Dom
I GO OUT to tell Mike to wait up, he nods but doesn’t get out of his car. I decide to make coffee, I don’t really know what else to do. The whole situation is fucked up. I’m still not sure what I believe.
Why Patrick tell us it was over money and not his daughter? It just doesn’t make sense to me. Surely the revenge wouldn’t have been monetary? But regardless of the reason, Chloe and me are stuck in the middle of something we shouldn’t be and I need to get it sorted no matter who is at fault. I can’t forget what’s happened. My nan… my best friend… and now we’re stuck in hiding.
Patrick has to die.
I don’t want us to be looking over our shoulder forever. I’m just about to pour the coffee when Chloe comes through the kitchen and opens the door to beckon her father back inside. A minute later and she’s turning her back on him as he comes through the door. Pulling a chair out for herself she sits at the table and folds her arms across her chest. She means fucking business its written all over her face.
‘Chloe—’ Mike starts but she puts her hand up cutting him off.
‘No, I want you to listen to me first.’ She stops and glares at him for a moment and he shifts uncomfortably in his seat. ‘On what planet is it normal for a man of your age to have sex with a girl of nineteen?’ she asks, her fierce expression demanding an answer. He looks at his hands and starts to say something but changes his mind.
‘It’s not normal, Dad that’s the answer, you’re sticking it to a girl younger than your own daughter’
‘Chloe—’ I try and calm her down. But she puts her hand up again and glares my way, and my efforts go back to the coffee instead. As I watch Mike squirm in his seat. I almost smile at the way Chloe is handling him. Fuck she’s hot like this. All bossy and mad as fuck. My balls almost jumped into her purse when she cut me off with that look in her eye. I leave the two cups I poured for them and sip my own leaning up against the counter, crossing my feet as I watch it play out in front of me. I’m amused but the situation isn’t fucking funny. Not at all.
‘How long have you been seeing her Dad? And why? How did that even happen?’
‘It’s a long story.’
‘Well guess what Dad we’ve got nothing but time,’ Chloe grits out through clenched teeth and then sits back in her chair. He huffs out a breath and wipes his brow with his hand. I take that opportunity to hand out their coffee. Chloe’s eyes brighten a little as they meet mine and I smile as she takes the mug from me. Sliding Mikes in front of him he asks for sugar. I bring it back to the table and am just about to go back to my spot at the counter when Chloe grabs my hand as I pass and asks me to sit.
‘Maybe we should talk alone, Chloe?’ Mike pleads like he doesn’t want to air his dirty laundry in-front of me.
‘Are you kidding me right now? How dare you, his best friend was murdered, his nan was attacked and he’s in hiding because of what you did so don’t you dare even think about him going anywhere.’ Chloe tells him how it is and I don’t need to say a word. I relax back in the chair, fold my arms, and grin my best at Mike, proud as fuck of my girl. He huffs again and rubs his hands over his face.
‘Okay, but it’s not a pretty story and not something I would normally involve you in, Chloe.’
I laugh at his words. Too late for that.
‘I buy and sell… some things… and there was a lot of trouble at one of the collection points and she was there, things got out of hand and she ended up being brought to me.’
‘So you kidnapped her?’ I ask before he can carry on. He has the decency to look embarrassed.
‘Oh my god she has Stockholm syndrome,’ Chloe says
‘It wasn’t like that.’
‘Of course it wasn’t.’ She scoffs. ‘Oh don’t stop there, Dad, carry on.’ She motions with her hand for him to hurry up. I almost snigger but it’s not appropriate, so I hold it back. Just seeing her like this though is a turn on to say the least.
‘So she was brought to me and we spent a lot of time talking and getting to know one another.’
‘But she wasn’t allowed to leave?’
‘Well… she didn’t want to leave.’
He’s trying hard I’ll give him that. He’s making himself out like a fucking hero here.
‘So it was instant attraction?’ I ask with raised eyebrows.
‘Well she didn’t want to leave because what waited for her was a worse fate than me.’
‘Oh so you rescued her?’ Annoyance flits across his face as his daughter’s sarcasm sinks in.
‘She was being married off to a man from a family who was paying Patrick a lot of money so they could join the families through marriage. The Smith’s are a big family that people don’t fuck with.’
‘Except you.’ I point out. ‘You had no problem fucking him over.’
‘Look, I don’t have to explain my actions to either of you, you have no fucking idea what it’s like to live that life. I made sure you never had too.’ He points at Chloe and his tone pisses me off.
‘Watch yourself.’ I growl as Chloe looks on indignantly.
‘You can’t excuse yourself so you get nasty, well it won’t work with me, Dad.’
‘You’re right you don’t have to explain yourself, but you fucking owe it to Chloe, fuck, you owe me an explanation after everything we’ve fucking been through as a direct result of your actions.’
‘Look a lot of money was changing hands, Patrick was going to be a very rich man, all he had to do was give his daughter up to a fucking animal. He didn’t hesitate. He agreed on the date and time and that was that, he didn’t give a fuck about what she wanted, it was a business deal.’
***
Chloe
I take a deep breath in and try to calm myself. My nerves are wrecked and I know he probably deserves everything I say to him, but this isn’t the time. Right now, our main focus is getting out of this mess, and whether I like it or not, Dom and I are a part of this now and there’s no getting away from it.
‘Alright dad, I get it. Right now, we need to deal with what’s on the table and figure out how to get our lives back.’ Dom’s hand comes to rest on my thigh under the table and gives a light reassuring squeeze. This man has become my rock, and I love him even more for it. ‘We can come back to the fact your screwing a teenager later.’
‘Geez, Chloe, it’s more than that.’
‘Save it, it’s no longer the time for that. Andre should be here soon and whether you like it or not, I’m being included in the planning on what happens going forward. Got it?’ I look to both men, both scowling but they nod their heads in agreement knowing I won’t budge on this. ‘So, I think we can all agree that we can’t just give Charity to them, it’s just too dangerous. But we also cannot continue to live like refugees. Any suggestions?’
‘Kill him.’ Both men say at the same time. My eyes bounce back and forth between them and the expression on their faces tells me they’re being serious.
‘Um so we’re just going to add murderers to our lists of crazy ass things we’ve done in our lifetimes?’ I let out an exasperated laugh, truly hoping at least one of them come to their senses. But one glance between the two of them again tells me that that’s not going to happen. ‘Guys come on, we can’t kill him.’
‘What other options do we have, Chlo?’ Dom’s hand leaves my thigh as he turns to me, sincerity and determination in his eyes.
‘I refuse to give her over sweetheart, and Patrick isn’t going to stop until he has us all six feet under. So we may as well put him there first.’
‘First, don’t sweetheart me. Second, where is Charity and what are her thoughts on this? I know she’s just a kid, but shouldn’t she have a say?’
‘She trusts me to do what needs to be done.’ Andre chooses that moment to come walking through the door, his permanent ‘I’m a badass, don’t fuck with me look’ plastered on his face. He’s lugging two huge duffle bags and drops one down on the table in front of Dom.
‘Let’s get ready, Dom. We don’t have much time before he moves again.’ He starts unzipping the duffle and taking out gun after gun, ‘and word on the street is he has something big in the works, so we need to move now.’
‘I’m coming.’ My dad stands up and starts to load a pistol.
‘Wait… What?’ My chair scrapes the hardwood as I jump up from my seat. ‘Aren’t we in the middle of trying to find other ways?’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, but this has been the plan since I arrived and honestly we don’t have time to fuck around right now. Whoever’s coming, load up and get ready, we head out in fifteen.’ Andre pulls the other bag from the table and heads off towards the spare bedroom.
‘Dom come on. You can’t do this.’
‘We need to be prepared for whatever could happen, Chlo. We can’t let this go on, you’re in danger and I’m not okay with that. One way or another, this is going to end.’ He tucks a gun in the back of his jeans and leans over, bringing me in for a kiss. ‘We have to get our lives back.’
I try to protest the best I can but no one will hear me out. The love of my life is about to go to battle for me and he doesn’t even know how I feel about him.
Fifteen minutes have passed and they all gather in the kitchen to finalize their plans. I can’t listen and I angrily swipe at the tears that fall from my eyes. This may be the last time I see them and I’m to wait here not knowing what’s happening and no phone. I’m sat in the living room and my dad pops in to say bye followed by Dom.
‘Please promise to come back to me.’ I beg of him and he pulls me up into his arms.
‘I’ll be back, Chloe, even if it’s the last thing I do.’
‘Dom?’ His lips brush against mine and I look up into his multi-coloured eyes.
‘Yes, baby?’
‘I love you.’ His mouth crushes into mine, showing me his feeling in one movement. Andre calls from the foyer and he let’s go of me, kissing me on the forehead. No more words are said, and then they’re gone.