened again, and she choked them down. Stop it. You don’t know that’s how it’ll go.

  But if history were any judge, it could. How many women had had their careers stagnate because they’d refused to sleep with someone who had power, authority, or influence? Dani grabbed her purse, took a deep breath, and put an arm around John. “Please take me home. I can’t stand it here another minute.”

  Chapter 20

  The overarching sensation pervading her body, which was more an absence of feeling if she thought about it, was a floating numbness. Dani lay curled in the fetal position on the couch, a thick blanket covering her. John sat on the armchair ninety degrees and two feet from her head. The TV ran, mute. News headlines scrolled across the bottom, and the handsome newscaster flapping his gums filled the rest of the screen.

  “You don’t have to stay.” Dani turned her head so John was in her field of vision.

  Light faded from the room while afternoon melted toward evening. They’d been in Dani’s apartment for hours though Dani wasn’t sure how many. John had served tea. The large pot, the milk and sugar, and their mugs still sat on the coffee table. The tea service sat on a tray, the mugs on coasters. That was important. The coffee table was new, and it had been considerate of John to use the tray and coasters.

  The recognition that her mind rambled moistened Dani’s eyes. She ducked her face down so he wouldn’t see. Every time the waterworks started, John became overly solicitous and concerned. Didn’t he realize she just needed to cry?

  “I’m not leaving you alone. Can we call Cope now?”

  John had been pestering her to call Cope. Her boyfriend. The one who’d told her to watch out for Henderson, who’d asked her to let him know if Henderson ever did anything inappropriate. She’d promised, but how could she tell Cope what had happened? What if he blamed it on her?

  “Dani? Honey, you need someone here. I don’t want to leave you alone.”

  John wants to go home to his wife, his kids. Naturally, he
wanted that—needed it—after what had happened today. No doubt, he wanted to let the domesticity and normalcy ease the stress. John could escape, and Dani wanted him to. The fewer people to suffer over this the better.

  Dani pictured Cope walking into the apartment, hurrying to comfort her, then finding out the sordid details. She’d talked to the lawyer, and he’d told her the case would be difficult to prosecute.

  The footage from Injury proved she’d willingly done this with Henderson before, but Danger Play still planned to fire him. It boiled down to PR. Tears threatened again. Some version of the story would go public regardless of what she wanted.

  Dani sat. “Okay, I’ll call Cope.” She picked up her purse from the floor next to the couch and snatched the phone from it. The wheels were in motion. As soon as word leaked out that Henderson was off the picture, the media would dig. If they found out Dani was responsible and the reason for it, it’d be all over the news. That’s not how she wanted Cope to hear of it. She punched the number to speed dial him.

  “Robert Copeland speaking.”

  Thank God “Robert, it’s me.” Dani hiccupped, and her voice sounded thick with crying.

  “What’s wrong? Did something happen on the film? Is it Henderson?”

  The accuracy of his suspicions offset the relief at hearing his voice. “Yes. Can you come over? I need you.”

  “What did he do?”

  The fury in Cope’s voice frightened her. “I’ll tell you when you get here. It’s okay now, but I need you here. Can you get away?”

  “Of course. I’ll be right there.”

  The call ended, Dani told John one more time he could leave. Still, he insisted on staying until Cope arrived though Dani could sense John’s relief that Cope was on his way. Soon, John would hand her off, and he’d be free to enjoy the peace and quiet of his normal family.

  Ashamed there was a time when she’d have tried to break that normal family up, Dani again pressed him to go. “Your wife will want you home. It’s all right, John. I’m fine.”

  He stood, leaned down, kissed her cheek, and stroked her hair. “Okay, sweetie. But remember, I’m just a phone call away. Go to your appointment with Doctor Hadley tomorrow. Therapy does wonders even when you believe things are fine. Right now, they’re not.”