Lila

She hadn't been able to stay at the office, face the wide eyes and whispers. She was a coward, but while they were all still listening to Chris, she'd snuck out, packed up her things, and gone back to the Penthouse.

​​

Now she stood there, her own speech to the staff about work continuing as it always had ringing her ears while she was… incapable.

She'd tried to write a press release about her appointment as CEO, and all she could see was Dane's lips on that woman's skin.

She'd tried to get into the system to see if she could find any more strange or unlikely intelligence entries, but she'd gotten the password wrong four times because she kept seeing visions of Dane, his head thrown back, the tendons on his neck standing proud—

With a frustrated groan she walked into the kitchen to see if she could find something to eat, and ended up cleaning out the fridge instead. No one had been here—at least, not eating—for the better part of two weeks and some things were beginning to grow.

Her rib was aching and her hands stank by the time she stopped. But at least she hadn't seen Dane with that woman for a good sixty seconds at one point.

She'd just dumped the last of the smelly food into the trash and tied up the bag when the doorbell dinged, the dinged again, then a pounding started at the door.

Rushing through the kitchen to the entryway, Lila peered through the peephole. Sure enough, it was Chris. She wondered why he hadn't called her—then realized she hadn't had her phone on her. Where was it?

Bracing herself, she unlocked the door and swung it open.

He stood there, one arm braced on the frame, the other slack at his side, glaring. "Really? You just left?"

"Hello. It's good to see you too. How are you doing, Lila? I'm fine thank you, Chris—how did it go with the staff?"

He didn't smile. Or apologize. "Can I come in?" he said through his teeth.

She opened the door wider and stepped back until he was inside, then closed it behind him, following him through to the living area while he ranted.

"Next time you're going to put me in the hotseat, maybe give me some warning. If we're going to do this together, we need to be in it together. Not to mention that you should have stayed, there were some questions there that really needed your answer and it was embarrassing when we couldn't find you."

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Why did you take off?"

"I told you, I have a few things going on."

He folded his arms and stared at her for a minute.

"What?" she asked.

"Is this how it's going to be? You're going to leave me to do everything while you hang out in the Penthouse and feel sorry for yourself?"

"Are you serious right now?" she was truly shocked at his callousness. Until she realized… "You didn't get the video, did you?"

"No! No one has, except you, that I'm aware of. Which means you need to get it to the Police!"

She balked—and she realized it was because she felt… embarrassed. She dropped her face in her hands. She knew she couldn't function that way. That this was all so much bigger than her—or even Dane, at this point. But the idea of those horrible men watching her husband, like it was some kind of porn video…

"Lila, I—"

"Please, just give me a second," she ground out and turned her back on him. She had to show him. He was being a jerk because he didn't realize and she knew he'd understand if he saw it. But again, she wanted to hold it back. She didn't want to share this with other people, and who could blame her.

Then she remembered what Dane had said when that terrible photo was released.

…"Look at me," he croaked. When she didn't take eyes off the computer, he tugged gently at her hand. "Lila. Look. At. Me."

She snapped her head to him then, her eyes half-filled with tears. Turning away from Chris, he took her face in his hands. "You did nothing wrong," he muttered through his teeth. Her eyes started to slide back to the laptop, but he shifted so he was between her and the screen. "I love you. You looked delicious tonight—so desirable I could barely control myself. Our touching is completely natural. It's what people do when they love each other and want each other. You did nothing wrong…"

She pulled in a shaky breath and opened her eyes to find Chris staring at her, worried.

"Lila, what's going on?"

She didn't answer. Instead she looked around, hunting for her phone, eventually finding it in her purse, which she'd put in the bedroom.

She cued the video up doing everything she could not to actually look at the image, then handed her phone to Chris. "This is what's up."

He took it and pressed play, his mouth dropping open right away. He looked up at her warily and she gestured to the phone. "Just watch it. All of it. Especially the end."

He swallowed and looked back down at the phone.

She went to the bathroom while he was watching because she couldn't even listen to that.

When she got back he was obviously at the end. His eyes were riveted on the screen, his jaw tense and face red—with anger. And when it was done, he cleared it off the screen and threw the phone on the couch before walking towards her.

Lila folded her arms. "I know I'm being weird right now, but that… that really threw me and you can't—"

"I'm so sorry, Lila," Chris said, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her into his chest. He rubbed her back and spoke quietly, and Lila had to swallow tears. "I'm sorry, I had no idea. I can't believe he… I mean… I'm sorry."

She shook her head and pulled out of his arms to step back. She needed to breathe. "I've given it to John to make sure it's real before I… make any decisions."

"Decisions?"

"If he's doing that… I don't have a husband if he's doing that. But… I just can't believe he would. I mean, he's been so loyal. And I know his father was probably putting pressure on him—he had it filmed, for fuck's sake! But I also… I wonder…"

Chris's lips thinned. He was shaking. "Men don't have orgasms if they aren't… aroused," he said through his teeth.

Lila's heart sank and she nodded. "Yeah… I figured…"

"I mean, I mean, I can get… I'm sorry, Lila, I have to say this—a guy can get an erection he doesn't want, okay? That's real. But an orgasm? I don't know. I really don't think so. That fucking asshole!"

"Stop. He's… he's pushing me away because he wants me safe. I know that."

"Bullshit! He's sick! He's always been sick when it has to do with his dad. I just thought. I never thought… there was no way he didn't know they were filming that Lila!"

"I know!"

"So why are you even here? Why aren't you… I don't know, this so fucked. Fucking Dane!"

"Stop, Chris, please."

"No!" Chris's eyes were wide and his face beet red. He was so angry he shook. "You don't deserve all the crap you've already put up with! But this? This is fucking insane, and he knows that and he's still… FUCK."

"Stop!"

"No, I won't stop, Lila! I won't let him keep doing this to you! Do you realize that it's all been him? All his drama? All his fucking issues! The only reason you were fucking kidnapped was because of him! The only reason you had to watch this… this filth is because of him and… fucking Dane!"

"I sent it to John to make sure it's real. They have amazing technology these days—"

"Is that real for Dane, Lila? Is that how he looks? How he sounds?"

"Stop." She couldn't breathe.

"No, you need to face fucking facts—is that your husband's normal… way of being when he's getting laid?"

His words pelted her like stones. "Chris—"

"Wake up, Lila! They can put another head on a different body, or whatever. But they can't make someone have the same body as him, the same way he sounds and looks and… fucking wake up!"

"I am awake!" she screamed at him so hard she saw stars. "But I am not going to end my entire life until I know for certain!"

"You do though!" Chris screamed back. "What is it about him? Why do you have this… this blindness about how fucking sick in the head he is? Why do you put up with all his shit—you don't deserve this, Lila! He's completely fucked and you're just bending over for him!"

"I don't deserve you yelling at me—that's what I don't deserve!"

"HE BROKE YOUR FUCKING RIB BANGING YOU AND YOU'RE STILL DEFENDING HIM!" Chris roared so loudly, Lila stumbled back away from him, her eyes wide and mouth open.

Something… something… something about that…

Chris's shoulders heaved through his bared teeth and he glared at her.

Lila swallowed and took another step back. "How did you know that?" she breathed. "No one knew that… except Doug."

Chris went very still.

*****

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