Page 22 of Samuel

“On a kid you don’t give a shit about,” he said, somewhat sarcastically.

I let out a long breath. “Yeah, on a kid I don’t give a shit about.”

There was no point denying it, I’d been more than a little curious about my son, but it didn’t mean I wanted to be in his life.

“Whatever,” Eli ground out. “Get your arse over here, because I have a feeling it was her boyfriend that just smashed up her car on purpose, and it doesn’t sit well with me at the end of the day, Samuel. Maisie’s son is your fucking responsibility, I have my own family I need to be with. I’ll wait until you get here, but hurry up. I’m getting cold standing out here in shorts and a fucking running top.”

With that the line went dead and I thrust my car into gear, speeding off to relieve my bloody brother of his duty as protector.

* * *

I surveyed the damage to Maisie’s red hatchback and let out a long whistle. The fucker had certainly gone at it hard. The only consolation was that he’d probably fucked up his Audi prick wagon. All the driver’s side was pushed in, the metal crumpled and scratched.

As soon as I’d got there, Elijah had growled something about me manning the fuck up and then jogged off back home, leaving me with the prospect of having Maisie give me another verbal pasting.

I ran my hand along the dented metal and with a long exhale, made my way to the front door. I knocked twice before noticing from the corner of my eye, the curtains move. It was dropped back in place and then a few moments later, the door was pulled open.

“He called you didn’t he?” Maisie sighed, stating the bloody obvious.

“Yeah, he thought someone should be with you.”

Thinking about it again, my brother’s idea that it should be me was fucking ludicrous. Maisie and I had barely spoken in almost nine years and each time we had it’d been angry and agitated.

“I’m fine. I can call my dad if I need to.” She looked back into the house and then pushed the door until it was almost closed. “I’ll be fine Sam.”

“Maisie, you don’t look fine.”

I looked at her hand that was clutching the door and it was shaking, she was also as white as the UPVC that she was holding onto for dear life.

“I’m not your responsibility.”

At that moment, car headlights flashed onto us. Maisie gasped and moved to push the door closed.

“Wait,” I said. “What the hell is going on?”

I turned to be momentarily blinded by the lights until they were suddenly turned off. The driver’s door swung open and a guy about my height, with dark blond hair stepped out. Anger and animosity was steaming off him as he approached us, his hands flexing into fists.

“Josh,” Maisie said, her voice shaking. “I asked you to go and I know what you did to my car.”

“Who the fuck is this?” he asked, sneering at me.

This guy was a prick, someone who thought he was a big man, well he didn’t fucking scare me.

“I’m a friend of Maisie’s, now she asked you to go, so I suggest you do.”

“What my girlfriend tells me to do is no fucking business of yours, now get out of my way so I can go into my house.”

“No Josh,” Maisie said. “I don’t want you here.”

“You can’t stop me Maisie, I pay the bills here.”

“Yes, and I pay the rent,” she replied. “It’s my name on the rental agreement, so go.”

I watched as he tensed up and I was sure he was going to punch me, or at least attempt to. I moved back a pace, turning my back to the door, getting ready to retaliate or at least stop him forcing entry into the house.

“You heard her,” I added, nodding toward his car. “So, get in your car and go before I call the police.”

“Yeah and what for?” he asked, cocking his head on one side.