“She isn’t well at the moment, if she has your number, she can call you when she’s feelin’ better,” Cas offers, moving to my other side.
“I’m not leaving before I’ve seen her for myself. She’ll want to see me, trust me,” Dean says, adamantly.
Sparky laughs to my right and Cas grunts to my left.
“You have no trust here, this is my property and I say who can stay or leave. I’m telling you to leave before I have someone make you,” Cas threatens.
I don’t see Ricky walk in until he is launching himself directly at Dean and all hell breaks loose.
Ricky gets a good couple of punches in before Slade and Sparky are pulling him off and Cas steps in front of Dean to stop him from getting to Ricky. I myself stand and watch the scene around me, trying to figure what the fuck is going on now.
“What the fuck is that prick doing here?” He yells.
“You know this guy, Ricky?” Cas demands.
Ricky is angry, spitting flames of anger everywhere. None of us have ever seen him like this before.
I was right not to trust this Dean, I’m never fucking wrong.
“Yeah, I know him. Look under his shirt, you’ll see what I had to do to him when we were in lock up together.”
Dean doesn’t make a move when Cas rips his shirt up and shows us the scar on his abdomen.
The kid said he’s stint went smoothly, he didn’t mention nothing about having to shank someone.
All the brothers are now on alert and Dean looks sick with fear.
“He thought I would be his bitch boy, he wanted me doing shit for him and when I told him to fuck off, he thought he could threaten me with all sorts. The guy is a punk ass bitch,” Ricky tells us, calming down, “What’s he doing here?” he asks.
“Apparently, this is Kyla’s boyfriend and he’s here playing the doting lover wanting to see her,” Sparky fills him in.
I stare at Dean and he catches me watching him. He shrinks back and I can tell he wants to run.
“Don’t let him near her, he’s more like her dealer. That’s what he was in for,” Ricky adds.
“Is this true?” I ask Dean, not that I don’t trust my brother’s word.
I want to hear it from him.
“I never made her do anything she didn’t want to do, man,” he says, stepping back.
Before we know it, he’s running out of the door. I set off to run after him but Cas gets in my way.
“Let him go, Pope. Now he’s seen where she is he won’t be back.”
I don’t give a shit, whether he comes back or not, he is living on borrowed time. He peddled his shit to my girl and he is going to pay, and then had the audacity to turn up here pretending to care about her.
I join the rest of them at the bar and slap Ricky on the back.
His knuckles are red and swelling, “You got a couple of good hits in there, brother.”
“I would’ve got more in if Sparky and Slade hadn’t pulled me off,” he grunts, throwing back a vodka and grabbing for a beer.
“Tell me everything you know about him, everything.”
“He’s your common dealer, he’s no-one but thinks he’s someone. If he disappeared nobody would notice him gone.”
I nod taking in what he’s saying. The thought alone of my daughter being with someone like him makes me want to kill him, and if I think about too much longer her as well.
Why the fuck would she degrade herself like this with him? This makes no sense.
I leave Ricky at the bar and head outside. I breathe in the fresh air and the red haze lifts from my vision.
The regret of keeping her away resurfaces and I know without a doubt, if she had been with me she would never have got close to someone like Dean with me and the club around to watch out for her.
Pulling out my phone, I speed dial Sally’s number and wait for her to answer.
It rings enough times that I think I’m going to get her voicemail when she picks up.
“What is it?” she asks, without taking a breath to greet me normally.
“I just met Kyla’s boyfriend.”
“He turned up?” she sounds more shocked than I did seeing him here in the flesh.
“Yeah, played the caring boyfriend but then one of my brother’s recognised him and shit kicked off. Why did you tell him where she was?”
I can hear her moving about when she admits, “He wouldn’t believe me she was gone, I thought if he turned up at your club he’d believe it then. Also, I knew you would react the way he deserves, he’s a snake and needs his venom cut off.”
At least we’re on the same page as far as Dean is concerned.
“He ran off before we could do any real damage, call me if he comes to you again. I mean it, Sally. No more fuckin’ secrets.”
“I promise, it’s all his fault, Thomas.”
“Neither you or Kyla have to worry about him now, I won’t let him near her again,” I vow.
“You just have to make sure you keep her away from him, she’s just as bad.”
“She isn’t going anywhere, Sal.”
We talk for another five minutes before she has to go and I understand her underhand motive for telling Dean where our daughter is. Sally’s faith in me is infinite.
Heading back into the bar I find Ricky and question him about Dean and everything he has on him.
Ricky
I never thought I’d see Dean again. He’s a little punk and got what he deserved, I’d do it again and again given the chance. When he knew I wouldn’t run around for him he turned on me, not that I was on a friendly basis with him in the first place.
I didn’t take him seriously until two inmates cornered me in my cell and thought they could take pleasure from me on his say so. No way in hell was I letting that happen. I fought back until I couldn’t see through the anger and he didn’t take me seriously until I boldly cornered him myself and gave him a warning of who I was. I remember the feeling when the shank pierced through his skin. I used all my strength and it felt like a hot knife sliding through butter. It may have been the first time I had stabbed someone but it wasn’t because I was a pussy. I had never been in a position where it had to go that far. I made my point and after that he never bothered with me again. I kept waiting for him to retaliate but he never did, when he saw me, he walked away.
Knowing Dean is Kyla’s dealer makes my blood boil, if he could plot against me, someone who can look out for themselves, he would know Kyla wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
“Cops.”
I look up from my beer I haven’t been drinking and see two officers heading towards the clubhouse on the camera screens behind the bar.
I stay where I am at the bar and watch as everyone remains calm knowing we haven’t done anything to warrant a visit from them. Cas and Sparky hide their frustration and remain at their table.
Within seconds they walk through the door looking a little anxious and scan the area before calling out for Cas.
“What are you doing here, Jake?” Cas calls out, still not getting up to greet them.
“We’ve had a report you’re holding a woman here against her will,” he replies.
Pope at the other end of the bar to me sits straighter and downs his shot of whiskey.
“You’ve had a wasted trip, everyone who’s here wants to be here. You’re the one with prisoners, not us,” Cas quips.
“So there’s no one here by the name of Kyla Flynn?”
Oh shit.
“Yeah, she’s here but again, she’s here of her own free will.”
I slide off my stool quietly and creep up the stairs unnoticed and head for Kyla’s room.
“Open it, Pope needs her,” I order the prospect.
He quickly does as he is told and opens the door.
Kyla is sitting by the window picking at her nails. She looks like shit but she looks a lot healthier than she did the other day. She is definitely making progress.
She jumps at my arrival and
pulls down the large shirt she is wearing to cover herself a little more.
“The police are here thinking all sorts. You need to go down there and tell them you are here of your own free will,” I tell her, throwing her a pair of leggings I find lying on the floor.
“Put them on.”
“But I’m not here of my own free will,” she spits, sliding her legs into the leggings.
She has more life in her today.
I make my way over to her and grab her chin firmly, forcing her to look at me.
There is definitely more spark in her eyes.
“Your dad is doing everything he can for you. Are you that far gone he means nothing to you? They’ll take him away if you go down there confirming you’re being held here against your will, is that what you want?”
I may be going overboard but it’s a likelihood if they find her locked up in this room and with her selfish attitude.
“No,” she finally admits.
“Go down there then and tell them you’re here to live with your dad now and you’re not feeling well. Make it convincing and I’ll see if I can talk your dad round to letting you out of this room.”
“Why would you do that for me?” she asks.
“I’m doing it for your dad, he doesn’t deserve to go to jail for trying to save his daughter. He’s a good man and doesn’t want to outlive his daughter.”
It is in this moment I see her, not the junkie who would prefer to die than to go through withdrawal. Her father is a weakness of hers no matter how much she might hate him at the moment.
Her eyes soften and she silently agrees.
“Remember what I said, you’re living with your dad now and shortly after you got here, you fell down with the flu or some shit, okay?”
“Okay.”
I take her hand and lead her out of the room and down the stairs to the bar.
“Who’s in trouble now?” I call out jokingly when we are in the line of sight of Jake and his partner.
Pope darts off his stool and gives me his deadly eyes. Great, can’t fucking wait to talk to him after this is cleared up.
“They think we’re holding Ky prisoner here,” Cas calls back.
“Is that right darlin’, are you a prisoner?” I smile down at Kyla, still holding her hand.
She remains tight lipped and I struggle to keep the false smile on my face. I squeeze her hand and she is off.
“Prisoner?” she snorts, “Why would my father keep me locked up?” she asks, throwing Pope the weirdest look and then turns her attention back to the officers.
“Are you Kyla Flynn?” Jake asks her.
I keep a hold of her hand and walk with her closer to the cops.
“I am, what’s this all about?” she asks.
“We had a complaint that you were here against your will. I have to say you don’t look too healthy, are you sure you’re okay?” Jake asks, focusing on her.
“I’ve had the flu, and as you pointed out, I’m still not feeling too good.”
“Yeah, I brought her down for some air. Try and see if that helps her,” I add.
Jake is about to open his mouth again when Cas steps between us.
“As you can see and have heard, she is fine. I don’t know who made this complaint but it isn’t true. You can leave now.”
Jake and his sidekick deflate and back up to the door.
Not a second after they’ve left, Pope is ushering her back to the room. I find myself following them and lean against the door frame.
“Give us a minute,” Pope grunts in my direction.
“No, I want him to stay,” Kyla argues.
Pope stares her down but the girl refuses to back down. She is getting stronger by the day. He relents and sits on the bed. Kyla stays where she is by the window and briefly smiles at me.
“I know you don’t want to be here and you think I’m doing this to punish you, but thank you for doing that down there.”
With having said that, he ups and leaves the room, whispering he wants to talk to me when I’m done.
To be honest I don’t know why I’m still here. I turn to leave myself but her hand darts out and stops me.
“Tonight is the first time I haven’t hated my father since I came here, thank you for making me see I don’t want him to get into trouble because of me,” she says faintly.
I step back into the room and really look at her. The creature I first met is becoming more human again.
“I know Pope well enough to know he will get himself into trouble for you anytime, let’s not make it for nothing.”
“Why do you all call him that, Pope?” she asks, sounding genuinely interested.
“That’s not my place to say, if you want to know, you’ll have to ask him yourself.”
I can’t see that going down well. She goes quiet and sits on the bed, tugging the shirt sleeves around her fingers.
“He’s helping you regardless of you wanting it or not. You should be grateful you have parents who care, I get that he isn’t the man you’ve grown up to know but he’s doing his best.”
For the first time I see pain in her eyes, not physical pain but emotional pain. They fill with tears and unable to stop them, they spill over and slide down her cheeks.
“I’m not like this because of my childhood or because I feel like I don’t know my dad,” she admits.
“Why then?”
I sit beside her and wait for her to talk.
“It’s quite pathetic really,” she says, shaking her head in embarrassment.
“Tell me,” I urge.
It doesn’t matter who she talks to about this, as long as she talks is all that matters.
She takes a deep breath and begins, “I met this guy at a party. It was a party I didn’t really want to go to but I ended up there when my friend wouldn’t take no for an answer. Anyway, I was bored and I was about to leave when this guy came up to me. He made me laugh and he showed me attention I had previously ignored from other guys. He was fun and he showed me how to lighten up. I had just finished college and I was frustrated and exhausted. He took all that away. After a couple of weeks of meeting up he took me to his friends place and what he told me was weed was in fact mixed with heroin. That feeling of euphoria was my first burst of freedom and I’ve been chasing it ever since.”
She stops talking and pinches her fingers together.
“That’s why it’s so addictive, you can never experience that first high again,” I say, remembering my sister telling me that once.
“You sound like you know what you’re talking about.”
I shrug not wanting to answer, she doesn’t need to know about my family history.
“I don’t like what I’ve become. I thought I could always stop, that I was better than everyone else because I didn’t need to do it, I liked to do it. After so long I realised that wasn’t true and when my mother sent me to rehab and the pain of withdrawing was too much, I shied away from getting clean because I was too much of a coward.”
That is understandable, I suppose.
“There’s a good start, if the only obstacle of you getting clean was the pain of withdrawal then this time shouldn’t be a problem. Your dad isn’t going to let out until you are completely free of that shit in your system.”
“I know,” she sighs, wiping her eyes with her sleeve again.
With nothing else left to say, I stand and stretch my arms.
“Will you come and see me again?” she asks, when I get to the door.
This stops me from turning the handle.
“Why?”
“Because you’re the only one who has spoken to me here without it being forced. It’s been…nice,” she admits, shyly.
“Maybe you could do with a little nice,” I offer and leave.
I wait for the prospect to lock the door after me and turn to face Pope waiting for me.
Pope
What could they possibly have to talk about? He’s got thirty seconds to leave my daughter and
have the prospect lock up after him or I’m going in there and dragging him out myself.
I briefly remember a conversation in the back room about his sister overdosing on the shit but my daughter is not his sister and whatever his deal is, I want to know.
Twenty seconds left.
Kyla isn’t in there for fun, or to have cosy fucking chit chats. She’s in there because she’s a fucking disgrace to her mother and I.
Ten seconds left.
The door swings open and thank fuck Ricky walks out and orders the prospect to lock up.
I wait patiently and silently at the end of the hall and wait for him to see me. When he does, he stops dead and it’s clear as freshly cleaned glass he knows I want answers.
“Brother…”
I hold my hand up to stop him.
“What was that all about? What’s going on?” I ask, stepping closer to him.
“Nothing.”
He shifts uncomfortably and shrugs.
“Why did she want you to stay and what did she have to talk about behind closed doors?” I push on.
“Bearing in mind, I want the fucking truth,” I add.
“Brother, I thought on my toes and reacted in the best way I thought. There was no way I wanted you behind bars because of that punk. When it registered in her head you were gonna get in trouble, she wanted to help you too. As for what we talked about, she told me how she ended up on the shit.”
This shocks me. Why would she tell him that? She doesn’t know Ricky at all.
“Oh yeah, tell me why then?” I urge, not showing my shock.
I listen to him tell me about some party and a guy, something about exhaustion and freedom. Not once did I hear about a solid reason to experiment with the drug in the first place.
“I was worried something might have happened to her that she couldn’t cope with,” I admit, quietly.
“This is better,” Ricky smiles.
“The fuck it is,” I snort.
“Can’t you see Pope, you’re only fighting the addiction, not the reason behind it as well. She’s never wanted to get clean because she was afraid of the pain. You’re forcing her through it, get her through this and I reckon you’ll get your daughter back.”
I hold his stare for a full minute. He doesn’t know her at all but I can see it in his eyes that he believes what he is telling me.