"I already know that," Rayna promised me as she reached for her coffee.
We spent the few hours that we had together inside, cuddled together watching a movie before she went to work. Rayna told me that she was going to leave a bit earlier to get some things from her house as I looked forward with a nod. That was good in that it meant she'd be coming back, but I worried about him being there and hurting her. "Can I go with you?"
"Oh, Declan, no. It's too risky. James has cameras outside, and he'll see you." She said as an idea flashed through my mind.
"He knows you're not there, then. Right?" I asked as she gave me a long look. "Are there cameras inside?"
"Not that I can find. It would be evidence that way." Her words infuriated me, and I pulled her closer.
"Get the fuck out of there, Rayna. Pack a suitcase and bring it here. Don't go back." I sensed her stiffness and stroked her arm gently. "You'll be safe, I promise."
She went to shower after a little while, leaving the house in time to go home. I watched her leave, pacing afterward as I tried to find some work to do in my head. I wasn't going to rest until she sent me a text assuring me that she was at work. Everything was fine.
She didn't message me a lot during her shift, so I worked at the table. They might be busy, and I didn't want to bother her. Well, I did, but I was sure that she was coming back here tonight. I always checked to make sure that she was leaving on time so I'd have an idea when to expect her.
I was surprised when my phone rang later that day, seeing Claire's name. I hesitantly answered, leaning back for a break from work as I waited for her to talk. "Dec." Her voice sounded sad, and I rolled my eyes. "Brandon and I got into a fight, and he left me at this bar."
"Yeah?" I asked as she started crying on the other end.
"I'm scared. It's at the wrong end of Hollywood, and you're kind of close by, so I called you. Please help me." Claire was always one for drama, and I sighed.
"I'm working. You have money, Claire. Claire, call for a cab or something." I knew that I sounded annoyed and she gasped.
"I don't want to go back to the apartment. He might be there." I wish that she could see the smirk on my face.
"And if he is, then you'll deal with it. It can't be worse than getting divorced," I told Claire as she started to cry harder. "Get your own fucking place and be independent."
"I'm sorry for everything, Declan. I'm sorry that I hurt you," I sighed. Here it was when she was fighting with her current boyfriend and more than likely drunk. "I wish I didn't date someone at work, but it just happened. I didn't realize how far that it would go or that … I'd have feelings for him. I miss you sometimes, you know." There was remorse in her voice as she spoke and I hoped that she wasn't trying to get back together in this awkward moment. "Do you ever miss us?"
"Fucking hell, Claire. I'm not doing this with you. We split up, and it's over." I snapped as she breathed deeply on the other end. "Get a cab or an Uber and go to a hotel for the night, if need be. I'm not going to solve your problems with … him, nor and I going to entertain the idea that you want me back." I moved on, even if it wasn't the best idea that I'd ever had. "This is what you chose for yourself, and you need to handle it."
"I remember when you used to save me," she said wistfully as I realized how much it was true. I also knew that I was trying to do it with Rayna, as far as her marriage and her situation. Was I repeating the same mistake all over again? "I'm going to let you go." There was a long pause before she told me that she missed me before ending the call.
I got back to work, sending a message to Rayna to check that everything was okay. As messed up as it was how we met, as wrong as it was what we were doing now; I cared for her. Right or wrong, I cared for her.
CHAPTER 17
Rayna
I was in the middle of the shift and busy with bookings when I heard someone walk inside of the main office. It was locked at all times, so I knew it had to be Lana or one of the higher-ups, which was unusual. I finished an appointment and glanced to see Lana with Angela, who looked upset as they walked into my small room. "Hey, guys." I looked at Lana, who gave me an imploring gaze before I looked at Angela. She looked broken and could barely meet my eyes before Lana led her forward.
"Rayna, I didn't know. I'm so sorry," Angela told me as she dropped weakly into the chair across from me. I was glad that I was the only one here, knowing what this was about. She lifted her eyes, and they were pleading with me to forgive her. "I heard him say your name and then caught a glimpse of a picture. I didn't know that he was your husband."
"Oh, Angela. I'm not upset with you." She stared at me. "I'm mad at him, but not surprised. Does that make sense?" She shared a long look with Lana, who patted her hand.
"Her hubby is an asshole, Ang. I told you that she wouldn't be mad." She sat down on the edge of the desk and sighed.
"I knew that he booked you, but I was never mad at you. We've had a terrible relationship from the beginning." I reached out and took her hand.
"I didn't hear affection in his voice when he said your name, nor have I ever sensed it from him. He is an asshole," she said glumly as I frowned. "He pays well … shit. I shouldn't tell you that. I sound like a bitch." Angela rested her face in her hands, and I noticed something on her pale skin, reaching out to touch the bruise. "Angela?" She jerked up with horror on her face. "Did James … do that?"
"I told him after that I was done with him," she replied as she tilted her head at me. "He hurts you, doesn't he? It wasn't the first time with him, but I was just so tired of it."
"What the fuck, Rayna? He hits you?" Lana asked, her voice rising as I heard a ding from the computer. I glanced down to see booking waiting as well as a message from Declan.
"Among other things," I replied vaguely as her eyes flashed. "I didn't want to tell you the details, Lana. It's … complicated."
"Complicated, my ass. You need to get out of there." Lana looked at Angela. "Are you okay?"
"He just got rough a few times. I'm all right, but I am done. The money isn't worth it." Angela smiled weakly as she stared at me. "Are you okay?"
I glanced at Declan's message and told him that I'd be there right after work before answering. "I am fine. I actually packed some stuff today. You know he's gone for a while, but I'm considering not being home when he comes back."
"If he's not home, then why did you pack?" Lana asked, her brow raising as I blushed. "Rayna, what's going on?"
"I … I have been seeing someone," I confessed in a whisper as her mouth dropped open. I looked at them both with a scared look in my eyes. "You can't say anything. If he finds out, I don't know what James will do."
"How? You work and go home? Right?" Lana asked as I nibbled on my lip. "Did you meet someone here?"
"In a manner of speaking," I responded as I watched the wheels in her head turn through her expressive face. "You remember that one night?"
"Him? You're seeing him?" Lana asked in shock as I nodded. She asked me with her eyes if we could clue the lost Angela in and I nodded slowly, realizing there was little to lose at this point. Lana told her about my one night in the escort life and that it was just the one time, turning to stare at me with accusing eyes. "He was looking for you. I remember now!! You responded?"
"I meant to tell him to leave me alone and … caved. It wasn't supposed to be anything, and I know it shouldn't be. It's so wrong, and he's a good man, but I like it. I like being with him." I shrugged and looked at them both for a moment.
Angela offered me a smile. "If James is anything like I think he is, then I can't blame you. You deserve a lot better."
"It's just that there is my family, too. They love him, or at least what he does for them. It's a business thing." I looked across the desk at Angela. "James does not know that I work here. Nobody in my real life does. I made up something about a freelance job just to get out of the house. He'd be livid."