Elemental Fear (38 page)

“She loves you Eve, she knows you wouldn’t say something like that if it wasn’t true. She isn’t going to hate you”

“But he’s her son. And she has a grandson...how did none of us know that?” I lifted my head to rest it on my elbow “you didn’t know did you?”

“Did I buggery. I can’t believe he kept that quiet. I mean it didn’t shock me he had another woman somewhere, after how he’s treated you, but a kid...
mum will be devastated.”

“Do you think he...hurts them?” I asked swallowing the lump in my throat.

“I would like to say no, my heart hurts thinking of a kid stuck in that kind of life, but realistically I have a terrible feeling he is exactly the same with her as he is with you. It would explain why she lied,” he said.

“How do you protect a little boy though if his mother won’t...” I paused, thinking of what Johan had told me about his
mum. I closed my eyes tightly as images of a little defenseless Johan watched his mum die in front of him.

“I’ve not been protecting Lou and Ellie all these years have I? I’ve just allowed his excuses?” I said quietly. Dominic squeezed me tightly.

“You were terrified Eve, anyone can see that. I may not have known at the time but watching you now and thinking back I really hate that I had blinkers on. Because trust me babe, the signs were there, I think as a family we just never thought it was a possibility, he would do that to you,” he said and kissed me again.

“I’m not lying, about any of it I swear”

“I know, I believe you one hundred percent babe.”

“Why don’t the police? Why has this woman lied?”

Dominic shrugged “because my brother has always got himself out of trouble. I swear he could fall in horse shit and come up smelling of roses. Nothing ever sticks with him, but he needs prosecuting for this, for what he’s done to you”

“I'm beginning to think there’s no point.”

“No point?” Dominic snapped turning to face me. I held up my hand to quiet him.

“I just think...him being in jail isn’t going to heal what’s in here...” I tapped my head “and it won’t take away the scars on my back. It –“

“He cannot live life treating women like this. It may not heal you inside but with time we will get you there. But he can’t scare the crap out of you by being free. Have you thought if he is locked away you will no longer be watching over your shoulder?”

“But what about the little boy, I’ll be taking his
daddy away from him? What if he wasn’t like that with them? Maybe that’s why –“

“Eve...sweetheart look at me
.” He cupped my face in my hands and lifted my face to look directly into his eyes. It was dark but the moonlight coming through the curtains cast a dim shadowed light. “Tough love...but babe you are talking utter shite. That kid deserves better than a dad like him, if Elliott kicked the crap out of you, I can promise he is doing the same to her. He’s a sick man, and that isn’t a switch he can just flip on and off. He’s controlled you for nine years, he’s made you doubt every decision you have ever made and he has terrified you. All this...what’s in your head, is bullshit. He has hurt you because he wanted to control you, he couldn’t bear the thought of you leaving and loving someone else. He knew you loved me, and you didn’t love him. But he made you his. He manipulated and petrified you so that you never left him. Now he’s scaring the shit out of some other woman into lying for him. How you talk about the situation is as if you are at fault, it isn’t babe, and all its doing is killing you. And I’m not going to stand by and watch the woman I love suffer anymore. My biggest mistake was not kissing you way back when and my second was not getting on my hands and knees begging you to be mine. But now you are here in my arms I’m not letting go.”

Tears streamed down my face.

“See you always say the best things.”

“That’s why you’re crying
?” He said dryly. I laughed and wiped at my face.

“We will be happy though, eventually, we will be happy wont we?” I asked.

“Deliriously. I love you too much to let you go, so the only option we have is to be happy,” he said and tickled my side.

I wriggled and laughed.

“I love you Eve.” He whispered then his mouth found mine.

The next morning we entered the kitchen to Johan humming along to the radio. He had made coffee and Louise sat at the table with glass of juice and buttered toast, while he was stirring something at the cooker.

“Morning gorgeous.” He smiled and came towards me. He pulled me into a hug and kissed me on the cheek. Two things happened simultaneously, firstly Dominic growled and more interestingly Louise gave me such a scowl, I swear if looks could kill I’d be six foot under.

“Morning” I smiled at him and pushed lightly against his chest. “Morning Lou-Lou” I smiled at her. She simply grumbled a response.

“Grumpy here is her usual bright and cheery self.” Johan laughed as he walked back to the cooker. “But my morning always starts when I see your beautiful face Eve.” Johan winked and grinned in Dominic’s direction. It was far too early for his teasing.

Lou stood abruptly pushing her chair away from the table noisily and stormed out of the kitchen.

“What’s up with her?” Dominic asked watching as the kitchen door slammed.

“She isn’t a morning person” I said quietly, but I had a feeling it was more to do with Johan’s teasing.

“She hasn’t eaten her toast.” Johan said pointing to her unfinished breakfast. The stricken look on his face made my heart melt. He stared at the closed door for a while before turning back to the cooker and stirring whatever he was cooking.

“What are you making anyway
Jamie Oliver
?” Dominic laughed. Pouring himself a coffee from the carafe.

Johan didn’t answer simply continued stirring. I tilted my head and watched as he remained fixed on whatever was in the pan.

“Johan?” I asked quietly.

“Hmm
?” He turned to look at me then at the door “Do you think she felt sick? She isn’t usually sick at this time, it seems to hit her at dinner time?”

I smiled at him and turned to give Dominic a ‘what’d I tell you?’ look. He watched Johan like he was an alien then a huge smile spread across his face, showing his perfect white teeth. He leaned into me and whispered in my ear “Johan fancies your sister
.”

I nodded at him.

“Maybe you should go see if she’s okay.” Dominic said smiling up at Johan.

Johan’s eyes were still fixed on the door but at Dominic’s words they slid to us. “Do you think..
.” he scowled at us “Why are you laughing at me?” He asked Dominic.

Dominic held his stomach laughing. “Louise will eat you alive”

“What –“ Johan started but a hissing and spitting behind him caught his attention.

“Fuck
!” He shouted and pulled the pan away from the heat. He turned to us holding a pan covered in white gloop. “I’ve burnt my oatmeal”

I covered my mouth to hide my smile and offered him a sympathetic shrug. Dominic however nearly fell off his chair with laughter.

Louise chose that moment to re-enter the kitchen ready for work. She paused in the doorway staring at the mad scene before her.

“What happened
?” She asked reaching over the table for her juice.

“Jo...Johan burnt his...” Dominic gripped his stomach and laughed again.
Okay so he needed to get a grip of himself because it seriously wasn’t that funny. Johan scowled put his pan in the sink and started running the hot water.

Louise smiled, totally transforming her face from beautiful to outright stunning. She looked around the room at each of us “I have the craziest family in the world
.” She swallowed her juice in one go and grabbed a cold piece of toast.

Johan smiled brightly and walked over to the fridge. He pulled it open reached inside and when he turned around Dominic stopped laughing, and I smiled.

“Here...” He walked over to Lou and handed her a thermos and a clear lunch box “I made you some lunch. You didn’t take any yesterday, and that’s soup.” He handed her the flask. His cheeks heated as Lou and Dominic gawped at him.

He cleared his throat and walked out of the kitchen.

“Well chuff me.” Lou whispered to herself staring at her hands holding her lunch.

I turned to Dominic, when he looked into my eyes he smiled and nodded. He knew what I knew.

****

At work the break room was full again with people having morning coffee, and more disappointingly, it included the same bunch that liked to gossip and torture me with insistent questions about Dominic’s love life. I bypassed the table and headed straight to the kettle to make a cup of tea.
I caught the daggers thrown from Rebecca's eyes as I walked in.

"Hey gorgeous can I have one of those?" Johan got up from his chair and came to stand beside me. Rebecca and Lucy both scoffed at his remark. I could sense they were gearing up to something, for some reason Rebecca hated me and no matter how much I helped her out in the lab it just seemed to annoy her more.

Johan leaned towards me and whispered in my ear "ignore them, they are having their usual ‘who can nail Dominic first’ chat"

I nodded but hated that they spoke about my boyfriend that way. "What’s with the whispering?" Rebecca snaps.

"We are sharing top secret Information.” Johan smiled. I closed my eyes and shook my head, why did he have to say that. Has he never heard the saying adding fuel to a fire. "Come on then share it with us"

"No can do. It's too valuable to just share with anyone, isn't that right Eve?"

I opened my mouth to tell them he was lying. When Lucy screeches at us "you know who sex on legs is doing the horizontal tango with!"

Urgh, she is so vile

"She does! Look at her, come on, you have to tell us?" I remained silent.

“He has another hickey on his neck” a woman said, and for the life of me I couldn’t remember her name.

“So whoever it is, it wasn’t just a fling in Paris” Lucy added. “He must have been seeing her before he left and took her with him”

“Eve did anyone join you whilst you were there? You must have met her” unknown name asked.

I shook my head no trusting my voice. Why was it so unbelievable that I was the one he was with?

"Actually if you must know I’ve been begging Eve here to go on a date with me, but she keeps declining."

I snapped my head up to glare at Johan. He simply smiled at me.

"Wow! Really, are you that desperate Johan?” Rebecca snipped.

"Whatever, you...” He snapped and suddenly the room fell silent, I mean eerily, tumble weeds rolling about silent. Everyone’s attention was directed at the doorway. I turned to see Dominic stood there. He had a beautiful smile on his face; his hands in his pockets casually leaning against the doorframe.

"Don't stop on my account
.” He smiled and sat in the seat Johan had vacated. He stretched his gloriously long legs out in front of him and sat back with his arms folded across his chest. I swallowed and turned my attention back to making drinks.

"Is there enough for me a coffee Eve
?” He asked and I simply nodded. I pulled another mug out of the cupboard and spooned a scoop of instant coffee into the mug. For some reason his proximity  and the smallness of this room had rendered me speechless. I could feel his eyes on me, no one had spoken, I think from the shock of Dominic joining us all. He never eats in here, never sits in here at break time. In fact I believe this could well be his first time in this room.

"Good because it’s your turn, I made you breakfast in bed remember
,” he said, and no it wasn’t quietly.

What the heck
!

After that statement numerous things happened. I turned the colour of beetroot, Rebecca screeched "what?", Unknown name clapped her hands together like a giddy kid at Christmas and Johan smiled at me.

"She's such a grouch first thing in a morning without her cuppa, isn't that right sweetheart?" Dominic spoke to Rebecca before calling across the small room to me.

Oh fuckety, fuckety fuck fuck
!!! And that ladies and gents is swearing.

I looked over my shoulder and glared at him. He sat there with the biggest grin on his face, and I
couldn’t help but smile back. Julia - that was unknown’s name, smiled nearly as wide as Dominic’s, but the others were a picture, each one of them were sitting with their mouths gaping open. Reveling in his new acting ability Dominic stood, and very slowly keeping eye contact with me he sauntered over to me. His hands slid around my waist turning me to face him. He pressed his lower body to mine pinning me to the counter. His lips pressed deliciously against mine. My entire body felt like electrically charged tingles surging through me. His tongue sought entry –

"Christ...if that's what you get, I'll happily make you breakfast in bed tomorrow
.” Said Johan.

Dominic lifted his head and looked at Johan, my heart pounded in my chest, I really didn’t want one of their sparring matches in front of the Ealing team, I reflexively I tightened my hold on Dominic's arms.