His Juliet: An Age Gap Hurt Comfort Mafia Romance (Empire of Royals Book 2)

When I’d finally been forced to pull out of Juliet, she immediately got up and pulled her shirt and sweatpants on before slipping into the bathroom. Shit. I wanted to be the one to clean her up, to take care of her. I turned the bedside lamp on and grabbed my boxers.

When she emerged from the bathroom, her arms were crossed around her front. I didn’t like how unsure she looked, like she was about to fall apart.

I opened my arms and relief washed through me as she quickly crossed the room and threw herself at me. I caught her, clutching her to my chest as I laid us down on the bed. But Juliet was restless in my arms and I was growing more concerned. Had I done something to upset her?

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Do you need something?”

She huffed. “No, I just…” She sat up abruptly. I frowned and followed suit, rubbing my hand up and down her back.

“What’s wrong?”

She pressed her hands against her face. “I don’t know. I’m just overwhelmed.”

My heart jolted when I realized a tear was falling down her cheek.

A fucking tear.

I moved off the bed, kneeling in front of her. “Did I hurt you? Please tell me how to fix it.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s nothing you did. I’m just—” She let out a distressed noise. “I need to do yoga,” she blurted out.

I waited to see if more of an explanation was forthcoming, but she didn’t say anything else. I was completely out of my depth. I’d never done the whole relationship thing, preferring to fix problems with violence or money. This was something altogether more complicated, but I didn’t mind. I was quickly realizing I would do anything for Juliet.

“Okay,” I said, gently squeezing her leg. “Let’s do some yoga.”

She dropped her hands, and I couldn’t stop myself from cupping her cheek. She looked so fucking sad.

“I know I sound crazy.” Her jaw was tight, tone defensive.

“You don’t sound crazy. I just want to give you what you need.”

She took a shuddering little breath and crouched beside me to grab a yoga mat under her bed.noveldrama

“I only have one mat, but you can use it if you want to join me.”

Fuck. She was too sweet.

“You use it, baby. I’ll follow your lead.”

She looked unsure, but I gently nudged her and she rolled out the mat in the incredibly limited floor space. There was just enough room for me to squeeze in beside her.

She started standing and did a series of stretches, which I followed the best I could. I worked out for a couple hours every day, so it should have been easy for me to keep up. But then she moved into some balancing poses that had me almost on my ass, whereas my girl wasn’t even shaking. She bit her lip against a smile when I almost fell again.

“Umm, let’s move down to the floor.”

I gratefully followed her, very much enjoying the view of her ass as she lay on her stomach and pressed her chest off the floor.

I didn’t understand why we were doing yoga, but I certainly didn’t hate it.

We continued in silence, the distant sound of traffic our only soundtrack. Eventually, Juliet stilled, lying on her back. My hand brushed against hers and she took it, lacing her fingers with mine.

She breathed in sharply, like she wanted to speak. I waited, going against all my instincts so I could be patient for her.

“That wasn’t my first time, but it was the first time I’ve wanted to have sex.”

Her quiet words hung in the air for a moment, and then they fell, piercing my chest like bullets. I squeezed her hand as rage coursed through me, but I forced myself to stay lying on the floor.

“Will you tell me what happened?” I kept my voice gentle.

“I was so stupid. My friends and I had gone out to a club to celebrate Vivian’s twenty-first birthday. I met a guy there. We danced most of the night together and he seemed genuinely interested in me.”

She said it like it was shocking that someone would be interested in her when she was the most gorgeous, wonderful person I’d ever met.

“We exchanged numbers and he asked me out. He said he wanted to take me somewhere nice. We went to a restaurant on the east side. He was attentive and charming the entire dinner. He made me feel special. After dinner, I got in his car. I thought he’d just take me home, but instead, he took me to his place. I was a little nervous to go inside with him, but he said we’d just stay a little while and then he’d bring me home.”

I hated this. Hated the robotic way she told the story, like she was trying to detach from the pain.

I squeezed her hand. “You’re safe now.”

She took a shuddering breath. “We started kissing and it was nice, but then he kept trying to take my clothes off. I said no, and he backed off right away, but I still felt uneasy. I wanted to go home, but he said I should stay and we could watch a movie he really wanted me to see. I should have just left, but I was desperate for attention.” Her voice hitched. “I’m so pathetic. I liked feeling special and wanted, so I stayed.”

“Don’t say that about yourself.” My words were hoarse, emerging from my throat like gravel. “Please, sweetheart. You did nothing wrong.”

She sniffed again and I reached over with my free hand to wipe the tears streaming down her cheek.

“He got me a soda,” she continued. “It must have been spiked because everything is hazy after that. When I woke up, it was the morning. He played it off like I’d just fallen asleep, but I was sore and bleeding down there and knew he’d had sex with me. That was my first time.”

“Fucker,” I breathed out. I wanted to gather Juliet to my chest, wanted to steal her away so no one could ever hurt her again, but I didn’t want to interrupt her story.

“I managed to get home and locked myself in my apartment. And that’s when I found out that my friend Breanna had⁠—”

Her voice broke as soft sobs shook her chest. I’d reached my limit. I reached over and gently tugged Juliet until she arranged herself over my chest. The feel of her calmed me enough to make my inner monster recede.

For now.

I would unleash it when I went hunting for this rapist.

“Breanna had what?” I asked softly.

“She killed herself. She’d been going through a hard time, but that night, she had called me. And I didn’t answer.”

I held her tighter. “It’s not your fault. None of it—not what he did, not what she did.”

“But if I hadn’t gone with him, I would have answered my phone. What if I could have stopped her?”

Each one of her tears dripping onto my bare chest was like little drops of acid. I welcomed them into me, imagining I was taking just a bit of her pain.

“She was suffering, but so were you. And blaming yourself only increases that suffering.” As I spoke the words, I realized I could be speaking to myself. But I had darkness inside me. It tainted me, tainted my hands while Juliet was as pure as starlight.

“I didn’t go to her funeral,” Juliet whispered. “My friends tried to call me. They came here, but I wouldn’t open the door. I was too ashamed. And by then, I was terrified to leave. I’ve always been terrified of small spaces after something that happened in my childhood. But now I panic with wide open spaces, too. It was always hard for me to go out in public, but when my friends were with me, I could do it. But in the past two years, things have just gotten worse. You saw how I am. I can’t deviate from my route. I only have a few places my mind has accepted as safe.”

I wanted to ask her what had happened when she was younger. Was it connected to losing her parents? I didn’t understand how someone as precious as Juliet walked around with so much trauma inside her and was still so sweet.

“You’re safe with me, angel. Always.”

She finally relaxed against my chest and wrapped her arms around me. “It doesn’t make sense that I feel so safe with you, but I do.”

I ran my hands up and down her back. Her trust was the greatest gift I’d ever been given.

“After what happened, I did a few free therapy sessions through video call. There was some state grant that covered them for victims of violence. She’s the one who taught me to do yoga when I’m overwhelmed.”

“I overwhelmed you.” I swallowed hard, a sick feeling in my stomach.

She clutched at me harder. “No, it’s nothing you did. I wanted it. My body just… had a reaction after.”

“If I had known, I would have…” I trailed off because I had no idea what I would have done differently. All I knew was I would do anything for her.

“I don’t want you to treat me differently.” She propped herself up on my chest, and I was relieved to see that she had stopped crying. “I don’t want you different. I just wish I was different.”

“No,” I growled, gripping her hair in my hand. “You are fucking perfect.”

A tiny smile pulled at her lips. “I’m a pile of baggage in a trench coat.”

I clutched her tighter. “I’ll wear you like a trench coat.”

There was a beat of silence, and then we both burst out laughing.

I groaned. “That was supposed to sound romantic.”

“Oh, don’t worry. It did. The pinnacle of romance.”

I lightly swatted her butt and then kept my hand there, gently kneading like she was my personal stress ball. I couldn’t get enough of her. My Juliet.

“It’s stupid to be so upset about what happened when I don’t even remember it. I don’t know why I let it bother me so much.”

My jaw clenched. “Don’t say that. What happened to you was horrible. And being unconscious is maybe even worse because your brain can create cruel stories to fill in the blanks.”

She sniffed and nodded against my chest.

“Did you go to the police after? Or the hospital?”

“No. I was scared. I didn’t think they’d believe me.”

I tangled her hair around my fingers. I hated that she’d gone without justice these past couple years, but a sick pleasure rose in me that it meant I could now carry out justice. “What’s his name?” I kept my voice even as if I were asking about the weather.

“Um, why?”

“Just curious.”

“Somehow I don’t believe you.”

“Juliet.”

“It’s in the past. It doesn’t matter.”

“It fucking does matter.”

She huffed. “I only know his first name. Chase.”

It wasn’t much to go on, but that wouldn’t stop me. The rapist would pay for what he did.

I kissed the top of her head. “Thank you.”

We fell into a soft silence. I brushed my fingers down her face and wished she were still naked, but I understood now why she was more comfortable being covered up. “You sure I didn’t hurt you?”

“With your abnormally large cock? I think I’ll survive it.”

I swatted her butt again, my chest easing at her sass. I had so many more questions for her, so much more that I wanted to say, but for now, it was enough to just hold her.

“Thanks for trusting me, Juliet.”

“Thanks for being here, Romeo.”