Gentleman Sinner(100)

Judy looks over her shoulder when the door opens again, as do I, my shakes intensifying. Jess takes in the scene, eyes wide. ‘What’s happened?’

‘I don’t know,’ Judy says, returning her attention to me. ‘I found her in here. I think she’s having a panic attack.’

‘Izzy?’ Jess says as she hurries over, her medical instinct taking over. ‘Izzy, can you hear me?’ She grabs my wrist and feels. ‘Jesus, your pulse is through the roof. And what the hell happened to your face?’

‘Get Theo,’ Judy orders harshly. ‘He’s gone to the office. Second door on the left out of here.’

Bile burns up my throat, and I scramble free from Judy’s fussing hands and throw my head over the sink, retching painfully. ‘No,’ I plead as Jess heads for the door. ‘I’m fine.’ Theo is going to demand to know what’s wrong. I can’t tell him. It’ll be a murder scene out there.

I feel a palm rubbing at my back and hear faint, soothing words from Judy. My head is blitzed with tormenting memories – the bruises, the bastard’s hand sailing through the air and connecting with my face. His hand on my leg. The knife held at my throat while he warned me not to move. And then the cuts to my stomach when I was stupid enough to, making him fight with me, the knife flailing uncontrolled. I retch again, seeing Jess by the door in the reflection of the mirror. I shake my head as best I can, silently telling her not to get Theo.

‘Go!’ Judy yells. Jess looks at me, torn. But she doesn’t get the chance to obey Judy’s demand.

The sound of the door hitting the wall alerts me to Theo’s presence, followed by a string of explicit language. He’s crowding me a second later, his arms wrapped around my waist, his body bending over mine where I’m braced against the sink. He jolts behind me in time to my continued heaves.

‘I found her in here,’ Judy explains. ‘In a mess, sweating, shaking.’

‘Izzy,’ Theo says softly, pulling my hair back. ‘What’s the matter, baby? Talk to me.’

I can only shake my head, trying to get a hold of myself as my mind works hard, fighting to build an explanation for my epic meltdown.

‘Take your time,’ he whispers, his palm splayed on my stomach, his front pushed into my back. ‘Breathe.’

It takes minutes for me to gain some kind of composure, but when I look up to the mirror, I see that my face is still drained of colour. My watery green eyes meet Theo’s fretful blue ones. And his worry transforms into rage when he catches the mark on my cheek. ‘I’m sorry,’ I mumble, fumbling for the tap to splash my face. ‘I suddenly felt unwell. I tripped in my rush to get to the toilet.’

His hand lands on mine over the tap, stopping me from turning it on, and I look up at him in the reflection of the mirror, feeling his whole body lock up against mine. ‘Leave us,’ he says over his shoulder, his lips hardly moving, his eyes holding me captive.

I detect Judy and Jess moving out of the toilet as dread fills me. My excuse was lame. It was an insult, and Theo looks thoroughly insulted. When I hear the door close, I swallow, watching as his cobalt eyes become darker and darker, fury filling them. He begins to slowly rotate my body until I’m facing him, my head lowering to avoid his wrath.

What can I say? What will he do? Maybe if I keep him here long enough, the bastard who broke me will be gone by the time Theo gets out of the restroom. Firm fingers seize my jaw and lift. The sharp edges of his handsome face are as scary as can be. ‘Tell me why you’re in this state. And tell me what the fuck happened to your face.’

My eyes flood, and I glance away, evading the building rage. ‘I feel—’

‘As God as my witness, Izzy, I will rip my club to shreds until I find an answer.’

I shrink, wholeheartedly believing him. ‘Please,’ I beg, for no purpose other than stalling him. He’s going out there whether I tell him or not, and I don’t doubt for a moment that he’ll hunt down what’s got me in such a state.

He pulls my face up, his lips straight with impatience. ‘The man in the tacky black shirt,’ he says. ‘I’ve seen him before. At Stan’s tattoo shop, in the waiting room. Who is he?’

I lose my breath, giving myself away. ‘He’s no one.’

‘Don’t lie to me, Izzy. I had Stan give him a free pass to the Playground.’

‘You invited him here?’ I gasp. ‘You exposed me to him knowingly?’ I can’t devote one second to the fact that I have completely failed in my attempt to keep Theo in the dark. I’m too shocked.

‘My men have been watching him since he arrived. I needed to know if it was him who got you all anxious that day at Stan’s. Now I do.’

‘Watching him?’ I question in disbelief. ‘He just dragged me through your club and cuffed my face!’

His jaw ticks wildly, and I know his men will pay for their failure. ‘Who is he?’ Theo asks, more calmly than I know he’s feeling. ‘Tell me who the fuck he is.’

‘Trystan,’ I choke, looking away. ‘He was a client at the strip club I . . .’

He sucks in air and drops me from his hold, stepping back. His body is vibrating, and I know this is just the beginning of his rage. Just the sparks before the explosion. ‘What did he do to you?’