Snatched (31 page)

‘Did Carole say something to you?’ he asked, wanting to get to the bottom of it. ‘Because you know she’s full of shit, so if she said something to upset you, you shouldn’t take any notice.’

‘She didn’t say anything. She just wanted to know how long I’d been in the refreshment tent, but Irene jumped in and told her I’d been there all day, so that threw her off the track.’

‘Good old Irene. Sticking up for you today, back to tearing shreds off you tomorrow.’ Snorting softly, Dave shook his head. Then, ‘Leanne’s not said anything, has she? Only I had a word with her earlier and told her to lay off you, so if she’s been giving you any lip, I want to know.’

‘She hasn’t said anything,’ Sue told him, wishing that he’d just drop it.

‘Terry, then,’ Dave persisted, a dark edge to his voice now. ‘I take it you did this telly thing together?’

‘Yeah,’ Sue said wearily. Dave had said he wouldn’t pressurise her, but it was certainly starting to feel like it.

‘So what happened? Because something obviously did. You’re not acting the same as before.’

Nervous now, because she could tell that he was getting angry, Sue said, ‘Nothing happened, Dave. I’m just tired, that’s all.’

‘So you didn’t speak to him?’

‘Well, yeah . . . but only about Connor.’

‘What about him?’ Dave asked. ‘I mean, it’s not like he’s got the right to start sticking his oar in after what he did, is it? He had his chance to be a dad, and he chose to walk out.’

Frowning, Sue glanced over the back seat to see if Connor was hearing any of this. Seeing that he was fast asleep, she turned back to Dave.

‘Terry didn’t leave, I kicked him out,’ she reminded him, keeping her voice low. ‘And no matter what he’s done, he’s still Connor’s dad, so it’s only natural he’d want to know how he was getting on at a time like this.’

Inhaling deeply, because this was going in the wrong direction, Dave said, ‘I’m sorry for getting wound up, but he pisses me off. He messes you about, then thinks he can just pick up where he left off.’

‘No one’s picking up anything,’ Sue muttered, folding her arms.

‘Yeah, well, I wouldn’t put it past him,’ Dave sniped. ‘And you know how much I care about you and the kids, so I just want to protect you. And with everything that’s happened lately, us getting as close as we have, it feels really personal. But if I’ve crossed the line, I’m sorry.’

‘You haven’t,’ Sue assured him, sighing wearily. ‘I’m really grateful that you care so much, but we honestly don’t need protecting.’

‘Yeah, you do,’ Dave said quietly. ‘You might not see it, but I was watching that lot back there today making out like they’re all on your side. But they’ll be back to bitching about you before you know it, and who’s going to be there for you? Terry won’t be, because he’s too hooked up on our Leanne. And your mate Julie’s a bitch. So that just leaves me.’

Embarrassed to have it pointed out to her so bluntly that she didn’t have any friends apart from him, Sue gazed out of the window and tried to blink back the tears that were stinging the backs of her eyes.

‘I’m not trying to upset you,’ Dave said, his tone gentler as he glanced around at her. ‘I just want that lot to know that we’re together, and that we don’t give a toss what they say or think about it. And you feel the same – I know you do. You’re just scared of getting hurt again.’

Sue didn’t say anything. She couldn’t deny it, because it was true – part of her
did
want to throw caution to the wind and just go for it. But how could it possibly work when it was obvious that Dave still hated Terry? He’d got angry just now at the thought of her talking to him, so how would he react if she admitted that she had agreed to let Terry see Connor again. And she couldn’t go back on it, because it would cause even more trouble, and that wasn’t fair on Connor. But Dave would never accept her having any kind of relationship with Terry once she was
his
woman. And that was what she would be, because that was the kind of man he was: passionate, and territorial – and capable of beating any man who dared step out of line with her to a pulp.

Unbuckling her seat belt when Dave pulled up outside the flats a few minutes later, Sue turned to wake Connor.

Reaching for her hand before she had a chance to do it, Dave said, ‘Don’t rush away. We need to sort this out before you go in.’ Switching off the engine now, he lit two cigarettes and passed one to her. ‘Right,’ he said, as if he’d been thinking really hard about what he was about to say. ‘I know I said I wouldn’t push you for an answer, and I’m sorry if you think that’s what I’ve been doing. But you’ve got to see this from my point of view. I’ve always liked you, but you were with Terry, so it never crossed my mind that I could have you. But now I know there’s a chance, it’s driving me crazy. I just want to be with you – to take care of you and your kids.’

‘I know,’ Sue said softly, aware that her hands were shaking and her heart was beating faster as she wondered if he was about to try and kiss her again.

Sighing now, as if he’d resolved something, Dave said, ‘Right, then. I’ve said my piece, so you know where I stand. The rest is up to you. Only try not to take too long, eh? Either way, I’d rather know soon as.’

‘I’ll try,’ Sue promised, meaning it. Then, ‘Right, I’d best get him to bed before he wakes up, or I’ll never get him off again.’

‘I’ll carry him,’ Dave said, opening his door and jumping out. ‘And don’t forget your voddy, by the way.’

Biting her lip as she reached under the seat to retrieve the bottle she’d been drinking from earlier, Sue gazed up at Julie’s living-room window. The TV was on, which meant that Julie was still up – and alone, otherwise she’d be entertaining in the bedroom by now. She wouldn’t like it if Dave came up, but Sue knew that she wouldn’t manage Connor on her own, so she had no choice but to let him help her.

‘Don’t worry,’ Dave quipped, seeing the look on her face and guessing what was going through her mind. ‘I’m not expecting you to invite me in so Miserable can have a go at you. But if I was you, I’d get onto the council first thing Monday and start bugging the shit out of them, ’cos you don’t have to live like this.’

Nodding thoughtfully as she climbed out of the car, Sue said, ‘You’re right. It’s a joke.’

Julie had her feet up on the couch, watching TV. Hearing the key in the lock, she popped one last chocolate into her mouth and shoved the box out of sight under a cushion. Narrowing her eyes when she heard hushed voices in the hall, she dropped her feet to the floor and waddled over to the door. If Sue thought she was bringing someone in without asking first, she had another think coming.

‘I’m not stopping,’ Dave told her when she appeared in the living-room doorway. ‘Just dropping them off.’

Giving him a dirty look, Julie glared at Sue, then marched back inside, kicking the door shut behind her. Lighting a cigarette and puffing on it angrily, she stood by the fire.

Rolling her eyes at Dave as she took Connor from him, Sue said, ‘First thing Monday – without a doubt.’

Winking, Dave said, ‘You do that. And who knows, I might even get a coffee next time I drop you off – at your own place,’ he added, loudly, sure that Julie was eavesdropping.

Shushing him, Sue pushed him further back onto the communal landing. Leaning forward, Dave stole a sneaky kiss. Then, winking at her, he trotted off down the stairs, calling back, ‘Want to meet up tomorrow?’

‘No!’ she called after him in a loud whisper. Then, thinking up a feasible lie to make sure that he didn’t decide to drop by on the off chance, she said, ‘I’ve got the social workers coming round, and they stay all day and half the night. But how about Monday? You can give me a lift to you know where.’

Saying, ‘My pleasure,’ Dave gave her the signal to phone him before letting himself out of the main door.

Smiling, glad that Connor was still asleep so he hadn’t seen the kiss and couldn’t tell Terry, Sue shut the door and carried him off to the spare bedroom. She knew full well that Julie was probably waiting in the living room to have a go at her, but sack her . . . Like Dave had said not so long ago, if she wanted to argue, let her argue with herself. And, with any luck, she could have her poxy flat back to herself before too long.

Laying Connor down on the bed now, she eased his pants down to put a clean nappy on him. Horrified when she saw the purpling bruises on his thighs, she shook him gently, saying, ‘Who did this to you, sweetheart? Was it those boys Tina saw running away from the tent tonight? Is this what they were doing?’

Eyes rolling sleepily, Connor shook his head.

‘Please, Connor, just tell me,’ Sue implored. ‘If you don’t tell me, I won’t be able to do anything and they might do it again.’

Sheer misery in his eyes now, Connor’s chin began to wobble. Shushing him before he started crying, because that was the one noise that the shock definitely
hadn’t
robbed him of, Sue said, ‘All right, son, go back to sleep.’

Relieved when he quickly did, Sue gently traced the outline of the bruises with her fingertip. They looked like kick marks, she thought. Those nasty little bastards must have taken a good few swipes at him, and she wished she could get her hands on them and give them a taste of their own medicine. But if he wouldn’t tell her who had done it, they had effectively got away with it. And what was to stop them doing it again? She couldn’t keep him with her all the time. He’d have to go back to school at some point, and what if the boys went to the same school?

Dave’s words about wanting to protect her and the kids sprang into her mind. She’d thought that she could cope with everything on her own, but this just proved how wrong she was. And how right
he
was that the people back on the estate would be back to normal before she knew it. The kids obviously hadn’t dropped their malicious hatred of her family, and it wouldn’t be long before some of the adults started to show their true colours again, she was sure.

Undressing now, she reached into her handbag for the sleeping tablets that the doctor had given her. She’d resisted taking any so far, fearing that she might get hooked and need more. But there were so many conflicting emotions coursing through her right now that she knew she’d never get to sleep unaided. And she really couldn’t face yet another night of tossing and turning.

Popping one of the pills into her mouth, Sue washed it down with vodka. Then, switching the light off, she cuddled up to Connor and closed her eyes, waiting for the tablet to take effect. Praying that it would.

11

Terry was asleep on the couch when Leanne got home. The TV was still on, but the heating had gone off and there was a definite chill in the air. Kneeling down beside him, she kissed him softly on the lips, smiling when he immediately opened his eyes.

‘Why didn’t you go to bed? You must be freezing.’

‘I’m fine,’ Terry said, stretching and yawning at the same time. ‘And I thought I
had
gone to bed, but I must have been dreaming.’

‘Was I in it?’ Leanne asked, trailing a fingertip over his lips.

‘Course,’ he lied, reaching out to brush a lock of hair out of her eyes. Getting a strong waft of alcohol from her breath, he smiled. ‘I take it you had fun, then?’

‘It was brilliant,’ Leanne said dreamily. ‘I won a tenner on the bingo,
and
I won the karaoke.’

‘Really?’ Terry chuckled. ‘So who was your competition – Pauline and Irene?’

‘Don’t be cheeky,’ she scolded, giving him a playful slap and climbing up onto his knee. ‘It was just us girls from the estate. And my “Rhianna” was the best, so I got the prize.’

‘Which was?’

‘Da-da!’ Reaching for the bottle she’d put down by the side of the couch, Leanne brought it up with a flourish.

‘Champagne?’ Terry raised an eyebrow. ‘Wow, you
must
have been good. Either that, or the others were really, really bad.’

‘Er, do you want some of this, or are you going to carry on being cheeky and make me not want to share it with you?’ Leanne said, a mock-warning edge to her voice.

Grinning, Terry pulled her head down and kissed her. ‘Let’s go to bed and get blasted.’

‘Why waste time going to bed when we can do it right here?’ she whispered, pushing him back down. ‘It’s our own place, don’t forget. No more worrying about my mum or brothers walking in on us.’

‘What about the champagne?’ Terry gasped when she started tugging at his fly.

‘We’ll have it when we’ve finished,’ Leanne said, pulling his jeans down and straddling him. ‘And then we can start all over again. In the bathroom, and the kitchen, and then in the bedroom. I just want you everywhere.’

It was all over in minutes. Laughing when she collapsed onto him, Terry said, ‘Where the hell did
that
come from?’

‘From me loving you,’ she murmured breathlessly. ‘I meant what I said earlier, I really, really love you, and I want to be with you for ever. And nobody’s ever going to get between us again, because I won’t let them.’

Terry gazed into her eyes and said, ‘I’ve been trying to tell you that for ages.’

‘Yeah, well, I’ve got it now,’ Leanne said, rolling onto her side and pulling his head down onto her breast. ‘You’re mine, and you always will be.’

Listening as her heart gradually slowed to normal, Terry prayed that this was a turning point. He did love her, but if things carried on the way they had been going lately, he’d begun to fear that they wouldn’t last another year.

Over on the Fitton estate just then, Carole was clumping heavily down the stairs. Yanking the bolts back, she opened the door just as Dave was about to knock again.

‘What?’ she snapped, folding her arms and glaring at him.

‘What’s with the bolts?’ Dave asked, taking a last drag on his cigarette and flicking the butt into the overgrown garden.

‘Oh, let me see,’ she retorted sarcastically. ‘Could I be trying to lock
you
out, d’y’ think?’