Waking up the next morning, we’re both aware of the discussion we need to have. After giving him a good morning kiss, I pull Ryan into his en suite. We each take care of business and brush our teeth before I sit him down on the bed. I tell it to him straight.
“You have two options, baby. You can do nothing. You’ve seen him, and it brought back the pain and trauma of what happened, but I’ll help you move on from this. I’ll do all I can to help heal this open wound.” I run my fingers through his hair, pushing it back from his face. “Or, I can take you to the police station, and you can file a complaint against him. After that, I’m not sure what’ll happen. They might find him innocent, they might charge him, or it may even go to trial.”
“They could find him innocent?”
“Yes.” I let him think for just a moment. “So… knowing he’ll either get away with it, be found guilty and end up in jail, or something in between, you need to decide what to do.”
He glances up at me from the bed. “What do you think I should do, Sir?”
I shake my head. “It’s not up to me, pup. This is your decision. All I will say is, I’m on your side. No matter what you choose. All I care about is you, and what feels right for you.”
“I should do it though, right? It’s the right thing to do.”
Stepping into his space and cupping his cheek, I look him in the eye. “There’s no right or wrong. If you want to come forward and press charges, you can. If you want to let it go and move on in your own way, you can. It’s not up to me, pup. Don’t do what you think is right; do what you feel is right for you . I’ll be with you every step of the way, whichever path you choose.”
His face scrunches up. “What if he’s done it to someone else? What if he plans to? He’s dating your friend….” A tear falls, and I wipe it away with my thumb. He needs honesty.
“It’s possible he’s done it before and may do it again. But that doesn’t mean you have to do anything. I can warn Lisa away from him.”
Ryan shakes his head. “I want to. I need to. If I make a complaint about him, maybe it’ll prevent it from happening again.” He bites his lip. “If it means stopping him, I want to.”
I nod, so fucking proud of him. “Okay. Would you like me to take you to the police station?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“All right.” I press a kiss to his forehead. “We’ll leave in ten.”
Ryan glances up at me and keeps contact until he stands and our eyes line up. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Nothing to thank me for, pup. I’m your Dom and I’ll always provide for you. I’ll always be here for you. Even if I’m not with you, you should always feel my support, my care… and my love.”
He nods, and there’s a small smile. Wishing I hadn’t stipulated we’d leave in ten minutes, I force down the temptation to play. Kissing him gently on the lips, I say, “If we’re back in time before dinner, I’ll have a surprise for you.”
Ryan grins. “I’ll go get ready, Sir.”
* * *
At the police station, it’s a while before anyone is able to see us. Through the whole process, I’m so proud of Ryan. The car ride there, as we waited to be seen, and now, as he explains to the detective why he needs to make a complaint against Luke King. He tells her the assault happened almost nine months ago, before going through the whole night. She writes down everything Ryan says, asking questions quietly and glancing up with kind eyes. She doesn’t react when he tells her about his BDSM lifestyle. It surprises me when he pulls out his phone to show her photos.
Ryan glances at me before clearing his throat and handing it over to her. “This is the day after it happened.” Officer Brown takes the phone and looks at the photos. Ryan tells her to swipe left in order to see more.
“And this is all evidence that the defendant”—she pauses to glance down at the paperwork—“Luke King, assaulted and raped you, on August 13th in 2016?”
A nod. “Yes.” He fidgets for a moment. “We had a different relationship… but this wasn’t what I wanted. I told him to stop.”
She tilts her head. “A different relationship? By this you mean your BDSM dynamic, whereby you were the submissive, and he the Dominant?”
“Yes.”
“And was this incident the last time you saw him?”
“Yes, until last night. We bumped into him and… and…” His eyes find mine.
“It all came back,” I finish for him.
Officer Brown tells Ryan she’ll need to print and file the photos for evidence and take current photos as well. He simply nods. “How did you tell the defendant to stop?” she asks.
“My safeword,” he replies. “I said it. Again and again.” His voice falters, and he tears up. I hold Ryan’s hand, twining our fingers together.
“Did you also use the word stop ?”
“Yes. And I said no .”
“Okay.” She spends a few minutes writing while we wait. While she’s doing that, I hold his hand in both of mine. Placing her pen down, she lifts her head and smiles softly. “By making your statement of a sexual assault allegation against Mr King, are you wanting to take action?”
Ryan sniffs and frowns. “Sorry?”
Detective Brown twines her fingers together on her desk. “Some victims only wish to report the sexual assault and take no further action. We can record the assault and provide you with some counselling if that’s all you’re after. Your welfare and safety is our top priority, Mr Scott. However, if you’d like to press charges, I will investigate the assault and remain involved for the entire investigation and, if it goes to court, the proceedings.”
My pup squeezes my hand before giving her a firm nod. “I want to take action. I don’t want him hurting anyone else.”
She gives him an encouraging smile and passes over the sheet of paper. “Here, I’ll need you to write down the name of the hotel you stayed at. Is there anything else you can tell me about Mr King, Mr Scott?”
“You can call me Ryan. I don’t mind.”
“Okay, Ryan,” she replies. “Is there anything you’d like to add about Mr King?”
I clear my throat. “We believe he’s now dating a friend of mine. I might be able to get a contact number and address from her.”
“Okay.” She passes us a card each. “This is my contact information if you remember anything else. I’ll keep you up-to-date as things progress. As soon as I can, I’ll bring him in for questioning.”
Over an hour after we arrived and just as we stand to leave, she asks Ryan if he has a photo of Luke. Having already sent the other relevant photos to the printer, and photographed by the detective, Ryan shakes his head.
“Hang on.” Opening my Facebook on my phone, I find Lisa’s profile, and through it I search for a Luke King. The only similar name that comes up is a Lucas Prince . Recognising the man from last night, I show the photo to Ryan.
He rubs the back of his neck before crossing his arms. “It’s him.”
I show Detective Ashley Brown, as her card states, Lucas’s profile photo. “So, he introduced himself to Ryan as Luke King, and here on Facebook he goes by Lucas Prince.” Shaking my head, I mutter, “Is that suspicious or what?”
She jots it down before bringing the photo up on her computer. “Ryan, do you remember who paid for the hotel room?”
“He did, with his card.”
“Okay.” She stands and moves around her desk to hold his hand with both of hers. “You did really well. It’s a brave thing coming forward, and even more so for pressing charges. I know you said you don’t want counselling at this stage, but if you change your mind, don’t hesitate to call me. I can arrange it for you.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
She pats his arm. “I think first name basis is okay.”
My pup smiles. “Thanks, Ashley.”
“Thank you,” I add, shaking her hand as well.
Unable to wait until we’re in the car, on the way out, I lead Ryan to the men’s room. After we stride through the door, one guy leaves. There’s no one else. “Did you need to go?” Ryan asks. “I can wait in the ca—”
Pushing him up against the door, I capture his wrists and hold them above his head with one hand. With the other, I capture his chin. Crashing our lips together, I pour everything I have into the kiss. I love this man. God knows I haven’t known him very long, and we’ve only been seeing each other for five weeks, but I’ve found it. What I was missing when I was with Sean. What I’ve been missing in my life. A true connection with someone. Someone so special I can’t see myself living without him. If all I had in the world was Ryan Scott, everything else would be bearable. I nibble on his bottom lip while thrusting my groin into his. Sliding my mouth down from his lips, I nudge his head up and pepper his neck with kisses. “I’m so proud of you. Such a good pup.” His breath hitches. He’s crying. Ryan’s tears fall silently. Releasing his wrists, I move them to wrap around my waist and cradle his head. “Baby. It’s okay. You’re okay.” I kiss away his tears until he pulls back.
“I know. I’m okay. I don’t know why I’m crying.” His half chuckle, half sob makes me hug him closer.
“I want you to know how proud I am.”
“I know, Henry. I can feel it. Thank you, Sir,” he whispers.
Caressing his cheek, I kiss him once more and take his hand. “Come on. Let’s go.” Understandably, Ryan’s a little withdrawn, and I want to take him in hand until he’s writhing and begging me for permission to come. “I want to go back to yours. I’d like to play with the man I’ve fallen in love with.”
Ryan gasps. “You really love me, Sir?”
“I’m sorry I’m telling you in the men’s. But it’s true. I love you, Ryan.”
He presses his nose into my neck. “It doesn’t matter. When I’m with you Sir, everything disappears.” His words cause my heart to flutter. “I love you too, Henry.”
With one last peck on his lips, I unlock the door and lead him out by the hand.