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“She’s safe, Sal’s protecting her.”
“You’re taking care of her?” I check, unable to hide my relief, and Raoul frowns back at me.
“I’m not a monster.”
“No, you’re not,” I agree, kissing his cheek.
“But I do plan to use the girl’s circumstance to my advantage.” He holds my eyes with his like he’s waiting for me to react.
“How?” I fidget, starting to feel nervous.
“My father will do anything to keep his actions a secret. He’s respected by some very influential people, and it only takes a mistake like this one to lose that.”
“Rape isn’t a mistake, Raoul,” I point out, feeling sick that I shared a car ride with the man earlier today.
“You’re right, and him doing that to an underage girl would blacken this family name. It could cost us everything,” he explains. “I’m relying on the fact that he will want his little secret buried. So, I had Sal take the girl somewhere off the grid. I’ll use her misfortune to take the power from my father, and I’ll put myself in charge of this family.” I sense he feels some guilt.
“As soon as Rhett told Father why he got hurt, he would have started looking for the girl. He’ll want to end her, and I have to give Sal a few days to get clear before I can strike.”
“Shit.” I close my eyes, trying to imagine how scared this poor girl must be feeling.
“No one will find her, Sal's good at what he does.” Raoul must sense my concern.
“And you really think that'll work?” It feels terrible to use the girl’s situation to our advantage, but if Raoul promises he’ll do all he can to help her, I can live with it.
“I hope it does.” He makes me no promises. “If it doesn’t, we’re gonna have to run too.”
“Run from your father?” I check that I’m hearing him right. Raoul has always put his family before anything. “I get that he’s going to be mad at you, but you can’t think that he would hurt you. You’re everything to him.”
“I don’t know anymore. I used to think that my father loved my mother unconditionally. That through all the bad shit he’s ever done, he had respect for women. I don’t know the man anymore and it scares me,” he admits, sounding drained.
I wonder if now would be a good time to tell him that his father came to the studio today, I’m even more convinced now that he meant what he said. The man really is capable of anything, which is why I decide to stay quiet about it. Telling Raoul would only make him angrier at his father, and he has enough to deal with right now.
“Everything is gonna be okay, Raoul.” I snuggle my body into his and breathe in his scent, trying my best to convince myself of my own words.
