Fighting to be Free by Kirsty Moseley (31 page)

His eyes flicked down to the floor off to my right. I followed his gaze and saw the handle of the knife on the floor just under the car about three feet away from me. I looked back at him and shook my head. I didn’t want to have to go that far but if he came at me with a knife again I wouldn’t be lenient. Before I could open my mouth to discourage him, he dived for the knife, his eyes a little crazy.

I stepped to the side and as his hand closed around it, I raised my foot and stamped on his hand as hard as I could. I heard the sickening crack of his fingers breaking just a split second before he let out an involuntary scream. He pushed himself back up using his elbow and looked at me angrily.

His eyes told me he still wasn’t ready to give up. I sighed as I raised my foot again and smashed it into his face making him fall onto his back. The room had gone quiet now; the only sounds were the ragged breathing of Terry as I stalked forwards towards him. I moved my hand and he flinched thinking I was going to hit him. Instead, I pulled open the door of the sports car, hearing Ray make a little whimper behind me because I was touching one of his babies; the guy had a mad obsession with cars.

I looked down at Terry who was painfully scooting backwards, trying to move away from me. I smiled wickedly. “Did you know that if you break the bones in your hand enough times, you’ll never be able to use that hand properly again?” I asked, keeping my tone light and friendly. He didn’t answer, he just sneered at me angrily, glaring through his rapidly swelling eyes. “So, for example, when I slam this car door on your hand repeatedly, you’ll probably never be able to wipe your own ass with that hand again,” I continued.

“Kid, don’t…..” I heard Ray say behind me.

I raised one eyebrow at Terry. “I did say that if you pulled a knife on me again that I’d kill you with it, but this tux is rented, if I get blood on it I won’t get my deposit back,” I mused, waving my free hand down at my white shirt and rented black pants.

He shook his head, gulping loudly.

I smiled and reached out, gripping his wrist moving it quickly towards the opening of the car door.

He started pleading then as he tried to wrench his hand from my grasp, struggling and thrashing but I pinned his body down with my knees as I smiled down at him.

“Jamie, please? Don’t, please!” he begged, shaking his head fiercely, his eyes pleading now, admitting defeat.

I laughed and shrugged, moving my other hand on the car door, swinging it inward. Terry’s deafening, high-pitched scream vibrated off of the walls as the door swung towards his hand that I was pinning against the metal where it would connect in less than a second or two.

I stopped it just a couple of inches before it made contact with his hand. I looked down at him to see he was laying there with his eyes squeezed shut, the scream still coming out of his mouth. I laughed and shook my head at the pathetic sight before me - and he accused me of talking a big game? “You scream like a bitch,” I said, pushing myself off of him, standing up, looking down at him. He slowly opened his eyes, the incessant scream stopping as he looked first at me, then at his hand that was untouched by the door. “Are we done?” I asked, raising one eyebrow at him. I had no problem going through with the plan if he was still insisting on trying to prove himself, but I didn’t think that was going to be necessary.

He took a couple of ragged breaths before he nodded. “Done,” he agreed.

I smiled and offered my hand to help him up. He looked at it hesitantly for a few seconds before putting his good hand in mine, whimpering as I pulled him to his feet. “Just so you know, next time I won’t stop,” I told him, cocking my head to the side, meeting his eyes so he’d know I was serious.

He shook his head. “No next time.”

I smiled and someone applauded from behind me. “Bravo, bravo, what an awesome show of dominance,” Brett mocked, putting on a fake smile. “But now I’m down one team member and I have an order to fill. If that’s late then I’m going to hold you personally responsible, Kid.”

I smiled reassuringly. “It won’t be late, don’t worry.”

He grinned and walked forward slapping me on the shoulder affectionately. “I know.” He turned and looked towards Terry who was cradling his hand to his chest, one of his eyes swollen, his lip split, his jaw bruised, he was favouring one side slightly so he was obviously in pain on his ribs too.

“Didn’t I already tell you not to mess with the kid? Next time maybe you’ll listen, huh?”

Terry nodded in agreement, dropping his eyes to the floor as he shuffled on his feet. “Sorry, Boss.”

Brett looked away from him distastefully. “Someone take him to see Marlon,” he instructed. Marlon was Brett’s brother in law and he was doctor at the local hospital, he had an agreement with him of treatment, no questions. Terry immediately limped towards the exit of the warehouse with Ian following behind him. Brett turned back to me. “I don’t want to know what that’s about, frankly I don’t care, but don’t think you can come waltzing in here and start shit with my employee’s, Kid.

Talent or not, if you start messing with my business our friendship will cease to exist, you get what I’m saying?”

I smiled and nodded, laughing quietly. That threat wasn’t exactly subtle. “Sure. You’re saying, screw up again and go for the long walk,” I answered cockily.

He laughed and slung his arm around my shoulder. “Exactly.” He looked down at his watch and frowned. “You gonna get this order done?”

I smiled and waved my hand dismissively. “Don’t I always?”

He grinned, squeezing my shoulder, his eyes soft and friendly again now. “Yeah, Kid, you do.

That’s why you’re the best.” He winked at me before turning for the stairs. “I’ll be upstairs in the office. Someone tell me when it’s done.”

Ray was busy running his hand over the car that I’d fallen into, a worried expression on his face. I grinned. “No, careful of the car!” I mocked in a high pitched girly voice, mimicking his words from earlier when Terry caught me off-guard.

Ray sighed and turned around, looking at me sarcastically. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to polish this angel up? It’s a thing of beauty,” he cooed, tracing his hand on the bonnet.

“Thanks for being concerned about me, man. I’m touched,” I joked, putting my hand over my heart.

He grinned and shook his head. “You can handle yourself, this little baby on the other hand,” he bent down and kissed the expensive paintjob, “she needs loving.”

I laughed and grabbed the pack from the desk, ripping it open, excitement building in my chest at what was about to happen. I couldn’t help but love the rush that coursed through my veins at the mere thought of boosting cars; the bad boy in me would always love it I think.

“What the hell do you look like anyway?” Ray asked, coming over and sitting next to me, flicking my black tie that hung loose around my neck.

I grinned over at him, laughing. “An American James Bond apparently.”

….................................

I woke early in the morning; as usual my first thought was of Ellie. I rolled to the side, stretching my hand out for her but was met by nothing but air. I sighed when I remembered she hadn’t stayed over last night - instead I’d left her at the dance to go and steal over a million dollars’ worth of cars and one motorcycle.

I rolled over and finally cracked my eyes open, looking at the alarm clock on the side. It was just after eleven o’clock. I sat up quickly, I’d told her that I’d call her this morning but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to, I’d dropped my cell phone last night in the scuffle with Terry and the stupid screen had cracked beyond repair. She was going to be even more annoyed with me that I hadn’t called her like I promised I would.

“Damn it,” I mumbled, pushing myself up from the bed. I was still tired, my body refusing to wake up after only getting about four hours sleep. Today was going to be another crappy day - I was seeing Ellie for lunch, which was great, but tonight was the first time at the strip club which I wasn’t looking forward to in the slightest. I’d much rather be cuddled up to my girlfriend on the sofa, talking about random stuff and joking around with her like usual. My whole life seemed to revolve around this girl now, well, the good stuff did anyway, the bad stuff I wanted to keep as far away from her as possible. I stretched my sleep deprived muscles and then headed to the shower, flicking the water onto cold so that it’d wake me up a little.

Half an hour later I pulled up outside Ellie’s house unannounced. Hopefully she’d be awake already, if not then maybe I could use the spare key that I knew they kept hidden under a stone and sneak into her bed and surprise her. I smiled at the thought. The smile soon faded from my face when I saw the Pearce’s car still in their driveway. They usually left already to drive make the hour drive over to see Ellie’s grandmother, looks like maybe they weren’t going today or something.

Pushing myself out of the truck, I stalked up to the door and knocked. I took a deep breath as I ran through my apologetic speech that I was going to make about bailing on her last night. But Ellie didn’t answer the door, her mother did.

I winced as her polite smile that she answered the door with, faded when she realised it was me. She frowned and looked me over distastefully and immediately I was wishing I’d put on a nice shirt or something - the woman never failed to make me feel like a scumbag.

“Good morning, Mrs Pearce. Is Ellie around?” I asked, forcing a polite smile.

She raised one eyebrow at that and pulled the door closer to her body, closing the gap in a ‘you’re not welcome in my house’ gesture. “And what are you doing here, Jamie? I was under the impression that you two had broken up,” she replied, her voice cold and emotionless.

I frowned and shook my head. “We didn’t break up,” I corrected, wondering why on earth she would think that.

She frowned and cocked her head to the side like Ellie does when she’s thinking hard about something. When Ellie does it however, it looks cute, like a little curious puppy, when her mother did it I was reminded of a cobra that’s waiting to attack.

“Well you definitely weren’t the one that brought her home from the dance last night,” she countered.

I sighed and shook my head. “No, I wasn’t feeling well so I left early. Paul drove Ellie home for me,” I said, trying not to show my lie in my voice.

She laughed quietly and rolled her eyes. “I think I can recognise Mark when I see him, my daughter dated him for long enough.”

Mark? Mark drove Ellie home last night? Damn, I hated the thought of that guy anywhere near her.

I didn’t begrudge her male friends, I would never tell her she couldn’t talk to another guy - but Mark just rubbed me up the wrong way. I think it was the fact that he was perfect for her and was the complete opposite of me. He was respectable, ambitious, talented, smart, and he wanted to be a doctor - he was every mothers dream date for their daughters. I hated him because I knew that at some point - and it seemed like that point might be now - I would lose her to him.

“Mark drove her home?” I asked, swallowing my unease.

She smiled and nodded, looking a little smug about it. “Mmm hmm. I just assumed that you two had broken up because Ellison and Mark were kissing….. maybe she just hasn’t told you?” she offered nastily.

Kissing? What the hell? Disappointment and sadness settled in the pit of my stomach as my blood seemed to turn to ice in my veins. It was over. Ellie had finally come to her senses and wised up to the fact that I was a waste of space and that she was better off with someone else. I didn’t even feel angry about it because I just wanted her to be happy.

I tightened my jaw as she continued to speak while looking at me like I was something nasty on the bottom of her shoe. “So maybe you should run along and corrupt someone else’s daughter. Clearly your time with the rich little cheerleader, is finished.”

“Is Ellie home? I’d like to hear it from her, if that’s okay,” I replied tersely. If it was really over then I could accept that, but not from this hateful witch, if Ellie told me it was over then so be it, but I wasn’t walking away from here without asking her for one last chance - even just a friendship chance, I just needed to keep her in my life.

Ruth shifted on her feet, stepping out of the door, pulling it closed behind her. Her grey eyes that were the same as Ellie’s just harder and less forgiving, locked onto mine as she turned her nose up at me. “She’s sleeping,” she answered. “Look, Jamie, let’s be honest here, we both knew this was coming. All girls go through a bad boy stage at some point in their lives, and it looks like you were my daughter’s, but it’s done now. I’m not letting you ruin her future, she deserves better than you.”

I gulped. I couldn’t even disagree with her words - they mirrored my opinion too.

“So just leave. You’re neither wanted nor welcome here,” she finished. Before I could answer or even think of what I wanted to say, she span on her heel and headed inside, closing the door in my face.

I squeezed my eyes shut as my heart hurt in my chest at the thought of not being with her. Part of me wanted to walk away with my tail between my legs. She was right, I knew this was coming and that didn’t ease the pain one little bit. The more selfish part of me wanted Ellie so badly that I would literally do anything to keep her with me so I wasn’t facing the world on my own with no reason to keep trying to be the person who I wanted to be.

Instead of walking away, I bent down and picked up a couple of small pebbles from the floor and strutted around to the side of their house, scaling the six foot gate they had at their side of their property and dropping down the other side. I walked into the back yard, looking up at Ellie’s window on the second floor.

I took a deep breath and threw the first little pebble. It hit its target, tapping on her window gently.

When nothing happened, I threw the next one and then the next. I bent and picked up a couple more, throwing them too.

The last one had already left my hand as the window slid open and Ellie squealed before laughing and sticking her head out. “What the heck are you throwing stones at me for?” she asked, laughing and rubbing her forehead. She leant out the window and I noticed that she was fully dressed, her hair brushed and pulled back into a little bun - sleeping my ass, her stupid mother lied!