Evan (Novella): 3.5 (A Carter Brother Series) Read online

  “Get the fuck up, bitch,’’ he sneers.

  When I don’t move fast enough he grips me by the hair, lifting me and pinning me back to the door. The force of my hip hitting the door handle has me screaming out in pain.

  His fingers dig into my cheeks making the throbbing from his backhand throb harder. It feels like I have an orange stuck on the inside of my skin, it feels that tight and swollen. The pain is something I’ve never felt before.

  Never in my life have I been so scared. My whole body is shaking with it. How could someone do this to someone else?

  “Please, I don’t know who you are,’’ I cry out pleading with him, but it ends up sounding like a squeak instead.

  “Your sister owes me three grand. I want my fucking money, bitch.’’

  What? Oh my Lord. The letters. A few months after my sister died I started receiving letters demanding money. I just thought it was for one of the neighbours and, because it wasn’t addressed to anyone, I just threw them out. I didn’t even think much of it. I was too worried about Imogen being in the hospital.

  “She’s… She’s dead,’’ I wheeze out, my voice hitching.

  “I know that, you fucking whore. You’re my payment. You were what your sister put down as, shall we call it, a guarantor,’’ he snickers.

  “I don’t understand,’’ I wheeze through. I don’t have that kind of money. I live by my monthly cheques and that’s it. I don’t have any kind of savings anywhere.

  “Let me put this straight. You’re basically fucking screwed if you don’t pay up.’’

  I look into his dead eyes and can feel he’s deadly serious. What did I ever do to deserve this and why would my sister do this to me? Before I have a chance to explain the situation he throws me to the floor with force and I land on the coffee table, the cheap wood breaking under my weight.

  Coughing, I roll onto my side only for his boot to land in my side.

  “Please stop. Someone, help!’’ I scream out, my body shaking with more than fear. A sickening feeling overcomes my body and by the time he’s finished landing another two blows to my stomach, he bends down on one knee, his face only inches away from mine.

  I’m completely out of breath and unbearable pain spreads through my entire body. A horrible, tight, cramping sensation pulses in my stomach and I have to swallow back bile.

  “If I don’t get that money in a month that little brat in there is going to get fucking sold to the highest bidder,’’ he sneers and before I can fight back, or get to Imogen, or even plead with him, his fist lands in my face, my whole world turning black.

  Sometime later I awaken by gentle hands shaking my shoulders. My whole body is throbbing; an agonising pain pounding hits through my body.

  I slowly open my eyes, and when I see my neighbour who lives across the hall, everything that happened slowly slams into me at once.

  “Imogen,’’ I cry out, hearing her crying.

  “Don’t move. I’ll get her, Kennedy.’’

  I couldn’t be more thankful for Melanie than I am in this moment. Not only has she been the only neighbour I get on with, but she’s also a lifesaver and a friend.

  She walks in with Imogen still crying in her arms. When I put my hands up for her I cry out in pain.

  “I’ve got her. What happened? Shall I call the police?’’ she asks concerned, her words rushed.

  I shake my head not knowing what to do or say. Will it make it worse going to the police? Of course it will. And what can the police do? It’s not like I have proof. Hell, I don’t even know who that man is. He could be anyone. All I know is that my sister was connected to him.

  “What are you doing here?’’ I ask, trying hard to keep the tears at bay. Melanie said she was leaving for a few weeks for a job. She isn’t meant to be back for another week.

  “I’ll tell you later. I came over because this must have come during the week,’’ she says, handing me a white envelope. I take it out of her hand. I’m just about to throw it to the side and take a still crying Imogen from Mel, when the top of the envelope catches my attention.

  “Oh my,’’ I gasp, tearing the letter open. My eyes flicker over numbers, words, and it isn’t until I get to the centre page that the words I have been hoping for are written in bold letters.

  “What is it?’’ Melanie asks concerned, still rocking a crying Imogen in her arms.

  “He’s her dad,’’ I gasp, then burst into tears. He can protect her. But then I will lose her. The thought has bile rising in my throat. What if he doesn’t want her? What am I going to do?

  I hold my hands up, my tears running freely down my face. I need her. I just need to hold her, to make sure she’s okay. I don’t know if he touched her. My sore body screams in agony when Mel finally relents and hands me Imogen. I finally have her in my arms. As soon as I breathe in her baby scent I burst into a fit of more tears.

  My tears only make Imogen cry harder and, even with my sore body, I try my hardest to soothe her.

  “It’s okay, baby. Everything is going to be okay. I’ll protect you, I promise,’’ I promise her. And I will. Even if it means I have to give her up to her father in order to do that. It will kill me, but I will.

  “What is going on, Kennedy?’’ Melanie asks, sitting down next to me. “Who did this to you? I ran to get some ice from mine before you came through, but it seems neither of us have anything frozen.’’ Her tone sounds light, but I can hear the underlying worry hidden beneath.

  “Someone… Someone attacked me. He wants money. Money I don’t have. He’s going to take Imogen if I don’t,’’ I cry. The same paralysing fear, thinking about that man hits me once again and I begin to shake.

  “Has this got anything to do with your sister?’’ Melanie asks. She knows all about my sister and my family. I don’t know what I would have done without her help when I first got Imogen home. Mel has two kids of her own that are fully grown and now moved out and have their own families. Her advice has been a godsend.

  “I’m scared,’’ I admit, crying. “Shush, Imogen. I promise everything is going to be okay,’’ I tell her, hoping to God I’m right.

  “WHAT THE FUCK HAS HAPPENED HERE?’’ is roared. My whole body locks up tight, thinking he has come back to finish what he started. When my fear filled eyes look up, I’m hit with something much, much worse.

  “Evan,’’ I breathe.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  EVAN

  It’s been weeks since I sent off the DNA test and even though I knew it would take some time, I never thought it would be this long.

  “You need to snap out of it, mate. You’ve been off with the fairies for weeks,’’ Harris, another one of my best mates, tells me.

  He doesn’t even realise how close he is about the fairy comment. I’ve not been able to stop myself from thinking about Kennedy or Imogen, since I was told.

  “I’m just going to go home, I’m sorry.’’

  “It’s okay. You can take the week off anyway. I’ll get everything sorted. Just make sure you get your head cleared before you come back.’’ I go to interrupt but he stops me, holding his hand up. “This is how accidents happen, Evan. Your head isn’t in the game.’’

  “I know. Just give me a few days,’’ I groan and then leave him to fill out the paperwork on the Court’s file.

  I’m pulling up outside mine and a sense of deja vu hits me when I see Lexi walking down the path, hand in hand with some new tool. What surprises me is that it isn’t Aaron. After the night I got completely wasted I thought the two had kicked it off. Obviously not.

  I jump out of the car giving her a chin lift, not wanting to go through the same pleasantries as last time.

  “Hey,’’ she smiles, and I notice the tool looking at me like I’m competition. Don’t worry, loser, I have enough problems.

  “Hey,’’ I nod.

  “This is Steve,’’ she introduces, and I want to groan and look to the sky. Why does she constantly put me through this shit?
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br />   “I need to run in and get a file, but it’s good to see you, and you, Simon,’’ I nod and walk off.

  “It’s Steve,’’ he shouts back and I shake my head confused. I nod my head towards him before turning back around and head inside. The door jams and I notice the mail wedging under the door. Pulling it out, I walk through flicking through it.

  “Bills, junk, bills, bills, junk, wrong address, junk, junk, oh fuck,’’ I gasp when I get to the last one. I rip it open but as I’m about to pull it out I close up and freeze. I’m not prepared to read what it says on that letter. I’m confused on what I want it to say. On the one hand I want her to be mine, but the other part doesn’t want her to be. I wanted to have children when I had finally settled down with a woman I loved, and not by some woman who took advantage.

  Closing my eyes, I pull the letter out and open it up. I count to ten before reopening them and look down. Nothing makes sense to me until I see it written in bold black writing. I am Imogen Wright’s biological father.

  “Fuck!’’

  Needing to meet her, I quickly run to my room, not wanting to waste another minute of not knowing my daughter. I grab the envelope with the pictures of Imogen and the address and run to the door, grabbing my keys on the way.

  So far I’ve managed to only turn back twice. The first was because I didn’t call ahead and the second is because I didn’t bring her a gift.

  The minute I let my mind focus on what was happening I finally realised how much I want this. Imogen may not be with the woman I love, but she’s still my flesh and blood.

  I’m a fucking dad.

  A fucking dad.

  I’m not going to end up like my father, neglecting my kid, so I got her the fluffiest pink pony teddy bear I could find. I guess the second time those thoughts raced through my mind I knew I needed to stop off somewhere and grab something.

  After getting Imogen’s pony I get back in the car and head in the direction of Kennedy’s. When I pull up into her estate I’m more than certain Imogen being mine is a blessing. The woman lives in a fucking shithole of a place. It’s the worst place to live around here. I must have been out of it, because her address didn’t register until I got here.

  I get out of my Audi and grab the pony from out of the boot before locking the car up and flicking the alarm on. I look around, hoping there isn’t anyone watching. I don’t trust anyone not to attempt to take it. The car is mint. She’s also my baby.

  Not anymore, my inner brain screams, reminding me of Imogen.

  I’m just about to press the buzzer for her door when someone walks out, leaving the door open for me. I head over to the lift trying not to gag from the smell of stale piss stinking the place out.

  I hurry up and get in the lift, not that it’s much better, but fuck if it gets me closer to where I want to be. Maybe I can talk Kennedy to come and take a walk. Get some fresh air. Nothing about inhaling the toxic air around us can be classed as healthy. I’m worried I’m going to catch something just visiting.

  Looking at the door numbers I notice Kennedy’s door is wide open and I head over. What I expected was nothing compared to what I found. On the floor, holding a screaming baby was, Kennedy. The place was a mess. A table lay broken in the middle of the floor, but what had me raging were the bruises covering her pale, tear stricken face.

  “WHAT THE FUCK HAS HAPPENED HERE?’’ I roar, stepping into the room. I watch as Kennedy’s body visibly tenses, her hands shaking with fear. The older lady next to her moves to shield them, looking at me with fright.

  “I think you need to leave. I’ve called the police,’’ the lady I don’t know shouts. I look at her curiously and wonder who the hell she thinks I am.

  “Mel, this is…’’

  “Someone who wants to know what the fuck has happened,’’ I interrupt, stepping farther into the room. From the door her face looked bad, but on a closer look it’s worse, and I can tell by the way she winces while rocking the baby back and forth that it’s more than her face that is hurting her.

  “Who are you?’’ Mel, the lady, asks. What a loaded question. Who am I?

  “This is Imogen’s biological father,’’ Kennedy whispers, her voice sounding tired. I walk over, ignoring the death glare Mel is giving me, and kneel down beside Kennedy. My eyes look over her face and I can’t help but clench my fists. Who the fuck did this?

  “What happened?’’ I ask in a softer voice.

  Instead of answering me she breaks down into tears, handing me Imogen. At first I don’t know what to do and I hold her at arm’s length.

  Fuck, she’s got some lungs on her.

  I hold her closer, her head resting on my shoulder, and do what I’ve watched Denny do with Hope and start bouncing her and patting her gently on the bum.

  It’s not long before she stops crying and only cute little noises escape. It’s then that I start to enjoy the moment.

  I’m a dad!

  I hold her a little tighter and it’s in this moment I know I’ll never be able to leave her again. Not even for a night. But hell if I know what I’m doing, especially when her mom, so to speak, is hot as fucking hell and is obviously in some kind of abusive relationship.

  “You have to take her, to protect her,’’ comes a strangled sob, and I look to Kennedy confused. Mel starts rubbing her back affectionately but soon stops when she realises it’s only hurting Kennedy more.

  “You need to tell me what’s happened here. Did your boyfriend hurt you?’’

  She looks up to me wide eyed. “No. I don’t have a boyfriend,’’ she cries, becoming hysterical. “Someone came here. He hurt me. He said my sister owed him three grand. I don’t have that kind of money. He said that I’m the insurance she gave him to get his money back if she couldn’t. If I don’t pay him back he’ll take Imogen and sell her. You have to take her and get her as far away from me as possible,’’ she sobs. Her expression completely breaks and I know just asking me to take Imogen is breaking her heart. Her words tug and my heart, seeing her so broken triggers something inside me and for the first time in my life I want to take care of someone other than myself.

  “Tell me exactly what he said,’’ I demand, going into work mode.

  “That’s pretty much it. Oh, and I’ve got a month.’’ She tries to wipe her tears away but more just keep coming. She looks to me, her eyes wide. “Oh my, you got her to sleep,’’ she says softly before bursting into more tears.

  “Hey, don’t cry.’’

  “I don’t want to lose her, but I have to. I can’t protect her.’’

  “And what about you? Who’s going to protect you?’’ I ask her.

  “No one.’’

  She looks tired and worn out, so I do the only thing I can do. “Get up and go and get yours and Imogen’s stuff packed.’’

  “Huh?’’ she breathes, looking at me all confused.

  “Just do it. I need to make a phone call,’’ I tell her, harsher than intended.

  “Come on, I’ll help you,’’ Melanie offers, helping Kennedy to her feet. I look at her face and can tell she’s in a world of pain. It just makes me want to hunt down this fucker all the more. No one threatens innocent women or children and gets away with it.

  What the hell is going on with me?

  Once they’re out of sight I look down at Imogen properly for the first time and smile. She has my button nose, the poor thing. I don’t know whose colour eyes she has ‘cause she’s sleeping, but I remember Vicky had light blue eyes, whereas I have dark brown.

  She’s so tiny, so innocent, curled up on my chest, that the thought of someone ever hurting her actually makes me want to do a life sentence in prison for murder.

  I dial William’s number knowing I’m going to need help on this one, and my old files. He answers on the third ring.

  “’Ello. Miss us already?’’

  “Jackass, and no. Look, I need a favour.’’

  A loud booming laugh erupts through the phone and I have to pull my e
ar away for a second. “You’ve been gone a few weeks and already you want a favour.’’

  “Okay, can you just fast track my old files over please? I need everything we have on the drug bust we did on the Carmack’s.’’ I can’t be doing with his banter or teasing digs at the moment. I need answers. I need to know who is doing this and why. The only thing I can come up with is Vicky’s past. That unit was her past.

  “What? Why? We closed that case.’’

  Like I need reminding that we closed that case. It was the worst job I had ever been undercover for and never been so relieved when we finally closed it.

  “Look, there’s a lot I need to explain, but right now all you need to know is that someone from that case has threatened someone… close to me,’’ I hesitate, the word love nearly popping out of mouth. Thinking about it, it only took one glance at the little rugrat and I was in love. Imogen stirs in my arms and I rock her gently so that she doesn’t wake.

  “Okay, is there something you need me to do?’’ he asks without hesitation. That’s the only thing so far that I’ve missed about my old job. How they have your back. Not that Harris doesn’t, it’s just that he asks questions first, not later. I suppose we have a lot to figure out before we get to where we need to be.

  “Not yet, but I’ll keep you posted. Give me an hour and I’ll be home,’’ I tell him before ending the call. I walk towards the hushed voices and into Kennedy’s room. It’s not anything like I had pictured. It’s plain, boring, and not even decorated. I expected colour, lots of colour. But then, I don’t really know her and she’s obviously struggling if she’s living in this shithole.

  “Can you take Immy so I can go get her cot and stuff down? I’ll call a friend to come and get it all. Unless you want me to buy her new ones?’’ I ask, not thinking about what Immy might not have. For all I know she could just have the basics, but what do I know. I don’t even know what a baby needs and from what I know so far about Kennedy, she doesn’t seem like the person to neglect a kid.

  “What? What’s going on? Are you taking her?’’ she asks, her face scrunched up and ready to blow. Even after asking me, the thought of Immy being taken away from her is killing her from the inside. I can officially say I know how she feels because just thinking of never seeing the cute little bundle, that has captured my heart with a second of meeting her, is killing me.