13. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

The next song was a little quicker, and Rowan had some fun with it, flirting with Sig shamelessly. That, however, was as much for the other men as it was for Sig, so they’d see he was only interested in one guy in the VIP.

As he leaned on the fencing, breathless, he nodded when Sig asked, “Ready for that room?”

“You betcha,” he croaked.

“Be right back, babe.”

After Sig left, Rowan turned to leave the little stage and saw the big man standing on the stairs on the other side of the corral gate. “Howdy, partner.”

“Hello, sir,” he said friendly enough, though he didn’t make eye contact.

“How about you take this tip and come sit on the couch with my friend and me?”

Rowan brought his eyes to the man’s dark ones and said, “I’m really sorry, but I told you before, I’m here with someone.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, but I assure you, I’ll give you double what he gave you.”

Rowan wanted to scream, but he knew how to deal with men that tried to push him. He flirted a little and said, “Honey, as tempting as that might be, I am with my…my boyfriend. He’s going to be right back.”

“Boyfriend? Is that what you’re calling your johns now?”

Rowan’s entire body felt like he had fallen through the ice in a lake. He was shaking with the cold, and his body froze solid. He couldn’t breathe.

“That’s what I thought,” he purred. “I saw you in Vegas. That man that had you on his arm all night? Lester Canne? He’s a good friend of mine. He told me all about you. Now, you’re with that guy. Another rich man.”

Rowan’s brows somehow unfroze and drew hard.

“I know who Sigmund Longfield is, and he can try to hide behind that mask, but it’s all over the ranch about him selling horses to the fucking mafia.”

The man had a ruddy face and bulbous nose with huge pores, but those weren’t what made him ugly. It was the confidence he had that Rowan would go with him, that Rowan was nothing but a whore, and it was Rowan’s own fault. He was a fucking whore. He had been with Lester Canne for four days, getting fucked by his little dick and his longer fingers until he was sent off with a huge check and lower self-esteem.

The shaking got worse, but the man didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, it was only pushing him more. “Tell Longfield you don’t feel well, and you’ll get a coach back to wherever you’re staying. Come to room three downstairs. I’ll double what he’s paying you.”

The two men walked off together, laughing, and Rowan fell to the floor of the stage, tears streaming down his face. When he felt hands on him, he started to fight, fear striking his heart.

“Baby! Rowan! What the hell happened?”

Sig’s voice came through, and he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. Soon, however, he was moving, as Sig had picked him up and carried him across the floor, right to the stairs.

“Sir, is he sick?”

“I’m in room five. Send a doctor, please, Sergio.”

“Of course, right away.”

All this sounded like he was in a long tunnel, and the lights from floor to floor were streaking in front of his vision as his eyes continued to fill and empty of tears.

Sig set him on a bed and sat on the edge next to him. “Baby, are you sick? What the hell is going on?”

Rowan didn’t want to tell him. Reminding Sig that he was a whore wouldn’t help anything.

“Rowan! Talk to me right now!”

Blinking, like he’d come out of a nightmare, he saw Sig’s face clearly for the first time since…the stage. “Sig…you don’t want me. You should go home and forget about me.”

“That’s not happening, so tell me what brought this on! When I left you, you were smiling.” Sig held his hand and stared at him. “Talk to me, baby. Talk to me.”

“Those men, they knew me. Like…they’d…seen me before, and they knew what I…what I did, what I’ve done…who I am.”

That seemed to bring Sig around to what was happening. He sighed, “Mother fuckers hurt you. They wanted to…pay for you.”

Rowan nodded. “I don’t know why it bothered me so much. It’s true, I’m a fucking whore!”

“No, you’re not. You made money with your body for a while. We all do what we must do to get by. Now, though, you’re with me. You’re mine. You don’t do that anymore.”

Rowan thought of the hundred-dollar bill Sig had given him that first night and fear struck his heart again. “You did pay me, though.”

“What?” he asked as he stared, then it dawned on him. “I tipped you for dancing, you idiot. I have never paid for sex and never would.”

Tears came again, but Sig didn’t seem to have the patience for them. “I’m going to go check on that doctor. What I want you to do right now is remember that I am in love with you. I want you to be happy for the rest of your life, and I am done wondering about the future.” He leaned down and grabbed Rowan’s face. “You are mine. Period. Mine.”

It wasn’t long before he was in the room alone with a doctor checking Rowan’s vitals and asking him questions. The doctor was handsome, serious, and was terribly concerned. “Rowan, you are nearly in shock. You need to rest tonight, and I will give you something to help you.” He was given water, valium, and a robe. Suddenly, the beautiful clothing Sig had gotten him seemed vulgar.

Jace’s partner, Roland, was the one to drive him home, and he didn’t think to ask why until they were almost at the house. “Where is Sig?”

“He, uh, had some business to take care of. He’s going to be here soon. I’m going to wait with you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do. Jace asked me to, and I wouldn’t leave you alone like this anyway.”

His head was swimming, and it was hard to grab onto one thought and hold it for long. “Why isn’t Sig here?”

Roland squirmed in the driver’s seat but didn’t hesitate long. “Business, honey. He’ll be here soon.”

In the house, Roland turned on the lights in the living room and ran up the stairs. He was back quickly with some pajamas for Rowan, and he helped him to the bathroom on the main floor to change.

Rowan came back out of the bathroom and Roland was right there, helping him to the couch. “Lie down here a while. I have more valium for you. Doctor Lee sent us with a week’s supply for you.”

“I hate pills,” he said, but he wouldn’t argue. So far, the one he’d been given had helped.

“Me too. But, for now, anyway, you need them.”

“Do you…know what happened to me?”

Roland covered him with a blanket he’d brought down when he’d gotten Rowan’s pajamas. “Sigmund told Jace, who told me some of it, but I figured out the rest. I understand what made you upset. I really do,” he said, sitting on the coffee table. “That was wrong of that man, but it wasn’t all about that. You fell for someone, and now you think your past will keep him from fully loving you.”

Rowan’s eyes threatened more tears, but he blinked them away. “How could he love me?”

“Well, he does. He’s crazy about you. He was so worried, Rowan. It was heartbreaking, how terrible he felt. He blames himself for leaving you in the VIP.”

“It’s not his fault!”

Roland grabbed his hand. “Shh. Don’t get upset.”

“Well, it’s not. He’s…he’s so good. He’s so sweet. What the hell does he want with some whore?”

Roland’s long, curly hair was brought into a ponytail as he said, “I don’t know you, but I can guess. Anyone that gets this upset about something like that, well, they’d be a keeper in my book.”

“I love him. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“I know the feeling. Jace, Tango, and I are still pretty new in the scheme of things, but I can’t imagine my life without them. And that is exactly how Sigmund feels about you.”

Sig…the man that had hold of his heart. “Where is he, really? Business? That makes no sense.”

“It…it was a bad choice of word, I guess. Honey, he’s really angry, and he didn’t want you to see that. You don’t need to see that right now.”

That made much more sense, but before he could ask more, Rowan felt himself getting terribly drowsy. “Those pills are strong.”

“Let them be. Get some rest.”

Which is what he did. Against his own will, he was soon asleep, but when he woke, he was disoriented. He was in Sig’s bed, and Sig was beside him, sitting up, looking at his phone.

“Sig,” he said hoarsely.

Sig jumped like he’d been bitten, and the phone fell to the blanket as he turned to Rowan. “Baby! Hey, how are you?”

“I’m…embarrassed.”

Sig moved down to lay beside him and moved Rowan’s hair from his face. “Why?”

“I…I acted like a diva or something.”

“No, you didn’t. That man made you feel like something you never were.”

“I was a hooker, Sig.”

Sig’s growl was menacing. “Not like that, you weren’t. You set your clients, and you would pick and choose them. He treated you like you were some hustler on the street, sucking dick for crack. And even so, they don’t deserve that either.”

“You’re…sweet. Where were you?”

Sig didn’t answer that question but did say, “You look much better. Let me make breakfast.”

As he tried to get out of the bed, Rowan grabbed his wrist and held him, but when his eyes landed where his hand had, he saw the bandages around Sig’s hand. “What happened?”

Sig settled back on the bed and sighed heavily. “I hoped I could…get this past you.”

Rowan sat up frantically, then grabbed his other hand to see more bandages. “Sigmund! What happened?”

“Let me…tell you a story.”

Rowan let go of his hands and sat against the headboard, open to his words, but the worry was making him crazy.

“When I was young, I had a temper. I got into a lot of trouble, but it was in my hometown, and in places like that, it’s who you know, and my dad knew everyone. It was all swept under the rug, but my dad took me out of school and made me work on the ranch from three in the morning until ten at night. He worked the rage out of me.

“I put that part of me aside for a long time. Sure, I’ve gotten pissed off for things, and I’ll tell you, when someone is cruel to some of the horses we rescue, I feel a lot of that rage coming back, but I’m still able to tamp it down and go about it in legal ways instead of physical. It came back up when my husband died, and I beat the hell out of my house. Luckily, I was alone and that was as far as it went.”

He took a deep breath and Rowan steeled himself for what was coming. Still, it hit him hard.

“Last night, I couldn’t tamp it down. Someone hurt the man I am in love with, and…I got both of those guys in room three and beat them senseless.”

Rowan had expected it, but he placed his hands over his face. “I’m…so sorry.”

“Not your fault in the least, baby. They had it coming and then some. The bouncers pulled me off and then the owner of the place came and made it all go away with some money and a very sly warning to the two of them not to press charges. Again, I was saved by who I know.”

Rowan felt his heart beating so fast, it was almost scary, but it wasn’t beating because of fear or sadness. All he could manage to say as his breathing became as quick as his heartbeats was, “Sigmund, that was…that was…”

“I know, I’m a horrible person.”

“No! That was,” he started again, feeling like he’d hyperventilate. “The most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for me!”

Sig turned to him, shocked and paling. “What?”

Rowan moved so he was straddling Sig’s lap, and he kissed him deeply, gripping his T-shirt.

Sig started to laugh, and Rowan pulled back, smiling. “What?”

“You’re…wonderful, Rowan.”

“Did you mean what you said? That I’m yours?”

“Yeah. I meant it. Every damn word.”

The doorbell rang, and Sig moved Rowan off him. “Forgot to tell you. I gotta leave today.”

“What? No! You can’t!”

“Baby, they’re just being cautious, in case that guy wants to pull something. I’ll be right back.”

Sig left the room, but Rowan followed him, running down the stairs to see Roland again, with Jace and another man he didn’t know. Jace was hugging Sig. “Everything is set for you. I’ll come around three for you. We couldn’t get the plane back before then.”

“Thanks, Jace, and thanks for last night.”

“Guy had it coming. Carrillo said that if it was him, he wouldn’t have stopped with a beating. You’re all good. We’ll handle the rest of the business over the phone and computer, and Dallas McIntyre will drive down in about a month to pick up the horses. After we let things cool down, you’re welcome to come back anytime, take this house again, with Rowan, of course.”

Rowan was near Sig, but he couldn’t speak until Roland kissed his cheek. “You look so much better.”

“Thank you for last night. Truly.”

“My pleasure. Dr. Lee will be by soon to check up on you.”

Jace said to Rowan, “You may stay, of course, but we didn’t know if you’d want to, with Sig leaving.”

“No. I can’t even imagine this place without him.”

Sig’s eyes met his, and they glistened with emotion when he heard that.

“I’m telling you, Dante wanted one thing for this place, and that was to have people find each other. He’s thrilled with each story that comes along. Yours will be special.”

Rowan took Sig’s bandaged hand. “It already is.”