“T.J.” Cassie screamed at the door her husband had closed behind him and sank back into the pillows. Humiliation assailed her, dragging tears from her eyes to trail down the side of her face.

He wasn’t coming back to untie her.

She was alone. Sobbing. Trying in vain to fight herself free of the silk scarf he’d tied her hands in. Her skin already burned from the friction, and the pain came nowhere near what she felt inside her chest.

The far-off beat of footsteps approached, the click of a door releasing and the squeak as it was pushed open an inch.

“T.J.?”

“You decent?” Brute. Perfect. Her night couldn’t get any worse.

“Not really,” she muttered. Her nose was a running mess, her skirt raised to her hips, displaying her silken underwear. The only saving grace was the panties that covered her intimate parts…the same parts that still throbbed from her husband’s touch.

He’d never had a problem arousing her. He’d always made it his mission to make her come before him. Usually, more than once. Walking away while she was wild with need was a sign she finally needed to sit back and listen to. Her husband was gone, and the man who’d taken his place wasn’t afraid of making her feel worthless and dirty.

“Too bad.” Brute shoved into the room, his features schooled, not showing shock or disgust at how she was tied to the bed, her cheeks tear-streaked, her clothes and hair disheveled. “Looks like you had fun.”

She glared at him as he came to the side of the bed and untangled the scarf on her right wrist. “Yeah,” she grated. “It’s like fucking Disneyland in here.”

He paused, at her uncharacteristically bad language or the crack in her voice, she wasn’t sure. Her wrist fell free with the release of the material and she looked to the far side of the room, unable to stand his impassive scrutiny.

“You took a risk by pushing him.” Brute made his way to the other side of the bed. “Unfortunately, it backfired.”

She glared straight ahead, tugged down the hem of her skirt with one hand while he approached her other wrist.

“Are you going to give up now? I assume it would be better to maintain some sort of friendship, or whatever you normal people have, instead of being unable to communicate at all.”

Neither option had been acceptable before she’d come downstairs. Now she wasn’t sure if never seeing T.J. again was such a bad idea. He’d tainted memories she’d never thought could be spoiled. He was not only destroying their future, he was contaminating their past.

“I couldn’t believe he’d give up on us.” She wiggled her wrist free as he loosened the scarf. “I had to fight for what we had.”

He inclined his head, his expression devoid of care. She would’ve denied he had compassion at all if it wasn’t for the cotton handkerchief he pulled from his trouser pocket and thrust in her direction.

She blew her nose and dabbed at her cheeks. “I was here the night of the masquerade party. He kissed me.”

“You think I didn’t know you were here?” He gave a harsh laugh. “Nobody passes through those doors without me knowing. Although, you did a good job on the fake ID, I wasn’t entirely convinced it was you until you showed up.”

“You knew?” Her voice rose. “Why didn’t you say something? Why didn’t you tell T.J.?”

He shrugged. “It wasn’t my place. You obviously went to great lengths to gain entry to the club, and I had no doubt it was to try to win him back. And besides, I wanted to see if you had the balls to show up. I never thought you were the devious type.”

He settled onto the bed at her side, reached for her with a furrowed brow and swept the tear-soaked hair from her cheek, as if the gentle gesture was foreign. “He doesn’t want to hurt you.” The words were barely audible, barely believable from such a harsh man. “We all know that. This is his way of protecting you. Let him. That’s all he has left.”

She growled and pulled away from his touch. “Protecting me from what?”

“The past.” His lips tilted. “The present.” His grin increased. “The future.”

“Is this a game to you?” she snapped, sliding from the bed.

“No.” He stood, facing her from the far side of the mattress. “Kinda feels like I’m in an X-rated soap opera, though.”

She scowled, seeing his actions for what they were—a diversion. He’d shown too much sympathy, and now he was making up for it by being an asshole. Hiding the softer side of himself in an effort to protect his vulnerability.

“I feel sorry for you.” She did. She really did. He was cold. Heartless. Lacking the ability to step out on a limb because he was too scared to be hurt. “You must be lonely.”

“Lonely? Why? I have everything I need—money, prestige and innumerable women at my disposal.”

“You don’t have love.”

He scoffed. “Does it even exist?”

It was her turn to look at him with pity. “Sure it does. I should know. I experienced it with T.J. for years.”

She gave him a sad smile in farewell and then strode for the door. Once she reached the threshold, she paused, realizing she was unable to leave without making her way back up those stairs toward her husband.

“Need me to get something for you?” Brute spoke over her shoulder.

She sagged and nodded. “Please.” She needed to leave out the back entrance. To scamper away like the dirty vermin T.J. had turned her into. “My purse and keys are under the main bar.”

Brute squeezed past her, doing her bidding without a falter in his step. He was probably happy to see the back of her, too. The secured door clunked in the distance, cocooning her in silence. She sucked in a breath, waiting, the minutes ticking by like slow, dreary days. She memorized her surroundings, strolling around the furniture, brushing her fingers along the sofa backs.

She refused to glance toward the mirror behind the bar. Her reflection would tell her what her aching heart already knew—it was over. There was no more will to fight. All hope was lost.

In a few weeks, she would be single. Alone. Broken. As if she could shatter any more than she already had.

The swoosh of the door opening startled her, and she made her way toward the newbie area.

“This it?” Brute asked, holding out her purse and keys.

“Yeah.” She nodded, taking her belongings from his hand before wrapping her arms around her chest. “I guess this is goodbye.”

He pressed his lips together, the harshness of his features becoming more sterile as he frowned down at her. “I guess so.”

She held in a caustic laugh and turned on her heel. A Shot of Sin had been a big part of her marriage when it first opened. Now it would be a memory. A brief flicker of remembrance.

“Cass, wait.”

She glanced over her shoulder, to the steely expression that hadn’t faltered. The only difference was Brute’s stance, his arms were raised, held open in front of him.

She pivoted back to him, frowning.

“Come on,” he growled. “This is more uncomfortable for me than it is for you.”

His discomfort brought a brief smile to her lips. “You’re a confusing man, Bryan.”

He rolled his eyes and stepped forward, engulfing her in a hug. For a long time, they simply held each other, her head on his shoulder, his arms around her back.

“I’ve always admired T.J.,” he spoke into her hair. “He puts himself last, no matter what the situation. And he’s far too kind for his own good. He’d rather push you away and torture himself in the process than expose you to something hurtful. I envy his selflessness.”

Cassie pushed back from Brute’s chest and looked him in the eye. “Right now, I loathe it.”

“Understandable.” He inclined his head. “But even though he’s acting this way, deep down I think he’d want you to know your pain is killing him.”

“I thought you didn’t get involved in personal matters.” She gave a halfhearted grin, unable to keep it plastered on her face for longer than a few seconds.

“I guess I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress.”

“No.” She shook her head, sliding from his embrace. “You’ve got a big heart. You’re just too afraid to show it.”

“Nah. I really don’t.” He glanced toward the bar, denying her his gaze. “If you leave out the back door, I’ll lock it behind you.”

She wanted to laugh at the abrupt change in conversation. Instead, she thumped his shoulder with her purse, lightening the mood. “I’ll see you around, big guy.”

He nodded, his features returning to their emotionless state. “Look after yourself.”

“Will do.” She headed for the staircase leading to the parking lot, ignoring the impending breakdown she could feel pressing on her shoulders. The time had come to move on. No more second-guessing. No more trying to fight an unidentifiable opponent. Her marriage was over. And after tonight, she was determined to move on.

* * *

T.J. leaned against the wall beside the upstairs entrance to the Vault, waiting for Brute to return. As soon as the door opened, he straightened, watching as his business partner strode for the bar.

“Is she gone?” His voice echoed through the empty room, taunting him.

“Yep.” Brute’s tone was too blasé for T.J.’s liking. “For good.”

Fuck. He ran a hand over his face and tilted his head to the ceiling. “Is she okay?”

“You don’t want to hear how she is.” Brute continued across the dance floor, heading for Shay and Leo who stood behind the bar.

“Yeah, I do.” T.J. pushed off the wall. “Tell me.”

Brute swung around. “She’s fucked. Is that what you want to hear?” He threw his hands up in the air and let them drop to his sides. “You’ve broken her. She’s done. Gone. Congratulations.”

“Jesus,” Shay whispered.

“You stay the fuck out of this.” T.J. stormed for the bar, pointing a threatening finger in her direction as his mental stability splintered. “It’s your fault she was here.”

Shay balked at his vicious tone. “What—”

“Have I disrespected you in some way? Was this retaliation for something I’ve done? Or were you just being a heartless, nosy bitch, thinking you knew better because I’m merely a male and have no clue what it’s like to feel?”

The words flowed from his mouth like he was stuck in an out-of-body experience. They were his thoughts that never should’ve been spoken. His torment that should’ve remained his own.

Her mouth opened, closed. She glanced to her left, to Leo at her side, before returning to face him. “It was neither. I—”

“You encouraged her to come tonight, didn’t you?”

“I…I…” Her shoulders fell and she gave a brief nod. “I know you love her. I thought the two of you could work things out if you spent some time together.”

“Fucking hell, Shay,” Brute muttered.

“It’s not her fault.” Leo came around the bar. “Her heart was in the right place. She was only trying to help.”

“Well, she didn’t. She made me spit in the face of my marriage. And I want to know what the fuck you plan to do about it. She can’t work here anymore. I want her gone.”

“That’s the pain talking,” Leo growled. “Shay’s far more than an employee to us, and you know it.”

T.J. raised his chin, refusing to agree.

“Look, you’re pissed. We know that.” Brute strode around the back of the bar and pulled a can of Scotch and dry from the fridge. “But Cass is out of your hair now. She’s moving on. You’ve got what you wanted. Don’t go blaming anyone else for something you put into motion.”

T.J. clenched his jaw, breathing heavily through his nose in an effort to keep the hateful words in his chest. It was his fault. He was to blame.

“What was I meant to do?” he asked. “I can’t tell her the truth. It will kill her.”

“What is the truth, T.J.?” Shay asked.

Leo winced and shook his head, but the silent protest wasn’t enough to stop the words that inched up T.J.’s throat. “Six months ago, the man who assaulted her was charged with a brutal rape. The woman almost died.”

Shay gasped. “Cassie doesn’t know?”

“No,” he grated. “And I don’t plan on telling her either. She would blame herself when it isn’t her fault.”

It was his.

If only he hadn’t taken her to that sex club. If only he would’ve listened to his gut and not allowed her to walk from his side to use the bathroom. She never would’ve been assaulted and he wouldn’t have the guilt of two tortured women weighing down his shoulders.

“Then don’t tell her…but you can’t divorce her because of this either,” Shay begged.

“You expect me to hide it from her for the rest of my life?” He glared. “I love her, Shay. I’d do anything for her. But what I won’t do is create a marriage based on lies. She deserves more than me. She deserves more than a man who would put her in that sort of position.”

He’d only found out about the charges because he’d employed an investigator to do some digging. Almost six months to the day after that night in the club, he’d received an email with images attached. A twenty-six-year-old, shy and beautiful, had been dragged into a car. She hadn’t stood a chance.

“Cassie currently thinks this divorce is hard,” he continued. “If she found out what this man could’ve done to her, or what could’ve been avoided if only we’d gone to the police, she won’t recover. I can’t do that to her.”

He ground his teeth together and focused a lethal stare on Shay. “And I won’t allow you to shove your nose into our business and risk her finding out just so you can push your own agenda.

“I’m sorry.” Her face crumpled. “I didn’t know.”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it.” Fucking hell. The things he’d said to Cassie downstairs… The things he’d done. Even God couldn’t forgive him for betraying her like that.

“The offer to fuck him up is still on the table.” Brute drank from the can, not even bothering to focus his full attention on the way T.J.’s life was ending.

“No. Thank you,” T.J. grated. “He was caught and prosecuted. Once he was sent to jail, the story died, and that’s how I want it to stay.”

“He deserves some form of retaliation.”

T.J. inclined his head. “Yes, but at the risk of Cassie finding out? I’d prefer him to rot in his cell.”

Shay turned to Leo. “You knew about this?”

“Yeah. Since the masquerade party.”

“But, T.J., you love her so much.” Her voice rose. “You can’t leave her.”

He’d spent months trying to determine if he could live a lie just to stay with Cassie. Counseling hadn’t helped. He either had to tell the truth and watch her suffer through the consequences, knowing with each passing day that he was to blame. Or he could leave and allow her to find a brighter future with someone else.

“There’s no other option.”

Brute slammed his can on the counter and pulled another from the fridge. “I still think that bastard needs to suffer.”

“And you think I don’t? He’s in jail. What’s done is done.” Cassie was gone. He’d pushed her to her breaking point and doubted she’d have the heart to fight back.

“Then I suggest we let it go.” Leo crossed his arms over his chest. “Let her go.”

Words were so easily spoken. It was the pain they inflicted that made it hard to breathe. “Yeah, just dust that shit off, right?”

As if it would ever be that easy.

Leo snarled. “Look, we’re trying to be here for you, but you’re making it fucking hard.”

“Leo,” Shay chastised and made her way onto the dance floor. “I made a huge mistake, and I’m incredibly sorry. I never would’ve placed Cassie in this situation if I knew. Please forgive me.”

T.J. looked away. He didn’t want to hurt her. It was the pain, the anger and the desperation making him volatile. “I can’t even forgive myself right now.”

She nodded. “Then tell me what I can do to help. I know you have to pick up your belongings on Sunday. Let me do that for you.”

To hell with that. He’d do it himself. He was becoming accustomed to seeing his wife pained beyond recognition. Nobody else deserved to experience her anguish like he did. “No, it’s okay.”

Misguided or not, these people were his friends, and he was punishing them for something that was his fault. “This is my mistake. Let’s just pretend like tonight didn’t happen.” And the years with Cassie were only a dream. “I’m going to go home. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Silence followed him as he walked from Shot of Sin. Silence and mourning. He’d done the right thing…maybe not in the right way, but protecting Cassie from the past had been his aim, and he’d achieved that. Now all he had to do was live with the consequences.