Page 66 of Ignacio

She was going to be sick.

Delta had known the backlash was coming, but she hadn’t expected Leo to move so quickly. The texted photos were an unmistakable threat.

With her feet rooted to the floor of the bedroom she shared with Ignacio, she stared down at the screen of her phone, holding the device with trembling fingers. Leo had sent two photos of her sixteen-year-old self with bare shoulders to indicate her nakedness without showing her nude body.

As she watched, another text came through. This one contained only words. This time, the nausea won. She raced into the bathroom and dropped the phone on the counter, barely reaching the toilet in time to throw up. The contents of her stomach splashed into the water.

When she was finished, she wiped her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes, hugging the bowl like a woman dealing with the aftermath of a night spent drinking. She wasn’t sure how much time passed, but that’s how Ignacio found her when he returned home from his morning run.

He dropped to his haunches. “Delta, what’s wrong?” Panic filled his voice.

She didn’t know how to answer.

Ignacio smoothed her hair from her face with a gentle hand. “What’s wrong,mi amor? Talk to me.”

“I told you he would—he would retaliate.”

He knew right away who she was referring to, and his lips firmed. “What happened?”

“There’s a tape.” Delta sniffed.

“A tape? I don’t understand.”

She roughly brushed the tears from her cheeks. “He taped me. I had no idea he was recording what happened.”

Ignacio stared at her in silence. “How did you find out?”

She pointed at her phone on the counter. “He sent messages.”

Ignacio retrieved the phone and then returned to her. She took the device and showed him the photos and the text. “The photos must be stills from the video. He doesn’t come right out and admit that he filmed me, but he makes it clear in the text that a video exists.”

“I can’t believe he sent these to you.” Ignacio’s voice was tight with barely restrained anger, his brows furrowed as he stared at the screen. His grip on the phone was so tense she half-expected it to crack. “But no matter what he threatens, he won’t release a video of you.”

“Why do you think he won’t?” Delta demanded.

“Because if he did, he would incriminate himself. You were a minor, and what he did to you was evil and illegal. He would never want the general public to find out.”

She let out a brittle laugh, hollow and filled with pain. “You don’t know that, Ignacio.”

“I do.”

He reached for her, but she recoiled, scooting backward until she hit the wall. She drew in her legs and folded her arms tightlyacross them in an effort to make herself smaller. She wanted to disappear.

“You’re wrong. He doesn’t care,” she whispered.

Ignacio exhaled, dragging a hand down his face. “Delta, listen to me. If he releases the video, he would be in a lot of trouble. Trust me.” He spoke in a low, coaxing voice, as if trying to talk someone off a ledge.

“Trust you? I trusted you when I told you what happened to me, and you—” Her voice broke with emotion. “You attacked him in public, Ignacio.”

His face twisted, contrition flickering in his eyes. “I wasn’t thinking.” His voice was hoarse and full of regret.

“I don’t know what to do. He’s threatening to tell everyone that I slept my way to the top. I don’t know what to do. I don’t…” She started shaking again.

This time, when he reached for her, she didn’t move away. She allowed him to pull her into his chest. Sobbing on his shoulder, she clung to him, crying her eyes out.

“I’ll fix it. I promise, he won’t hurt you anymore. I’ll do whatever I have to do.” He smoothed her hair as she continued to cry.

Delta lost track of time, and when she finally stopped crying, his shirt was soaked. She moved away from Ignacio, rinsed out her mouth, and washed her face. Ignacio watched her in silence, sensing she no longer wanted to be touched.

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