Provoked

by Bailey, Sarah

  “Okay, Liora, can you tell me exactly why you think Zach would hurt his son?”

  “Zach threatened to take me away and Dante wouldn’t let him.”

  “Has Zach been abusive towards Dante in the past?”

  “Yes… I don’t know all the details, but I know there’s a history of domestic abuse. Please, I’m so scared for him. Zach is crazy. I’m worried he’ll go too far and kill Dante.”

  I seriously hoped the police were on their way now because I wasn’t coping with this very well. I was shaking so hard I almost dropped the phone.

  “Are you aware of Zach having any weapons or mentioning them?”

  “No.”

  “Can you give me Zach’s full name please and date of birth?”

  “Zachary Benson and I don’t know how old he is, maybe sixties. He owns Bensons, you know the fashion house.”

  “Thank you, can you tell me Dante’s full name and date of birth?”

  “Dante Benson. He’s twenty seven but I don’t know his birthday. Are the police on their way?”

  “Thank you. Yes, we have a unit on their way now and they will be with you as soon as they can.”

  “Okay… thank you. I’m so scared.”

  That’s when both Brent and I heard a sharp howl of pain from upstairs. I almost bolted up the stairs, but Brent put a hand on my shoulder.

  “Can you tell me what’s happening now, Liora?”

  “We just heard a cry of pain. Oh god.”

  I burst into tears, unable to hold back my emotions any longer. I shoved the phone at Brent before I crumpled to the floor. I vaguely heard him talking to the 999 operator. After everything we’d just shared together in the playroom and now this shit was happening. My back hurt, but I barely felt it. I was so worried for Dante.

  “I can’t confirm he’s hurt, but yes, I think we need an ambulance too… Yes, she was right, there is a history of domestic abuse, but it was never reported.”

  Another howl came from upstairs and my heart shattered in my chest. I couldn’t do this. I needed to get to Dante. I had to stop Zach. I crawled towards the stairs before Brent could stop me.

  “Liora!”

  “No,” I sobbed. “Let me go to him.”

  “Look, are they almost here? I need to stop her going upstairs before she gets hurt too.”

  I couldn’t stand up, but I dragged myself up the stairs.

  I’m coming for you, Dante. Please hold on. Please.

  There was a sharp rap at the door. I looked behind me as Brent moved towards the it. Two uniformed officers stood outside.

  “Sir, are you the one who made the call?”

  “Yes, I’m Brent, please, they’re upstairs on the top floor.”

  The police walked in and noticed me on the stairs. One of them strode towards me.

  “Ma’am, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

  “No,” I sobbed. “No, but you need to get to Dante, please.”

  The officers looked at each other before they turned to Brent.

  “I’ll take care of her, please, they’re on the top floor,” Brent replied.

  The officers walked by me and up the stairs.

  “Brent, please, we have to go after them.”

  He shook his head but came over to me and picked me up off the floor.

  “D is going to kill me for this.”

  “Just take me upstairs, please.”

  I was a mess and I had no idea what we were walking into. I’m pretty sure the police would’ve wanted us to stay put, but nothing would stop me from getting to Dante. Brent set me on my feet and held my hand. I practically dragged him up the stairs with me, desperate to make sure Dante was okay.

  When we got up to the second floor, my heart fractured in my chest. Zach was in handcuffs with one officer holding him back whilst the other was kneeling on the floor next to Dante.

  “Oh god, Dante!”

  Brent wasn’t able to stop me as I ran towards them. The officer turned at my approach.

  “Ma’am, you need to stay back.”

  I dropped to my knees next to him, completely ignoring what he said and looking over Dante. His right eye was already swelling up and his lip was split. He looked like he’d been ten rounds in a boxing ring.

  “Why? Why did you do this?”

  He opened his good eye, staring up at me.

  “Liora,” he croaked, reaching for me.

  I took his hand, placing a kiss on top of it. He was okay. He was alive. My heart thumped against my chest. He looked like hell, but he was still breathing and talking.

  I turned to the officer.

  “Is an ambulance on its way?”

  His expression softened.

  “Yes, ma’am and more officers. We will need to take a statement from you when they arrive.”

  I remembered the memory stick in my free hand.

  “Here, you’ll need this,” I said, sticking my hand out to him.

  I dropped the memory stick into his hand.

  “What is this?”

  “Evidence,” Dante croaked.

  I stroked his hand.

  “Shh, don’t try to talk,” I told him.

  “No, I… I have to. Cold case, my mother… her… her murderer was never found. What’s on there… proves it was my father.”

  What? What the hell did he just say?

  “Sir, that’s a very grave accusation.”

  “You fucking bastard,” Zach roared.

  I looked back and found the other officer struggling to hold Zach back.

  “Sir, you need to calm down.”

  The officer next to me sprung up and went to help after he tucked the memory stick into his pocket.

  “We should take him downstairs.”

  “I’m going to kill you, I’m going to fucking kill you,” Zach screamed.

  The two officers ended up pinning Zach to the floor as he kept bucking and shouting.

  “You’re no fucking son of mine, you hear me!”

  “Sir, I suggest you calm down.”

  The doorbell rang. Brent looked over at me before he disappeared downstairs to answer it. I hoped it was the ambulance and more officers. I turned back to Dante, knowing the two officers had Zach under control.

  He was staring up at me with no small amount of pain in his eyes.

  “Where does it hurt?”

  “Everywhere.”

  I shifted closer to him, carefully laying my other hand on his cheek.

  “Is what you said true?”

  “Yes.”

  Tears rolled down my cheeks. Zach had murdered his mother. His own wife. And if Dante had evidence of it then he’d known about it for a long time.

  “I was there,” he croaked. “He made me watch. She told me he would, that he was so close to doing it. I couldn’t stop him. He tied me up, but she knew. She set up a camera to film it and told me to keep it safe until the day I could use it against him. Told me one day, I’d have to tear him down.”

  My heart broke all over again for him. For his mother. For everything they’d all had to endure. I stroked his hair back.

  “Shh, don’t talk any more.”

  I heard footsteps and the next moment, I found two paramedics next to me.

  “We need to look him over now,” one of them said gently to me.

  I let go of him, moving back so they could attend to him. His good eye tracked my movements. All I could see is the love he had for me and it tore at my soul.

  ‘I love you, my heart,’ he mouthed at me.

  I put my hand on my heart, unable to speak any longer. I found Brent had squatted down next to me and put an arm around my shoulder. I buried my face in his chest and sobbed, unable to help myself. It was all too much. I’d tried to stay strong, but I was broken. Seeing Dante hurt killed me.

  “Shh, Liora, he’s going to be okay, I promise,” Brent murmured.

  ***

  I sa
t in the chair next to Dante’s hospital bed. He looked so broken with his swollen eye and split lip. He had bruises all over his chest. I’d seen them when they were working on him. He was asleep now. I was glad of it. He needed rest after what Zach had done.

  I was pissed off with him for sacrificing himself in my place. He hadn’t needed to do that, but then again, the police had locked up Zach and weren’t letting him out after what they’d seen. I honestly didn’t care what they charged him with as long as he didn’t get his hands on Dante again.

  I heard someone come in the room and I looked over at the door. James was standing there, his blue eyes wide. Brent must’ve called him. He’d gone back to the house when I refused to leave Dante’s side. We’d both had to give statements to the police, but mine was conducted here at the hospital whilst they attended to Dante.

  After Dante was seen in A&E, Brent had insisted he be moved to a private hospital nearby and wouldn’t take no for an answer. At least it meant they wouldn’t kick me out of his room and he wasn’t being disturbed by other patients.

  “Hey,” I said, my voice quiet.

  James came further into the room.

  “Is he okay?” he asked, his voice just as quiet as mine.

  “The doctors said he’ll be okay, but he’s in a lot of pain. He just needs to rest.”

  “What happened? Brent didn’t really explain.”

  “We should talk about this outside so we don’t disturb him.”

  James nodded and I got up and followed him out. I was exhausted, but James deserved to know the truth.

  “Are you sure he’s going to be okay?”

  “Yes, it looks worse than it is. Honestly, I’m really pissed off with your brother, but right now, I’m just glad he’s safe.”

  He put a hand on my arm, giving it a squeeze.

  “Brent said Dad is locked up.”

  “Dante let Zach beat the shit out of him to save me.”

  “He what?”

  Tears welled in my eyes. I was done crying, but I couldn’t help it. My heart bled for my boyfriend. He’d suffered far too much in his life. Especially with what he’d told me about their mother. It reminded me that James must not know. How would I break it to him? Did Dante want to tell him? I had no idea how to handle this.

  “Exactly. Zach came around and started shouting at us, telling Dante he broke their agreement and he was taking me. Dante made Brent take me downstairs and basically told Zach if he wanted to use him as a punching bag he could, but Zach wasn’t getting me.”

  James dropped his hand and looked down at the floor.

  “Did Dante tell you what Dad used to do to us?”

  “Not really. I mean I’ve guessed a lot of it.”

  He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like I constantly saw Dante doing. It made my heart ache. I looked over through the window at the man who I loved with every inch of my being. He was still asleep, but the sight of him broke me all over again.

  “Dante protected me and the twins from the worst of it. He told me everything yesterday. That’s why he took us when he turned eighteen, to stop Zach hurting us all. He beat the four of us and our mother.”

  I looked up at him. His face was tense and I could see the worry behind his eyes.

  “There’s something Dante needs to talk to you about when he wakes up. It’s about your mother, but it’s not my place to say.”

  He nodded.

  “Do you think the police will let Dad out?”

  “After what happened and what Dante gave them? No.”

  “What Dante gave them?”

  “He has evidence of stuff from your childhood. It’s what he needs to speak to you about. I can’t say any more. I’m sorry. I don’t know the whole story anyway. He only managed to say a few things to me before the paramedics came. I was so scared. Zach could’ve killed him.”

  James stepped closer to me and put his arm around my shoulders, giving me a squeeze as we both stared through the window at Dante.

  “I can’t say I’m unhappy he’s locked up.”

  “Me either.”

  I sighed. Whatever happened next, I just hoped we wouldn’t have to go through this again. I couldn’t stand seeing Dante hurt.

  “I should go be with Dante in case he wakes up,” I said.

  “Is it okay if I sit with him too?”

  “Sure.”

  I didn’t mind the company, but I was dead on my feet. We both went back in the room. I sat in the seat closest to Dante and held his hand whilst James sat next to me.

  I wasn’t sure how much time passed. The police came and went, speaking to James whilst I kept a watch on his brother. The nurses had tried to tell us visiting hours were over, but I wasn’t having any of it. At some point, I dropped my head on the bed next to Dante with his hand still in mine. I could’ve sworn I felt a blanket being put over me before I fell away into oblivion.

  I could only hope Dante would wake up soon and that he really would be okay.

  That we’d get through this.

  And that Zach would be out of our lives forever.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Dante

  I ached everywhere. The doctors had given me painkillers, but my face and chest burnt with the pain. I opened my good eye. It was dark in the room but I could still see from the light streaming in through the window from the corridor.

  Someone was holding my hand. I looked down. Liora’s blonde head was resting on the bed next to me, my hand clasped tightly in hers. Was she allowed in here at this time? Why did I even care? Having her here made my heart thump. I reached over and stroked her hair even though it aggravated my chest and hurt like hell.

  She stirred. I dropped my hand and she sat up, blinking. A blanket dropped off her shoulders onto her chair.

  “You’re awake,” she said.

  “Mmmhmm.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Sore.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. I reached out for her, wincing at the pain and cupped her cheek.

  “Hey, don’t cry, I’m okay.”

  “If you weren’t so hurt, I would hit you. That was idiotic and reckless.”

  I blinked. I knew she’d be upset but I didn’t expect her to be this angry with me. Her eyes blazed even though tears were falling and she looked like she wanted to strangle me.

  “Liora, I—”

  “No, I’m not finished. If you ever, ever do anything like that again, I won’t be responsible for my actions. Do you hear me? Damn it, Dante, I was so scared.”

  Her face crumbled and I felt like the world’s worst boyfriend. I’d done it so she would be safe. So the police would have a reason to arrest my father. So they could see how violent he was and therefore the evidence I had against him wouldn’t be dismissed so easily. They were surely going to question why I hadn’t come forward before. It was a huge risk, but one I felt necessary to take.

  “Come here, my heart.”

  I let go of her hand and put my arms out to her.

  “No, I don’t want to hurt you any further.”

  “If you won’t come to me, I’ll get out of this bed and come to you.”

  “What? No, you can’t do that. Stop being an idiot.”

  “Then come here and let me hold you.”

  She huffed but stood up and crawled onto the bed with me. Carefully, she let me wrap my arms around her as she laid her head against my chest. I ignored the pain, feeling contentment wash over me having her right there.

  “I’m sorry,” I told her, kissing the top of her head. “I know it was stupid and reckless, but I really am okay.”

  “The police were here, but you were sleeping. I told them to come back in the morning.”

  “Since when did they allow visitors to stay with patients?”

  “They don’t. I refused to leave. I may have scared the nurses. James told them to leave me be.”

  “James was here?”
>
  I hadn’t expected him to turn up.

  “Yes, he was here for a couple of hours. He also spoke to the police. He’s really worried about you.”

  “What did the police say?”

  “They’re going to charge Zach with assault, I think they said ABH, especially since the officers heard him threatening to kill you and investigate the other allegations you made against him. I’m sure they’ll talk to you about it tomorrow.”

  At least it meant they were taking it seriously. I’m sure I was going to have to spend a lot of time talking to the police about what he’d done, but it was worth it. Zach needed to be put away so he couldn’t come after us. He needed to rot for everything he’d done to me, to James, to Jen and Fi as well as our mother.

  “I’m sorry, my heart.”

  “I was so scared for you. So, so scared he’d kill you.”

  Honestly, I thought he was going to. The number of times he hit me blurred together and I’d stood there and taken every punch. Every kick after I’d fallen to my knees. He’d ranted and raved at me, but I barely heard him. All I could think about was Liora. She was safe and I’d told her to call the police.

  “I knew you’d save me.”

  “If the police hadn’t got there so fast, then I might not have.”

  “You can’t think like that. I’m here. No lasting damage. How is your back?”

  She lifted her head from my chest, staring at me.

  “You’re asking me that when you’re the one lying in a hospital bed?”

  I tried to smile, but it hurt too much.

  “Is asking after the woman I love a crime?”

  “I’m fine, Dante. I mean it stings, but I don’t care about me. I care about you. You’re the one who got beaten up.”

  I frowned. I always made sure she was cared for after I inflicted any sort of punishment on her delicate skin. That wasn’t going to change just because I was hurt.

  “You tell Brent to put cream on your back.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Liora, I should’ve done it before we left the room and you need to tell Brent to come get you because you should be at home in bed.”

  “No.”

  “No?”