Page 67 of Rio's Release

“Where?” Rio asks. His voice is deceptively quiet, but there’s steel underneath, and I know rage is already filling him.

I shouldn’t have told him any of this, and I shake my head.

His hand squeezes my shoulder. “Tell me, Shelby.”

I stutter in a breath and continue. “There used to be an old glass factory. I don’t know if it’s still there. He parked behind it. There was no one around. All the businesses in the area were closed and deserted. I think he’d planned it all along. Maybe he’d used this spot before.”

I don’t even have to finish. Rio spins me around and takes me in his arms. I bury my face in his shoulder and hang onto him like a drowning person.

He strokes my head, and my throat gets so tight I can’t speak. Rio says the words for me.

“He raped you?”

I nod against his shoulder.

“Baby, I’m so sorry.”

“He told me his brother was a guard at the prison, and he’d seen the log where you’d had a visitor. His brother told him the name on that log. He laughed and said, maybe I was in on that robbery. He threatened to go to the bank authorities and tell them.” I can feel the tension in him.

“So it was because of me he did that to you? My God, baby, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. He’s an animal.”

“Did you go to the hospital?” Rio whispers.

“No,” I squeak out.

“Did you report it?”

“I tried. He took me to my car and laughed, like he knew he didn’t have to worry about any consequences. I swear to God, if I’d had a gun right then, I would have shot him.” I drag in a shaky breath. “I drove to the police station. Back then, I didn’t know the entire force was corrupt. I told the sheriff, filed a report, but they did nothing. That’s when I knew I had to leave town for good. There was nothing to stop him if he tried it again.”

“And that’s when you stopped writing me, stopped coming to see me,” he whispers. “That’s why.”

“I couldn’t face you. I shut down inside. I stopped trusting all men. I avoided them. I didn’t even want to be touched. It took a long time, and still, I haven’t dated a man in all these years. I haven’t wanted to until I saw you standing in my father’s garage. Usually, moments like that—you and Zig coming in the door like that—it would have triggered me; I would have felt trapped, threatened.”

“My God, baby. I had no idea. I wish I’d known what you were going through. I wish you’d written me.”

“What could you have done? I didn’t want to put that on you.”

“And now you fear all men?”

“Somehow, with you, it’s different. There’s anxiety, yes, but the fear isn’t there.”

“Good. Last thing I’d ever want is for you to be afraid of me, angel. I hope you know I’d never hurt you.”

I nod.

He holds me a long time, and I soak in his strength, feeling so safe for the first time in forever. It’s a relief to share the burden of it with someone.

“Shelby, I’d kill any man who hurt you.”

Something in the way he says it, I know he’s talking about the Deputy.

“You can’t do that, Rio.”

“The hell I can’t.” He strokes my shoulder, and I clutch his waist.

“Don’t even think it, Rio. Please. I couldn’t bear it if they sent you back to prison because of me.”

---