Chapter Ten
The damp evening air chilled Janie’s overheated skin as she rode toward Larissa’s house, dressed simply in a pair of sweats and baggy shirt. After scrubbing herself under the scalding shower until the water ran cold, she’d made no effort towards her usual beauty regimen. For some odd reason, she felt certain Archer wouldn’t mind.
The text from him couldn’t have come at a better time. She’d been lying in her bed, shaking and exhausted but unable to turn her mind off and go to sleep. Fear kept running through her while she wondered if that man would come to her door and break in to assault her all over again once he got his nose to stop bleeding.
Hearing Archer’s reassuring voice and his concern, while at the same time not pressing her for details, was a godsend, helping soothe her immediately. When he’d offered up his arms, she couldn’t refuse. She might feel safe enough to sleep if she was by Archer’s side. She knew he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. It might be possible to relax around him.
When she reached Larissa’s house, she turned off the four-wheeler and slipped up the porch steps, quickly unlocking the door and quietly making her way upstairs. As soon as she stepped into Archer’s bedroom, he simply looked at her and opened his arms, not saying anything.
Shutting the door, she rushed to the bed, climbing on top and carefully laying down on his chest, hoping she wasn’t hurting him, but needing his reassurance more than anything.
His large hand patted her damp hair while the one around her stroked up and down her spine, never going low enough to cause any anxiety. His kindness caused the tears to start again, and her body shook once more as she contrasted Archer’s gentleness to that prick’s attempted assault.
How did women who were actually assaulted ever handle it? Janie knew it was only a near thing tonight. Women all over the world went through much worse, but the near miss was almost too much for her to handle.
After a long time wrapped in Archer’s warmth, her shaking finally subsided and her tears dried up. His lips pressed against the top of her head briefly, almost in a fraternal manner.
“Who hurt you?” he asked, voice quiet but the anger plain to hear.
“It’s not important,” she managed in a cracked voice. “Thank you for texting me. I should have stayed home with you in the first place. I ran away from you, scared of how serious things got last night.”
Archer stayed silent for a while, though his hand never stopped stroking her back in a comforting manner. Finally, he let out a soft sigh. “You’re not the only one who was freaked out a bit.”
His words shocked her, and Janie jerked away, trying to evade him. “Do you hate me because of my mixed race? I thought you—”
“Stop that.” Archer pulled her back against him. “It’s nothing like that. Most people wouldn’t have a problem with that. You grew up in an odd town and your parents’ families were too old fashioned. That’s not what I meant.”
The strength of his grip around her despite how much pain it must cause to his ribs convinced Janie he didn’t mean his words the way she took them. “What freaked you, then?”
“How much hearing your story affected me.” His voice was quiet again, almost as though he was embarrassed to tell her what he wanted to say. “I made myself a promise to never trust another woman, to never care about anyone again so I wouldn’t get my heart broken another time, but you tore through all of that. I can’t help liking you, Janie. I can’t help wanting to heal your hurts and make sure no one ever makes you sad again.”
Janie’s breath caught in her throat. What was he saying? He couldn’t really mean all that. No one cared about her that way except Larissa. No man could be trusted to not hurt her if she gave in and handed over her heart.
“You can’t mean that,” she finally managed to say.
“And yet, I do.” His soft kiss landed on her cheek this time, but he quickly pulled away, not quite flaring up the panic Janie expected to feel after what had happened with that jerk. “If you don’t want to tell me what happened tonight I won’t push you, but just know I’m here for you.”
Even if she told herself she shouldn’t trust him, his words and actions put her at ease. At least for tonight, she could give herself over to him, trust him to take care of her heart and not shatter her more than that bastard already had earlier.
“Can I stay here?” she asked. “I just want to sleep, but I think I’m too afraid to be by myself.”
The sound of his teeth grinding was a clear indication that Archer was nowhere near as calm as he tried to be. Janie felt a bit guilty, knowing he could only assume the worst if she didn’t tell him what happened, but she still didn’t think she could trust him to believe her. His caring arms wrapped around her felt so good, but if she confided in him, there was a high chance he’d push her away, tell her everything that happened tonight was her fault and she deserved it.
“Did he rape you?”
Archer’s anguished-sounding question startled her into talking. “Would you believe me if I said he tried?”
His arms tightened around her further. “I’ll kill him. Who was it?”
Relief flooded through her. Archer believed her. She never thought that was a possibility. “I took care of it,” she said. “He was in a lot of pain when I left, and I promised him more if he touches anyone on this island again.”
A bit of the tension left Archer’s arms, though she could tell he was still frustrated. “Did you contact island security? Are they kicking him out of here?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t tell anyone. Who will believe me? I went to a club with him. We danced and flirted. When I begged him to stop, he told me that everyone knows what happens with the guys I date and they’d all say I wanted it. He’s right. No one’s going to believe me over him, not with my past. Frankly, I’m surprised you aren’t questioning me. I thought you would.”
“Angel...” He stopped, as though unsure what to say.
“It’s okay,” she said to cover the awkward silence. “I know this is all my fault. I’m not stupid. I shouldn’t have led him on and told him we were having sex and then changed my mind. I shouldn’t have sex with just anyone. Everyone will say I was asking for this. They’re right. It’s all my fault. I’m such a slut and I deserve everything—”
“That’s enough!” His forceful words stopped the stream of self-loathing coming from her. He took her hand in his free one, threading their fingers together. “You’re the victim here. Don’t say you deserved any of this. If you changed your mind about having sex, the guy should have gone and taken a cold shower or rubbed one out, not tried to force you to the point you had to defend yourself.”
She met his eyes, not bothering to hide her disbelieve. “How can you say that? You’re the one who found me disgusting when you learned what I do with men. I’m a slut, just like he said.”
“Janie, please, please stop.” His hand squeezed hers tighter. “You’re honest about your desires. I didn’t get that at first. Would I be a happy man if you said you weren’t going to sleep with anyone? Sure thing, especially if it meant you would spend all your time with me. But that doesn’t mean you’re a slut or you deserve anyone touching you in a way you don’t want. This was not your fault. If that asshole said it was, it was just his way of trying to shut you up. Let’s call security and get his ass kicked off the island.”
She shook her head, a mixture of disbelief at his kind words and fear that he’d force her to report what happened causing her too much anxiety to bear. “I can’t tell anyone. Promise me you’ll keep your mouth shut. I shouldn’t have told you.”
He heaved a large sigh, his chest rising and falling beneath her cheek before he let out a strangled cry of pain at the motion. “Fine,” he responded once he regained control of his breathing. “I won’t force you into anything you don’t want, but I think we should at least talk to Brad. If that guy did this to you, what’s to stop him from doing it to someone else?”
That thought did bother her. As horrible as tonight had been, she’d been able to successfully defend herself thanks to extensive training. Most women didn’t have those skills. Would the next girl be lucky enough to escape him, or would that prick destroy her life by forcing himself on her?
“Brad knows more than anyone how I am with men,” she said. “The two-week relationship I had with him a few years ago was one of the longest I’ve had since coming to the island. He’s not going to believe I didn’t want to have sex with that douchebag.”
“You’re underestimating how much the McCallister family cares about you, Janie. Everyone I talked to had only good things to say about you. Besides, Larissa and I will fight for you if it comes to that.”
Janie wanted to believe him, to believe that the others cared about her enough to trust her word and take care of her, but it was difficult to change the thoughts she’d had all her life. What if she tried to trust them and they stabbed her in the back? It’s not like that hadn’t happened to her a few times in the past, after her mother died. She’d tried to make connections and find people to trust in. Until Larissa came along, all she’d ever been given was scorn for her efforts.
Now, Archer said he wanted to be in her corner too. He seemed so sincere, but it was scary to believe he could really mean what he said. Still, he wasn’t blaming her for what happened. He believed her that she’d been assaulted and not asked for it. He said it wasn’t her fault, even though she thought it was. Could she trust him, even if just a little?
“Can you let me think about it?” she asked. “For now, I just want to sleep. I’m so exhausted, but until coming to you, I couldn’t relax.”
“Fine, sleep.” He cradled her a bit closer. “We can talk more tomorrow. No matter what, though, I want you to remember one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You already mean a lot to me, Angel. I’m not backing down and I’m not letting you blame yourself for this. Whatever happens, I want to be by your side. Let me do that for you.”
More tears bunched up in her eyes and she blinked rapidly, trying to banish them away. How could he say things like that? He knew she was a slut, he even thought she was disgusting just a few short days ago, but the sincerity in his voice nearly lulled her into thinking he meant every word he spoke.
Could she risk that? Could Archer be the man who Larissa had continually claimed was out there waiting for her. Was he some sort of storybook romance waiting to happen if she were brave enough to let him into her life?
Knowing she was too confused, hurt, and broken by tonight’s events to think rationally, Janie decided not to respond. She relaxed into his body and closed her eyes, her exhaustion finally quieting her busy mind and whisking her off to sleep.
***
Long after Janie’s breathing evened out, Archer held her close, trying his best not to scream with frustration. Just who the hell had she been with tonight? That man was a puke who deserved whatever pain Janie had inflicted on him. Whatever she did, Archer was sure it wasn’t enough. If only he wasn’t injured!
Clenching his hand into a fist behind Janie’s back, Archer breathed deeply, trying to regain control again. He had no idea why he felt this enraged after only knowing Janie such a short time, but the irrational voice in his head insisted that man had tried to rape Archer’s woman. The bastard hurting any woman that way was unthinkable, but the fact that he’d targeted the woman Archer wanted for himself, that he’d dare touch Archer’s angel in a way she didn’t want—he wanted to do more than hurt the asshole. He wanted to kill him!
Knowing he wouldn’t settle down until he got some answers, Archer tried to remember everything Janie said. They’d gone drinking before going back to the guy’s place, which must mean they hit one of the resort’s clubs. It would make the most sense for them to visit the new place. Luckily, one of the waiters Archer had been friendly with his first few days had been assigned to that club as well as the Pavilion.
Not even considering the time, Archer reached for his phone, careful not to shift Janie too much and wake her up.
Pulling up his contacts, he was glad a bunch of people in his initial training meetings had exchanged numbers. Selecting the one marked Kyle, he quickly typed out a message.
Hey Kyle, Archer here. I have sort of an odd question for you. Did you work at the new club tonight or were you at the Pavilion?
While he didn’t expect to hear back tonight since it was so late, he was surprised when his phone beeped almost immediately.
The club, why?
Maybe he saw something? Do you know the lifeguard named Janie Davis? She sort of has a reputation around the island...
Sure, I know who she is. She was in the club tonight.
So, he’d seen her. The fact that Kyle knew about Janie only proved how bad Janie’s reputation really was. She had a point when she said people wouldn’t believe she didn’t want to sleep with her attacker, but that still didn’t mean any of it was her fault.
Did you notice who she was with? Archer wondered if he was doing the right thing by going behind Janie’s back this way, but he couldn’t let the man responsible for her distress get away with it.
The response came pretty quickly. Some guy I didn’t know, plus that punk kid who took the initial training meetings with us. You remember the one. He kept goofing off and got us in trouble with the trainers.
Archer could see the face of the man Kyle talked about. Most of the new hires had been fed up with the guy by the time they broke off into separate classes based on where they were hired to work. You mean Jaden Roberts, right?
Yeah, that’s the guy. They were all over each other. I’ve heard about that Janie chick. I know what they were doing tonight. LOL Why do you ask, anyway?
Archer closed his eyes, again doing his best to take deep breaths and calm himself without hurting his ribs. He now knew the face of the bastard who’d hurt his woman, but Janie had been right. Kyle seemed like an upstanding guy who likely wasn’t prone to gossip, but even he decided Janie was screwing her date after they left the club. Would anyone believe her if he forced her to report Jaden? No one on the island knew the real Janie, the woman who’d opened up to him about her life and explained why she was the way she was. They only saw the party girl who slept around. They thought that was all there was to Janie and didn’t look further, so why would they believe she hadn’t asked Jaden for sex?
There was no doubt in Archer’s mind that he’d tried to take her against her will, but how many people would be convinced of that? If she fessed up and reported the incident, things could get bad for her in a hurry. Archer was under no illusions that speaking out against her attacker would solve her problems or make things easy. Still, he felt like she needed to stand up for herself, or he needed to stand up for her and be the strong one when she couldn’t.
He just had to convince her that she’d done nothing wrong. Janie didn’t want to press charges mostly because she had a poor self-image, something most people probably wouldn’t believe just looking at her. She thought she wasn’t worth having Jaden pay for his crime, believing it was her fault for sleeping around with people and offering him sex in the first place.
But she had said no. Jaden was the one at fault. He tried to force her. Archer didn’t care what happened in Janie’s past. Tonight, she’d said no, and Jaden needed to be held accountable for what he did to Archer’s woman.
Even though he wanted to take Janie’s pain and fear away, Archer couldn’t help but be pleased that she’d said she should have stayed home with him. Nor was he sorry that she’d changed her mind and told Jaden no. It sounded like that was something she didn’t often, if ever, do. Was he being too cocky in thinking she might have changed her mind because she felt something special toward him after confiding in him the night before?
His phone beeped again. Archer? Everything okay?
Shit. He had to tell Kyle something, but what? He couldn’t say what happened and start any rumors about Janie, but he also wanted to make sure Jaden didn’t get his clutches on some other unsuspecting female.
Do me a favor, he finally responded. If you see Jaden with other women in the club, remember what a punk he really is. Whatever it takes, warn those women not to be alone with him. He’s not a good guy.
And you know this how?
He couldn’t betray Janie’s shaky trust. He’d love to tell Kyle what happened, love to shout all over the island that Jaden was a rapist to be avoided at all costs. But, unless Janie was willing to go public with what happened, Archer couldn’t do that.
I can’t answer that tonight. Just help protect any women who you might see with him, and warn others to do the same, okay?
Janie might be upset with him for even doing this much, but Archer couldn’t stand by and let this go without any action. He would protect Janie from now on, making sure Jaden or any other man never hurt her again, but the other women on the island were at risk. Janie was the most important, but they needed to be defended too.
If she found out about it, hopefully it wouldn’t shatter the small bit of confidence she’d placed in him. Archer wanted to nurture this thing between them until he was all Janie could think about. He’d take care of her and do whatever it took for as long as she needed.
Larissa had been absolutely right. Janie was something special, and she was worth whatever effort it took to help her heal until they could form a healthy relationship. Perhaps that would turn out just to be a friendship once she had more confidence in herself and didn’t need to use sex as her drug of choice to get through life, but even if that was the case, Archer knew it would be worth it.
Janie was the victim all her life and tried to wrest control anyway she could. Archer was sure the random sex somehow made her feel powerful and as though she were the one making decisions in her life. Once he helped her see that she was worth so much more than that, he hoped she’d never be a victim again.
He ran his hand gently across her cheek. “I’m going to save you,” he promised. “You are worth it.”