Breath of Scandal (49 page)

He reached out and stroked her cheek before she was

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able to swat away his hand, then grinned when she did. "You're not scared that I'll harm that boy of yours. You're scared that I'll claim him, or better yet, that he'll claim me.

Neal was sterile. The Patchetts' thinking was dynastic. In that startling, terrifying moment, Jade realized how significant Graham's existence was to them. They would try to make him one of them. Hiding her fear, she said, "There isn't even a remote possibility of that happening."

"No? He liked me, Jade. Ask him."

"I don't doubt that you charmed him. Boys his age are easily attracted to wickedness."

He gave a short laugh. "Why don't you make it easy on us all? If you would only say the word, I'd do right by you and offer you marriage, like I should have fifteen years ago, We could be one, big, happy family, living in the family home-three generations of Patchett men and the house's new mistress. "

"Stay away from my son," she said in a sinister monotone. "I'm warning you, Neal."

"Jade," he cooed, "you know better than anyone that, in Palmetto, the only warning worth shit is one that comes from a Patchett."

He stepped closer to her and closed his hand around her jaw. "Let me give you one. Don't fight me. I'm going to have my son with or without you." He smiled at her meaningfully. "I'd just as soon it be a package deal." Then he winked. "You had me once, and it wasn't all that bad, was it?"

She yanked her head out of his grasp and backed away from him.

"That's all for now," he said, his smile still in place. "I'm late for an appointment."

After blowing her a kiss, he got into his El Dorado and drove away. Jade maintained her fearless posture until he was out of sight, then she slumped against the exterior wall of the temporary building. Dillon barged through the door.

His face was as fierce, dark, and angry as a fallen angel's.

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"Okay, I've been nice. I've been patient. But I'm up to here with this crap. I want to know what the hell is going on and why. You aren't leaving here until I do."

CHAPTER

Twenty-Six

Taking her hand, he pulled her up the steps behind him. He locked the door, took the telephone off the hook, and pointed her toward the short sofa. "Sit down."

"I've still got work to do, Dillon."

"You're shot for the day. Anyway, I don't       care what was on your agenda, we're going to have a chat. Now, sit down. "

She dropped down onto the sofa, covering her face with her hands, capitulating more from emotional distress than blind obedience.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

She shook her head. Dillon drew up a metal folding chair, placed it only inches beyond her knees and straddled it backward, propping his arms on the back of it. "Okay, let's have it."

"Have what?"

"Jesus," he swore irritably. "Are we going to play more guessing games?"

"This is your game, not mine. I want to go home." "A minute ago you wanted to work."

"Stop bullying me!" "Then start talking."

"What do you want to know?"

"For starters you can explain why two men are claiming Graham as their son."

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"Either would have a lot to gain if Graham was his child. Hutch would get a kidney. And Neal would have an heir." When Dillon raised his eyebrows inquisitively, she added, "He's sterile as a result of the accident that took off Ivan's legs. "

Dillon digested that, but he was dissatisfied with her explanation. "It still doesn't make sense, Jade. Men don't ordinarily leap forward claiming paternity. Usually it's the other way around. "

"Their circumstances are unusual." "Did you sleep with both of them?" "No."

"So their claims to Graham are totally unfounded?" She said nothing.

"Who is his father, Jade?" "I don't know!"

"Then you did sleep with both of them." "No!"

"Goddammit," he shouted, "come clean with me." "They raped me!"

The words echoed loudly off the walls of the small room. They reverberated inside Dillon's skull as he stared at Jade, shocked speechless. Once again she covered her face with her hands.

"They raped me," she repeated softly. "They raped me.-

Dillon shoved all ten fingers through his hair and held it off his face for several moments. When he lowered his hands, he rubbed his palms up and down his thighs. He had wanted to know. He had hounded her to tell him. But he hadn't counted on this.

He had expected to hear the confessions of a reformed wayward teenage girl, or of a shy introvert who had sought attention by being easy, or of a rebel out to torment strict parents. He hadn't expected rape.

"When, Jade?"

"In February of my senior year in high school. It was the day I learned that Gary and I had received full academic scholarships to the university."

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"Gary?" Hell, just when he thought he knew all the players in this drama, she introduced another one.

"Gary Parker," she said. "We were high-school sweethearts, but much more than that. We were going to get marded and, together, change the world."

In a quiet, faraway voice, she told him about their relationship. "We had such great expectations for the future. I loved him very much."

"Could he be Graham's father?"

She looked toward the window, which was, by now, a square patch of lavender twilight. "No. I was a virgin when they raped me."

"Christ. And the two of them got away with it?"

Her eyes came back to him. "Actually there were three. The third was Lamar Griffith. He was a shy, sensitive boy, but he went along to save face with Neal."

"Does he still live in Palmetto?"

She told him about Lamar's fate. After a lengthy pause, Dillon said, "I take it, it was Neal's idea."

"Oh yes," she replied fiercely. "He was their ring leader. If it hadn't been for him, it would never have happened. But Hutch and Lamar could have stopped it. Instead they raped me too, then left me there."

"Left you?"

"Donna Dee was driving me out to Gary's house so I could tell him about our scholarships. On the way there, we ran out of gas."

Dillon listened as she recalled that dreary afternoon. She didn't spare a single detail. Through the years, her recollections had remained crystal clear.

"When they first drove away with me, I was mad. I began to get afraid when Neal didn't take the turnoff to Gary's house. Instead, he drove to a channel where they had been fishing earlier. He ordered everybody out of the car. I argued, but he dragged me out."

"And the other two went along like dumb sheep?" "It's hard to imagine how much control Neal had over them. They would do anything he said. He passed out cans

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of beer. I refused to drink any. When they were finished, I asked if we could go. Neal said, 'Not yet.' I asked him why. And he said . . . " She faltered. Her eyes dropped to her lap. "He said, 'Because before we go, the three of us are going to fuck you.' "

Dillon folded his hands together and, propping his elbows on the back of the chair, covered his mouth with his double fist. He closed his eyes, wishing that he had never used that crudity with her, wishing with all his might that he had smashed Neal Patchett's complacent mug when he had the chance.

"I didn't doubt for an instant that he meant it. " Jade's voice sounded hollow. Dillon knew she wasn't there with him; she was back on that cold, rainy, February night.

"I turned and ran, but Neal reached out and grabbed a handful of my hair. It hurt. I cried out, and tears came to my eyes. I raised my hands to try to work his hand out of my hair, but I couldn't. While my arms were raised, he put his other arm around my waist and pushed me to the ground. It was cold and wet." She grimaced. "It smelled badlike dead fish.

"Hutch shouted, 'Neal, what the hell do you think you're doing?' And Neal replied, 'Exactly what I told her we were going to do. Shut up and help me. Hold her arms.'

"I was screaming and crying and saying no, no. I couldn't see anyone except Neal. I struck at him until Hutch dropped down behind my head and got hold of my wrists. He pinned them to the ground above my head. Neal was bending over me, telling me to shut up. He slapped me several times.

"Lamar said, 'Jesus, Neal, have you gone nutsT Neal glanced over his shoulder and said, 'Make yourself useful and stop acting like a pussy. We're not going to hurt her.' Lamar hung back. I couldn't see him, but I heard him say, 'She's crying.' Neal got really angry then. He said, 'Do you want a piece of this or not? If not, get the fuck out of my sight.'

"Neal had been lying on top of me. He pushed my thighs apart and dug one knee into the muscle on the inside of my

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thigh. I screamed. He slapped me again. I tried to kick. That's when Lamar took hold of my ankles. I couldn't move. I began pleading with them not to do it.

" 'Shut her up,' Neal said. 'I can't stand that whining, female bullshit.' Hutch took both my wrists in one hand and covered my mouth with the other. I tilted my head back and tried to plead with Hutch for help with my eyes, but he wasn't looking into my face. He was watching what Neal was doing."

Dillon didn't move a muscle. He said nothing. For a moment, Jade fiddled with the buckle on her wristwatch. It was so quiet in the room, he could hear it ticking.

"Neal ripped open my blouse. My bra fastened in the front. He unhooked it and laid it open. I remember ... I remember being so embarrassed for being exposed that way. I squeezed my eyes shut. I bit my tongue until I tasted blood. He said, 'Isn't that a pretty sight? Jade Sperry's tits. , "

She  hiccupped a dry sob. "I thought I would die. I wanted to die. The mortification of it ... Neal, whom I hated . . . " She cupped her mouth with her hand as though she were about to be sick, but she continued, her speech muffled by her hand. "He put his hands on me. He squeezed and pinched and pulled at me. It was awful and painful and debasing. Then he leaned over and sucked hard on my left nipple. So hard it hurt."

Dillon shot from his chair. Palms out, he shoved his hands into the rear pockets of his worn jeans and prowled the room as though looking for an easy exit. The violence inside him was frightening in its intensity. He wanted to hit something, smash it, destroy it. Obviously, Jade didn't notice his reaction. Her horrifying account continued.

"Neal was laughing when he came up on his knees and unzipped his pants. He shoved them down and took his penis in his hand. He said, 'Nice, isn't it, Jade? Bet your cunt can't wait.' Apparently Hutch began to get worried. He said, 'Neal, come on, you've had your fun. Let her go now.' 'GoT Neal said. 'Hell, no, I'm just getting to the fun part.'

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"Neal pushed my skirt up. I rolled my hips from side to side, trying to stop him from taking off my pantyhose. He was in such a hurry, Lamar had to help him. Then Neal . . . "

Dillon had been standing at the window, gazing out sightlessty at the darkening sky. When she stopped speaking, he glanced over his shoulder at her. Her head was bowed over one hand; she was massaging her temples.

Dillon went back to his chair, turned it around, and sat down facing her. He didn't say anything and somehow resisted the impulse to touch her. His presence alone seemed to reassure her. He took heart in that. She lowered her hand from her face and moistened her lips.

"Neal spat into his hand and rubbed the saliva over himself. He said, 'I'll bet you're good at sucking cock. Don't you suck Parker's? I ought to make you do this for me. ' " She closed her eyes, as though blessedly thankful. "He didn't," she said gruffly.

"It wasn't easy, but he got inside me. I think he was surprised that I was a virgin because he looked into my face and laughed. He leaned over and whispered, 'Well, glory be. I'm going to get your cherry after all,' like that was an inside joke between us. Then he . . . " She bowed her head lower. "He ... he pushed hard and hurt me really bad."

The halogen security lights outside switched on automatically. Some of their blue-white light came though the windows, but for the most part the office was filled with deep shadows and the sibilant sound of her voice.

"I thought it would go on forever. Afterward, I realized that it didn't take him long at all to climax. As he pulled away, he smeared semen on my stomach. He looked up at Hutch and grinned. 'I've greased the skids for you.'

"They switched places. When Hutch removed his hand from my mouth, I tried to scream again, but I didn't have the energy. I barely managed to lift one arm. As Hutch bent over me, I scratched his face. He cursed me and put his hand to his cheek. It came away with blood on his fingers. That made him angry. He grunted, 'Hold her hands, Neal.'

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Neal took my hands and held them on either side of my head.

"Hutch was the only one who kissed me. At first I thought that was all he was going to do. His weight nearly smothered me, and he kept poking his tongue deep into my mouth. It made me retch. I was screaming my outrage on the inside, but the only noise I made sounded like a mewling kitten.

"I heard Neal laughing behind me. 'Will you get on with it, Hutch? Jesus! You're making me horny all over again. Even Lamar's getting a stiff one.' Lamar giggled nervously.

"I did scream when Hutch shoved himself into me. He was twice as rough as Neal. I knew he was tearing me on the inside and making me bleed. I could feel it."

"Those bastards," Dillon hissed. In barely controlled rage, he was thumping his fists against his thighs.

"When Hutch climaxed, he arched his back and made this horrible, braying sound. I remember him pulling his lips away from his teeth. He looked so ugly, repulsive. Then he collapsed on top of me. I couldn't breathe, but I felt his hot breath on my neck. It smelled like beer and made me nauseated, but I was afraid that if I gave in to it and vomited, I would drown in it. So I managed to keep it down.

"Lamar went last. By then I didn't have the strength to fight. I thought Lamar might cry when he looked down at me. His hands were at his fly, but he hesitated. Neal said, 'What's the matter? Let's see you do your stuff.' 'I don't know if I should, Neal.' Lamar's voice was shaky and uncertain. That was characteristic of him.