by Sarah Bailey
“For fuck’s sake, I don’t have time to explain, please, take your daughter.”
“What’s going on?” Aiden said, poking his head out of the door with a frown.
“I need to go. My friend is in trouble, please, I don’t know how to get this off me.”
Avery wasn’t moving so he walked around her and helped me out of the sling, taking Afie and giving her to Avery. He didn’t exactly look happy, but I didn’t think it was directed at me.
“I’m sorry, I really am.”
I backed away, giving them both an apologetic look.
“What the fuck, Avery? Didn’t you hear what he said? Why didn’t you take her?” Aiden said as I turned and walked towards the stairwell because I was fucking done waiting for the lift.
“Don’t you start with me.”
“Oh, I’ll fucking start with you.”
I didn’t hear any more, shoving open the stairwell door and taking the stairs two by two. As soon as I reached the basement, I legged it to my Mini and got in. This had to be the worst possible timing, but I couldn’t fix whatever was going on in their marriage. All I could think about was getting to Ellie. She’d called me. She needed me.
I drove like a fucking madman, cursing at all the weekend drivers and tourists out in force on a Sunday. Honestly, I fucking hated driving in the city when you were trying to get somewhere fast but needs must.
As soon as I pulled up in the carpark outside Ellie’s block of flats, I jumped out and locked my car. I strode over to the front door and pressed down on the intercom for her flat. There was no answer so I tried again. Could she not come to the intercom? What happened to her? I had a really bad feeling in my stomach.
It was lucky someone was coming down the stairs because as soon as they opened the front door, I slipped in. They didn’t even say anything to me, which just went to show this wasn’t the best area for her to live in. I ran up the stairs to her floor and banged on her front door. Again, there was no answer.
“Ellie?”
I knocked again, but there was nothing. When I tried the handle, it opened. I walked in, looking around for her in the tiny flat, but she was nowhere to be seen.
“Ellie, where are you?”
I swear I heard a slight whimper coming from somewhere, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Sweetheart, please, where are you?”
I checked the bathroom, but she wasn’t in there. Then it hit me. Ellie needed dark, enclosed spaces to feel safe. I strode over to her cupboard and opened the door. She was curled up in a ball on the floor, her face hidden by her arms and legs.
I squatted next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at my touch.
“Sweetheart,” I said, keeping my voice soft. “I’m here.”
“It hurts,” she whimpered.
“What does? What happened?”
“Everywhere, it hurts.”
“You need to let me see.”
She let go of her legs, whimpering as she shifted. My heart felt tight as I brushed her hair from her face.
“What the fuck? Who did this to you?”
Her lip was split and one of her eyes was swollen shut.
“My dad,” she whispered.
“What?”
“My dad did it.”
I thought I’d misheard her the first time. Acid coiled in my stomach. Venom laced my veins. I knew what it meant to be physically assaulted by your own father. Seeing Ellie like this brought back the memory of seeing Dante in hospital after Dad beat the shit out of him. It brought back too many memories I’d buried.
“Why?”
“I wouldn’t do what he said… please, it hurts so much.”
She could explain later. Right now I needed to get her out of this cupboard so I could assess the damage inflicted on her.
“Okay, I’m going to pick you up and put you on the bed, sweetheart.”
She whimpered but didn’t object. I gathered her up in my arms as she cried out in pain and stood up. Carrying her over to the bed, I laid her down on it. She was still wearing the same clothes as she’d had on yesterday.
“Where does it hurt?” I asked, concerned I might have to take her to A&E.
“My chest and my face.”
I gently tugged up her clothes and found rapidly forming bruises all over her abdomen and ribcage. My own chest burnt at the sight of it. I ran my fingers over her ribs and she winced.
“I need to take you to get checked out.”
She shook her head.
“No, no hospitals, please.”
“Ellie…”
“No, I called you, not an ambulance or the police.”
“Will you tell me what happened?”
She turned her face towards me. Her swollen eye looked worse in the light.
“My dad sold me to the Daniels to pay for his drug habit when I was fourteen. He used to beat my mother up and he hated me because I cost him too much money. I didn’t think I’d see him again, but he turned up at the hotel weeks ago, the day you came over here the first time. Then this morning he showed up here spouting all sorts of crazy shit about me owing him.”
She coughed, her chest wheezing. I frowned. What if she’d cracked a rib?
“He somehow found out that I’ve been seeing you… And… and… oh god… he… he told me I had to…” she tailed off, closing her good eye as a tear fell down her cheek.
“You had to what?”
“He knows you and your siblings have money… he tried to use my mother as leverage to get me to…”
My heart dropped out from underneath me.
What the fuck?
“He wants money and he wanted me to use you to get it for him, but I won’t do that. Not for him. Not for my mother. Not for anyone.” She opened her eye again, staring up at me. “I would never do that to you. I’d never trick you.”
I put my hand on hers, giving it a squeeze. Ellie was a pure soul. I knew she wouldn’t do anything like that. She was sweet and kind.
“How exactly did he expect you to do that?”
“Make you marry me and then drive you to have an affair,” she whispered. “So I could file for divorce and take you for all your worth.”
The fact that she’d admitted all of this to me without any real hesitation proved just how fucked up and twisted her dad was. And how much she trusted me to believe her. Anyone who sells their own child for money is sick in the head. Just as sick as my own father.
“I promise, I’d never do anything like that.”
I reached up, stroking her hair back from her face.
“I know you wouldn’t.”
A fresh set of tears spilt down her face.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Shh, it’s okay.”
“He beat me when he realised I wasn’t going to say yes. I’m scared, James. I’m so scared he’ll come back.”
She didn’t need to be afraid because I was going to protect her. And I’d make sure her scumbag father never got his hands on her again.
“You don’t need to worry, sweetheart. I’m taking you home. You’re going to stay with me.”
I’ll keep you safe, Ellie. If it’s the last thing I ever fucking do.
Chapter Eighteen
Ellie
James hadn’t given me a chance to object when he told me I was going with him. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I could given my dad knew where I lived. Richard Kirkwood would be back sooner or later.
James was busy packing up my clothes after he’d called in sick to work for me. Told them he wasn’t sure when I’d be back. I wasn’t in any state to go in nor did I think it was safe with my dad out there.
“Is there anything else you need?” James asked, sitting beside me again and stroking a hand down my arm.
“No,” I whispered.
He’d pretty much packed all the clothes I owned and my stuff from the bathroom. I hadn’t accumulated much since I was rescu
ed. Amassing material possessions didn’t appeal to me.
“Okay, I’m going to take this stuff down to the car and come back for you. Where are your keys?”
“On the bedside table.”
He moved away and a minute later, I heard the door slam. My chest hurt far worse than my face did even though I couldn’t see out of one eye. I felt so ashamed. Having to tell James what my father did, what he tried to demand of me was awful.
I sat up, even though it hurt like hell to do so. There was no way I was letting him carry me out of the flat. I could walk, but he’d probably just have to help me get down the stairs. The stupid building didn’t have a lift.
Shifting off the bed, I found my trainers and tugged them on, even though my chest burnt like hell. What I needed was a shower and to change out of these clothes. They were a reminder of my conversation with James last night and then my dad beating the crap out of me. It was lucky I blacked out not long after he first hit me. It made me sick to think he’d just carried on hurting my unconscious body, but my dad was scum. Worse than scum.
A few minutes later, James came back through the door, frowning when he saw me.
“I could’ve helped you with that,” he said, coming towards me.
“It’s okay, I managed.”
He helped me to my feet.
“You got your phone?” he asked.
“It’s on the floor of the cupboard.”
He went searching for it and tucked it into his pocket before leading me out of the flat. He made sure to lock up and walked me to the stairs. I baulked at the sight of them.
“We’ll take it slow,” he said, tucking an arm around my waist.
By the time we reached the ground floor, I was full on sobbing from the pain. I didn’t have it in me to stop him picking me up and carrying me out to the car. He got me situated in the passenger seat then came around and got in the driver’s side.
“I have to make a phone call. If you’re not going to let me take you to a hospital, you still need to be checked over by a doctor. He’s discreet.”
I said nothing, curling in on myself in the car seat as he fiddled with his phone and the Bluetooth in his car for a moment. The sounds of ringing filled my ears as we set off.
“Hello?”
I semi-recognised the voice.
“Hey, listen I need a favour.”
“What’s up?”
“Firstly, I’m not coming in tomorrow and secondly, I need you to get Brent to send the doctor round.”
James tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, his eyes darting from side to side at a set of traffic lights.
“Are you in trouble?”
“No…” He glanced at me. “Ellie is.”
“You’re going to have to give me more than that, James.”
He sighed and looked at me again.
“Can I tell Dante everything?”
My life was already a mess as it was. What did it matter if his brother knew the truth? If I was going to be in James’ life, then everyone would find out about it eventually anyway. It wasn’t like I could keep it a secret that I knew Tina, although I hadn’t told James about that yet.
“Yes,” I said, wincing as he took a turn a little too sharply, causing me to shift in the seat.
I zoned out as James explained what I’d told him about my past, watching the city go by as we drove. It was still daylight. I wasn’t entirely sure how long I’d been passed out. All I knew is I was glad my dad was no longer there when I woke up. I didn’t want to see him again. The only person I’d wanted in those moments was the man next to me. Perhaps it was weak of me to call him after everything I’d said yesterday. And yet, James was my safety. I needed him.
I only tuned back in when James was telling Dante about what my father wanted me to do.
“He what? I don’t know who the fuck this guy thinks he is, but he is not getting his hands on anything of ours,” Dante’s voice rang through the car speakers.
“No, and he’s not getting anywhere near Ellie again either,” James replied, his voice dripping with venom.
“We need to talk about this further, you know. I’ll get Williams over to you as soon as possible. He owes me anyway, so it’s no problem.”
“We will… Come over after work tomorrow, you can meet Ellie then.”
I glanced at James. I didn’t want anyone else seeing me in this state, but I likely had no choice in the matter. Having asked for James’ help, I wasn’t in a position to object to his brother’s involvement. They had their family and their assets to protect.
“Okay, I’ll bring Liora and Brent. She can make us dinner.”
“She doesn’t have to do that, I can cook.”
“Trust me, it’ll be easier if you just let her do it.”
James shook his head.
“Okay, see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
Silence filled the car for a long moment. The reminder of what he’d said yesterday before he left rang in my ears.
“I’m not worthy of you.”
It stabbed at my heart. How could he think that about himself?
“I’m sorry,” I said, unable to stop myself.
“For what?”
“Everything. I’m messing up your life and now your family’s lives too and I’m just sorry.”
He put a hand on my thigh. I looked over at him. He was still concentrating on the road, but I could see the frustration in his expression.
“You have absolutely nothing to apologise for. I was so fucking scared when you called me, Ellie. I was out with Afie so Aiden and Avery could sort out their marital issues. I practically ran back to their flat, shoved the baby at them and got in my car to get to you.”
My heart stopped in my chest.
He did what?
“I needed to know you were okay. Fuck, seeing you like this makes me so angry. Not at you, but at your fucking father for putting you through even more shit. So do not apologise for calling me. I’d go to the fucking ends of the earth to save you any more pain.”
My mouth dropped open. The words he said weren’t registering correctly with my brain. Did he really just tell me he ran out on his best friend to get to me? On Avery. The girl I thought he was in love with.
He put you first.
I wasn’t sure if he realised the significance of his actions. Was it just because I was in trouble? Was I reading into this too much? It felt like I was.
“Thank you,” I whispered because I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“You’re welcome.”
That was the end of our conversation. He took his hand off my thigh and pulled up into a carpark behind a tall block of flats. When he’d parked, he came around and helped me out of the car before grabbing the bags he’d packed out of the boot. He kept an eye on me as we walked towards the back doors. We rode up in the lift after we’d got into the building and he unlocked his front door.
I stepped into a wide hallway with four doors coming off it. He pointed to one of them and I walked through, finding a reasonable-sized living room. I stood there, unsure of what to do until he came in a few minutes later.
“You can sit down,” he said, indicating the large light grey sofa in front of a TV mounted on the wall above the fireplace.
I turned to him rather than doing what he said and put my hand on his arm. He stared down at it.
“You shouldn’t have to do all of this for me.”
His ocean blue eyes met mine. There was compassion and sadness in them.
“Ellie, stop saying shit like that. What happened last night changes nothing. I still care. I’m not going to stand by idly whilst your father is out there. He did this to you. He hurt you.”
My eyes fell to my hand brushing down his arm until I met his fingers. I entwined them with mine. His sharp intake of breath told me the gesture meant something.
“You were wrong yesterday.”
“About what?”
“When you said you’re not worthy of me.”
When he said nothing, I looked up at him. There was a frown etched on his features.
“You are the kindest, most gentle and caring person I’ve ever met. You’ve never been unworthy of anyone, me included.”
He opened his mouth to say something, his expression softening but there was a loud buzzing sound ringing through the flat. He dropped my hand abruptly and stepped back.
“Um, that will be Doctor Williams.”
The interruption of our moment stung as did his immediate withdrawal. I deserved it after last night. I had told him we couldn’t be together because of his best friend. Didn’t mean this didn’t hurt. Now I was suffering both emotional and physical pain.
Doctor Williams was nice. He was gentle when he checked me over. He didn’t think I’d broken any ribs, which I could only be glad of. He said the bruising would fade within a couple of weeks, but if it didn’t he’d need to see me again. My face was cleaned up and painkillers prescribed. Thankfully, he had some on him so I was able to take them straight away.
The only thing I wasn’t so happy about was the two of them insisting on documenting all of my injuries. I let them because of the look in James’ eyes, but I still wasn’t comfortable with it.
When the doctor left, James squatted in front of me by the sofa, taking one of my hands.
“Are you hungry?”
I shook my head.
“Tired?”
“Yeah, I am a little.”
He nodded.
“Okay, you can have my bedroom whilst you’re here.”
I frowned.
“Where will you be?”
“I can sleep on the sofa. It’s new anyway… that’s what I was doing yesterday, taking furniture deliveries. Been redecorating.”
Was he crazy? I wasn’t going to kick him out of his own room. This was his flat and I was just the girl taking up space.
“No.”
He raised an eyebrow as he straightened and helped pull me up.
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean no, you’re not going to sleep on the sofa.”
He started to lead me out of the room into the hallway.
“Then what are you suggesting?”
He opened the door to his bedroom and ushered me in.