I Saw Her Goodness Too Late

"Inside the tattoo studio, Seth Jones let his fingertips trace the dip of Rita Searle's waist and move slowly up her spine. With a soft rustle, her dress slipped to her ankles.He stood over her, taking in the blood-red rose inked across her chest.They had been married for three years, and this was the anniversary gift he'd be giving her—999 roses tattooed into her skin.A broken sob scraped up Rita's throat. "Seth, it hurts… Please, stop…"Her tears splashed onto the back of his hand, but he only pressed the needle deeper, dragging it along until angry red welts marked her body."Victor wanted those damn roses so he could give them to another woman, and that led to Tara falling off that cliff and ending up in a vegetative state. I'm just giving him what he wanted. You should be grateful."Lying on the cold tattoo table, Rita felt the chill spreading through her. Her eyes stung, weighed down by grief churning behind them."Isn't it enough? You bought out Searle Group, you hung Victor over a cliff, and left him for the vultures. What else do you want from us?"Seth grabbed her by the throat and forced her chin up. "And isn't Tara innocent in all this? Rita, you and Victor destroyed her life. Don't you owe her for that?""