Page 11 of His Beautiful Revenge
“No. I think we both know it’s over at this point. God, I knew she was cheating and my instinct was to find out who with, but now I wish I never knew. I wish I had just had the guts to finish it.”
They sat in silence until Carmel came back down and re-joined them. “Men? Have we moved into serious territory?”
“Jack’s got a crush.”
Carmel grinned at Giacomo. “How many times have I told you, Jacky? I’m married.”
“Sucks, my mistake.” He grinned at her, but then his smile faded. “Carmel, I met someone. Someone …special. But I also know something that could break her heart. Do I tell her?”
Carmel didn’t have an answer for him.
Zulika took her friend to the police, then accompanied her to the hospital for the rape kit. She saw the burgeoning bruise on Norah’s face and her stomach roiled with fury. When she was sure that Norah was asleep, back safe in Zulika’s apartment, she called her step-brother. He was still asleep.
“Motherfucker,” she hissed down the telephone at him. Lucian was awake then.
“Zul, what the hell is going on?”
In the background, she could hear sirens and she smiled grimly. “Hear those blues and twos,cocksucker? They’re coming for you. I saw what you did to her. I saw the bruises on her face. You fuckingrapedNorah.”
“What the fuck? Rape? I had sex with my girlfriend, Zulika, not that it’s any of your business …and where the hell is Norah? Norah!”
She heard him call out for his absent girlfriend and it made her growl. “You don’t even remember, do you? You hit her, Lucian, then you forced yourself on her. Rape, dear brother, is rape. God, I could kill you.”
“What?” Lucian’s voice had changed from confused to scared now. “No …no … I couldn’t have …god …”
Zulika heard the knock at Lucian’s door. “Better get that, asshole. It’s time for your walk in perp irons. You’ll never see her again. Do you understand? Neither of us. Don’t come near either of us ever again or I’ll have you arrested.”
“Zul …please, call my lawyer …” She heard the police inside his apartment now, telling him to hang up the phone.
“Go fuck yourself.” She said and hung up the phone. Tears began to fall down her cheeks and, trembling, she buried her face in a pillow to muffle her sobs. The shock of what happened was hitting her now, but she knew it was nothing to what Norah must be feeling. Zulika couldn’t believe it; she had never liked her step-brother, but had never thought him capable of this.
She felt an arm slip around her shoulders and looked up to see Norah was awake. They hugged each other for a long time.
“Don’t cry,” Norah said gently, which of course made Zulika cry even harder.
“Why areyoucomfortingme? You’ve been through hell.”
Norah opened her mouth to argue, but her body slumped and she nodded. “I guess it’s just hitting me.”
Ziggy, his eyes mournful, padded over to the two women and stuck his snout between them. Norah gave a little laugh and hugged him. “The only man I can rely on,” she said, stroking his silky head.
They sat up until dawn, talking about what she would do next. “Stay with me,” Zulika begged and Norah agreed.
“Just for now,” she said and told Zulika about the apartments she had already scouted out. “I was lying to myself for so long, Zul. It’s been over for months, maybe even years.”
Zulika nodded. “I think webothneeded to break up with the asshole. It’s not as if our parents are even married anymore.”
Norah didn’t know what to say about that. “I can’t thank you enough for being here for me.”
Zulika hugged her again. “Youare my family, Norah. It’s you and me against the world. You, me, and this fur ball.” She scratched Ziggy’s ears. “Monday, you start your new job with that gorgeous man.”
“God, that seems like a million years ago. Was it really only a few hours?” Norah’s thoughts were in a muddle, she was so tired.
Eventually they fell asleep on Zul’s bed, Ziggy between them, and slept until mid-afternoon.
Lucian did not want his father finding out about his arrest, so he called the one person he knew had enough money to bail him out. Tara arrived, steaming angry, in heavy disguise at the station and posted bail. Lucian tried to kiss her and she stopped him.
“Nothere,” she growled and stalked off, leaving him to trail behind. In her car, speeding out of the city to a motel they often used, she railed against his calling her. “Giacomo could have found out,” she hissed at him. “Or the paparazzi. What if they had taken you to the same station as they do all the celebs? The presspaysthe police to tip them off. If someone recognized me …”
