Taming Megan (12 page)

“Manager’s on his way,” one of the security guards said while the other watched over Sean who now sat up on the floor rubbing his jaw.

“I’ll fucking sue you for all you’ve got, Roark.”

“You fucking sick son of a bitch,” Jake began, stalking toward him again, stopping only when he felt Megan’s hand trying to take hold of his, trying to keep him with her.

“I’m not the one who’s sick, Roark. You should ask your wife what this is about. Money’s on the table there,” he said, gesturing toward the envelope.

“Is that why she was screaming for help, bound and gagged, her clothes torn?”

“Jake stop, please!”

The door opened and the hotel manager walked in, glancing at all present and quietly closing the door behind him.

“What’s going on?” he asked, his question directed toward one of the security guards. “Everyone all right?” His glance fell on Megan.

“I just want to go home,” she said, tugging on Jake’s arm.

“Which one of you is Sean Connelly?” he asked.

“I am,” Sean said, rubbing a tender spot on his jaw.

“What’s going on?” the manager asked. “Do we need to get the police involved?”

“He tried to rape her, I think that’s pretty obvious. I’m taking my wife home,” Jake said.

“Hold on,” Sean said, taking a step toward Jake. Security blocked his way. “There was no rape.”

Megan looked at Jake. “I just want to go home.” He noticed how she wouldn’t let go of him, clinging close to his side.

Jake rubbed his eyes, torn. He wanted to take her home, get her out of here but he also wanted to kill Sean Connelly for what he tried to do.

“Please, Jake,” she begged. He looked at her. She looked tired, worn out and just sad. He tried to smile to reassure her but it was too hard to manage.

“I’m taking my wife home,” he said.

“Who’s paying for damages?” the hotel manager asked.

Sean pointed to Jake. “Jake Roark.”

Jake just shook his head. “You’re a sick bastard,” he said. “If you ever try to come near my wife again, I’ll fucking kill you.” Jake turned and took Megan out of there.

“Did you hear that? He just threatened me!” Sean yelled.

“If you’d like me to call the police, Mr. Connelly, I will but I’m thinking the best thing you can do for yourself is pack your bags and go.”

The elevator came then and without looking back, they got into it. They didn’t speak but he kept one hand on her as they rode down. She held her blouse together as he led her through the lobby and to his car.

“My car,” she said.

“We’ll get it later. I don’t think you’re in any condition to drive.”

He situated her in the front seat, strapped her in and closed the door. They drove home in silence and when they got there, he took Megan upstairs, helped her take off her clothes and set her in the shower.

“Take your time, just… We’ll talk when you’re out.”

She wouldn’t speak, she just barely nodded and let him close the shower door. He walked out of the bathroom carrying her clothes with him to throw them away. He wanted anything having to do with Sean Connelly out of his house.

* * *

After her shower, Megan put on her most comfortable pajamas and headed downstairs to face Jake. He sat waiting for her on the couch, his expression flat when he looked at her.

She stood across from him, unsure what to do.

“Explain,” he said, looking disheveled for the first time since she had known him.

She looked around, finding the box of tissues and went to get one. She wiped at her face while he watched, his expression unchanging.

“I recognized him at the party the other night. And he recognized me. I… when I was young… I’m sorry…”

“Explain,” he repeated when she stopped, his tone just a hair harder.

She scratched the back of her head and sat down where she was on the carpet, sniffling back tears. “I did something stupid once and… I’m so sorry, Jake…”

“What was the ‘stupid’ thing? Maybe it’s time you finished your sentences with something other than ‘I’m sorry.’”

She dropped her gaze from his. She deserved that, absolutely.

“When we were young, Josie had this idea to make money,” she said, shaking her head at how it sounded. “She… she found an escort agency,” she paused, trying to gauge his reaction, unable to read his eyes. “She did a few jobs for them before telling me about it, telling me how good I’d be, how easy it was, how much money I could make. I needed money, Jake. My parents barely worked and the money they got from welfare they used to support their habits. Rent was somehow not a priority. Or food. I signed up too but I kept turning down jobs. I was too scared and I knew it was wrong. I knew what it was. I knew what I would be if I did it.

“Then one day, it was just a really bad day and I got a call and I said yes. I just said yes. When I changed my mind and called them back, they said they’d already booked me and if I didn’t go, I would have to pay them for the appointment. I didn’t have the money to do that and so I went. I thought maybe I could talk my way out of it, I don’t know. I just… I don’t know, I just went. That was the night I met Sean Connelly.”

“Did you fuck him?”

She shook her head. “No! I didn’t, I couldn’t. I… when he tried, I just, I couldn’t. He wouldn’t let me go though, not until I said the word rape. That was the only thing that made him stop. He was so angry and when he told me to go, I did. I got out of there as fast as I could. He had already paid me and I only realized I’d taken the money after I’d left. I paid it to the agency and took my share and I never took another call again.”

“So Connelly was going to blackmail you into fucking him.”

As horrible as his words sounded, they were true and she nodded. “I went with the envelope of money, I was going to return it to him. I told him it was a mistake and I was young and I begged him to leave us alone but when I tried to leave, he got crazy. He grabbed me and… well, you know the rest.”

Jake nodded. “This is what you came to tell me the other day, right?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know, we… I saw him there then I got sick thinking he had already told you and then when we went to the doctor and found out… I just couldn’t. I couldn’t. I’m sorry, Jake. I’m so sorry,” she said, rising to her feet and walking toward him.

“No.” He put a hand out to halt her. “Not right now, Meg,” he said, rising himself and putting more distance between them. He scratched his head and wouldn’t look at her. “I need to think.”

She felt her face contort into a silent sob as she nodded.

“Is there anything else you need to tell me because I’m pretty sure I don’t want another one of these sessions.”

“No, there’s nothing else. I promise.”

He nodded, still not looking at her. “I need to think,” he repeated. He grabbed his keys and walked out the door.

Jake drove around town for three hours absorbing his wife’s words. He believed her, every word, and if he examined his feelings, it wasn’t anger he felt. Not toward her at least. Neither was it betrayal. The only thing he felt he needed to forgive her for was that she hadn’t come to him right away at the party. He took part of the blame for that. He was so wrapped up in his business, in this one deal, that he hadn’t left room for his wife. His now pregnant wife.

She was probably worried now, unsure of what he was thinking. Her secret was a terrible one—at least in her own mind. But as far as he saw it, she had been young, a kid, with absent parents and the wrong friends. He was glad she had come to the realization about the kind of non-friend Josie was on her own. In a way, this thing with Connelly brought it to a head.

Connelly, the bastard, would have raped his wife if he’d gotten there a minute too late. The thought scared him to death and at the same time infuriated him. But he needed a cool head to deal with the jerk and he’d do it now before going home to Megan.

The lights were still on at Connellys’ house. Jake parked the car on the street and walked up the long driveway and to the front door. He rang the bell, forcing himself to remain calm.

“Jake?” It was Tanya, Sean’s wife.

“Hi Tanya. Hope it’s not a bad time. I need a quick word with your husband.” He didn’t mind Tanya, actually didn’t give her much thought at all. And after tonight, he’d never have to see either one of them again.

“Sure, come in. He’s in his study working again.”

“Thanks,” he said, following her back.

“Sean?” she called, knocking on the study door. “You’ve got company.”

“I told you,” he said as she opened the door. “I don’t…” His eyes fell on Jake.

Jake’s mouth hardened into a tight line. At least he was glad for the bruises already appearing on Connelly’s swollen face.

“I wasn’t expecting
you
,” he said, casting a nervous glance toward his wife.

Jake had been doing some research the last few days and he’d learned one interesting fact about Sean Connelly. His money wasn’t his at all. It was Tanya’s. And tonight, Jake would use that little fact to his advantage.

“Come in,” he said, inviting Jake grudgingly into his office.

Jake walked around Tanya and into his office while Connelly gave the instruction not to be disturbed to his wife.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked once he had closed the door.

“I want you to know I know. Megan told me everything.”

“Good for her.”

“If it were up to me, you’d go to jail for what you almost did to her.”

He only stared at Jake, his expression blank, cold.

“Does Tanya know where you got those bruises from?”

“Don’t be stupid, Roark.”

“I’m here to tell you just one thing: you stay away from my wife and you stay away from me. I’ve already called Gray to tell him I’m turning down the bid.”

Connelly turned to pick up the whiskey that sat on his desk.

“If I would have told Gray what happened tonight, you’d be off the board, not to mention what would happen to your lifestyle were your wife to find out.”

“Are you threatening me?” he asked, taking a big sip.

“I guess I am. Stay away from what’s mine or I’ll fucking kill you, you son of a bitch.”

Sean opened his mouth but when Jake took a step toward him, he actually stepped back and shut it again.

“I mean it,” Jake said, giving him one more hard look just as the door opened and Tanya walked inside with cups of coffee. She didn’t even pause but began to prattle on about something, oblivious to the tension in the room.

“Coffee?” she offered, a strange smile pasted onto her face.

“I was just leaving,” he said. “I’ll see myself out.”

He didn’t even wait for a response from either of them. Instead, he walked out of the study and out of the house. He walked quickly to his car, anxious now to get back to Megan.

* * *

Megan stood at the window watching for Jake, her vision still blurry from crying. She had packed a duffel bag with a few things, still trying to decide what to do, whether she should go now before he threw her out.

Finally, she turned away from the window. She had already written a note and both her engagement and wedding rings lay on top of it. She picked up the bag she had packed and her purse, took one last look around and walked out to her car just as the garage door went up and the headlights of Jake’s car shone on her.

She wasn’t sure if she should feel relieved or afraid or what. Him telling her that he hated her—that would be the worst thing of all. Even if he did hate her, if she didn’t actually hear it, it would be easier for her. Even if she deserved it, she couldn’t take it if he said it out loud.

Jake pulled into the garage and parked his car. He climbed out and looked from her to the bag she held.

“What are you doing, Megan?” he asked.

“I’m leaving.”

“Where are you going to go?”

“I don’t know. Anna’s maybe.”

“And then what?”

“I don’t know,” she said, shivering in the cool night air.

He walked to her and took her bag.

“Go back inside,” he said.

“Jake…”

“Go, Megan. You’re going to catch a cold.”

“I can handle a cold.”

He stopped and looked at her. “All right, let me ask you this then. Do you think it would be fair of you, given what I’ve learned tonight, to just leave? To just walk away, be gone when I get home?”

“I just thought you’d want me gone. Now that you know the truth about me…”

“That’s enough!” He grabbed her arm and turned her, marching her inside. Once in the door, he dropped her bag to the floor. “It’s time you stopped feeling sorry for yourself. I have never judged you for where you came from. None of us get to choose our parents, Meg. You were unlucky, to say the least. You made some mistakes when you were a kid. Guess what? So has every kid. You think I haven’t?” he snorted. “Sean Connelly is the asshole here. He was going to blackmail you into having sex with him. What do you think he would have done after that? Let you be? You think he wouldn’t have come back for more, making your life a living hell? You’re naïve, Megan.”

“I wouldn’t have slept with him! I never intended to, not then and not now!”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Jake asked, his voice raised slightly.

That stopped her.

“Megan, that was a crappy thing to find out and the worst way to find it out, but I don’t hold it against you. What you did in the past, it’s not something you need to apologize to me for. The thing I don’t like is that you didn’t come to me straight away and instead let yourself get sick over the matter. Meg, what did you think I would do?”

“I don’t know, Jake. I…”

“Don’t you know me at all?”

“I do. I do. I just…” She turned away, walked a few steps then turned back to him. “I didn’t know what to do. I just didn’t want to lose you. I love you so much. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Jake, and sometimes, I’m pretty sure you deserve way better, but I love you. I don’t want to disappoint you, I don’t want to lose you.”

He covered the space between them and pulled her into his arms. “The only thing that would have disappointed me is if I had come home and you had been gone. I love you Megan. I don’t care where you came from. I don’t care about things you did before you met me. I will absolutely hold you accountable for your actions now, but I won’t ever blame you or judge you and I could certainly never hate you for things that happened in the past.”