until he shows some responses. It could be an hour, it could be three days. We just don’t know when he will wake or respond.”
I nod and Travis squeezes my hand. My Mother cups her head and sobs. Bill walks in the room and lays eyes on me, his face scrunches up.
“Aw fuck Mischief; you are a sight for sore eyes.”
“Bill.”
He walks over and takes my hand gripping my Mother’s at the same time.
“I just heard, he is going to be ok Chief is a tough old dog.”
“Thank you.” I whisper.
“Fucking scared the life outta me when I saw you on the ground kid…”
“I’m ok.”
“You look like hell.”
I touch my face and wince. I can feel the swelling and bruising.
“I am going to be ok.”
He nods and pats my hand.
“You are Mischief, and so are you Angel.”
My Mother nods too and covers her face with her hands.
“Come on, let’s go get some coffee.”
“Bill?”
He turns to look at me.
“Who did we lose?”
He looks down “Henry, Kurt and Liam.”
I swallow and nod, closing my eyes. When he is gone, Travis grips me to his chest and holds me close.
“God, my beautiful girl I have never been so fucking scared in my life. I showed up and all I could see was blood and dead bodies. I saw you…and I thought…”
“I’ m ok.” I soothe.
“I thought you were fucking dead Mischief, everything i n my world stopped. If you died my life would end do you hear me?”
“I am ok, shhh.”
He holds me close and rocks me slightly.
“I was out to lunch with Janice and I saw it on the news, I ran so fast out of that restaurant.”
I pull back. “You were having lunch with Janice?”
He winces.
“It wasn’t like that. She said she had a serious matter she wanted to discuss with me.”
“So you just went?”
“She said it was urgent. I am the boss; I didn’t get much choice.”
“What was it?”
“What?”
“The urgent matter?”
“Nothing too important.”
“Trav…”
“She said she needed my help…”
“With what?”
He looks long and hard at me, and then sighs.
“This isn’t the time to discuss this.”
“Tell me Trav, no more lies remember?”
“She said her boyfriend is beating her and she is afraid.”
I gape. “And?”
“And she wanted my help.”
“Why?” I cry. “It has nothing to do with you.”
“She was terrified Mischief, you should have seen her.”
“So call the cops?”
“You know as well as I do that doesn’t work.”
“So what she asks for your help? She is just trying to get in your pants.”
He growls. “Not everyone wants a piece of me!”
“No, but she does.”
“She had bruised ribs and scratch marks, it was terrible.”
“She showed you her ribs!”
He slaps his hands against his face.
“Look, I was helping someone I work with and that is where it ended.”
“She is playing you Trav, the sooner you realize that the better.”
“How do you explain her being covered in bruises and scratches? She was terrified, I have never seen her so afraid.”
“Fine, so say she is getting beaten, what are you going to do about it?”
“I told her she could stay in my old apartment.”
“What?” I shriek.
“I don’t go there anymore; I don’t see why it’s a problem.”
“You don’t see why it’s a problem?”
“No, I don’t.”
“It’s your house!”
“So, I don’t live there. It’s only until she can figure out how to get rid of him. He doesn’t know where it is; she is safe there.”
“Travis, are you really that stupid?”
“Don’t call me stupid, I know your Dad is hurt and I know this is a really bad time, but fuck it Mischief, I don’t need this.”
“She is playing with you; I wish you could see that.” I whisper.
“Not everyone is a manipulative liar Violet.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means just because we have a history, doesn’t mean she is playing me.”
“And you could be wrong.”
“So what if I am? What is the worse that could happen? I find
I nod and Travis squeezes my hand. My Mother cups her head and sobs. Bill walks in the room and lays eyes on me, his face scrunches up.
“Aw fuck Mischief; you are a sight for sore eyes.”
“Bill.”
He walks over and takes my hand gripping my Mother’s at the same time.
“I just heard, he is going to be ok Chief is a tough old dog.”
“Thank you.” I whisper.
“Fucking scared the life outta me when I saw you on the ground kid…”
“I’m ok.”
“You look like hell.”
I touch my face and wince. I can feel the swelling and bruising.
“I am going to be ok.”
He nods and pats my hand.
“You are Mischief, and so are you Angel.”
My Mother nods too and covers her face with her hands.
“Come on, let’s go get some coffee.”
“Bill?”
He turns to look at me.
“Who did we lose?”
He looks down “Henry, Kurt and Liam.”
I swallow and nod, closing my eyes. When he is gone, Travis grips me to his chest and holds me close.
“God, my beautiful girl I have never been so fucking scared in my life. I showed up and all I could see was blood and dead bodies. I saw you…and I thought…”
“I’ m ok.” I soothe.
“I thought you were fucking dead Mischief, everything i n my world stopped. If you died my life would end do you hear me?”
“I am ok, shhh.”
He holds me close and rocks me slightly.
“I was out to lunch with Janice and I saw it on the news, I ran so fast out of that restaurant.”
I pull back. “You were having lunch with Janice?”
He winces.
“It wasn’t like that. She said she had a serious matter she wanted to discuss with me.”
“So you just went?”
“She said it was urgent. I am the boss; I didn’t get much choice.”
“What was it?”
“What?”
“The urgent matter?”
“Nothing too important.”
“Trav…”
“She said she needed my help…”
“With what?”
He looks long and hard at me, and then sighs.
“This isn’t the time to discuss this.”
“Tell me Trav, no more lies remember?”
“She said her boyfriend is beating her and she is afraid.”
I gape. “And?”
“And she wanted my help.”
“Why?” I cry. “It has nothing to do with you.”
“She was terrified Mischief, you should have seen her.”
“So call the cops?”
“You know as well as I do that doesn’t work.”
“So what she asks for your help? She is just trying to get in your pants.”
He growls. “Not everyone wants a piece of me!”
“No, but she does.”
“She had bruised ribs and scratch marks, it was terrible.”
“She showed you her ribs!”
He slaps his hands against his face.
“Look, I was helping someone I work with and that is where it ended.”
“She is playing you Trav, the sooner you realize that the better.”
“How do you explain her being covered in bruises and scratches? She was terrified, I have never seen her so afraid.”
“Fine, so say she is getting beaten, what are you going to do about it?”
“I told her she could stay in my old apartment.”
“What?” I shriek.
“I don’t go there anymore; I don’t see why it’s a problem.”
“You don’t see why it’s a problem?”
“No, I don’t.”
“It’s your house!”
“So, I don’t live there. It’s only until she can figure out how to get rid of him. He doesn’t know where it is; she is safe there.”
“Travis, are you really that stupid?”
“Don’t call me stupid, I know your Dad is hurt and I know this is a really bad time, but fuck it Mischief, I don’t need this.”
“She is playing with you; I wish you could see that.” I whisper.
“Not everyone is a manipulative liar Violet.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means just because we have a history, doesn’t mean she is playing me.”
“And you could be wrong.”
“So what if I am? What is the worse that could happen? I find
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