Dauntless (The LockDown Series Book 2) (26 page)

“Mum told me, she knew. That’s why she couldn’t bear to come to the hospital, because she knew he had killed Josie. Our mother told me the day she died. That’s why I left, that’s why I abandoned everything. I needed to have revenge, Brandon. I had to find peace after everything, and then, well after that, I kind of went mad, thought of nothing else than killing. It wasn’t right for me to be here anymore, Brandon. I couldn’t allow for you all to see me in such a way. It’s only recently that I’ve calmed down, I don't need to do it anymore. I have a reason to live again, Brandon.” I let it all out, telling him everything, how I felt and how I feel now.

“Why didn’t you just tell me all this back then, Leighton, why did you hide all this hurt and try to deal with it yourself? You didn’t need to go at it alone, I would have been there, fuck I would have helped you.” His eyes are filled with regret and absolute disgust for himself.

“Two reasons buddy, first you were just a kid, I couldn’t let you help me murder our father, you would never get past it, Me I’m tough as old boots, I don't possess any humanity, well I didn’t and second, I didn’t want anyone’s help, didn’t want anyone, to be honest. I wanted to be alone, at least that way I can't lose anyone I love.” I shrug at him.

“You stupid fucking prick.” He stands from his seat and pulls me into a hug. “God, I can't believe this. I can't believe I stood up for that bastard, I abandoned you when I should have helped you.” I wrap my arms around him, the gesture being a little harder with him, than it is with George. The guy has built out a lot since his weedy, nerdy days.

“You been hitting the gym, bro?” I ask him, clasping his enormous biceps. The change in atmosphere and tension is incredible; it is like nothing had ever happened, but it has, so much has happened and I for one can't forget the pain I caused both of them.

“Yeah, a little.” He shrugs nonchalantly.

“Aha, a little, are you trying to please someone?” I ask him, wiggling my eyebrows.

“Yeah, my wife you shit face,” he says, pushing me back a little, jokingly.

“Your wife?” I ask him in total shock. I have missed so much these past few years.

“Yes, Leighton, my wife. Fuck, this is total bollocks; we’ve all missed so much.” He walks to his drinks cabinet, filling us all a glass of scotch and then takes a seat on the sofa in front of me.

“Yeah we have mate, but now we have time to make new memories okay. Let’s forget the shit that’s happened, and be a family. Deal?” He raises his glass to me and my sister jumps on the sofa next to him, pulling him into a side hug and kisses his cheek.

“DEAL,” she squeals on behalf of Brandon. “Eeekkk, this is so fucking awesome. You’re going to love April.”

“April?” I ask unclear of who April is exactly.

“My wife, April Hurley, well now April Lock.”

“April Hurley is your wife?” I ask, utterly shocked that my brother is married to one of the most famous glamour models in the UK.

“What? Didn’t think your little bro could tap something so fucking sexy?” He bites his lip, clearly imagining her naked, just like I am right now.

“Oi fucker, stop thinking of my wife naked.” I chuckle at him, feeling so at ease and so fucking happy that I now have my family back.

“Can’t help it mate, but wait till you see my fiancée you’ll be mind-fucking her yourself.” I miss Abigail and Melissa so goddamn much. I hope she is okay at home on her own, I know she still panics about people being after her.

“We’ll see mate, we’ll see.” He drains the last of his scotch as he snuggles my little sister to his side, protecting and comforting her. I am assured she won’t need too much protection, she is a feisty little madam and I am proud to call her my family.

“Georgia, who’s that man?” I hear the small, quiet voice of someone behind me. I turn my face to the sound. A young boy with the brightest blue eyes, dark brown hair and perfect pale skin, looks back at me.

I couldn’t mistake him, never in a millions years would I not be able to see who he is. He looks like her, like his mother, so perfect and flawless, so beautiful and innocent.

I have screwed up monumentally missing this, missing seeing this face growing and developing.

I am a shit person, a coward of a man.

I look to the boy and smile sadly, smile at my loss. It breaks my heart that he doesn’t know me, doesn’t know who I am to him.

My own son doesn’t even know his father.

I am now paranoid as hell. I can’t sleep; my eyes refuse to close in case something happens. They keep flicking back and forth to the mirror where the edge of the lipstick heart lays smudged. I am sure it wasn’t like that when I had left earlier. It was a perfect, beautiful heart made from the love my man had for me.

“Fuck, Abbi, pull yourself together love.” I toss and turn for another hour, trying my damn hardest to sleep. It finally greets me at two in the morning, my eyes finally dropping closed.

I awake to Melissa’s screams through the baby monitor, high pitched wails I am sure I have never heard before. I jump from the bed as quick as I can, trying to get to my daughter. My heart is palpitating and thrumming in my chest. I am finding it so goddamn hard to breathe. “I’m coming baby girl,” I call out from my room, as I walk from my room to hers.

“Come on baby girl,” I say as I lean over her cot to get her. I scream as I see her bed empty.

I sprint to Maria’s guest room to see if she has her. As I open the door, I find her bed also empty. I relax a little, as I think she must have gotten up to feed her. I walk downstairs to the kitchen to see where my baby is.

“Isn’t Auntie Maria lovely getting up to help you?” I say aloud as I walk into the lounge.

Sprawled out on the couch sound asleep, is a very fat, very pregnant Maria.

Holy fucking shit!

“MELISSA!” I scream loud, jolting Maria awake.

“Abbi, what’s wrong?” she says, as she wipes the sleep from her eyes. I am already halfway out of the room and darting up the stairs at a dangerous speed.

“Mel, where are you baby girl?” I cry, tears streaming my face as I look into her room again finding her cot still empty. I sprint the length of both wings, searching every room for her, slamming the doors against the walls as I power through the wood to find her.

“Oh fuck, please god no. Melissa, baby please.” I punch a hole in the landing wall as I continue my search.

“ABBI!” I hear Maria scream for me from the opposite wing. I run the length of the corridor towards my bedroom and Melissa’s.

“Abbi, sweetheart, she’s in bed,” Maria tells me, causing my heart to drop into my stomach.

“No she fucking isn’t, Maria,” I call out as I near Mel’s room.

“Yes, she is honey. She’s asleep right here.” I walk into the room cautiously, my heart pounding beneath my ribcage. I lean over the cot once again to see my little girl wrapped in her blanket, her little lip pouted as she snores gently.

“You’re going crazy angel face,” Maria tells me as she walks past me, stroking my cheek. “I’m going to bed, hun. Try and sleep some okay. You look like shit.”

I stand stock still, trying to sort through my brain at what the fuck has just happened. I am a hundred percent certain she isn’t in her bed. I am also certain that I heard a hideous scream through the monitor. Jesus I feel so fucked up right now, I don’t know which way is up or fucking down. I sink to the floor, lifting my knees to my chest as I pull gently at my hair.

I wasn’t imagining it, I swear to God I wasn’t. Surely everything I have been through isn’t causing me to imagine things. Maybe it is the lack of Leighton’s presence that has me imagining things that aren’t there.

I stand and kiss my daughter’s cheek, going back to my own bed. I climb under the covers and let my head rest against the soft pillow. My fatigue is drowning my exhausted body fast, causing me to fall into an instant coma.

The constant fucking ringing is irritating me. “Shut up!” I scream as I throw a pillow across the room, hoping to achieve silence. It continues, loud and petrifying as I realise it is the house alarm.

“Abbi, wake up!” Maria screams as she skids to a halt in my room. “Someone just threw a brick through one of windows downstairs. Fuck, there’s glass everywhere.”

I shoot up in bed, my body aching from the lack of sleep. My daughter is crying in her room, my head is spinning and the loud ringing is penetrating my skull making me want to heave.

I climb quickly from the warmth of my duvet and run to Mel’s room, lifting her from her cot she clings to my body as I walk hurriedly to get my phone.

I flick through my contacts and dial Leighton’s number straight away. “Come on Leigh, baby pick up please.” It rings and rings and rings.

“Welcome to the 02 voicemail service, please leave your message after the tone.” The irritating voice comes through the speaker.

“Fuck, Leighton, baby, call me. Someone’s tried to break in. The window is smashed. Hurry, please baby, I’m so scared.” I plead down the phone as my fear begins to take over. My body is trembling and the tears are burning my face.

“Here, give her here hun?” Maria manoeuvres Melissa from my arms, as I drop to the floor in my bedroom.

I look to the lipstick heart, wanting to feel Leighton close to me. To see his words telling me he’d see me soon. I scream loud and deathly as I see the heart completely smudged, a hand having swiped through it.

I jump to my feet, running from the room. “Maria, get Melissa out of here,” I scream as I run down the stairs.

“What the fuck’s going on, Abbi?” she asks me, as she rocks Mel in her arms trying to stop her little cries.

“Somebody’s been in the house, in my room. Fuck, I need Leighton now,” I say, as I grab my phone again and try his number once more.

It rings three times before his sleepy voice comes through the phone.

“Hey, baby, what’s up?” His tired tone makes me feel slightly guilty before I remember the safety of my daughter.

“Leighton, I need you home now. Come quickly baby, somebody’s broken in during the night, was in our room while I was sleeping.” I am panicking a lot, my body shaking violently as I think about last night and Melissa being missing, fuck please tell me I was imagining that.

“Okay baby, call Antonio. Have him and the guys come over now and you get out of the house. Go to Maria’s baby and wait there for me. I’ll be home in an hour, max,” he tells me, no panic in his tone as he takes on a professional, rational persona.

“Leighton, they were in Melissa’s room. I woke last night and couldn’t find her. I looked everywhere, when I returned to her room she was there. I thought I had imagined it but I swear it was real. Fuck, please tell me they didn’t touch her.” I feel sick; my stomach is convulsing, trying to expel its empty gas.

“SHIT! Do as I say Abbi, take Melissa and go to Maria’s. I love you baby, stay safe and wait for me. I love you, Princess.” He hangs up before I can reply.

“Antonio is on his way Abbi, what the fuck is going on?” she asks me a little nervously, her arms still holding my crying daughter. I need to change her and feed her but I’m not risking her wellbeing. I’ll buy some clothes and nappies at a goddamn supermarket on the way.

“We’re leaving now, Maria, open the door for me,” I command her as I pick up my phone, bag, and keys and head to the underground parking garage. She swipes open the wood on its hinges and follows behind me to the car spaces.

“Holy Fuck!” Maria says as we look upon every car with slashed tires and smashed windscreens. Upon the wall, in what I hope is red paint is a message,
‘you’ll fucking pay you whore’.
I am guessing it is aimed at me, as the words whore look back at me. I don’t know who the fuck it can be All I know is I am in deep trouble, I have no means of driving away and my daughter is crying so fucking much I am beginning to get stressed.

“Maria, you need to take her now, get her out of here. Walk if you have to,” I command her, lumbering my daughter into her arms.

“Okay babe, stay calm, Antonio will be here soon. Stay in the front driveway for him, stay out of the house.” She walks out of the underground entrance to the front driveway, holding Mel on her hip as she goes.