Broken & Damaged Love

by T. L. Clark

  “And we’ll be right here,” Frank assured her. “Would you like something a little stronger than tea?”

  Tina looked up then, and noticed the remains of the candlelight dinner, the candles still aglow.

  “Oh my God, I’ve interrupted, haven’t I? I’m so sorry,” she gasped.

  It was Jake who interjected first, “No worries. They’ll be other nights.”

  “Oh no! Oh, I feel so bad now. I’m really sorry.”

  Frank had got up and poured the rest of the wine out into three glasses. He gave Tina the largest.

  “Your safety comes first. Honestly, don’t worry.

  “Oooh…hang on a mo.”

  He whizzed over to the side and grabbed another bowl, and dished up the sugary Toffee Pecan Roulade.

  “Here; ultimate comfort food,” he exclaimed.

  Tina didn’t think she’d manage to eat anything, but after the first mouthful she craved more. She gobbled up the sweet goodness, and it helped ‘bring her back’ a bit.

  “Thanks guys.”

  “You’re welcome,” they said in unison.

  Frank and Jake continued their efforts in calming Tina down. The red wine was soporific and they pointed her towards Pete’s empty bed.

  Jake was more than happy to scooch up to Frank in his bed. It was a tight squeeze but they didn’t mind.

  As they quietly waited for Tina’s breathing to slow Jake hugged Frank to his front as they spooned. He planted a kiss on Frank’s neck, making him quiver.

  “You’re amazing!” he whispered.

  “How about we’re amazing together?” Frank used Jake’s words from earlier and grinned.

  In the morning the trio were all showered and fed by the time the police arrived.

  Jake had made himself scarce by washing up all the dinner things from the night before. With all the commotion everything had just been left.

  He used the time to absorb all the information about Tina. He just couldn’t believe one human could do that to another, especially a father to his own daughter. It was barbaric.

  He felt so upset for the poor girl, and angry at the man. He half hoped Tina’s father did show up, just so he could knock him off his feet. He wasn’t generally violent, but he’d done Martial Arts in the past, and still kept his muscles in shape. He had no fear of facing off that scumbag.

  He chuckled at himself and shook his head and the powerful emotion. What had happened to him? He was a lover not a fighter.

  But then Tina was important to the man he loved; she was like family. He saw that now. And he was very protective of family.

  “Huh,” he wondered to himself. “So that makes Frank family? I have got it bad,” and he shook his head again as he carried on his washing up ponderings.

  Jake had re-joined Tina and Frank just in time for the WPC to arrive. They welcomed her in and offered a hot drink, which of course she declined. Tina insisted the boys stayed in the room with her; she didn’t think she could get through this without them.

  The police interview was very formal, and matter of fact. Tina thought back all those years when she’d first had to confess her father’s sins to the police. She hadn’t thought she’d have to go through that ordeal again. And nor should she.

  The WPC explained that Dean had been released but with conditions set upon him. He was on the Sex Offenders Register, and had a restraining order from contacting Tina. He was also supposed to inform the police of his location; something he’d neglected to do.

  The police officer explained to Tina that once he was found, Dean would be put back into prison for breaching his conditions. Just one breach would be enough, but he’d broken them twice.

  The police woman looked at Tina’s mobile phone. Tina hadn’t changed her number, and Dean had called her on that phone. The lady looked at the ‘calls received’ log, and sighed in relief as a number flashed up.

  “He got cocky and we got lucky!” she muttered.

  “He’s called from a landline. I’ll get it checked out. Hopefully we’ll be able to locate him from there.”

  She had written down all the details Tina had provided, and got her to sign the statement. It would all go on Dean’s record. Tina’s stomach plummeted as she realised she’d have to go through the court process again, and be responsible for putting her father back inside.

  “Uh huh, I know that look,” admonished Frank.

  “What?”

  “Tell me what you were thinking. It was much too guilt ridden. It was written all across your face.”

  “I was just thinking about going back to court,” she half confessed.

  “It’s still his fault, Tina. You heard her,” he said nodding at the WPC.

  “He is in breach of his release order, whatever it is.”

  “Your friend’s right,” the police woman said.

  “He could have lived on the outside if he chose. But he has failed to report his whereabouts, and he has made contact with you. You’ve done the right thing by informing us. And it seems like your friends here will support you. And this time there will be no court. He will be recalled straight back to prison and will have to face a parole board. He’ll be facing an extended sentence for this breach of license.”

  Tina smiled woefully and thanked her for her kindness.

  Frank had told Tina she could stay with him as long as she needed. He’d clear it with the uni. He was sure it wouldn’t be a problem given the circumstances.

  Tina really didn’t want to go back home whilst her dad was on the loose. She didn’t feel safe there. Come to think of it, she never had felt safe there really.

  Shortly after the police woman left, Pete came home.

  “Oi oi saveloy! I just passed the police on my way in. You been up to mischief?” he teased as he came in through the door.

  “Not funny,” Frank admonished.

  It was at that moment Pete noticed Tina was there.

  “Oh, Sorry. I thought it was just you two lads. Everything all right?”

  “Not really,” Tina said glumly.

  “Shit. Sorry. I was only teasing. I didn’t expect the cops to have actually been to see you.”

  Pete blushed as he realised just how much he’d put his foot in it.

  “You weren’t to know.”

  Tina’s eyes were so full of hurt. He would have done anything to wipe all that away, and take back the idiotic things he’d said.

  Pete went to his part of the room to drop his overnight bag off.

  “Somebody’s been sleeping in my bed,” he teased in a Goldilocks narrator’s voice.

  “Still not funny,” Frank shouted over to him.

  Pete came back over.

  “Wow, this really is serious, isn’t it? Would someone like to tell me what the hell’s going on?”

  “So, he doesn’t know anything either?” Frank chided.

  “I don’t think I can. Not at the moment.”

  Pete felt slightly offended.

  “Tina, you can tell me anything. Please know that. There’s no judgement. If you’re in trouble please let me know how I can help.”

  “It’s been a rough night, and a horrible morning. I just don’t think I’m up to it right now. Frank. Is there somewhere I can have a bath please? I need to feel clean.”

  “Sure. I’ll show you the way.”

  He grabbed his towel and toiletries and led Tina to the bathroom.

  “It’s OK. You can lock the door and you won’t be bothered.”

  Tina gave him a hug before shooing him away.

  The boys were great, but she needed some time to herself and wash away last night.

  Before making him go, she did let Frank know he could tell Pete her tale.

  “I think it might be better coming from you.”

  “I know. But I just can’t right now. Just tell him the basics and I’ll go through it with him some other time. Call it therapy!”

  “If you’re not ready to tell him then I shouldn’t either.”

&n
bsp; “This situation is going to get messy. He needs to know what’s going on. It’s not exactly ideal timing. To be honest, I’d rather not have the conversation with him at all. Not yet anyway. You’re the only person I’ve ever really told. I don’t want the whole world knowing.”

  “Pete isn’t the whole world. He’s just one person. And you have a point; he does need to know, at least that there’s a strange man he needs to be on the lookout for.

  “For what it’s worth I don’t think he’ll tell anyone else. And look at what he’s studying. It’ll be good practice for him,” Frank teased, which earned him a playful slap on the arm.

  “I can’t avoid it, can I?”

  “No not really. I’ll pave the way if that’s what you want. Then you know it won’t be a total shock.”

  “Cool. Thanks,” she said as she grabbed him close before pushing him away.

  Back in his room, Frank spoke to Pete.

  “Right, sit down.”

  Pete dutifully obeyed, and Frank told him what he needed to know.

  “Oh crap,” was his response.

  “Why didn’t she tell me? Oh shit, the things I said!” he looked horrified at himself.

  “You didn’t know.”

  “Yeah, but if I had. So, the police are out looking for her dad now?”

  “Yeah. Hopefully they’ll be able to arrest him quickly. But until then at least I’ve said she can stay with us.”

  “Sure. She can have my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch, or my mate’s or something.”

  “Cool. Thanks. And she never goes out alone until he’s caught, right?”

  “Agreed,” Jake and Pete chimed.

  “Ah man, what a mess!” Pete said, pushing his hands through his hair.

  “Tell me about it. I hoped she’d never had to go through this again. She shouldn’t have to. She’s been through enough.”

  Their conversation as Tina walked back in.

  “Ummm…I have a problem!”

  “Another one?”

  Jake teased before he could stop the words coming out. He slapped a hand over his mouth.

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean...”

  “Jake, you’re a bitch, but I accept that,” she said, teasing in return.

  Her bath had really helped her come back to normality. Well, as normal as it got for her, she’d mused.

  “I know in the great scheme of things it’s trivial, but if I’m going to be here a while, like any more hours, I could really do with some clean clothes.”

  “Oh!”

  Frank’s face fell as the obvious hit him.

  “Right, well I’ll go.”

  “You won’t know what to get.”

  To herself she added, “And I’m due on soon, but there’s no way I’m asking you to collect my ‘lady things’.”

  “You’re not going alone.”

  “Fine, you can drive. Anyone else coming along for the ride?”

  Jake didn’t want to be parted from Frank, and Pete was in full on protection mode, so all four squeezed into the compact car.

  As Tina approached her house, with a great deal of trepidation, she had her own bodyguards all around her.

  Still, she didn’t want to be there any longer than she had to. She ran upstairs and grabbed what she thought she’d need, stuffing it into a rucksack and a holdall.

  She left a scribbled note for her mum, telling her she was staying with a friend for a while, and she could be reached on her mobile.

  She didn’t think her mum would care too much. They still barely talked. The divide between them had only grown as each kept their silence.

  Pete and Jake squeezed themselves back into the back of the car, and Frank continued chauffeur duty. They’d not got far when they had to stop at a junction.

  “Ummm…Tina, flip down your sun visor like you’re doing your make up. I don’t want to worry you, but that car back there…it’s hanging back too much…”

  Pete had to duck his head to the side so Tina could see out the back. The mirror wasn’t good enough, and she had to physically look behind her.

  “Oh my God, I think it’s him. He’s quite far behind, but it looks like it.”

  She started to panic.

  “Don’t drive back to the uni.” Pete’s voice was calm and authoritative.

  “Just act natural, like you’ve not noticed, Frank. It’s OK. We’ll just drive to the police station. Can you do that?”

  “Yeah. No problem,” he said, a little shakily as he pulled away.

  As they drove further Frank saw the car trailing them.

  “Good. We want him to follow us. Tina, have you got a pen and paper in your handbag.”

  “Yeah”

  “Quick, pass it to me.”

  She rummaged in her bag and found the requested items. She awkwardly passed them behind her.

  “Great. Thanks. Frank. Can you see his reg number?”

  Frank read it out, and informed him of the car make, model and colour.

  “Excellent. Got ya, you fucker,” he sneered.

  They carried on with their journey, with Tina’s father following them at a distance.

  They arrived at the police station, and started to hurry inside.

  Tina’s father sped past as he realised too late where they’d been headed.

  The foursome were shouting at the duty officer in their anxiety.

  “One at a time. Please.” he demanded.

  Tina took the lead.

  “My dad; I reported him last night. He’s on the Sex Offenders Register. He has a restraining order. Please. He just followed us. Please get someone out there and follow him. Quickly!”

  “Slow down. Can I take your name please?”

  “Just get a car out there now! You’ll lose him!” she screeched.

  “Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. Give me your name, please.”

  Tina could have throttled him. Was he deliberately being obstructive?

  She had no choice but to slowly, oh so slowly supply the officer with the requested details. He must have been finally satisfied as he got on the radio and put a call out, giving details of the car and the direction it was last headed in.

  Chapter 15 – Recapture

  The police had tracked down the vehicle from its registration, and went to the listed residence.

  Their luck held and Dean was there. Of course he put up a struggle and pleaded innocence. But he had been arrogant enough to use the landline at his flat and the records were traced.

  Dean was indeed taken straight back to prison as the WPC had envisioned.

  His treatment inside was even worse than before. Even sex offenders have a code, and paedophilia is on their hit list. They visited unto him what he had done unto his daughter, only it was not gentle, and left him torn and bleeding often.

  The ‘narks’ turned a blind eye if they even happened to notice; they had no sympathy for him either. His life became a living hell.

  With the help of her friends, Tina came to realise it had been a lucky escape. It could have been far worse. She couldn’t bring herself to fully explore the horrible possibilities if she had gone to her house alone.

  He had been angry and she suspected more than a little crazy; he would have been capable of anything. But as it was he was now back where he belonged and she had to start building up her life again.

  It wasn’t easy; her father had shocked the hell out of her. She thought her past had been all behind her, but he came in like a wrecking ball.

  She had taken a few days off work, and her friends took it in turns to stay with her.

  Frank blew off some lectures just so she wouldn’t be alone. But she was faced with a dilemma. That house had always been one where bad things happened. And now this had added to the painful memories, she just couldn’t bring herself to go back home.

  She discussed her options with Frank.

  “You have been working a while now, right?” he asked her.

  “Yeah.”

  “And I
know you. You’ve been saving, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So, do you have enough for a deposit on a rented flat?”

  “Well, I suppose so.”

  She wasn’t quite sure how much she needed, and her pay wasn’t massive. She’d still been giving money to her mum, so her savings weren’t as high as she’d have liked.

  “What if I spoke to my dad? He has a couple of properties. He sees it as his pension fund. I’m sure he’d give you a reduced rate. I know we don’t want to be indebted to him, but if he can let you rent a place of your own cheaply, wouldn’t that be a start?”

  “Well, yeah. I guess instead of having to pay mum I’ll just pay your dad. That could work. But then I’d have to pay for all my own food.”

  They sat down and did some sums, something which Tina was now exceptionally good at. It was rather depressing, as after rent and bills she wouldn’t have much left, but she could survive. She had few other options, so she let Frank speak to his dad about it.

  That evening Frank telephoned his dad. Having exchanged pleasantries he broached the subject, “Dad, do you have any vacant flats at the moment?”

  “Not really, why do you ask?”

  “Well, Tina’s having an even tougher time at home at the moment, and she was hoping to move out. I thought maybe you could help her out?” he asked hopefully.

  “Ah, why didn’t you say? Actually I have a plan I was going to surprise you with, but it may as well be now. A couple of months ago I came across a really good property close to the university. It’s a two bedroom flat. I thought you two could have one room and let the other, so they’d still be an income coming in. Then, when you leave uni and get a job I can rent it out to other students. It should be a nice little earner. But it needed some work, so it’s still being refurbished at the moment.”

  Frank was stunned. How much longer would he have to keep up this façade? He hated lying to his dad, but it was the only way, at least until he could stand on his own two feet.

  “Errr…that sounds great. Can I speak to Tina about it and get back to you?”

  He hurriedly ended the call and relayed the details to Tina.

  “Oh Frank, what the hell are we going to do? Pretending to be your girlfriend is one thing, but moving in with you? He’ll have us marching up the aisle next. It’s just too much.”