Run!: He's coming for you

by K Leitch

  She was woken up a few hours later, by a gentle knocking on the door, just before Maggie, followed by Katy and little Martha crept into her room. Maggie was carrying a tray and each of the little girls had a bunch of daisies in their hands, which they dumped on the end of Lucy’s bed before both climbing up and coming to sit next to her.

  Lucy sat herself up properly and put an arm round each child.

  ‘It’s soup…it’s for you,’ Katy squeaked through her thumb, ‘we helped, we washed all the carrots…we got wet all over us,’ she giggled and rubbed her hands down her T-shirt.

  ‘Uber us,’ giggled Matty doing the same.

  Lucy smiled at Maggie over the girl’s heads, ‘You shouldn’t have Maggie, I could have come down.’

  ‘Don’t be silly,’ Maggie said, ‘come on you two where can I put this tray if your big bottoms are taking up all the room.’

  The two little girls shrieked with laughter at Maggie’s use of the word “bottom” and slid off the bed. Maggie set the tray down carefully on Lucy’s knees. As well as the aforementioned soup, there were a couple of crusty rolls and a piece of cake…it was all too much for Lucy. She burst into tears once again at Maggie’s little act of kindness, which was one of so many that she’d been shown since she’d met this woman.

  ‘Lucy…my God what is it?’ Maggie said with a worried frown, quickly taking the tray off Lucy’s knees and putting it on the bedside table. She came and sat down next to Lucy and put an arm around her. Lucy continued to sob, not knowing how she was going to explain her misery but also not being able to contain it. When she at last managed to control herself again, she apologised profusely to Maggie.

  ‘Don’t you dare be sorry,’ Maggie said crossly, ‘if you can’t cry with me, who can you cry with?’

  She got up and picked up little Katy, who had been watching her mum with big, worried eyes the whole time. She handed her over to Lucy who gave her a big hug.

  ‘It’s alright darling,’ Lucy whispered into Katy’s hair, ‘Mummy’s just being silly that’s all,’ she said her voice shaking slightly.

  Maggie laid a sympathetic hand on Lucy’s arm. ‘Oh you are feeling out of sorts aren’t you love. Don’t worry, I’m not going to pry sweetheart, but just know that I’m here if you need me okay,’ she said making Lucy’s eyes swell with tears again.

  ‘I’ll leave you in peace…looks like you could do with a good sleep love,’ Maggie said, getting up to leave. She grabbed little Matty and swung her over her shoulders, making her squeal with giggles as she went to leave, Lucy stopped her.

  ‘Maggie,’ she said grabbing her hand, ‘I just want you to know how grateful I am that you gave me this job. You don’t realise it but you saved me…you and Dom and Jukie and Duncan, and…well I love you all for that, whatever happens please remember that I love you…all of you.’

  Maggie sat back down again. ‘Well now I’m really worried,’ she said smoothing a stray curl from Lucy’s face. ‘What’s going to happen Lucy, what is it that’s upset you?’

  Lucy forced a smile. ‘Oh don’t take any notice of me I’m just being all dramatic because I don’t feel well. Nothing’s going to happen…well…oh God… apart from that soup going all over my bedclothes…Katy no darling don’t pull that…oh…no,’ too late, the soup bowl slid off the tray and a large globular pool of soup ended up all over Lucinda’s duvet.

  In the ensuing chaos that followed, changing bedclothes, a screaming two year old and scrubbing vegetable soup out of carpets, Maggie forgot about Lucy’s strange emotional little speech. And after having to have a shower to get soup out of her hair, Lucy decided she felt much better and came downstairs to join Maggie and Jools. The girls ended up having a fun afternoon gossiping and playing with the children until it was time to pick Jukie up from school and Jools headed off home.

  Both Maggie and Duncan would be out this evening, Maggie to her first Cauldron meeting for a long time, Carla had decided it was time for her to get back to normal at last. And Duncan to his usual place behind the bar in The Bull, chatting to the regulars and keeping an eye on his investment.

  ‘I’ll cook for you tonight,’ Dom said when he realised it was just going to be the two of them. ‘Ah no arguments,’ he added as Lucy started to protest, ‘you always cook and anyway it’ll give us a chance to talk won’t it?’

  Lucy wondered what he wanted to talk about, she was really nervous about spending an evening alone with Dom. Her sensible head said, if she was leaving in a couple of days’ time, the last thing she needed was to get any deeper into whatever this was between them. It was going to hurt enough as it was. She thought about faking another headache, but he seemed to be so looking forward to an evening with just the two of them, that in the end she didn’t have the heart. And if she was honest with herself she wanted this evening with him… so her stupid, selfish, romantic head convinced her that if she had to leave, surely she should be entitled to enjoy this, just for one more night…shouldn’t she?

  CHAPTER 60

  From his car which was parked a little way up the road, Trevor watched as Maggie and Duncan drove away from the house. By his reckoning that left Lucy and the other bloke in there alone. He’d been watching the house for about a week now and he’d worked out that the big bloke with the scarred face, was the same bloke that ran the pub in the village and he seemed to have a thing going with the tall, brunette bird, so if they were both going out at the same time, he could reasonably assume that they’d be gone for a while. Anyway that dark haired bird had been dolled up to the nines, dressed for a night out. That should give him plenty of time.

  Trevor hadn’t been idle while he’d been watching the house. He’d found the best route round to the back and he’d taken stock of the huge rear windows that led down to the garden. He’d found a neat little hiding place where he’d had a clear view into the kitchen. For the last two nights he’d been watching. He’d watched as Lucinda prepared the meals for the children, he’d watched her as she got Juke and Katy ready for bed and he’d been watching when Dom had helped her clear away the dishes and then sat chatting with her while she’d loaded up the washing machine. He’d been twenty yards away from his wife when she’d been chatting and laughing with Maggie and Jools earlier this afternoon. He hadn’t known how he’d kept from rushing in and beating the crap out of her, when he thought of how anxious and desperate he’d been and there she was sitting with her friends laughing and joking as if nothing had happened.

  Looking all around him, making sure that no one else was on the road, he slid out of his car. Keeping a low profile he ran around the high hedge at the edge of the garden and into the front drive. Running low, he made his way round to the back of the house and up to his hiding place on the porch behind the huge gas barbeque. From here he could see straight into the kitchen which was lit up, as the evenings were getting darker. There was Lucy, there…right in front of him… sitting, side on to the window, at the huge wooden table. She was drinking a glass of wine and talking to… him…that bloke, who had his back to the window and was stirring something in a pan on the oven. Trevor’s hands shook, he felt his blood start to boil and the red mist begin to descend. He needed to hurt somebody… he wanted to run in there right now and tear that cunt from limb to limb for touching his Lucy…and she needed to feel his pain, she needed to beg him on her knees to forgive her…between them they were making a fool of him, nobody did that!

  Forcing himself to calm down, he took a few deep breaths, he couldn’t let the anger take hold of him too quickly. He pulled out a gun from his pocket and checked it one more time, he had come well prepared, he wasn’t taking any chances…Lucinda was coming home with him tonight. He took a few deep breaths forcing himself to calm down, if he was going to do this right he would need his wits about him. Oh yes Lucy was going to feel his anger and that bloke was a dead man, but he wanted him terrified…he wanted him crawling and begging before he realised that nothing he could do or say would save his life.

>   He sat down and waited for the sun to go down, he wanted them both terrified and for that… for real terror… he would need the cover of darkness.

  CHAPTER 61

  ‘Mmmm that smells so good,’ Lucy was saying, watching Dom’s backside appreciatively as he stirred the pepper sauce that was going on the fillet steaks which were already cooking under the grill.

  ‘Well I hope you like garlic,’ Dom said turning and smiling at her.

  ‘I love it,’ Lucy said, ‘and its okay if you both have it isn’t it?’ she added, blushing as she realised what she’d just implied.

  Dom gave her a cheeky look, ‘It certainly is,’ he said laughing at her as she hid her flaming cheeks behind her hands.

  He came and sat next to her, ‘Lucy, Lucy, Lucy,’ he said taking her hand. ‘I’ve been wanting to talk to you for ages,’ he gave her a smile that made her heart flip. ‘You must have guessed by now that I like you…more than like you,’ he went on rushing his words a bit.

  Lucy squeezed his hand, ‘I like you too Dom,’ she said looking into his eyes, ‘I can’t remember when I last felt this way about anybody…I…I, don’t think I ever have,’ she smiled up at him shyly.

  Dom moved in closer and gently cupped her chin, tipping her face up he brushed her lips with his, before kissing her eyes, her cheeks, her neck. Finally he brought his mouth back down onto hers, kissing her with a passion that took Lucy’s breath away.

  Lucy didn’t need any more encouragement, she kissed him back just as passionately. Putting every bit of her tangled emotions and desperate yearnings into it. When they lifted their heads a moment later, they were both dazed by what they’d felt and Lucy was castigating herself even more for allowing her own wants and needs to come before those of this wonderful man, who was going to be so hurt when she disappeared at the weekend. She had to get the control back.

  Just then she caught a movement beyond the window, ‘What was that?’ she cried, jumping away from Dom and nervously wrapping her arms around herself.

  Dom came up behind her and enfolded her in his arms, ‘Hey what’s up?’ he asked nuzzling her neck. ‘You’re as jumpy as a kitten…I can’t see anything,’ he peered over her head into the blackness….letting go of her, he opened the patio door and stuck his head out for a moment. ‘There’s nothing there…must have been a cat or fox or something,’ he said coming back inside. ‘Oh fucking hell!’ he exclaimed a second later, as he noticed smoke and flames coming from the oven. Rushing over he pulled the grill pan out so quickly that the flaming steaks flew off and onto the floor where they lay… a charcoaled smouldering mess.

  Lucy couldn’t help it she burst out laughing, ‘Oh…I’m so sorry but that looked sooo funny,’ she said giggling again.

  After a lot of swearing and faffing about Dom retrieved the red hot steaks from the floor, and eventually saw the funny side of it and joined in the laughter. ‘That’s all well and good,’ he said a bit later, ‘but what are we going to eat now…I’m starving and man cannot live on love alone, I don’t care what the poets say.’

  Lucy looked in the fridge, ‘I suppose I could make an omelette,’ she said without much enthusiasm.

  ‘Ooh, I know, I’ll get us a takeaway,’ Dom said, ‘what do you fancy, Indian, Chinese, Thai? Your wish is my command, oh fair one,’ he finished with a little bow.

  Lucy giggled, ‘Indian,’ she said eagerly, ‘I haven’t had a good chicken Korma for ages.’

  Dom found the menus by the phone and ordered their food, ‘Should be ready in about fifteen minutes, so you open another bottle and I’ll run down and get it,’ he said getting his coat and picking up his car keys, he headed for the door, only to turn around a moment later and pull Lucy into another passionate kiss. ‘That’s just to keep me going,’ he said with a last kiss on her nose as he headed once more for the door.

  Once he was gone Lucy groaned and sat down at the table putting her head in her hands…what was she doing for God’s sake? She had to put a stop to this as soon as he came back. In fact she would tell him the truth…yes that’s what she’d do, that would probably be enough to put him off her anyway, once he’d realised that she’d lied to him he’d probably never want to see her again. Lucy sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Oh God…that kiss! She’d never felt so much emotion from just a kiss!

  She needed a drink, she pushed back her chair and went over to the dresser to pour herself another glass of wine, suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention, as she was flooded with a prickling sense of awareness.

  Something…a noise on the patio sent shivers down her spine. She went over and switched on the outside lights, the patio was flooded with light. Lucy stood and looked out, her ears on stalks for any unusual sound…there was nothing there, it was like Dom said, a fox or something. Turning off the outside lights she wandered back to the table and finished her drink before clearing up the burnt grill pan and wiping the greasy floor.

  Once the lights went out again Trevor emerged from under the barbeque cover, rage and jealousy coursing through his body filling his mind with only thoughts of revenge and mayhem. He walked right up to the kitchen window and stood watching his wife for a moment as she sat and drank a glass of wine…he could tell just by looking at her that she was nervous, only just keeping it together…she must know that he would come for her…she must know that he wouldn’t let her get away with this…for a moment he just watched her…waiting for the moment when she would realise that her time was up.

  Lucy tried to calm down and think rationally about her situation. This evening was turning out to be even harder that she had imagined. She mustn’t let Dom kiss her again, things were getting too complicated, if she backed off a bit now it wouldn’t be so hard on him when she left.

  Oh that kiss though…she allowed herself a moment to re-live it, at least she’d have that to remember, and the knowledge that Dom had really liked her… maybe one day. Suddenly Lucy held herself very still…her heart started pounding and her breath caught in her chest…a noise…someone was out there! She span round, the glass of wine she’d been holding slipped from her hand and she let out a piercing scream of terror. There on the terrace beyond the huge window was Trevor, and he was looking straight at her!

  Lucy’s stood frozen in terror for at least two seconds before she turned and fled, running in a blind panic out of the kitchen and towards the front door. Once there she fumbled with the latch, pulling ineffectually at the handle, desperately trying to steady her shaking hands.

  ‘Come on…come on,’ she sobbed as pounding footsteps came from the kitchen behind her…coming closer and closer. At last she pulled the door open, only to be grabbed from behind and thrown to one side before the door was slammed shut again.

  Trevor stood over her breathing heavily, his eyes were laser beams of fury, his face contorted with rage and hatred…Lucy shrank away from him whimpering incoherently.

  ‘Where do you think you’re going, cunt?’ he rasped down at her through gritted teeth.

  ‘Please… please Trevor… arrrggh… noooooo,’ Lucinda put her hands up to try and deflect the blows she knew were coming as Trevor let his rage take hold. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet dragging her, half walking, half stumbling back into the kitchen. He pushed her against the kitchen counter, holding her there with his body as he grabbed a handful of hair and pulled her head back so that she had no choice but to look at him.

  ‘You think you can fucking walk out on me?’ he screamed into her face, ‘You think you can take my child…MY CHILD…and fucking shack up with some bloke…you think that do you…DO YOU!’

  ‘No…no it’s not like that…NOOOOO,’ Trevor’s fist connected with her face, blood and spittle flew from her mouth, another punch to her stomach this time making her double over and forcing the air out of her lungs. Lucy clung onto the kitchen work surface, her head was spinning, she could see Trevor’s face contorted with madness, his mouth was moving but she could no longer
hear the words. She knew what he was saying though, this time he was going to kill her.

  Another punch to her head, her mouth filled with blood.

  A crushing blow to her chest, she doubled over wheezing and choking.

  A hammer blow to the back of her head, a loud ringing in her ears as she fell spinning to the floor… an easy target for heavy boots, which kicked her over and over as she tried to crawl away.

  She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to ward off the blows, only to scream with agony as her wrist connected with the toe of a boot, she heard the crack of bones breaking, her hand hung to one side uselessly.

  With Trevor’s virulent tirade blasting her ears, she was once again hauled back up onto her feet and pushed painfully against the edge of the kitchen counter. Trevor’s hand was round her throat forcing her to look at him as he spewed out his violent threats.

  Lucy desperately groped around on the counter behind her with her good hand. She felt the handle of the grill pan that Dom had left there earlier. Trevor took a step away from her, a nasty smirk on his face as he slowly pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it straight at her, Lucy’s eyes widened in petrified horror.

  ‘Oh don’t worry sweetheart,’ Trevor growled menacingly, ‘this isn’t for you,’ he pressed the gun hard against her temple, ‘Oh no this is for lover boy. Now, we’re going to wait here for him to come back, but there’s no reason we can’t put on a show for him to enjoy when he gets back is there. Show him what he’s never going to get his hands on ever again.’ Lucy shrank back with revulsion as he grabbed hold of her breast and started fondling before lifting up her T-shirt so that her breasts were exposed, he looked at her for a moment and then brought his face close to her, this was her chance, she hefted the grill pan, charcoaled steaks and all and smashed it as hard as she could round Trevor’s head.

  Trevor stumbled backwards, his eyes a picture of disbelief before he crumpled half dazed to the ground. Lucinda made a dash for the open patio door. She flew down the patio steps and ran wildly across the grass, towards the gate which led into the woods behind. She had almost made it when she heard a loud CRACK! And something whistled passed her face, she couldn’t believe it, Trevor was shooting at her.