PECULIAR (✓)

12. Where it's Safe

Charlie Morgan.

The man who drugged me and planned on raping me.

The man who left me scarred and bruised.

Cassius lets go of my chair going forward shouting something but then a man pulls Charlie back. I look behind the two and see two other business people, making me frown.

I'm too tired for this.

I look at the man protecting Charlie and he introduces himself as Charlie's father Ian Morgan, Senior Board Member of the museum.

I roll my eyes, I was expecting them to at least have the decency of giving me a few days of peace.

I look at them all, unsure but Cassius, who is physically restraining himself with his fists to his side and teeth clenched, says to me "I can make them leave all you have to do is ask."

I hold his hand and shake my head.

I've got this.

I tell them that we can do whatever this is inside. As we enter Cassius seems very worried and Ian and Charlie sit looking at him.

Are they really expecting him to leave?

I pull him down to sit on the sofa and I position my chair next to him. I nod for them to start.

Ian starts, his cowardly son with his head down, "Miss Reddy, I'm sorry for what occurred that night an-", but I cut him off...

To hell with formalites.

"Sorry Mr Morgan, you are gonna need to be more specific what occurred that night."

Both Morgan's are quiet so I help them, "Are you talking about your son and his friend drugging me, attacking me leaving me to use this damn wheelchair or for trying to rape me while recording it."

Cassius takes my hand and squeezes it in support.

Ian continues "For it all, but as you can tell my Charlie was influenced by that no good friend of his, Alex and trust me he will not be associated with him anymore."

I wait for more... And his words only got more riduclous, "So if you relay this to the police and in court that Alex was the main man of this whole atta-"

"I don't think so Ian, it was your son who was harassing me at work and your son who left these marks."

Ian looks at the men standing behind him and they put a briefcase on the table and open it.

It makes my blood boil... Did they really think they could buy me off.

Charlie actually smirks, thinking he has won.

Cassius goes to open his mouth and I bring his hand up and leave a kiss, silently asking him to let me control this.

However, the action leaves a scowl on Charlie's face. This makes me feel better.

"Mr Morgan, you and son should leave and take the briefcase with you, because I don't know how much you paid to get him out of jail, but I will make sure he goes back there for a long time."

Both men pale, but before Charlie can speak Cassius stands and tells them to leave.

The look on his face is so intimidating both Morgan's get up instantly and head for the door, not before Ian shouts "This isn't the end Alettra, I'll come back tomorrow and the day after, you'll give in eventua-."

SLAM!

He doesn't get a chance to finish as Cassius closes the door on him, making me sigh.

The Morgan men share the same thing, that nice guy routine is a complete facade.

I bury my head in my hands, wanting the nightmare to be over.

Cassius walks over to me and asking if he can show me something. I nod trusting him.

He picks me up and lays me on the sofa and wraps me in a blanket and then he runs to his bag, pulling out... a book.

"So I was suppose to give this to you that day at Rosa's Cafe but I bottled it, especially when we were reading Carrie, so here", he admitted while scratching the back of his neck.

He places it in my lap and I laugh at the title.

'Pride and Prejudice', of course. Since Cassius has entered my life I have actually had good things to magnify.

He always makes me happy.

He sits opposite me and grabs his laptop, I assume to do his work and I read.

It's peaceful with the sound of his fingers flying across the keyboard and the occassional turning of a page.

We do this for hours. Until I break the silence with an happily exclaim "I'm finished."

Cassius looks up shocked, and I laugh throwing my head back. My mother use to have a fit when I would finish a book she had just brought.

Cassius sits up and looks at me in wonder.

"Jesus Alettra, that's quite impressive."

I smirk while replying "I know, I'm a fast reader."

"No, I was talking about your inability to conceal your emotions when reading, I'm guessing the large gasp while holding your chest was when you found out Darcy's betrayal."

I laugh once a again, as he was right, I had the same problem of laughing out loud when things in a book was funny.

I reply, "Trust me, there was a time when I was reading a trashy romance novel and it got so steamy and vivid that my mother asked me why my eyes were so wide and lips in a tight line."

He counters "Care to explain what happen in that trashy book then, Alettra", and then my eyes go wide making him laugh.

"Well it's still early, what do you want to do then Alettra?"

Before I can answer we hear a knock and I almost tear up out of exhausation and start shaking thinking it's Ian and Charlie Morgan again, knowing I was unable to put up a front again.

But Cassius calms me by telling me it's a food delivery he ordered a little while ago.

I calm down but still feel uneasy. Why can't they just leave me alone...

Cassius sets the food down and we eat while causally talking, but my mind is still on the Morgans.

Cassius senses this and asks "Alettra, I was wondering, um, if you want you could stay at my place for a while, no one would bother you there and it's safe."

He can tell I'm about to decline but then he says the thing that makes me argee instantly.

Cassius Ardent has a library.

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