“So will you tell me about you now?” he asked her.
“Not much to tell.” Faith shrugged. “The Howler was always going to be my life. I went away to study and came back.”
“Is that where you met that guy? The dickhead who hurt you?”
“He was one of the first people I met when I left Howling to study. I was young and innocent, having only known life here with people I could trust. Here, I was protected; there, I was out on my own. Blair seemed a nice guy; everyone liked him. Then one day he took an interest in me. I was flattered and had a crush on him anyway.”
“I thought I was the only one you had a crush on?”
“Ha ha, not likely. Blair had it all. Money, clothes, and he said all the right things.”
Ryan took their trays to the kitchen, then returned. “What happened?”
She looked at him and thought maybe it was time to share that night. Share and then let go. “He put something in my drink that would make me an easy target, then tried to—”
“I should have killed him,” Ryan growled.
“I remember him pulling my jeans down and thought, this isn’t right, but my limbs weren’t working. We were at his place, and his roommate was meant to be out for the evening. But he came home. Blair left me long enough to see what was going on. I managed to get off the bed and lock myself in the bathroom. Once there, I plunged my head in water and gulped mouthfuls down and got my brain working enough to realize I needed to get out of there.”
Ryan swore loudly.
“I stumbled into the lounge where he was talking to his roommate and said that ‘no small-dicked loser was going to violate me.’ My words were slurred. I then picked up the briefcase he carried everywhere with him and threw it at his head.”
Ryan was torn between laughing and growling.
“The next day he tracked me down and said I was mistaken and that he was just looking after me because I’d drunk too much.”
“What did you do to him?”
Faith smiled; Ryan knew her well. She was the take-action-immediately type. No revenge served cold for Faith.
“I punched him hard in the nose and broke it. I then told everyone who would listen what he’d done. It possibly wasn’t the best thing to do, as he was popular, but some girls believed me because he’d done it to them.”
“Tell me the ones he’d hurt went to the cops?” Ryan said.
Faith shook her head. “No one actually told me he had succeeded, and when I asked if anyone had laid a complaint, they all said Blair was popular and no one would believe them.”
“I hate guys like that. I’m glad you broke his nose again, baby.”
“Me too. And now I need to go, or Noah will send out Cubby to find me.”
“I told him you were here.”
“Of course you did.” She sighed. “Once a Howler, always a Howler, right?”
“He’s your brother and worried about you. I just eased that worry.”
She got to her feet, and he joined her.
“Stay with me.” His words were a deep rumble against her ear as he pulled her into his body.
“That is not a good idea.” She eased out of his arms. “Because you’re leaving, and now I can handle that, but if we get closer it will hurt.”
That was a lie. Faith knew already it was going to hurt like hell.
“You could leave with me.” He pushed the hair back from her cheek. “I want to carry you into the bedroom, strip you naked, and convince you to not give up on us. However, I know I can’t do that because of what happened, so I’d just hold you in my arms instead.”
“You need to stop talking.” Faith’s voice was husky. “I have a headache and can’t do anything too strenuous, and while you say we’d just lie in each other’s arms, I’m sure that wouldn’t last.”