by Katy Kaylee
“Hey, Delainne- I’m glad I finally caught up with you. Your dad’s really worried about you, you know.” Greg wasn’t the kind of guy one would look at and instantly think creep- but that only made him more dangerous, in my opinion. His voice laced with relief, and I blinked furiously until a tiny, barely audible voice in my head whispered a single word.
Run.
For once, I was inconsolably glad that Maggie was so small as I snatched her, and the pile of stuff in her lap rattled against the cart bed loudly. My heart lodged in my throat, making it impossible to breathe, and I only faintly registered Greg trying to talk to me. A cold sweat broke out on my back, and my knees wobbled threateningly as I backed up right into the shelves of candy and miscellaneous items.
A large, unfamiliar hand grabbed my bicep, and I crushed Maggie to my opposite side as I kicked out my leg. My sneakered foot hit Greg right in the crotch, and the impact rattled my entire body as I crashed into the poor, old lady in front of me. I hit the floor, and Greg smacked his head on the handlebar of the cart when he doubled over. Scooting into the unused register, I wrapped my arms and legs around as much of Maggie as I could and squeezed my eyes shut.
This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be happening! Barely daring to breathe, blood pounded in my ear drums to drown out the sound of the girl manning the register as she called her boss. Fear welted my skin as my oxygen-deprived brain raced viciously, and tears leaked from my eyes to dampen Maggie’s crown.
Greg really was watching me; he knew enough about my habits to follow me to the store in the same neighborhood that I lived in.
Time seemed to stop as I rocked back and forth, holding Maggie as tightly as I could. Memories flashed behind my tightly shuttered eyelids, and I ground my teeth hard as despair flooded my chest. Why couldn’t Greg just leave me alone? Why wouldn’t he get the hint?
But those questions didn’t have any answers, and the hairs all over my body stood up as a singular thought popped into my bedraggled mind. My hands shook as I wrestled my phone from my pocket, and I forced one eye open. The speed dial tone bashed around against my skull, and I sniffled hard as I stroked Maggie’s head. She didn’t move, didn’t make a sound, and my heart threatened to burst through my ribs. Sharp pains rippled through my body from the stiffness, but I ignored it when the speaker gave a faint click.
“He’s here! He’s here! He- he tried to g- grab me! Help- help us!” My shrieking echoed around the entire store, and I managed shallow, gasping breaths that only stoked the fire inside me. The sounds of Eric jumping from his seat and knocking into people sent waves of relief through me, but he didn’t verbally answer. Shivering violently, I dared a glance around just as Greg was being picked up by two, burly looking boys in green aprons.
Joints popping snapped my attention in two, and I tensed with a sharp hiss of an inhale. The old lady I’d bumped into crouched down in front of me, and the cashier peered worriedly over her frail shoulder. Gnarled, arthritic fingers held out a packaged peanut butter cup, and her lipstick stained her teeth noticeably when she smiled gently.
“Oh, my God- are you okay?” My knocking into her rushed to the forefront of my mind, and I winced at the force and volume of my own squeal. The wrinkles on her face deepened, and she nudged Maggie’s back. Plastic crinkling filled the small space, and the tiny girl in my lap struggled to twist before I realized how hard I was holding her. “Maggie- Maggie- are you okay?”
“My knee hurts-“ Horror threatened to drown me at her muffled, uncomfortable grumble, and I wiped my tears away furiously. Her jeans were ripped, and a thin, shallow scrape glowed red angrily; there was even a little blood, but not enough to drip. My lungs stopped working completely, and my hyperventilating caused black spots to float at the edge of my vision.
I hurt her- I might’ve hurt the elderly person in front of me, calming holding out a peanut butter cup. I definitely hurt Greg when I kicked him and caused him to hit his head.
My back hurt from my fall.
“No- no- no- no!” Fisting my hand in my hair, I flopped my head back against the register drawer as a mortified sob wrenched from my chest.
“Should I call the police or something?” The cashier couldn’t have been much younger than myself, and her voice wobbled as I finally managed to get some semblance of control over myself. Somehow, I achieved a semi-deep breath, and it burned my raw throat even as it cooled my hysteria.
“No- he already ran away. They’ll just tell us that kicking him out was the right thing to do, and to keep a lookout if he comes back.” Gulping down the dense lump in my throat as the stocker spoke up- like this had happened to him before- I exhaled slowly through trembling lips. Cupping Maggie’s cheeks in clammy palms, I examined her face and as much of her as I could see. She was shaken up, red-faced and wide-eyed, but she was okay aside from the scrape on her knee.
“Here you go, little girl.” The old lady nudged Maggie again, and her voice crackled from age. Wise, faded eyes flickered to me, and she held out her other hand to reveal a second peanut butter cup. “And for you, because you’re just a little girl, too.”
What stability I’d managed crumpled at that, and I sniffled hard as I reached for the singularly wrapped piece of candy. Just then, in that moment, the sound of stomping rattled the worn linoleum, and goosebumps washed my body when Eric shouldered his way past the stock boys. His hair stood up awkwardly from how many times he’d raked his hand through it, and his uniform had some sort of small, light stain on the left side.
“Hey- hey- what happened, sweetheart?” I surprised even myself when I didn’t burst into tears, and Eric cupped my cheeks as the tension seeped from my body. The security that turned my bones to jelly weighed down my eyelids, and I sniffled hard as he stroked my rough, hot skin. On his knees, he stared at me levelly, but the rage that swirled in his eyes betrayed his calm expression.
“She kicked him in his no-no place!” Answering for me, Maggie twisted and climbed out from the sandwich of my legs and chest, and I shivered from the ice that lodged in my chest. Jumping up, she flung out her leg and fisted her peanut butter cup hard enough to smush it. “And then he fell like this-!”
“It was so cool! I got this- now I’m just like you, Daddy.” Pointing at the scrape on her knee that didn’t even bleed, Maggie beamed brightly, and some of the pressure eased off my chest. “I did what you said- I was really quiet, and I didn’t distract Delainne- and she took care of the bad guy! It was so awesome! I want to be like her when I grow up- I bet Sasha will be so proud of me!”
“You know, Mags-“ Examining the scrape with far too much interest as I worked to calm down, Eric smiled as he patted Maggie’s sides. “When people get hurt taking care of bad guys, they get medals. Why don’t you come with me to the base, and we’ll get you a medal?”
Eric
The office was quiet as I stared levelly at my commander, and he tapped his fingers on the desk just to try to get a rouse out of me; he knew I hated it. Seconds ticked by on pins and needles before McLaren gave up, and I exhaled sharply through flared nostrils when he rocked back in his chair. He was a man of few words, and relief slumped my shoulders as he stood up languidly.
“I’ll let it slide this time, Eric, but don’t let it happen again.” McLaren’s silvering hair and fading eyes matched the wrinkles around his mouth as they deepened. “Are you going to hang around on base for the rest of the day? I know you’re picking up from the transport arriving this afternoon.”
“Yes. I’m just waiting to grab Tony, at this point. I need to figure out what I’m going to do. This guy… he’s not going to just go away.” Grumbling more to myself than my commander, I grimaced as McLaren leaned on his desk to cross his arms. “It’s worse because he’s so seemingly normal. No one even noticed he was following Delainne through the store until afterwards. That makes him more dangerous.”
“So it seems. Well- it’s a good thing Tony got blown up, then. You remember what it’s like coming back, an
d he’ll have your back.” Nodding as gratefulness warmed my chest, I saluted my commander before heading out of his office. Greg might’ve thought he was slick, trying to scare Delainne with the knowledge that he knew where she lived. He might’ve even thought she’d be so scared and alone that she’d just go back with him.
But he was fucking wrong, and a disgusted laugh tightened my throat.
“Daddy! When can I get my medal?” Maggie’s slight body slammed into my legs, and I picked her up with a grunt. What happened at the grocery store hadn’t seemed to phase her; she got a candy and a medal out of it, and that was exciting. Of course, I have to buy a fake one online and convince McLaren to award her with it.
An issue for another day, surely.
“I’ll let you know. How’s your leg, honey?” My daughter didn’t even answer me about her leg; instead, she just started complaining about a medal. Smiling as she crossed her arms over her chest indignantly, I glanced over at Delainne’s pensive, pale expression. Striding over, I grabbed her hand to lead her out of the office building, and she squeezed my fingers with every drop of strength she had.
“I picked you up in a government vehicle, so if he got the plates, it shouldn’t be a problem.” My assurance only earned me a faint hum, and we piled onto the elevator before I wrapped my arm securely around Delainne’s waist. She was cold and sticky from sweat, and her shirt sported a dark column from her tears. “It’s okay, Delainne.”
“It’s not okay, Eric. He knows where I live. He knows where…” Trailing off, Delainne pursed her lips tightly as her red-rimmed eyes flickered to Maggie. Alone in the elevator, I got a sharp sense of déjà vu when she closed her eyes and sighed heavily. “I should call my dad.”
“Delainne, just give it a few days, okay? According to the guys at the store, you kicked him pretty damn hard. If that doesn’t burrow through his thick-ass skull, and you feel anything weird, you can call your dad. If you call him now, tell him what happened, and Greg shows up telling him something believable, it’ll just be a shit show.” As much as what I’d said was true, my reason for keeping Delainne’s father out of this was purely selfish. I didn’t want him marching down here and forcing her to go back with him, and I was entirely sure that she would. She grimaced, scrunching up her face, and she jerked her head in a nod before Maggie spoke up from my other side.
“We didn’t buy anything for Tony’s dinner, though. How are we gunna have enough food for Delainne’s Dad?” Smiling absently at Maggie’s misunderstanding, I adjusted her on my hip as a shrill ping filled the elevator. Casting Delainne a hard glance, I pursed my lips hard, and she frowned before easing out of the suspended, metal box.
“He’s not coming right now, honey. Just- if he does want to. So, how about we take a trip to go see the ships?” Setting my daughter down on her feet, I inhaled deeply to wash away the rottenness that clung to my innards. Maggie skipped off a few feet, her thick pony-tail too heavy to really sway, and I watched her through narrowed eyes. “Delainne, sweetheart- this is a good time for Greg to think he’s got balls. Tony is the best man I know, and he’s on medical leave… minimum activity. He’s getting paid a lot of money to sit on his ass and heal as best he can, as fast as he can.”
“I lied to you, Eric.” Mumbling softly, Delainne tightened her arms around herself to sigh heavily. Under tightly knit brows, my gaze flickered to her, but I couldn’t leave Maggie for long. “I lied- Greg does scare me.”
“You didn’t convince me in the first place.” Her lip twitched, and I pressed my lips to her temple with a sigh. “It’ll be okay. I promise. If this guy seriously thinks he can get to you, he’s wrong- very fucking wrong.”
“I believe you. I do…” Observing Maggie as she skipped- stopped- skipped- stopped- I frowned as Delainne trailed off to sigh again. “I believe you.”
We couldn’t make it anywhere near the docks before Maggie found something more interesting, but I couldn’t really care. My suggestion was only to lighten the mood, and it’d worked by the looks of things. Delainne felt safe with Navy personnel always in her line of sight, and she was smiling- even if it was for Maggie’s benefit.
Maybe I should teach her some defensive moves. The thought came and went in a flash, and I shook my head and stuffed my hands into my pants pockets. Around us, military were just starting to trickle out for lunch. Bases were a town inside a town, and this one was no different. Down the sidewalk, Maggie and Delainne peered through the window of a very popular bakery, and content warmed my chest.
It was blazing fucking hot, but it was a pleasant sensation none-the-less.
“How about we go to the store after we pick up Tony, and he can decide what he wants to eat for dinner? I don’t think he’d like cake, Maggie.” Coming up on them as Delainne patted Maggie’s shoulder comfortingly. My daughter pouted to gave me huge, begging eyes, but I only shook my head to draw a scowl. Hoisting her up on my shoulders, I let out a laugh as I tried to find out where this attitude came from.
“You know, you never had any junk food until Delainne came along, Mags. All of a sudden, it’s just two Oreos after dinner, or one of those tiny cupcakes for a snack instead of a normal snack.”
“Daddy- one of my friends had a whole package of cookies, and he couldn’t go to school the next day because he was sick. I like healthy food, but I eat it all the time that I don’t like it sometimes.” The slight rambling earned Maggie a squeeze, and I glanced over at Delainne to smirk. She knew that I didn’t mind Maggie’s occasional garbage habit; if anything, I thought her self-imposed moderation was a good thing. “Besides- you always say ‘no’, and now- I can just ask Delainne, and she’ll say ‘yes’.”
“I will not, you little squeaker.” Laughing at Maggie’s squeal, I held her fragile legs tightly as she wiggled to get away from Delainne’s prodding fingers. “I don’t make the rules, Maggie- it’s your dad’s decision.”
“Uncle Martin says that the person that has his balls in a jar makes the rules.” Freezing mid-step as my daughter drew attention, I closed my eyes and held my breath as I silently cursed my brother viciously. Uncle Martin says- Uncle Martin says- Uncle fucking Martin says-
Uncle Martin doesn’t even bother to see Maggie, but when the guilt gets to be too much, he lavishes her with attention. It’s not fucking healthy, and my daughter shouldn’t be exposed to a badmouthing, hypocritical, narcissistic piece of shit like Uncle fucking Martin.
“Maggie, you know not to talk like that- especially around other people.” Setting my daughter on the pristine, crackles sidewalk, I knelt down as uncertainty brightened her narrowing eyes. “Uncle Martin isn’t a good man, and you shouldn’t repeat what he says.”
“I’m sorry.” Maggie grumbled, ducking her head as shame stained her cheeks, but I didn’t try to comfort her. As hard as I tried to explain to her that Martin wasn’t someone to idolize, she just didn’t understand.
But she was six years old, and there was no fucking way that I was going to let her get away with saying balls. Pushing myself up, I held Maggie’s hand loosely and continued on my way down the sidewalk while she sulked. It took her a few minutes to get over the unfamiliar anxiety of getting scolded. Our of the corner of my eye, I could see the guilt raging across her face as she no doubt recalled all the times she’d said the phrase ‘Uncle Martin says’.
“He wasn’t at the wedding, was he?” Nudging my shoulder gently, Delainne drew my attention before I shook my head, and she sucked on her lips in that way that I loved. “Is he your brother, or Sasha’s brother?”
“He’s my little brother.” Checking my watch in a blatant effort to steer the conversation away, I inhaled sharply at how fast two hours had past. “Let’s head for the hanger. Tony’s transport should be arriving in 45 minutes- an hour, tops.”
Eric
Cracking open a beer, I passed the chilled bottle to Tony just to watch him scowl nastily at me. A shit-eating grin stretched my lips, and he leaned heavily on one of his crutches to snatch the
glass and neck the contents.
“Fuck you, man. I deserve triple-A rating hookers offering me beers with their cunts after what happened.” His low voice was more felt than heard, and my grin widened at the dangerous spark in his eyes. “You never told me you were dating someone. I was seriously worried your balls would shrivel up and fall off.”
“We’re not dating.” Leaning on the counter above the dishwasher, I crossed my arms over my chest as Tony snorted roughly. “It’s difficult to explain. Her creep step-brother is after her, and I needed someone to go with me to Teagen’s wedding, so my mom would back off. I wasn’t planning on Maggie getting involved- that’s just a whole other disaster.”
“Yeah, well, I got time.” Wobbling out of the kitchen, Tony grumbled and growled like a dog while he struggled to use his crutches and hold his beer simultaneously. Grimacing even as I followed, I reached to rub my neck and jaw roughly but made no move to help him. He’d probably bite my hand off- or take a pretty good chunk.
“Delainne- she’s 19, never been in a relationship, went to an all girl’s private school- was a virgin when we met- the whole shebang.” Tony settled on the sofa gingerly, and I crossed my legs and rubbed my palms against my knees hard. Staring at the floor, I ignored the intensity of his laser focus on the right half of my face. The house was completely silent; for the first time in a long time, Maggie was taking a nap, and Delainne…
Well, Delainne was having a nap, too- assisted by half a bottle of NyQuil.
“She just found out her creepy step-brother had followed her here, and I came up with the brilliant idea to ask her to go to Teagen’s wedding for me if I took her virginity for her. It sounds fucked up- but she was totally on board because she thought that was one of the reasons her step-brother is after her. Then, I went home, and Maggie’s babysitter abandoned her overnight. I called the cops, got her arrested, but there wasn’t really anyone else I could think to ask. Maggie likes Delainne a lot- she never likes women, you know, but she took to Delainne fast. Anyway- Delainne’s step-brother knows where she’s living now, I guess, and shit like that.”
