Retribution

by Heather Atkinson

  “We?” said Ryan.

  “It was my idea Dad,” said Leah.

  “What idea? No, please don’t tell me…”

  “Brodie MacBride.”

  “I am not having that fool lumbering down here with his huge mouth making things ten times worse.”

  “I’ve checked out his reputation,” said Rachel. “And he’s really highly thought of and very good at what he does.”

  “The idiot couldn’t even find the Lake District. How do you expect him to find someone as elusive as Reid?”

  “I’m sure he can.”

  “No, I don’t want him anywhere near this. He’ll only make matters worse.”

  “Fine, if you insist but I think you’re making a mistake.”

  “He’d love it if I asked him for help, he would keep rubbing it in.”

  She held up her hands. “Okay, we won’t call Brodie.”

  “Thank God for that. The last thing we need is that motor mouth stepping in and exploding the powder keg we’re currently living in.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Jules thought it was progress the next morning when she joined Cara in the living room, who didn’t complain about her presence there, although she didn’t pay her any attention. Jules was still in her pyjamas, lacking the energy to get dressed. It was the first time in her life that she’d felt completely drained. Even when she’d woken from the coma she’d had more get up and go than this and she felt like a ghost of her former self.

  At ten o’clock that morning Lisa turned up at the house, to her dismay. She was finding people very difficult to cope with, not that she’d been such a big fan of them before the coma.

  “I wasn’t expecting you,” said Jules, remaining where she was on the couch, lacking the energy to get up.

  “I’ve come to keep you company while Jackson goes out,” replied Lisa, bending to pick up Cara when she ran up to her.

  Jules watched them hugging and welled up with envy. “Why, where’s he going?”

  “Well, to the hospital of course,” she replied.

  “Hospital? Is something wrong Jax?” she said when he walked into the room.

  Lisa’s lips pursed as she looked to her son. “You didn’t tell her.”

  “Tell me what?” said Jules, finally dragging herself to her feet.

  “I didn’t think she was up to the news,” he replied, frowning at his mum.

  “What news? You’re not ill, are you?” she said with concern, for the first time since she’d been discharged taking his hand.

  “No, I’m fine. It’s err…Cindy’s first scan.”

  Lisa looked down at the floor, chewing her lip, unable to bear the distress in Jules’s eyes.

  Jules let his hand drop. “I see.”

  “I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you but I couldn’t bear to hurt you again.”

  “No, it’s okay. You should go.”

  “Really?”

  She swallowed and nodded. “You don’t want to miss seeing your baby for the first time.” Her thoughts turned to the baby she’d lost. It had been so small she hadn’t even had her first scan.

  “Thanks babe,” he said happily, kissing her cheek.

  He snatched up his car keys and hurried from the room, Lisa looking on disapprovingly at how ignorant he was to his wife’s pain.

  “Well,” said Lisa when he’d gone. “I thought the three of us could take a walk to the park.”

  Cara cheered and clapped her hands.

  “She loves feeding the ducks, don’t you honey?” Lisa said to her granddaughter.

  Cara grinned and flung her arms around her neck, resting her head on her shoulder.

  “I think you two should go without me,” said Jules.

  “We want you to come along, don’t we?” Lisa asked Cara. In response she buried her head deeper into her shoulder.

  “My presence distresses her,” replied Jules. “She could use a break from me.”

  “She’ll never get used to you again if you don’t spend some quality time with her. The park’s the perfect icebreaker.”

  “She won’t enjoy herself with me there and she needs some fun. You two go,” she replied before tramping out of the room and upstairs.

  Jules waited until she heard Lisa leave with Cara before flinging off her pyjamas and pulling on her clothes, feeling reenergised now she had a purpose.

  She called a taxi and twenty minutes later she was outside the hospital. Although she’d been cleared to drive she didn’t dare yet, not trusting herself behind the wheel of a car.

  She lurked in the car park, keeping watch on the front of the outpatients building where, after having Cara, she knew the ultrasound department was located.

  Eventually Jackson and Cindy emerged, cooing over the scan photos together, both looking deliriously happy. Jules remembered how special that first scan was, it made everything seem so much more real.

  The energy that had brought her here drained from her body and she slumped onto the grass, watching them get into Jackson’s car. They didn’t set off right away, they spent some time talking, Jules’s heart in her mouth the entire time, wondering if they would kiss. But they never did.

  Finally Jackson started the engine and they set off, failing to notice her crumpled in a heap on the ground with tears rolling down her face.

  “What do you mean you don’t know where she is?” Jackson demanded of his mum when he got home, his excitement over the scan obliterated by the fact that his wife had vanished.

  “I took Cara to the park,” she retorted. “Jules refused to come, I couldn’t force her.”

  “She shouldn’t be out on her own.”

  “Why not? There’s nothing physically wrong with her and she’s not simple.”

  “She’s not herself.”

  “And who’s fault is that?” Lisa wanted to yell at her son but she was restrained by Cara asleep on the sofa, worn out by her trip to the park.

  “I know I’ve messed up but continually throwing it back in my face isn’t helping.”

  “You didn’t see how devastated she was when you said you were going to the scan with Cindy, you didn’t even notice because you were too caught up in your own happiness.”

  “Shit.”

  “What a mess you’ve made Jackson.”

  “You don’t need to tell me, I already know.”

  “Jules is trying to be understanding but she’ll never have a child again. Have you any idea how that must be making her feel?”

  “I need to find her,” he said, taking out his phone. “Oh hell,” he said when Jules’s phone burst into life where she’d left it on the coffee table. “Where is she?”

  Jules took a taxi into town and tramped the streets. She wanted to go and get pissed, really obliterate the present and forget about everything for a little while, but she couldn’t find anywhere open that served alcohol at that time of the morning.

  Instead she decided to check in on her tattoo parlour, which was being run in her absence by Anita, who was an excellent artist with plenty of experience. Her business was safe in her capable hands. However when Jules arrived she bypassed the studio and went into the gym next door, which was owned by Mikey.

  “Can I help you?” asked the buff blond woman on reception.

  “I want to use the gym,” said Jules. “I had a membership but I don’t know if it’s still valid.”

  “Of course it is Mrs Driscoll. Mr Maguire said you were to have a lifetime membership. For free.”

  “Great but I haven’t got my kit.”

  The receptionist smiled and pointed to the shop to the right.

  Half an hour later Jules was on the gym floor wearing black leggings and a tight black vest, long hair pulled back into a ponytail. As this gym was owned by Mikey and he loved boxing, there was a boxing ring off to one side where up and coming fighters were trained, sponsored by the Maguire firm. The legitimiate side of it of course.

  Patrick Harrison, who had spotted Mikey’s potential and trained him
up was in the ring, working with a large man with cauliflower ears. Jules watched them sparring for a bit before strolling up to the ring, ignoring the gym equipment around her.

  She leaned on the ropes. “Can anyone join in?” she called.

  Patrick looked down at her with surprise. “Jules, it’s good to have you back. Err, you mean you want to have a go?”

  She nodded. “I need to test myself.”

  “I really wouldn’t recommend it so soon after your recovery. Maybe in a month or two…”

  Her friendly smile fell. “Are you telling me no?”

  Patrick was painfully aware of who he was speaking to. “Not exactly. Maybe I should check with Mikey first?”

  “He’s not my mum and I want to fight.”

  Patrick looked to the man he was training, who nodded.

  “Alright,” sighed Patrick. “Put the gloves on.”

  While Jules was laced into her gloves, Patrick quietly told her opponent, “for God’s sake don’t hit her in the face or head.”

  Jules jumped into the ring and mashed the gloves together. “Is this one a newbie?” she said, nodding at her opponent.

  “No,” replied Patrick. “Gary’s been fighting professionally for a couple of years now and he’s doing pretty well.”

  “Well Gary,” she said, stretching out her arms. “I’m not here to pummel your hairy arse into the canvas. I just want to test myself after I’ve been…unwell.” She looked to Patrick. “So you can stop panicking.”

  “I’m not panicking.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  She raised her fists, Gary doing the same in response and they began to jog around each other.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” demanded a voice.

  Jules looked round and sighed when she saw Mikey standing at the foot of the ring, wearing blue shorts and a dark red vest, looking pissed off. And very hot.

  “You grassed me up,” she hissed at Patrick.

  “No I didn’t. I haven’t even got my phone on me, it’s in the lockerroom.”

  “No one grassed you up,” said Mikey. “I came here to work out, as you can see,” he added, gesturing down at his clothes. “Just in time too by the looks of it. Come on out of there.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “No.”

  Mikey was well aware most of the gym was covertly watching them. “Get out of there now,” he hissed. “You’re still recovering.”

  “I’m fine now.”

  “You’re not ready for this.”

  “I’ll decide when I’m ready, not you.”

  “Fine, if that’s the way you want to play it,” he said, jumping into the ring.

  “You going to drag me out of here?” she said, mashing one fist into the other in a challenge.

  “No. You want a fight, you’re going to get one.”

  He nodded for Gary to get out of the ring, which he did, deciding to leave them to it.

  “You sure this is a good idea?” she said, indicating the rest of the room, the majority having stopped what they were doing to watch. Only one man kept going on a treadmill, seemingly entranced by the reflection of himself in the mirrors lining the walls.

  “Having second thoughts?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You’re trying to put me off but I’m going to do this.”

  “Why?”

  “I want to test myself.”

  “Fair enough,” he said, raising his gloves. “Give it your best shot.”

  They circled each other, Mikey trying to keep his eyes off her body encased in the tight lycra. Thanks to all the time she’d spent in the gym at the care home her body was almost as it was prior to the coma, although she was a little thinner. But she still looked really good, like an angry Amazon. He was so distracted he only just managed to avoid the sharp jab to the left side of the face, raising his hands to ward off the follow up cross punch.

  “You’re a slippery bugger,” she said. “You going to give me a proper fight then or just dance about?”

  “Fine,” he said.

  The blow he delivered was purposefully slower than normal but still, she only just managed to avoid it. His heart went out to her when her eyes flickered, feeling how her skills had rusted. One reason she was such a proficient fighter was because of her speed. While her opponent was still reeling from the first blow she was already delivering the second. Without that skill she would be vulnerable. Mikey wished he’d insisted she get out of the ring rather than put her through this. Already she looked to be regretting her rash act.

  In frustration she lashed out at him again, her glove grazing his cheek, Mikey lowering his arms while keeping them in guard position to prevent her gloves from connecting with his ribs. She was becoming frustrated, which in turn made her reckless and she swung a couple of wilder blows, both of which he managed to deflect. The third blow he allowed through, her glove connecting firmly with his stomach. There was a great deal of power behind the punch and if he hadn’t tensed his abdominal muscles he was quite sure he would have ended up on the floor. Jules felt the strength in the punch and her eyes shone with joy.

  Mikey swallowed hard when she raised her fists again, ready to come back at him even harder but they were interrupted by a voice.

  “Oy, we booked the ring for eleven o’clock.”

  They both looked round at two men in vests and shorts clutching boxing gloves, their faces falling when they saw who they were talking to.

  “But we can come back later,” added the man who’d spoken.

  “No, that’s alright,” said Mikey. “You booked it, so it’s only fair you get your time.”

  He was glad when Jules nodded in agreement and they both jumped out of the ring, allowing the two men in. Patrick and Gary unfastened their gloves for them then turned to watch the two men in the ring, the rest of the gym returning to their activities.

  “Why are you looking so miserable?” he asked Jules. “You’ve still got a lot of power in your arms.”

  “But I’m so fucking slow. It was embarrassing.”

  “You’re just a bit rusty, that’s all. A bit of training and that’ll come back. Plus you were over-thinking your moves.”

  “Because my brain’s slow too.”

  “It is not. I wish you’d stop giving yourself such a hard time.”

  “I’ve never been one for taking it easy.”

  “So I noticed. But seriously, if you’d been hit in the head God knows what could have happened.”

  “Nothing would have happened, I didn’t sustain a brain injury. I was put in a coma because of blood loss.”

  Mikey inwardly winced, recalling the feel of her warm blood on his hands when he’d found her injured, thinking she was dying. “Still, a punch to the face isn’t going to help. I can’t believe Jackson let you come here.”

  “He doesn’t know. I sneaked out. I had to get away from him.”

  “What’s he done now?” he scowled.

  “Oh nothing. It was my own stupid fault. I shouldn’t have followed him but I had to see him and Cindy together.”

  “They were together?” he spluttered.

  She nodded. “It was Cindy’s first scan today. They came out of the hospital all happy happy joy joy with a scan of their baby.”

  “Oh hell Jules. Why did you put yourself through that?”

  “I had to see them together and I wanted to see her too.”

  “And?”

  She shrugged. “Just some skinny blond with massive eyes. I wanted to see if they’d kiss or hold hands or something but they didn’t.”

  “Have you made any progress with Cara?”

  “Nah. Jax insisted she show me her rabbit but she thought I was going to hurt it and she started screaming.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, not wanting to get into why she thought her daughter hated her, it hurt too much. “I didn’t want to go back to the house, it’s unbearable there. So I came here.”

  “At least you
didn’t go out and have a fight or get drunk.”

  “Only because I couldn’t find a pub that was open.”

  “I’m taking the boys out this afternoon to a theme park when they come back from their swimming lesson. Why don’t you come with us?”

  “I couldn’t do that. It’s your family time.”

  “Course you can, you are family and the boys adore you.”

  “I don’t think Amber would like it.”

  “Amber’s not coming, thank God. She’s doing something with her friends. Come on, it’ll be fun and I think you could use some of that.”

  Jules considered her options. Going back to that place that didn’t feel like home and feeling tense and awkward or going out and having a laugh. She wanted to feel like she was living again so she said, “yeah, why not?”

  “Great,” grinned Mikey, trying to ignore the fact that he was excited about spending some time with her.

  It was six o’clock in the evening and Jackson was seriously considering calling the police and reporting Jules as a missing person. It would be the last thing her family would want but by that point he was beyond caring. He knew she wasn’t at Jez’s because he’d called there hours ago. Fortunately Cathy had answered, who said she hadn’t seen her. He’d tried Mikey’s too but no one was picking up, which meant she couldn’t be there either. He’d tried Beth’s house, all her local haunts and everyone he could think of and still nothing.

  When he heard the front door open he tore down the hallway.

  “Oh thank Christ,” he said when Jules walked in clutching an inflatable dolphin. He didn’t even ask about the dolphin, he just pulled her to him and hung onto her. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine,” she said. “You missed me?”

  “Why do you sound surprised? Course I did.” Relief gave way to anger. “Have you any idea how worried I’ve been? Where the bloody hell were you? I’ve been going out of my mind.”

  “You have?” she said, confused.

  “Of course I have,” he said, half-yelling. “You vanish for hours, leaving behind your phone. You didn’t even have the courtesy to tell me where you were and where the hell did that dolphin come from?”

  “You like him? His name’s Flipper. I got him from Blackpool.”