60 Nights with a Billionaire

6. Outrage

Ruby took an automatic step back in alarm, her fingers releasing the book, which dropped to the ground with a soft thud.

As he effortlessly carried her onto his shoulder, Ruby gasped, and her voice trembled. "James... you..." Stunned by his sudden intensity, she fought to speak. "What are you doing?"

He continued to walk boldly towards the bedroom without responding. As he carried her, Ruby's voice was no more than a whisper, and her heart was pounding.

“James… please, tell me what’s going on…”

They went into the bedroom, and he flung her on the bed without saying a word, his hard and unusually chilly motions. The bedroom had a spooky glow from the faint moonlight that spilt through the French windows due to the open drapes. Ruby stared up at him, her eyes wide with terror, and she gulped nervously, her throat dry.

“James…” she managed, her voice shaking, “What… what happened?”

With a trembling voice, she managed to say, "James, what happened?"

His face was a mixture of pain and something darker, which Ruby couldn't quite understand, as he stood there, silent and outlined in the moonlight. He appeared anxious, panting and getting hot.

He unbuttoned his shirt and moved closer to the bed, causing Ruby to recoil in terror. Indeed, she was anticipating their s****l encounter. It was the night, she surmised. However, his facial expressions were frightening her.

"James... We..."

Before she could say anything, he buried her under his powerful body, cradling her in his arms and giving her a wild, passionate kiss.

This was choking to Ruby, not a kiss. James's lips moved relentlessly closer as she gasped for breath. He was so engrossed in his inner turmoil that he hardly saw her palms pressing against his shoulders. The pungent smell of booze and smoke clung to him, filling her nostrils and making her lightheaded.

He kissed her in a way she had never experienced before; it was harsh and persistent and seemed to be motivated by something outside himself. She quickly concluded that he was being controlled by something more potent than alcohol, a drug. He was wild in his passion, and today she felt a darkness within him that would not allow for tenderness.

He didn't look her in the eye until he eventually gasped and broke away. His fingers fumbled as he moved to her clothing, speedily, driven by intense, primal hunger. With her heart racing, Ruby glanced up at him, hoping to see even a glimmer of tenderness, but his eyes were far away and distracted. This was about something inside of him that he couldn't get rid of, not about her. He never glanced at her. In any case, all he wanted was to have s*x.

“James… please… you’re hurting me…”

Ruby screamed. But James, engrossed in his overwhelming yearning, scarcely heard her pleas. His face buried in the curve of her neck, his grip firm, he was unaware of the dread in her eyes and the sorrow in her voice.

“Ahh… No… Let me go… Please… Please…”

Her screams and desperate attempts to pull away were ineffective against his strength; his hands gripped her tightly, allowing her no room to escape. Ruby's heart raced as she realized he was beyond reason and unable to hear her. She wiggled, fighting him, but his arms tightened, and he covered her lips with a hard hand. A hurting ache surged through her between her legs, tearing through her body as her power weakened. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears silently trickling down her cheeks, her body succumbing to the constant anguish and tiredness.

When he was finished, James fell over next to her, his breathing slowing, ignorant of the damage he had caused. But Ruby, crushed and worn, had already fallen unconscious, the pain drawing her into merciless darkness.

As the first rays of morning filtered through the window, James' sleep was broken. His head throbbed with a severe headache, and his eyes refused to open completely, but he dragged himself up, rubbing his forehead to relieve the pain.

He reached for his bathrobe, lit a cigarette, and walked up to the French window, soaking in the peaceful morning scene. The sky was a beautiful, welcoming blue, and a light breeze moved the trees beneath, creating the ideal image of peace. However, his thoughts felt thick and blank; he couldn't recollect the events of the previous night, as if they were buried beneath a hazy fog.

He finished his cigarette, stubbed it out, and returned to the room, eager to freshen up.

James stopped as his gaze fell on the bed, his breath caught in his throat. Ruby lay on the tangled sheet. Her body remained motionless, and her long hair obscured her face. His legs felt like lead as he stumbled closer to the bed, each step heavier than the previous. As he approached, his eyes widened in dread. Ruby lay there, her bare body exposed, and the sight of crusted blood near her thighs made his throat dry, and the surrounding air became heavy and stifling.

Her lips were shattered and blood-stained, and her face was splattered with tears and bruises. There were injuries all over her body, and the realization of what he had done hit him like a sledgehammer.

He lurched back from the bed, his legs barely keeping him up. He dashed to the loo, his mind in a state of disbelief. He could barely recognize the man looking back at him in the mirror, his chest heaving. The figure in the glass was beyond his comprehension. The shock, remorse, and fear washed over him in waves. The memories of the previous night flooded back, the thick fog lifting with each terrible realization.

He remembered seeing his wife have s*x with another man the night before. And to get over the shock, he drove towards the farmhouse. But who knows what occurred to him last night, when he punished Ruby for his wife's infidelity?

He gritted his teeth and pounded the mirror angrily. The mirror had smashed into fragments, and his fist was bloodied. The agony in his palm paled in comparison to the regret he felt for his harshness towards Ruby.

When he walked out of the restroom, he noticed Ruby still lying on the bed, unmoving. Her eyes were open, and tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. Her shaking palm was pushed into her lower abdomen.

He sat on the edge of the bed, swallowing saliva and regret. Ruby stared at the ceiling like a statue. James wrapped her in a bedsheet and held her tightly in his arms. Ruby closed her eyes, lifelessly, and tears welled up quickly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." James said softly, his voice hoarse with sorrow. Ruby's tears flowed silently and unendingly from her closed eyes, leaving her body inert and broken.

Two hours later...

James stood by the farmhouse pond, a cigarette dangling from his fingertips. Dr Alex Jones stood beside him, watching the white herons skim across the calm pond. The air was thick with tension, and the silence between them felt oppressive.

"Her injuries... they're serious," Alex added after a lengthy pause. "Her private parts are severely injured. I suggest you take her to the hospital. She needs good care."

James released a jet of smoke and lost his gaze on the pond. "You know I can't do that," he said, the regret in his eyes apparent.

Alex shook his head, incredulity evident on his face. "I don't understand how you did this, James. How could you go so far?"

James scratched his brow, his mind still racing. "I'm not sure what happened last night. I just... lost control after the party."

Alex looked at him, his words tinged with mistrust. "Did you take anything? "Any drugs?"

James stared at Alex, "Drugs?!" he repeated, his thoughts racing with a fresh concept.

Alex lifted his eyebrows. "I know you. You and Maya have always been close. You signed a contract with Ruby but never agreed to sleep with her. But seeing Ruby like this doesn't make sense. You didn't push yourself on her without some sort of drug."

James' thoughts raced as Alex's words set in. He remembered drinking during the party, but what about the drugs? He couldn't recall taking anything, but everything appeared so weird and out of control. "I had alcohol, but drugs… I don't know."

Alex sighed, his expression relaxing slightly. "Anyway, I gave her an injection to relieve the pain. She's currently sleeping. She might awaken in the evening. Make sure you give her the painkillers before she falls asleep tonight; else, the pain will keep her up. She will not be able to rest."

James lowered his gaze, his heart heavy with remorse. Alex offered James a brief, consoling touch on the back before turning to leave, but he did not look up. He remained by the pond, lost in thoughts, the weight of his acts bearing down on him like a storm.