“That still doesn’t explain the torn shirt. He didn’t try…” Kiara swallowed. “God, I can’t even say it. Did he try to force himself on you?”

  “No,” Sabrina said, annoyed on Dylan’s behalf. “You know he’d never do something like that.”

  “I know,” Kiara said, rubbing her forehead. “I’m just trying to make sense of all of this.”

  “You can’t.” Sabrina reached for her friend’s hand. “None of it makes sense.” Kiara had been her rock ever since the attack, yet she still had no idea why her best friend was coming unglued. She deserved answers. “It wasn’t Dylan. I was having flashbacks.”

  “Flashbacks?” Kiara frowned. “I don’t understand. Why were you having flashbacks?”

  “You remember that trip I took to Florida a few months ago, to meet with Bell and his team?”

  “How could I forget?” Kiara chuckled. “You dumped him as a client as soon as you got back. No explanation, you just said he was out.”

  “I couldn’t work with him anymore because he… he…” Sabrina had to use the right words, but even after months, it was still the most grueling thing she’d ever said. “Raped me.”

  “Oh my God!” Kiara’s eyes filled with tears as she squeezed Sabrina’s hand. They remained silent a long time before she whispered, “It all makes sense now. But why would Dylan think you cheated on him with that bastard?”

  “I couldn’t tell him what Bell did to me.” Sabrina rolled onto her back, finding it slightly easier to breathe now that she’d told the truth. “You know him. He would’ve killed the guy.”

  “Good! That’s exactly what he deserves, a slow and agonizing death.”

  “I love you.” Tears skimmed Sabrina’s face as she met Kiara’s eyes. “Thank you for saying that, but you know I can’t let Dylan end up in jail for hurting that piece of shit. He’s not worth it, K.”

  “But you’re worth it,” she said fiercely. “You deserve justice. I don’t understand why he hasn’t been charged for what he did to you. He belongs behind bars.”

  “I thought so too.” Sabrina’s stomach pitched as she replayed her initial conversation with her father in her mind. “My old man saw it differently.”

  “He didn’t want you to go to the police?” When Sabrina shook her head, Kiara said, “That doesn’t make any sense. He’s so protective of you.”

  “Apparently he’s more protective of his business. He was worried all of our clients would jump ship when they heard I was accusing one of their own of rape.”

  “They wouldn’t do that,” Kiara said emphatically. “Besides, not all of our clients are men. Some are women.”

  “Yeah, but eighty-five percent of our clients are men. We can’t afford to lose them.” She hated to admit that her father was right, but he was. Bell had probably known that when he targeted her.

  “So you just keep your mouth shut and he gets away with it? That’s not right.”

  “No, it’s not right.” Her tears wouldn’t stop, and for once, Sabrina didn’t even try. “None of this is right.”

  “You have to tell Dylan, honey. You need him now.”

  “I can’t.” She sighed, covering her eyes with her forearm. “You saw what happened tonight. I can’t even let him touch me.”

  “You need counseling. You need to talk to someone about this. You can’t keep drinking to numb the pain.” When Sabrina removed her arm and their eyes locked, Kiara said, “That’s what I came here to talk to you about, honey. I’m afraid you may be…” She cleared her throat. “Developing a drinking problem.”

  Given the fact Sabrina had just been considering a shot to ease the pain, she couldn’t pretend her friend’s claim didn’t have merit. “I’ll think about talking to someone.” She couldn’t continue on her current path without self-destructing, but the prospect of admitting to a stranger what had happened when she couldn’t even tell the man she loved was daunting.

  “Good.” Kiara smoothed Sabrina’s hair off her face. “I know you don’t want to talk about pressing charges, but did you at least go to the hospital after it happened?”

  “Yes.” Sabrina had been planning on pressing charges until her father talked her out of it. At least, she thought she had—if she’d been adamant, nothing would have dissuaded her, not even the fear of losing her reputation and credibility.

  “Good. I read recently that there’s no statute of limitations on rape, so you can decide to file charges whenever you’re ready.”

  Sabrina glared at her friend. “Didn’t you hear what I just said? Do you know what I stand to lose if I press charges?”

  Kiara crossed her arms defiantly. “I heard you, but you’re the toughest woman I know. You’re not going to let him get away with this. If our clients jump ship, screw them! We’ll work our asses off to get new clients!”

  The fact that she was willing to put her livelihood on the line so her friend could seek justice made Sabrina love her all the more. “What would I do without you?” Sabrina said with a smile.

  “You’ll never have to find out.” Kiara stood and bent to kiss Sabrina’s forehead. “Do you want me to make you that tea before I leave?”

  “No, I’m going to try to get some sleep now.” Sabrina was suddenly very tired. The emotionally draining day had taken its toll, and her body and brain were demanding a reprieve.

  “Good idea. I’ll lock up when I leave.” Kiara walked toward the door and paused with her hand on the knob. “Unless you want me to stay until you fall asleep?”

  “No,” Sabrina said, forcing a smile. “I’ll be okay.” She did feel better than she had in a long time. At least someone understood and was on her side.

  ***

  Dylan was lying in bed trying to fall asleep when his doorbell rang. He barely had time to throw a pair of running shorts on over his boxer briefs before it rang again and again. “What the hell…?”

  He wasn’t surprised to see Kiara was his late-night visitor. She’d no doubt come to tear him a new one for upsetting her friend. As if he hadn’t beaten himself up enough already. What the hell had he been thinking, tearing off Sabrina’s shirt like some kind of animal when they hadn’t had sex in months?

  “I know what you’re going to say—” Dylan stumbled back when Kiara pushed him aside.

  “No, you don’t.”

  His stomach clenched when he realized her makeup was smeared. She’d been crying. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

  “I shouldn’t even be here.” She paced his expansive foyer, her arms folded across her mid-section. “But I didn’t know who else to turn to. I thought about going to Dalton, but…” She shook her head. “He had an away game tonight. I couldn’t tell him something like this over the phone.”

  “Tell him what? What are you talking about?” He realized her tears weren’t stopping. “Is this about Sabrina? Did something happen to her?”

  “Yes.” Kiara bit her lip, staring at her painted toes as she paced. “Something happened.”

  “Well, don’t keep me in suspense,” he snarled. “Tell me already.”

  “Don’t you get pissy with me!” she shouted, turning on him. “What the hell were you thinking coming at her like that tonight? You scared the hell out of her!”

  Dylan’s anger dissipated as Kiara’s words hit their mark. “You think I don’t know that?” He raked a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean to. I was just acting on instinct. I wanted her. I needed her. I thought the only way to ease this ache”—he clutched his chest—“was to get back in her bed. I knew it wouldn’t fix everything, but it would give me some relief, at least for tonight.”

  Kiara shook her head sadly. “I get it. I do. I know how hard it is to let go of someone you love, but what you did tonight…” She sighed. “It was the worst possible thing you could have done under the circumstances.”

  “Point taken,” he said, clenching his jaw. “She hates me even more now.”

  “She doesn’t hate you,” Kiara said, standing toe-to-toe with him. “Believe me, she doesn’t hate you. She’s just hurt and confused and beating herself up when the person she should be beating up is—”

  “Me. I know.”

  “No, not you,” she said, patting his chest. “Definitely not you.” She swiped a hand across her cheek, catching most of the tears. “Though what you did tonight was a bonehead move.”

  “Don’t remind me.” Dylan tipped his head back, closing his eyes, before Kiara gripped his face, forcing him to look at her.

  “Listen to me. Girls talk. I know how much it used to turn Sabrina on when you did shit like that, so don’t beat yourself up about it when I tell you…” She dropped her hands, heaving a sigh. “You’re going to beat yourself up. I know you will. I would if I were you, but you shouldn’t. You didn’t know—”

  “Would you stop talking in riddles? Just tell me what the hell you’re talking about!” he said, grabbing her shoulders.

  “Sabrina didn’t have consensual sex with Bell,” she whispered, her eyes meeting his. “He raped her.”

  Dylan stumbled back as that word echoed through his skull. “No.” He turned his back to Kiara as he bent at the waist, bracing his hands on his knees as he fought waves of nausea. “No, no, no, no…”

  “I’m so sorry.” Kiara glided her hand up and down his back. “I didn’t want to tell you, but you have a right to know.”

  “Why the hell didn’t Sabrina tell me?” He gave Kiara a sidelong look before it all came rushing back. His ugly allegations. Her tears. Her retching on the side of the road. Her blood-curdling scream tonight. He felt his knees hitting the solid porcelain tile, but the only pain he felt was burning up his chest.

  Kiara knelt beside him, her hand still on his back. “She was afraid of what you might do.”

  “She had a right to be,” he said through clenched teeth. “I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.”

  “Don’t think about him right now,” Kiara said gently. “Think about Sabrina. We need to figure out how to help her through this. She’s drinking a lot, trying to numb the pain, but it’s not working. I’m afraid she may have a drinking problem, and that’s the last thing she needs on top of everything else she has to deal with.”

  He sank back on his butt as he braced his weight on one hand. He couldn’t stand, couldn’t even find the strength to crawl. He felt as though someone had popped him like a balloon, deflating him.

  “Okay, so what do you suggest?” Lord knew he wasn’t capable of a coherent thought. The only thing he could see was Bell’s face: battered, bloody, and pleading for mercy.

  “You need to go to her.” She reached into her pocket and extracted a key. “Here’s the key to her house. She’ll be mad and embarrassed and ashamed at first. She’ll probably try to kick you out, but don’t let her. She needs you right now.”

  Dylan nodded before dropping his head. “I can’t believe the things I said to her, the things I accused her of. How could I have done that?”

  Kiara gripped his shoulder. “Honey, you didn’t know. You only knew she hadn’t been herself since she got back from Florida.”

  “She wouldn’t make love to me anymore,” he whispered. “I just assumed it was because something had happened with him and she felt guilty.” He gripped his head. “God, why did I jump to that conclusion? I know her better than that.”

  “Don’t do this,” Kiara said. “We all make mistakes. Beating yourself up won’t help her.”

  “I wouldn’t blame her if she never forgave me.” Dylan’s gut twisted when he thought of the long road they had ahead of them. Could they ever rebuild trust between them after the things he’d said and done? Would she even want to try?

  “You can’t think about that now. You just have to think about getting her through tonight without a drink.”

  “You really think it’s that bad?” Dylan thought back to the nights he’d seen her drinking heavily at High Rollers. He should have known something was wrong, that her behavior was out of character. She took her career too seriously to be out drinking every night.

  “I’m afraid it might be.”

  As rational thought crept back in, he asked, “Why the hell isn’t Bell in jail where he belongs?”

  “That’s Sabrina’s story to tell.” Kiara stood and offered Dylan her hand. “I’ve already said too much. She’s going to be angry at me for telling you about this.”

  “I’m glad you did.” He pulled her into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder when she started crying again.

  “I had no choice.” She sniffled. “That girl is my best friend. I couldn’t stand by and watch her self-destruct. I know you’re the only person who can get through to her.” She tipped her head back to look him in the eye. “This is your last chance. Don’t let her down again.”

  Chapter Seven

  Sabrina was sitting up in bed, resting her back against the fabric headboard with her hands curled around a crystal highball of Jim Beam when she heard the front door unlock. Her breath caught in her throat as heavy footsteps came down the hall. That wasn’t Kiara coming back to check on her. That was a man…

  She was scrambling into the nightstand for her pepper spray when the door opened.

  “Sabrina,” Dylan said quietly, “It’s just me.”

  Closing the drawer, she allowed herself to breathe again. “How did you get in?”

  “Kiara gave me a key. I would have rung the doorbell, but I assumed you’d be sleeping, and I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “You saw Kiara? When?”

  When he stepped closer, she pulled the duvet higher, gripping the glass against her chest.

  “She came to my house.” He reached for the glass, peeling her hands from around it when she refused to give it up.

  He gave the glass a cursory whiff before walking into the adjoining bathroom. She heard him pouring it down the sink before running the water and returning to the doorway. Who did he think he was, storming into her house like he owned the place and pouring her liquor down the sink without even asking?

  “I’m sorry about what happened earlier. I was way out of line,” he said.

  “It’s okay.” She cringed when the scene flashed through her mind. “I overreacted.”

  “No, you didn’t.” He sat at the foot of her bed. “Kiara told me what happened. I can’t tell you how sorry I am… for everything.”

  “No.” Her eyes darted to his, and she saw what she’d prayed she’d never have to see there: pity and sympathy. “Kiara wouldn’t do that to me. She wouldn’t betray me that way. You’re lying.”

  “She loves you almost as much as I love you. She just wants to help you get through this, and liquor won’t do it.”

  “Don’t pretend to know how I’m feeling!” she shouted. Anger felt good, so much better than anguish mixed with despair and fear. “Have you ever been raped?”

  “No.”

  She felt ridiculous after her outburst, but she couldn’t find the words to apologize. She hung her head instead, praying when she looked up, he’d be gone.

  “Why didn’t you tell me? Why’d you let me accuse you of all those horrible things?” His big body trembled before he swiped a hand across his face. “God, I accused you of spreading your legs for that guy, Sabrina. I feel sick just thinking about what an ass I was.”

  It hurt her to see him blaming himself when another man was solely responsible for hurting her. “If our situations had been reversed, I probably would have been suspicious too. I don’t blame you for jumping to conclusions, especially since I refused to defend myself.”

  He sighed. “I’ve been thinking about that all the way over here. Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?”

  She raised her legs and curled her arms around her knees. “There were a lot of reasons. I knew you’d go after him, then demand I press charges.”

  “Why didn’t you press charges? He deserves to be locked up so he can’t do to anyone else what he did to you.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” she snapped. “You think I don’t torture myself by imagining all the other women he’s hurt and can still hurt because I wasn’t brave or strong enough to step forward?” She told herself not to shed another tear, especially not in front of Dylan, but it didn’t work. “I’m supposed to be tough. I negotiate with some of the most ruthless men in my business and refuse to back down, but when it comes to defending myself, I cower in fear. What does that say about me?”

  “It says that you’re human.” He touched her leg through the blanket. “It says that you needed time to process what happened before taking action. That’s all it says.”

  “No, it says that I’m selfish.” She sat back, crossing her arms as she leveled him with a look. “Do you know why I didn’t go to the police? Because my father convinced me it could hurt my career. I wasn’t thinking about Bell’s other victims. I was putting my career first. Again.” When he removed his hand from her leg and pursed his lips, she said, “Go ahead, tell me you’re disappointed in me. Tell me you’re disgusted. Tell me I make you sick. I’ve been telling myself the same things ever since I decided to let him get away with it.”

  “So don’t let him get away with it. Make him pay.”

  “Weren’t you listening to me?” When he raised an eyebrow in response, she expelled a breath and gritted her teeth. “You’ve been a part of the boys’ club long enough to know how it works. You jocks always have each other’s backs. It’s like a brotherhood. It’ll be my word against his, and my clients will believe him. Where does that leave me?” She raised her hands. “I’ll tell you where—without a business.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “Don’t be naïve, D. You know how this works.”

  He swallowed, looking as though he wanted to argue but was holding his tongue. “Can I get you something before you turn in?” He smirked. “Something other than whisky? Herbal tea, maybe?”

  “Why are you here?”

  “Because I want to be.”

  She wanted him there too, but she didn’t dare tell him that. It would make her sound needy, as though she couldn’t take care of herself. “You can go home now. Your mission of mercy is over.”