Page 40 of Ruined By Protection
"What's wrong with how I'm doing it?" he demanded, pulling away from me. "My ex never complained."
After that I learned to fake it. To make the right sounds, to clench my muscles at the right moment, to tell him how good it felt. It was easier than dealing with his wounded ego and subsequent sulking. Sex became another performance in a marriage filled with them.
Damiano clears his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Tomorrow I'll need Matteo with me for that meeting with the commissioner." His voice carries the easy authority of someone used to being obeyed. "Daniel will be available if you need to go anywhere, Hazel."
I straighten in my chair. "Actually, I will need to go somewhere in the morning, if that's okay."
"Of course," Damiano says with a nod. "Daniel will be at your disposal."
Daniel, the tall security man with the buzzed haircut, gives me a curt nod from his position near the door. "I'll wait for you after breakfast, Mrs. Montgomery."
The name makes me flinch. I haven't been thinking of myself as Mrs. Montgomery since I stepped on that plane. Hearing it now feels like Elliott has somehow found me.
"Just Hazel, please," I say, my voice smaller than I intended.
Evelyn reaches over to squeeze my hand. "I'll come with you," she says, her voice warm with support.
I wait for someone to ask where I'm going or why. With Elliott I couldn't even go to the grocery store without explaining my exact route, what I planned to buy, and how long I'd be gone. But no one here questions me. The absence of interrogation feels strange, almost unsettling in its unfamiliarity.
"Thank you," I say, glancing around the table. These people—these dangerous people—are giving me more support and freedom than my husband ever did.
I need to get a phone. I need a way to contact my family, to let them know I'm safe without revealing where I am. And I need a lawyer. Someone who can help me file for divorce and navigate the mess that's coming.
"You okay?" Evelyn whispers.
I nod, although I'm anything but okay.
Tomorrow I'll start taking back control of my life. One step at a time.
CHAPTER 12
Hazel
The law office of Maria Gianelli sits on the thirty-second floor of a sleek Manhattan high-rise. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the city sprawling beneath us, but I barely notice the view. My hands twist nervously in my lap as I sit beside Evelyn on a leather couch, facing the imposing mahogany desk where Ms. Gianelli reviews my situation.
Daniel waits outside in the hallway, giving us privacy while maintaining his watchful position.
"So let me make sure I understand correctly," Ms. Gianelli says, her dark eyes sharp with intelligence. She's striking—tall with olive skin and sleek black hair pulled into a tight bun. "You've left your husband of two years, Elliott Montgomery, CEO of Montgomery Industries, due to ongoing physical and emotional abuse."
I nod, my throat tight. "Yes."
"And you've brought no documentation of this abuse? No police reports, hospital records, photographs?"
"I have these," I say quietly, pulling up my sleeve to reveal the finger-shaped bruises on my forearm. "And more. But no, I never reported anything."
Ms. Gianelli's expression softens slightly. "May I?" she asks, gesturing to my arm.
When I nod, she comes around her desk and examines the bruises, her touch professional and gentle. "These are clearly fingermarks. Recent?"
"Two days ago," I confirm. "Before I left."
She returns to her seat, making notes in an elegant leather portfolio. "Mrs. Montgomery?—"
"Taylor," I interrupt. "Please call me Hazel Taylor."
She nods, understanding in her eyes. "Ms. Taylor, I won't sugarcoat this. Divorcing a man of your husband's wealth and influence will be challenging. Montgomery Industries is a Fortune 500 company with considerable resources at their disposal."
"I don't want his money," I say quickly. "I just want out."
