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“The truth really is that goddamn shitty. I hated myself for it, for not going straight home, for not being there when you could’ve been killed. But I swear to you, I never touched her that day or in the past six months. She has never, ever laid a finger on me. All I did was watch the two of them. I left Owen there with her when Wolfe came and told me what was going on at the estate,” he says in a rush because he knows the clock is ticking down on his ten minutes. “The reason I was there in the first place really was to handle business—a dispute between two girls. I had to fire them both for fighting. Then Flynn was with someone, and Owen wanted to stay and play with Shana. I…I foolishly thought the distraction might be good for me, to try and get my mind off of you and your constant rejection.”
Wow. I totally get it now, why Lochlan beat me with a belt for saying another man’s name. I hate the sound of hers coming out of his mouth.
Four times.
He’s said her name four times in this conversation, and each time is more agonizing than the one before.
I’m still processing my anger caused by that woman’s name on his lips along with everything he just told me when Lochlan adds, “Hell, Shana has cameras in her room that I could probably show you. Is that the only way you’ll believe me if I get proof from that day?”
“Stop saying her fucking name!” I yell at him.
His eyes widen slightly in surprise at my outburst before he nods. “Never again.”
“And you could edit any video to show me only parts of what happened.”
“I could. You’re right. But it should have a date and time stamp on it. Give me a few minutes,” he says before he walks to the bedroom door to leave. I want him to go almost as much as I want him to stay. God, I hate him. “If there’s a video from that night, I swear I’ll show you every second of it.”
“Don’t bother coming back,” I mutter, trying to ignore the part of me that still wants him.
“Oh, I’m coming back. I just need a little time to run this down.”
Outside in the hallway, I hear his voice as he makes calls because he leaves my bedroom door cracked open for the next few minutes. He even growls at my father that he needs five more minutes before he returns, slamming the door shut behind him.
When he offers me his phone playing a second video, I can’t resist watching it.
There is a date and time stamp on the bottom right corner. And while Lochlan probably could pay someone to doctor it, I doubt he’s had time to do it that quickly, so I just let it play. I watch the three of them walking into the room where Lochlan shuts the door. The curvy blonde is only wearing a short white, pleated skirt when she kneels on the floor, nothing else. Her hands reach up to undo Owen’s pants, tugging them down before he takes a seat on the foot of the bed. Across the room, about ten feet away, Lochlan lowers himself into a chair. Slouching as if bored with the side of his head resting on his fist, he watches them. He looks annoyed and angry. The volume is down so I don’t have to hear the sounds. A few minutes later, Lochlan jumps up and hurries to the door that he jerks open. I can’t see the person on the other side’s face, but they look like they’re in black clothing, maybe a black suit like the guards all wear.
Lochlan doesn’t even glance behind him at the man being pleasured before he leaves.
The woman pulls her mouth off him a second later, the two both look to the door, then each other as if discussing what’s going on. Owen stands up, not in a hurry as he strips naked, then he’s grabbing her head, kissing her. He picks her up to toss her on the middle of the bed on her stomach where he quickly follows, thankfully blocking most of her perfect, curvy nakedness, other than the skirt, from the camera’s view. Then his hips start bucking frantically like he’s pumping inside of her.
I keep watching, waiting to see if Lochlan will come back, take his turn with her, but according to the clock on the video, he would’ve been almost to the airport by the time they finish. I remember the time because I was sitting there in the SUV watching the minutes tick by on the dashboard waiting for him.
I needed him there with me and he was with her and Owen. Even if he didn’t touch her, he chose her that night instead of me.
Dropping to his knees beside the bed, Lochlan says, “Sophie, tell me what else I can do to prove to you that I only want you. I’ll never touch her again. Ever. I fired her too. Told her she would be shot on sight if she comes to the house again or the brothel.”
“I want to be the one who pulls the trigger.” I didn’t realize I possessed that sort of vindictiveness inside of me, but I know I mean the words as soon as they leave my lips. I would be happy to see that woman’s body full of my bullet holes.
“Done,” Lochan instantly agrees. “Anything you want, princess, name it. Please just come home with me.”
Come home? He just wants me to walk out the door and go home with him like nothing happened? Like he wasn’t with another woman when I needed him?
Yes, I want to go, but I also want him to suffer, to hurt like I do right now. Even if he didn’t fuck her, he was there with her. I hate her so much. Even thinking about her name is painful.
That’s when an idea comes to me, one to also help me work out my anger with Lochlan.
Lowering the pillow to the bed, I tell my husband who is still kneeling on the floor, “Take off your belt.”
“My belt? Why?” he asks, but his fingers are already reaching down to pull the leather through the buckle.
“You’ve earned five lashes.”
Both of his hands freeze. His face blanks. “Five lashes? You were keeping count of…”
“Of how many times you said her name? Yes, I was.”
The belt snicks through his pant loops as he finally pulls it free. His jaw is tight as he stares down at the leather, then up at me. “Will you come home with me after the five licks?”
