As they lie there, entwined and spent, Vincent whispers a tender promise into Rose's ear. "I'll never let you go, baby girl. You're mine, now and forever." His body still trembling with aftershocks, he holds her close, savoring the intimacy of the moment, and the knowledge that he's claimed her, body and soul. "You know...you
definitely
fulfilled a few fantasies for me, but I need you to do something for me Rose..."
"What is it?" she asks.
"Rose..." he cups her face, "tell me what happened. Why are you so afraid of Chad?"
Rose's face contorts into fear and pain. "Ch-Chad he-" She leans in and kisses Vincent fiercely. "Daddy, do...do you remember how I-I spent last Christmas with Mom?"
"Yes, of course..." he trails off. "Rose, what happened?" he asks firmly.
Rose hesitates before speaking, but her emotions get the better of her. "Chad tried to...rape me." she looks down almost with a look of shame.
Vincent's ear ring and he can feel a rage building in him he's never felt before. His hold on her tightens, but not to the point of hurting her as his body heat rises. "Baby Girl," he holds his forehead to hers, closes his eyes, and gently cups her face with one shaking hand. "Tell me
everything
."
Rose nods. "At Christmas last year, when I had to go to mom's, Chad..." she swallows hard. "Chad cornered me in the kitchen after mom passed out drunk. I was trying to finish the dishes when I heard him come into the kitchen and suddenly felt his hands on my shoulders. He was drunk and reeked of tequila. I tried to push him away, but he got more aggressive and grabbed my hips. He spun me around and that's when I managed to get away from him, but only after I hit him with a plastic cutting board."
As angry as Vincent is right now, he's proud of her for fighting back and finds it mildly amusing she used a cutting board on the bastard. "I'm proud of your quick thinking, Baby Girl." He kisses her lips lovingly. "Tell what happened after that."
"Th-The next day, I told mom but she didn't believe me. She said I was just 'jealous' and brushed it off..." she trails off. "I couldn't believe she didn't believe me or would call me jealous of-of
Chad
. I wanted to cry, but not in front of her...not after what she said. I decided to go to my room to be alone, but Chad was there; hiding behind the door. I saw him in the mirror and tried to scream, but he pinned me on the bed, shoved his hand in my pants and covered my mouth so I couldn't scream." She sniffles softly as tears fill her eyes at the memory. Vincent rubs her cheek lightly with his thumb. "I-I bit him, I screamed, he hit me, and a few seconds later mom threw the door open. Mom
literally
walked in while he had his hand down my pants and other hand on my throat and she-
SHE TOOK HIS SIDE
!" she says through gritted teeth in an angry whisper, fighting back from bursting into tears. "She accused me of seducing Chad."
"Those fucking-" Vincent growls and squeezes her tightly against himself, pressing his lips firmly to her forehead. "Baby Girl..."
"That's why I came home a couple days early and why I ended up with a bruise on my face," she says softly. "Daddy, I-I wanted to tell you, but after mom...I was terrified you wouldn't believe me or say it was my fault or-" she is cut off by Vincent.
"
Rose
," he says firmly, "
None
of what happened is your fault. Your mother is a cunt for not protecting you. As for Chad..." he practically growls like a predator when he mentions his name. "I'll kill him." Anger consumes him at the thought of another man-anyone, for that matter-laying their hands on Rose.
"Daddy..." she says through tears with a hint of whimper in her voice.
The sound of her pain snaps him from anger to protection mode. He rubs her back and kisses her temple soothingly. "Shhh...Daddy's here." Vincent's anger momentarily subsides, replaced by a deep-seated hurt and concern for Rose. He looks at her, his eyes searching for reassurance, before his face contorts in a mixture of pain and adoration before he whispers into her ear, his voice trembling. "I'm sorry, baby girl. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you." He gently presses his lips to hers, his kisses soft and gentle, but laced with a deep longing.
As he holds her, Vincent can feel the weight of his own guilt and helplessness bearing down on him. He should have been there for her, should have protected her from harm. But as his lips move over hers, he feels a glimmer of hope - he can protect her now, can love her and keep her safe from all harm. His kisses grow more insistent, his tongue probing her mouth as he tries to consume her, to erase the pain and the fear that Chad's actions have left her with. "I'll never let anyone hurt you again, Rose," he whispers, his voice low and husky. "You're mine, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."
"I know, Daddy and I...I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
"Don't do that," he says before kissing her deeply again. He pulls away and locks eyes with her. "You listen to me: Don't you dare apologize for any of this. Not for what happened, not for keeping this a secret. You were strong, you fought back, you got yourself out of there, and you told me now. This secret was
yours
to tell on
your
time." He smiles and kisses her cheek. "I am so proud of you, Baby Girl. It's always been my job to protect you, as your father, but now it's my job to protect you as your lover too. And I swear to you..." He kisses her lips passionately and says against them, "I will
always
protect you; this will never happen again and I will always believe you. Do you believe me?"
"Yes, Daddy," she smiles. "Oh Daddy..." she kisses him and runs her fingers through his hair. "I love you so much."
"I love you too, Baby Girl," he smiles.
A few minutes later...
They get dressed, straighten up themselves and the room, then head downstairs. Vincent is ready to kill Chad. His calm demeanor masks the rage he feels inside. His blood still boiling and hands twitching, he's not sure if he'll even be able to contain himself at dinner. The logical side of his brain tells him to keep his cool, think of Rose, Iris, and his job. If he just attacks Chad, it could turn into a thing, police could be called and Vincent could be arrested for assault. He could wind up in jail and Rose might have to stay with Karen, putting her right back in harm's way. The emotional side of his brain, however, is seething. It tells him to beat Chad until he's a bloody mess on the floor; to teach Chad a lesson in life he'll never forget. The dark part tells him to just put Chad into the ground.
Once they make it downstairs, Rose gives his hand a squeeze. He stops and she leans up to whisper, "Daddy, please...not here. Not at
Nonna's
."
He opens his mouth to talk, stops himself, looks around quickly to make sure no one is watching, then grips her arms firmly and holds his forehead to hers. "Baby Girl," he whispers. "Daddy can't make that promise. If Chad lays a hand on-or tries to, then I-" he swallows his anger. "I
will
protect you, Baby Girl;