Give Me a Reason (55 page)

“Get off my father, you bastard!” she screamed, beating on
Ron’s back with her fists. “Let him go. You’re killing him! Goddamn it...
let go of him
!”

Releasing his grip on Bill’s shirt, he turned to Laura, and
with one shove, Ron sent her flying into the sofa. He came to his feet with a
sneer, and as Laura climbed off the couch, she returned Ron’s steely glare with
one of her own. Never believing he would be stupid enough to strike her, Laura
said, “I’d think twice before you try to hit me, Ron. That wouldn’t sit too
well with the police.”

“
Fuck
the police,” he
snarled as he drew back his arm, and with all his strength, back-handed Laura
across the face.

The force sent Laura over the back of the sofa and with a
yelp, she landed on the floor. Stunned, she fought back the tears welling in
her eyes. Her face felt like it was on fire, and she was petrified. She could
hear the shouts from the other women as they pleaded for Ron to stop, but by
their screams, Laura knew Ron had no intention of stopping. She tried twice to
get to her feet, but the room was still spinning around her, so all she could
do was wait...and pray.

It had been several weeks since he had beaten a woman, and
when he walked behind the sofa and saw the terror in Laura’s eyes…he grew hard.
He looked around the room for a moment and the beast was happy with what it
saw. Three men had tried to stop him, but they had failed, and were now lying
bruised and bloodied on the floor like ragdolls tossed from a shelf. Behind
him, he could hear the pleading cries of the women, and it was all he could do
not to laugh in their faces. They were so weak. They were so pathetic. They
were so stupid.

Laura had told her to stay in the library, and slipping into
the role of obedient prisoner, Toni had done just that. Sitting on the sofa,
her knees shook as she listened to the muffled voices coming through the doors.
She had no idea what was happening, and the longer she waited, the more worried
she became. Why hadn’t anyone returned to get her? Had they called the police?
Was Cameron gone?

Finding a sliver of courage, Toni got to her feet.
Side-stepping the belt still lying in the middle of the floor, she went to the
doors and opened them a crack just in time to hear Laura’s cry of pain. In the
blink of an eye, Toni’s fear disappeared and rage took its place.

Towering over Laura, Cameron licked his lips in anticipation
and waited. This was the part he liked the most. When they cowered in fear and
pleaded for their lives with tears rolling down their cheeks. It proved them
weak, but Laura wasn’t like his other victims. While he could see her fear, he
also could see her defiance.

Laura stiffened her posture as she stared back at Cameron.
Her heart was hammering against her ribs and she could feel the pulse in her
neck throbbing as blood rushed through her system, and as she held her chin
high, she stole a quick glance at her surroundings. Blocked by furniture and
the man standing in front of her, Laura’s only option was to crawl backward
toward the tree. Keeping her eyes fixed on her assailant, she managed to move
only a few inches before she felt the branches touch her hair. She had run out
of room.

With a sneer, Cameron reached for his belt, but when he felt
the empty belt loops, he paused. Tilting his head, he had a decision to make.
Would she feel his fists or his feet? Glancing down, when he saw the steel-toed
work boots peeking out from under his jeans, a smile smeared its way across his
face.

Following his eyes, Laura gasped when she saw the heavy boots
he was wearing. Like a poker tell, the look on his face said it all, so she was
ready when he swung his foot toward her head. Raising her arm to block the
kick, Laura cried out as the boot connected with her forearm and sent lightning
bolts of pain radiating up her arm. Holding it against her chest, she tried to
push herself under the tree, but blocked by branches and presents, there was
nowhere to go. Watching in terror as he lifted his foot for another strike,
Laura turned her face away. There was nothing else to do.

***

They had shouted. They had pleaded and they had wept. They
were no match for the monster who had beaten their husbands and they knew it,
but a mother protects her young...no matter what. When Ron raised his boot to
her daughter, Eleanor fought her way out of Nancy’s arms, but before she could
take a step, Toni pushed her aside as she ran past.

Fearless, Toni rushed into the lounge, but when she saw the
battered men lying on the floor, her courage began to fade, and when she caught
sight of Cameron, it all but disappeared. Her heart began to race, pounding in
her ears like a freight train bearing down on her and for a split-second, Toni
wanted to run...and then she saw Laura. Halfway under the Christmas tree and
cradling her arm, Toni could see the pain etched in Laura’s face. She was
hurt...and
he
was the one who had hurt her.

Fixated on Laura, Cameron had no idea that Toni was standing
behind him, but as he swung his leg at Laura’s head for the second time, his
momentum was stopped by a pain so intense it caused him to howl. Grabbing his
jaw, he held it for a moment before pulling his hand away to find it covered in
blood. Confused, he spun around and found Toni standing behind him with his
belt in her hand, and the look on her face said it all. He would never be
considered handsome again.

The hooks had buried themselves in his chin and when Toni
pulled the belt away for another strike, they sliced him from chin to ear...and
the result was ghastly. Just like it had done to her back, the two smaller
barbs had sliced him cleanly, but the center one caused a gash so deep that
part of his cheek now hung in a flap. Bringing his hand to his face again, the
blood ran through his fingers and down his arm, and glaring at Toni, he took a
step toward her and snarled, “You
bitch
!”

Toni raised the belt, preparing to strike him again, and
Cameron froze in place. It became a stand-off as each glared at the other, daring
a move to be made. Toni could hear the moans and the whimpers of those injured
and of those worried, but she kept her eyes solely on her target and waited.

She was terrified, but she refused to show it. A few feet in
front of her was the man who had once tried to kill her, and as she looked into
his eyes, she saw that the monster was still very much alive. Pure hatred
stared back at her. A malignancy so evil that the hairs on her neck stood on
end and the thought of even taking a breath seemed impossible, but when she
glanced down for a second and saw Laura still lying on the floor, Toni’s
backbone straightened. Raising her eyes, she glared at Cameron as she called
out, “Laura, are you okay?”

Practically lying under the Christmas tree, the only thing
Laura could see was Cameron’s back, so when she heard Toni’s voice, it took a
few seconds for her to answer. “Yeah...yeah...I’m okay, Toni,” Laura said,
sliding out from under the boughs. “I’m fine.”

His stomach began to churn as his life’s blood dripped down his
throat, and slowly picking up a nearby throw pillow, Cameron pressed it against
what was left of his cheek. “So, Vaughn, I suppose you think this makes us
even?”

There had been plenty of time in Thornbridge for Toni to
think about revenge. She had often wondered if it would taste as sweet as her
thoughts had made it out to be, but standing there and seeing the damage that
only one strike had caused, the taste was anything but sweet. Would the
shedding of more of his blood bring back what she had lost? If she caused him
more pain, would it lessen hers? Would vengeance erase her scars or simply add
more? Mentally, Toni shook her head. Enough was enough.

Slowly she stepped backward, making sure each foot was sound
before she moved the other, never once taking her eyes off Cameron. Pieces of
broken lamps crunched under her feet and pillows were kicked aside until the
path she created was wide and clear. Nodding toward the front door, she said,
“Get out.”

Narrowing his eyes, he looked toward the door and then back
at the belt in her hand. “I’m not that stupid. I walk past, and you get another
shot.”

“By the looks of what’s left of your face, if you don’t,
you’re going to bleed to death, and I doubt anyone here will really give a shit
if that happens,” Toni said, tightening her grip on the belt. “So, it’s your
choice. Take your chances trying to find someone to put your face back together
or stay where you are, and we’ll all watch you die. It really doesn’t matter to
me, because if there’s one thing I learned in Thornbridge...it was how to kill
time.”

Chapter Fifty-Two

Holding the blood-soaked pillow hard against his face,
Cameron’s eyes remained locked on Toni, and as he weighed his options, he spit
a thick wad of crimson saliva onto the carpet. Another minute passed before he
took a cautious step toward the hallway, and every eye in the room followed him
as he headed for the door. Stopping for a moment, he gestured for Alice to
follow, but when he saw her take one step closer to her mother, Cameron snorted
in disgust. Yanking the door open, he staggered out into the night.

Nancy ran to the door, and as soon as she threw the bolt,
Toni dropped the belt and rushed to Laura’s side. Helping her as she got to her
feet, Toni asked, “Darling, are you all right? What did he do? Did he hurt
you?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think anything’s broken,” Laura answered,
pulling up the sleeve of her sweater. Looking at the bruise already forming on
her arm, she slowly bent her arm and flexed her wrist. “It’s not broken…just
sore.”

“What about this?” Toni asked, running her finger gingerly
down the bruise on Laura’s cheek.

“That’s sore, too,” Laura said with a quick smile.

“Dear God, if anything had happened to you—”

“Sweetheart, I’m fine, really,” Laura said, touching Toni on
the sleeve. For a second, they were lost in each other’s eyes, but when Laura
heard the voices in the lounge grow loud, she blurted, “Toni, my family! My
dad!”

Toni ran to the center of the room with Laura following
closely behind, and coming to a dead stop, they both surveyed the damage.

The room was in shambles. Neatly placed furniture had been
upended, and lamps with delicate shades lay broken on the floor. Puddles of
blood stained the carpet, and the flowered upholstery once displaying only
shades of pink, now had sprays of red added to the mix, but the furnishings
were secondary to the people scattered about the room.

They both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Stephen
sitting up and holding Peggy’s hand while Bernard tended to the man’s injuries,
but then Laura heard someone crying, and she looked toward the hearth. Seeing
her father lying on the floor with her mother hovering over him, Laura’s heart
stopped.

“Dad?” she said in a whisper. Grabbing Toni’s hand, they both
listened as Eleanor wept over her husband.

“William…sweetheart, talk to me. Please William…please say
something,” Eleanor begged.

“Ellie...” William said softly.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“I can’t breathe.”

“What? Oh, no, William, is it your heart?”

“No,” he said, opening his eyes. “You’re stealing all my
air.”

Dumbfounded, Eleanor stared back at the man. Seeing the grin
on his face, she sat back on her haunches. “I will get you for that if it’s the
last thing I do.”

Chuckling, Bill struggled to sit up. “Sorry, couldn’t
resist.”

“How you doing, Bill?” Bernard asked, crawling over to check
on his next patient.

“I’m okay. Bruised, but not broken as they say.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Bernard said, eyeing the bruises
on Bill’s face. “Eleanor, Dorothy...can I ask you to please get us some water
and ice. The sooner we get some icepacks on these men, the sooner this swelling
will go down.”

“Of course, right away,” they answered in unison.

With Eleanor no longer blocking his line of sight, when Bill
saw his sister with the phone in her hand, he yelled across the room, “Nancy,
what are you doing?”

“I’m calling the police.”

“Put the phone down.”

“I most certainly will not,” she stated as she hit the first
number.

Pushing Bernard’s hand away from his face, Bill shouted,
“Nancy, put the fucking phone down...
now
!”

The room went silent as all eyes turned to Bill, and seeing
that he had his sister’s full attention, he said, “I threw the first punch. You
call the police, and all that bastard has to do is claim self-defense and the
only ones going to jail will be us. That includes Toni, and I, for one, think
she’s been through enough. Now, please do us all a favor and put the phone
down. Okay?”

“Yes...yes, of course,” Nancy said, placing the receiver on
the table. Looking across the room at Toni, she said, “I’m sorry. I-I wasn’t
thinking. I’ll just go help Eleanor with the ice.”

“That means we can’t call emergency services either,” Bernard
said as he poked and prodded Bill’s ribs. “They see this mess and they’ll call
the police for sure.”

“Is Stephen...
ouch
…is
Stephen okay?” Bill asked.

“Yes, there’s nothing broken as far as I can tell, but I
really think you both need some x-rays just to make sure.”

“Same problem…
ouch
…damn it,
Bernard,” Bill said, flinching as Bernard touched another tender spot. “We walk
into emergency looking like this, and they’ll ask too many questions.”

Standing near enough to hear the conversation, Toni’s eyes
traveled from Laura and then to Bernard. “If they need help, call for it. Don’t
worry about me.”

“Sweetheart, no one’s calling anyone. It’s too risky,” Laura
said, grabbing Toni’s hand, the movement causing pain to radiate up her arm.

Seeing Laura wince, Toni called out, “Um...Bernard...can you
please take a look at Laura. She’s hurt.”

“Oh, will you please stop worrying about me. It’s just sore,”
Laura said.

“Let me see,” Bernard said, walking over to them.

With a huff, Laura pushed up her sleeve. “It’s just a
bruise.”

Viewing the damage, he asked, “Does it hurt to move it?”

“It aches, but that’s all,” Laura said, carefully flexing her
arm. “I’m fine. Really, I am.”

“Well, it doesn’t appear to be broken, but you should
probably get an x-ray.”

“Then it’s settled,” Toni said, looking at the doctor. “Call
emergency and get them here. I’ll take my chances.”

“Toni—” Laura began.

“We’ll go to different hospitals,” Stephen shouted. “We can
just tell them we were in a pub fight. This time of the year, it happens all
the time.”

“Stephen’s right,” Bill chimed in. “If he goes to one up
here, and I wait until we’re closer to home, there won’t be a problem. No one
will ever know.”

Toni stood there listening as those she didn’t even know
tried to protect her. Strangers who knew so little yet cared so much was
something she wasn’t prepared for and the emotions she had kept at bay since
stepping into the lounge began to show. Her eyes filled with tears as she
looked around the room.

Battered husbands with bloodied faces claimed they were fine,
while wives who knew better tried not to show their concern. A doctor’s wife,
who had arrived earlier that day wearing cashmere and cologne, no longer seemed
to care that her hair was a mess, and her makeup was smeared. Somewhere along
the way an earring had been lost, and the bracelets that had once jingled and
jangled on her wrist had been removed. Now, sitting on the floor, she tenderly
held a bag of ice to her brother-in-law’s face as his pregnant wife looked on,
and talking in whispers, the three exchanged grins filled with love.

A woman with sadness in her eyes stood alone in the corner.
Framed by errant strands of brown hair, her face looked younger than her years,
but the girlish freckles could not hide her grief as she watched victims
receive care...but she was a victim, too. A casualty of the truth, she looked
as pummeled as those sitting on the floor, but while they were offering words
of comfort to each other, she remained penitent and silent.

Two who were not strangers to Toni sat near the fireplace,
and she watched as Eleanor washed the blood from William’s knuckles and raised
his hand to her lips to gently kiss away the pain. He was the one who had come
to her defense. Throwing down a gauntlet, he hadn’t cared about age or strength
or ability. He cared only about her. A few days earlier after she had fallen
from a ladder, he had held her in his arms and without words assured her he
would protect her, and he had kept that promise without blinking an eye. There
was once a time when Toni believed no man would ever make his way into her
heart, but as she took an unsteady breath, she knew she had been wrong. One
had...and he would remain there forever.

Toni’s eyes followed the owner of the house when she came
back into the room. Disheveled like the rest, while her clothing was still
flamboyant, her effervescent nature had disappeared.

Nancy Shaw was a woman who had once only judged on looks and
appearance, but the reality that monsters can hide behind handsomeness had just
slapped her in the face. Boastfully proud of her family, to all that would
listen, she had always painted a portrait of bliss and beauty, but standing
there now she saw the truth. Physical features didn’t matter. Scars were just
marks and grandchildren were gifts not to be flaunted, and all of a sudden she
felt so small and so stupid. Looking around, she grimaced at the furnishings that
once seemed so important. The upholstery that had taken weeks to find, the
custom-fitted drapes in the perfect shade of raspberry, and the lamps with
their silk shades trimmed in gold brocade had all been ruined in an instant,
and she found herself smiling because she didn’t care. Things were just things,
easily replaced…but families were precious.

She was still proud, and her heart grew larger with the
feeling, but it wasn’t because her family was handsome or beautiful. It wasn’t
because they were learned or rich. It was because they stood up for someone
unable to stand for herself, and none of them, not one, had concerned
themselves with anything but Toni’s well-being. Yes, Nancy was proud…but this
time it was for all the
right
reasons.

Glancing toward Alice, Nancy sighed. She had tried earlier to
console her, only to be shooed away, but Nancy Shaw didn’t take no for an
answer, especially not from one of her children. Going over, she stood in front
of her daughter and opened her arms. Alice slowly shook her head again,
silently pleading that her mother leave her be, but Nancy didn’t listen.
Pulling her daughter into a hug she offered the comfort only a mother could,
and although Alice tried to fight it, once in her mother’s embrace, the
floodgates opened...and her healing began.

“Toni, are you all right?”

Slowly turning around, Toni looked into Laura’s eyes. Lost in
the pools of green staring back at her, Toni thought about Laura’s question.
Was she all right?

It had always been her greatest fear, and it had gnawed at
her psyche since the day she had left Thornbridge. If ever she was given the
opportunity to pay back what had been done to her, would she become the
murderer she had been convicted of being? As Toni thought about her answer, a
smile came to her face.

She had never imagined she would run in fear, but that’s what
she had done, and afterward, when she finally did have the chance, when the
advantage was hers to give back what had been done to her, she couldn’t do it.
She didn’t want to. She didn’t
need
to. Her
reasons didn’t matter any longer, and she wasn’t about to lose her freedom
because of him. Retribution wasn’t worth the price, and suddenly she realized
that she
was
all right. She
was
okay. Not perfect...far from perfect...but she
wasn’t a murderer. She wasn’t evil waiting to happen. She was just a person
with a few bad years. A woman with a few quirks, but most of all she was a
survivor who finally figured out how to survive. It’s easier to cope with life
when you realize that you’re not a monster...you’re just human, and you have
all the frailties to prove it.

As she waited for Toni to answer, Laura stood by her side
looking up at her in amazement. After all that had happened, Laura had expected
to see fear or hesitancy, some small sliver of panic, but instead she saw a
smile. Confused, Laura touched Toni on the hand. “Sweetheart, are you okay?”

Toni’s smile grew a wee bit larger as she gazed back at
Laura. “Yeah...yeah, I think I am.”

***

“Is Dad asleep?” Laura asked, seeing her mother quietly close
the bedroom door.

“Yes, it didn’t take long,” Eleanor said, going over to join
Laura on the sofa. “How about Toni?”

“I helped her with a bath and then got her into bed. She was
exhausted.”

“I wish she would have gone to emergency with your father. I
know Bernard said her lungs sounded clear, but—”

“Mum, I couldn’t bear to force the issue, not after all she
went through today. He said he’d check on her Saturday, and until then we’ll
just keep an eye on her. Okay?”

“Speaking of Saturday, I hope you didn’t mind that I offered
to have Christmas dinner here. Between the memories of today and the state of
Nancy’s lounge, I thought we’d all be a bit more comfortable.”

“No, of course not, but I was a little surprised everyone
agreed so quickly. After everything that’s happened—”

“That’s exactly why they agreed, Laura.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think this year we all have a reason to be extra grateful
for the family we have. Don’t you? We came together today. We put aside our
petty differences and our opinions, and acted as one. It’s what a family does.
Today opened our eyes as to just how much we care for one another, and when you
realize that, you don’t want that feeling to end. I think we’re all looking
forward to the chaos of Christmas. To the laughs and the memories, to the
endless jokes about your ornaments and to the questions that I’m sure your
cousins are dying to ask. After pain comes healing, and I think that Christmas…
this
Christmas…will give us all a chance to heal a
bit and to love each other even more.”

“I never thought about it that way.”