Conviction: Devine (27 page)

“Don’t even go there.”

I smiled. “I’ll always go there, baby. Always.”

“I hope so. I fucking hope so.”

T
HE CHARGE NURSE OPENED
the door. I struggled to hold onto my anger as well as my sanity. The place was filthy, the paint peeling off the walls and I was sure I saw a rat further down the corridor.

The entourage behind me was aware of my rage and heartache but each stood back and waited outside the room when I stepped inside.

Isla slipped her hand in mine then closed the door behind us, giving me the privacy I needed.

For the longest time, I couldn’t move or breathe. My mother was beautiful, her long grey hair slightly matted as she sat staring out of the window. Her room was bare of any personal items, the grey paint on the walls as sickening as the rest of the place.

A small trickle of drool slid down the edge of her mouth. I pulled a tissue from the box on the nightstand, cringing at its coarse texture before I knelt before her.

Lifting the tissue, I gently wiped her mouth. Her vivid green eyes moved from the outside world to me. Slowly and deliberately her hand moved and she brought it to my face. She blinked as she looked at me.

The right side of her face was frozen in place. She reminded me of a stroke victim but I knew better.

Her mouth opened but she didn’t say anything as she continued to stare at me, through me. To her I was another nurse. I knew she didn’t recognise me.

I brushed away the strand of hair that glued to her lips then leaned forward and softly kissed my mother for the first time in my life.

Isla gasped when my mother reached up and held my face. A lone tear slid from her eye as she whispered, “My boy.”

I stared at her, sure I had misheard.

“Jake,” she slurred. “My boy.”

Oh dear God.

“Mama?”

Her fingers trailed to my face and tenderly she drew her thumb across my cheek and wiped away the tear. Then she smiled, only half of her face lifting. “I knew you would come. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Isla knelt beside me and smiled up at my mother. “Hello, Mrs Devine. I’m your daughter-in-law.”

Mum’s hand moved to Isla and cupped her cheek. Instinctively, Isla moved her face into the touch and closed her eyes as my mother moved her fingers across her face.

“She’s blind, Jake,” Isla told me softly.

My heart broke and I gulped. “But she knows who I am.”

“Of course she does.” Isla smiled at me. “You’re her son. She will always know you.”

Mum lifted her other hand to me as she studied both of us with her fingertips. “You also have a grandson,” Isla said softly, moving her face for my mother to ‘see’ her.

My mum smiled widely. “Family,” she said.

“Family,” I repeated as I held her hand in my own before I stood and opened the door to the two private nurses.

“She’s ready,” I told them.

They nodded and walked to my mother. “Mrs Devine, I’m Helen. And I’m going to be helping to take care of you in your nice new home.”

Mother blinked. “What?”

“You’re coming home, Mum.”

Her face lifted towards my voice and her smile broke my heart. “Home.”

“Home,” I repeated. “Home.”

Continue for a sneak peek of

Survival
, Kris's Story

And

Night Fires

COMING AUTUMN 2015

Kris

J
AKE DEVINE WATCHED ME
carefully, his eyes studying me inquisitively as he stared at the bruise on my cheekbone. I watched, stunned and wary when he picked up his book and pen and walked towards me.

“You okay?” he asked casually as he took the chair next to me, the other eleven year old boys in my class staring wide-eyed at us. Jake Devine never spoke to any of us, the chill in his eye making us all steer clear of him as well.

Nodding, I lowered my head attempting to cover the mess on my face with my hair.

“You been in a fight?”

I shrugged, still not looking at him.

He was quiet for a moment before he thrust his fist my way. “Jake.”

“I know who you are,” I replied quietly. I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to talk, my eyes flicking between our teacher and Jake.

He nodded and grinned. “So you know I’ll slice any fucker who touches you again.”

I gawped at him in shock. “What?”

Jake shrugged. “I’ve seen you around. You remind me of me.” He laughed then and I couldn’t help but smile slightly at his infectious chuckle. “Quiet and reserved.”

“I hate school,” I disclosed on a whisper.

Jake frowned and sighed as he picked up his pen and started to copy from the board as Mr Gent started to write today’s work down. “You shouldn’t. School is here for a reason.”

“Yeah?” I scoffed. “So all these arseholes can pick on me. So all the teachers can laugh at my stupidity?”

“Then show them you’re not stupid or that you won’t be bullied.”

I regarded him with a squint. I wasn’t scared of Jake, although everyone else was, but he did fascinate me. “How do you show someone you can’t be bullied?”

He blinked at me as if he thought I was stupid too. “You hit the fucker back!”

“Oh yeah?” I hissed, growing angry at how it was so easy for him. “And does that include my Dad?” I bit my tongue, my cheeks heating at how easy the statement had slipped from me.

Jake stalled, his jaw dropping as he stared directly at me. “Your father beats you?”

I shrugged. I couldn’t deny it now I’d told him but I didn’t want to talk about it, especially with Jake Devine.

Sensing my reservation, Jake sighed and went back to his work, his pen scrawling furiously over the page as he copied Mr Gent’s words.

He didn’t speak to me for the rest of the day and by home time I was once again back in my shell as I slowly made my way home.

“Hey Kris!” My heart skipped a beat when Daisy waved to me as she whizzed past on her bright red bike and slid into her driveway next to mine. Daisy had been my neighbour for roughly two years. Her gorgeous red ringlets were what had made me first fall in love. But it was her amazing smile and bright blue eyes that made my heart continue to beat for her.

“Hi Daisy.”

Her smile wavered when her eyes zeroed in on my cheekbone. I grit my teeth, hating when he’d hit me somewhere so obvious. Usually it was my ribs or my arms and legs but last night he’d been beyond drunk, his anger mirroring the level of alcohol in his system.

“You want to come and study?” she asked with a soft smile. Daisy wasn’t stupid. I knew she heard my father’s screams and shouts but she never mentioned it. Thank God.

“He can’t, he’s studying with me tonight.”

My eyes widened when I spun round and found Jake watching me and Daisy closely.

Daisy smiled widely at Jake. “Hi Jake.”

“Daisy,” he acknowledged with a smile before turning back to me. “Come on then, haven’t got all night.”

I stared at him. Jake Devine wanted to study with me! It was quite surreal. “You sure?”

He nodded his head and sighed. “Come on,” he grinned as he slipped an arm around my shoulder. “We’re mates aren’t’ we? Let’s see if I can get you to actually enjoy studying.”

“Yeah, good luck with that!” I snorted.

But he did. Jake taught me over the coming years that if I didn’t study, I would never make anything out of life, that I would forever be like my father, a deadbeat with no interest other than alcohol. Turned out I had skills for many things.

And it wasn’t until the night Jake and I killed my father that I realised I had two amazing talents.

Knives and destruction.

I See You

A Ker Dukey and D H Sidebottom Dark Novel

Coming summer 2015

I watch you, I see you in ways no one else can, and through my lens I create a life of you for someone to dissect. I capture you in your vulnerability; that smile, your laugh, those tears. I document you and sell your secrets.

When I watch you through my lens you’re mine until I pass you to the buyer. I, like most people, have a fetish for pretty things and in my job I get to be around a lot of pretty things. They pay me to watch them and capture them in a frame for many purposes, and sometimes I like my profession a little more than I should.