Page 141 of Uprising

“In self-defence.” I state.

“He bloody deserved it.” Rose hisses. “He’d been torturing me for months.”

Hastings eyebrows raise. “He tortured you?”

“Psychologically. Darius was the one who actually hurt me physically, who beat me, who assaulted me, who inflicted the real torture.”

I can see Hastings face react. I can see him thinking ‘what the fuck’.

“They murdered my cousin. They murdered Ty.” Rose says and I can see she’s reliving it, that she’s spiralling again, the way she does every time she thinks of that moment, that memory.

“It’s okay.” I say reaching across taking her hand, trying to ground her back in this room, in this moment not the horrific one playing in her head.

“No, it’s not.” She snaps. “They stole my daughter. My father did it first and then Darius learnt from him. I’ve been nothing but cannon fodder, nothing but a thing to be used. Of course I killed Carter. That’s what any animal does when it’s been caged, when it’s been abused. It lashes out. It fights back.”

“You think of yourself as an animal?” Hastings says.

She draws herself up. “I’ve not been treated as a human being have I?” She retorts.

He inclines his head for a second and then takes a sip of his drink.

“Talking of your father, where is he?” Hastings says looking at me.

“He is no longer with us.” I say.

“What?” Hastings growls. “I thought I made myself more than clear…”

Rose opens her mouth but I cut across her. I won’t have her taking the fall for this. I won’t have her being punished for something she had every right to do.

“He tried to escape.” I say simply. “He was injured when we recaptured him and he died of his wounds.”

“I would like to see his body. To confirm that.”

“That will not happen.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” He asks.

“My father is not the one you want.” Rose says getting his attention.

“Then who is?” He asks.

“My mother. She’s the one with the information. She’s the one who knows about Darius.”

“Knows what?” He asks.

She shrugs. “I don’t know. But that’s what he said. He told Carter he’d rather she was dead then caught.”

His eyes register that. He looks at me then back at Rose. “Do you know where she is?”

“If I did she wouldn’t still be there.” She says curling her hands into fists.

“I see.” He says. “Then let me make this perfectly clear, if you do find her I want her handed over. No excuses. No accidents. I’ll let the incident with your father pass only if I get Carla instead.”

Rose narrows her eyes and I can tell she doesn’t like it. That she’s as determined to make her mother pay as she did her father.

“Agreed.” I say before she can say anything. If that’s the price then I’ll pay it. I’ll face her wrath if it means she gets away with it.

Hastings grunts, reaches into his suit, pulls out some photos and lays them on the desk. “I want you to look at these faces. Did any of them ever come into contact with your husb… with Darius? Did they come to the house, did he meet them somewhere?”