He moves fast—too fast. His hand wraps around my throat before I can stumble out of the way or move us further from Mum. We’re still too close. I throw the umbrella from my hand, getting it as far away from both of us as I can manage so he can’t make grab for it.
Thankfully, he’s far more interested in getting up in my face. I feel spittle hit my skin as he speaks.
“I’ll take what I want!” he declares, drawing his words out in a slow menacing way that has my gut turning. “And right now, I want my sons and I want money. Hanson’s men offered good money for you to work at their club, Juliet, but if your Mr Nagano is willing to offer more, then I could make a new deal.”
He made a deal with Hanson? The brothel owner? Why wouldHanson offer Dad money for a girl that wasn’t on their radar? Had Dad kept his promise and sold me to one of the biggest pimps in the Vale? Wait…is that why those men were waiting outside at six freaking a.m.?
“The men on bikes, outside?” I ask; his fingers tighten, realising I still have the breath and capacity for speech.
“I’m surprised you sneaked past them.” His eyes narrow in suspicion, but I maintain my glare, daring him to question me. He shakes off whatever concerns flicker in his head and carries on running his mouth. He’s only seeing wads of cash in his mind now. “Seems you don’t know your place, girl. Some big people are looking for you, and I’m happy to hand you over for the right price. So, phone your new sugar daddy and see if he’ll improve on their offer. Maybe you’ll get out of this as one man’s slut instead of everyone’s.” He laughs.
I pull my phone from my pocket, keeping it out to my side and a full arm’s length from him. I dip my head into his hand in my best attempt at a nod and use my free hand to tap his fingers currently wringing my neck. If he wants me to make a call, he’ll have to let me speak.
He releases me with a hard shove. I rub my throat.
“Mum?” I try to get her attention. She winces as she turns her head to look at me. “Can you move?” She flutters one long blink. I take it as a yes. She’s exhausted. Beaten in every sense, but she’s responding. Good. “Go sit with the boys.” She begins to move, but Dad glowers at her and she stops.
He’s still in control of her, despite me standing here, despite charging in with a weapon, or offering myself as a distraction, or a punchbag, or a flesh sacrifice to Hanson’s. How can she watch me risk this and not trust me? Why ishethe voice she listens to? She has the guts to have an affair with Carlo, but not to stand up to Dad? Why not? If not for us, then for herself? I don’t understand.
Still, I won’t allow him to win. Not even a battle this trivial. When you’ve lived the way we have, every battle is significant.
“You want money?” I threaten. “Then she sits with the boys.” I hover my finger over the call button and show him Dax’s name at the top of the screen.
“Fine. Move, bitch, but we’re not finished,” he sneers.
Mum hauls her arse across the room and sweeps the boys into her arms. Her face is a mess down the right side.
Slowly, I circle the room to stand between Dad and them. When I’m in place, I breathe a deep sigh of relief and hold my father’s stare. I drop the phone to my side and glower at him.
“You can come in now.”
I watch Dad’s reaction. There’s a flash of surprise and then, when Carlo launches himself through the door and straight for Dad, there’s horror and fear. I enjoy each expression and the speed at which they morph from one to the other. I love the fact that Carlo wipes his bravado from him in an instant. It’s retribution even if I’m not the one delivering it.
One punch has Dad on the floor. Carlo lands a kick to his gut too, causing him to slide across the floor and into the wall before I call out.
“Stop! Cue, enough!” Carlo turns to me, rage expanding his features until he’s almost unrecognisable as the man I know. He looks at me as though I’m betraying him. “The kids don’t need another violent father,” I warn him, nodding my head to the boys and their wide eyes. “He’s down,” I say softer. “Just keep him down for now.”
Dax and Aiden enter. Aiden carries Casey on his hip and keeps her back to the sight of Dad on the floor. She’s seen Mum in similar states before and doesn’t know how wrong this situation is. The boys do, though.
Aiden steps in front of the boys and smiles down at them. “Well done tonight, boys,” he says with faux cheer. “You were both brave to call Jules.”
“Daddy made us do it,” TJ admits. Aiden shares a glance with Dax, who nods in return.
“It was the right thing to do. Now we can stop your daddy from hurting anyone again.”
“Really?” AJ asks, his voice barely a whimper.
“Really. Okay, our part is over. Let’s go down to the car and let the grown-ups finish up. Attention Soldiers!”
The boys stand up, slowly, glancing to Mum and then me to be sure this is okay. Mum stares, jaw dropped and mouth lolling, at Carlo. So, I nod and give the kids a smile and a thumbs up. Aiden marches them outside and only when they are gone do we break the silence.
“Is he conscious?” Dax asks.
“He’s breathing,” Carlo grumbles, wholly unhappy about it.
“We need to get a few things straight,” Dax begins. “Jules, we heard everything.” He tells me. I want to be embarrassed about that, but there’s not much I can say or do about it now.
“They were here for me. Dad sold me out. I knew someone had. They knew me by name and told me they were here for me,” I confirm, assuming he’s talking about the bikers.
