“What is she lying about?” I ask cautiously.
“She’s blowing everything out of proportion,” he says.
“You raped me, you lowlife!” Dom shouts.
Jesus Christ. Please, God, tell me I misheard her.
“He raped me, Rod. He raped me.”
Her words hit me with the impact of a speeding train.
“Wh—wh—what?” I stutter.
It’s a struggle for me to take in air and breathe.
“Lying bitch!” he repeats.
“Gideon, did you touch her?” is all I manage. I can’t say the word. Not in relation to the woman I love.
Gideon’s lips curl up in a condescending sneer. “It wasn’t my fault, bro.Shecame on tome. She begged me to fuck her. She said she was tired of waiting around for you to do the honors.”
“Stop twisting things around. You raped me!” Dom shouts again.
Reality descends like a tone of bricks.
“He hurt you?” I ask Dom, my gaze remains steady on my former mentor.
“For fuck’s sake, Rod. You’re—”
“He did!” she yells and starts crying again. “I was only seventeen and a virgin, but you didn’t care, Gideon. You wanted to take something from Rod. You kept repeating it over and over again. You said it again tonight. You’ve always wanted to be Rod! You’re just a worthless piece of shit who preys on young girls.”
My brain is desperately trying to make sense of Dom’s accusation.
The stuff on the Internet is true?
“I trusted you! Rod trusted you!” Dom screams. “You hurt me then you threatened to ruin Rod’s career if I said anything to anyone.”
“Get over yourself, slut. You wanted my dick, begged for—”
Gideon doesn’t finish his sentence.
I charge towards him and slam my fist into his jaw with such force teeth go flying out of his mouth. He falls back like a felled tree, his head landing with a crack into the broken glass.
He’s out cold.
Not good enough.
I dive to the floor. “Goddamn, motherfucker,” I growl, lifting my arm over my head.
“Rod! Stop! Please don’t,” Dom pleads.
I hesitate for a long moment, debating, with my fist still ready to beat Gideon into the next life.
I don’t answer. I can’t even speak. Rage boils inside me like lava.
“He isn’t worth it,” Dom says softly. “You can’t go to prison on his account. I love you too much, Rod. Don’t break my heart. Please, don’t do this,” she pleads.
It takes every ounce of willpower I possess to hold back.
