Starlet: A Dark Retelling - Cora Kenborn Page 0,104
not like I can just walk her into the emergency room. So, thankfully, in one call, Angel and I are immediately taken through a secluded hallway, up an empty elevator, and into a private room without question.
It isn’t until I place Angel onto the bed that life returns to her eyes, and she claws at my arms. “Don’t,” she rasps, her voice breaking. “Don’t leave me! Please!”
“I won’t,” I promise, kissing her forehead. “I’ll never leave you again.” The words calm her down, and she gives a weak nod, settling back onto the pillow. It kills me when I notice the death grip she still has on my arm.
She believes me, but she still doesn’t trust me.
The doctor comes in and as Angel gives a replay of what happened in Rosten’s office, seething hatred like I’ve never known radiates through me. Old wounds rip open, digging new ones, and destroying every ounce of humanity left inside me.
“I think he drugged me,” she finishes quietly, staring at her hands. They’re scratched, and my rage deepens imagining her small fists trying to fight him off.
The doctor looks up from his clipboard. “And why do you think that, Miss Romanov?”
“I don’t actually remember when he…” Her breath hitches. “When he raped me. I felt dizzy and really confused. There were black spots everywhere, and I kept screaming no, but my mouth felt like it was full of rocks.”
“Did Mr. Rosten give you anything to drink?”
Angel shakes her head. “I don’t think so. Everything’s so fuzzy.”
After scribbling a few more notes, he pats her arm. “It’s fine, Miss Romanov. We’ll do a rape kit as well as take a blood sample. That should tell us all we need to know.”
Four agonizing hours later, Angel is back in her room, tear-stained and drained. It’s the first time I’ve breathed since they took her away. A painful river of silence runs between us as we wait for the doctor to come back. There’s so much I want to say, so much truth I want to tell, but after the violence she’s suffered, I can’t be the one who drags her into more darkness.
It’s not cowardice—it’s sacrifice. Things aren’t always as they seem. Sometimes you have to look behind the smile to see the fangs. And sometimes a lie can be the greatest act of love.
“Dominic…” My name stalls on her lips, so I take her hand. She squeezes it, her eyes pooling with tears. “I’m so sorry about your mother. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.”
I can’t think about this right now. I’ve made as much peace with my mother’s death as I can. Twisting my anger over that with my anger over what happened to Angel is a dangerous cocktail. “Rook, don’t…”
“No,” she argues, swiping a hand at the tears scattered along her long dark lashes. “You needed me, and I shut you out. I didn’t answer your calls. I didn’t answer anyone’s calls until…” Her head snaps up, as if a record skipped in her head. “Oh my God, I almost forgot.”
Shit. I’m out of my chair before she can say another word. “Do I need to call the doctor back in? I’ll go get him right now.”
“No,” she says, tugging me back into my seat. “It’s nothing like that. I forgot to tell you I have something that belongs to you. I haven’t opened it yet. I thought you should—”
“Am I interrupting something?” We both turn to find a familiar face leaning against the doorway in his three-piece suit and his stupid haircut.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I groan, throwing my head back. “Can you get off my dick for one day, Rubio?”
His gaze settles on me, that arrogant smirk smeared on his face. “Always a pleasure to see you too, McCallum. Fortunately, I’m not here to see you.” He turns his attention toward Angel. “I’m here to speak to Miss Romanov.”
Angel blinks. “Me?”
“Why?” I demand.
“Standard procedure,” he says, strolling into the room without an invitation. “With high-profile situations, there’s always a protocol. Since this is my case, I’m the one they called to investigate Miss Romanov’s alleged claim against Greg Rosten.”
Angel stiffens. “It’s not alleged.”
“Innocent until proven guilty, ma’am. It’s in the Constitution.”
“So is free speech,” I growl because I’m done dicking around with this guy. Leaping from my chair, I rush forward until we’re nose to nose. “How about we step outside so I can exercise my rights.”