Living Together

‘Only then?’

‘He’d been so charming until then,’ she explained.

‘I’ll bet he had! I might even have gone to that extreme myself if it had been going to get me you at the end of it.’

Helen’s face was fiery red. ‘Well, Michael did go to that extreme.’

‘And after that?’ he prompted.

‘We went to a party,’ she mumbled.

‘That figures. Most men would have wanted to be alone with their bride, but not Mike West, he had to take you to a party,’ he derided.

‘Yes, and it was a very—boisterous party, very loud. There was too much drink, and—and I think there were drugs being passed around.’

‘Probably.’ He didn’t sound surprised.

‘Anyway, by the time we got home, to Michael’s apartment, it was very late, about three o’clock in the morning, I think. And Michael—he’d been drinking very heavily.’ She bit her lip.

‘Then what happened?’

‘Well, he—he—’

‘Say it, Helen.’ Leon came down on his haunches in front of her, cupping each side of her face with gentle hands. ‘Just say it,’ he told her softly.

‘I—I—’ Tears started to stream down her face, trickling through Leon’s fingers. ‘We went to bed,’ she evaded his eyes, her own violet eyes swimming with tears.

‘Is that all?’

Her eyes flashed. ‘No, of course, it isn’t all! Michael raped me that night. He raped me!’

Leon pulled her fully into the circle of his arms, pushing her head down on his shoulder. ‘I thought so. It’s over now, Helen. It’s over.’ He rocked her in his arms. ‘He can’t hurt you any more.’

‘You don’t understand,’ she spoke against his shoulder. ‘That wasn’t the end of it. Michael raped me that night, and the next night—the next night he gave me to his best friend!’ Choking sobs racked her body.

CHAPTER FOUR

LEON moved back slightly to look at her, his mouth a thin angry line. ‘He did what?’ His voice was dangerously soft.

‘He

gave me to Rolf Sears,’ she said dully.

Leon frowned. ‘He—’ he broke off. ‘I—’

‘You don’t know what to say, do you?’ she said bitterly. ‘Neither did I, when Rolf came to my bedroom that night.’

He paced restlessly up and down the room, coming to an abrupt halt in front of her. ‘Did he stay?’ he rasped, his face grim.

Helen glared at him. ‘What sort of question is that?’ she snapped. ‘Of course he didn’t stay!’

Some of the tension left his body, but the deep lines of strain remained either side of his mouth. ‘Tell me the rest,’ he ordered curtly.

She gave a short laugh. ‘You expect there to be more?’

‘No, damn you! I want to know what happened once Sears had come to your room.’

Helen sighed. ‘I think I should tell it to you from the beginning of the evening. Michael decided to throw a party, and as things were strained between us because of the previous night I thought it might be a good idea too.’