“Keep explaining.”
His eyes darted from Rhys to her and back again. “The lady wanted…” He calculated the situation and shook his head, desperation draining the color from his face. “I didn’t set this up, man. I just responded to a post.”
“Rhys, let go of him.”
The veins in his neck bulged.
She wasn’t sure if he’d heard her. Carefully, she approached and rested a hand on his back. “Let him go.”
“If you run, I will find you,” he said through clenched teeth. His fingers uncurled from the man. “Talk.”
Jules eyed the man’s clothes and hair. Despite what had happened, he looked normal, like a finance bro, too cocky for his own good, wearing preppy clothes and leather sandals.
“Tell me what you were doing here,” Rhys demanded.
Already red-faced from Rhys pinning him against the wall by his neck, he flushed from embarrassment. “You know.”
“I don’t fucking know.”
“Anonymous. That hookup app. Post what you want. Get what you need or whatever.”
“A hookup app?”
“Like a kink hookup app,” the man said sheepishly. “Look, man, I don’t want to be here. You two can work this out. I am not getting in the middle of it with you.”
“You said, ‘Retire,’” she said.
“Yeah, that’s the safe word,” the man countered. “For all the good it did me.”
The fury on Rhys’s face reached apocalyptic levels. “This has gone too far.”
The other man inched toward the door. “I’m not getting in the middle of this. I’m out.”
Rhys pinned the man in place with a glare. Finally, he ordered, “You’re going to file a police report.”
“Me?” he balked. “The hell I am.”
“Yeah,” Rhys said. “Both of you are.” He pointed at her. “Do you know who this is?”
“No. No. I don’t know you people—fuck.Fuck.” The guy backed into the wall as he recognized her, again raising his hands to the ceiling. “No. Look, man. I didn’t know. I didn’t plan this. No. This is not—”
“Shut up a second.” Rhys let out a deep breath and turned to her. “Are you okay?”
Jules nodded. “Yes. I am. Really. Terrified about the situation. But he didn’t actually hurt me. Just… scared me.”
“I was never supposed to hurt you. I wouldn’t have,” the guy said. “Just pretend. CNC-type kink stuff. Get laid, then go my merry way. I have the entry code for your front door. It worked. I thought this was legit.The door unlocked when I entered the code.” He held up his hand as if to block Jules from view. “I didn’t even know it was you in here.”
Rhys rubbed the back of his neck. “You had the code at the same time I got a call from the resort management with an update about a security problem.” He scowled. “That’s one hell of an escalation.”
She released her bottom lip from between her teeth. “It’s enough to finally file a police report.”
Rhys nodded.
The other guy shook his head. “I’m here for a finance conference. I can’t—”
“Dude, you almost raped one of the most recognizable women on the planet. Not that the recognition matters, but do you think you could stop thinking about yourself for a second?”
“Rhys,” she whispered. “I’m okay. The situation is bad. But he’s just as much of a victim as I am.”
