Off Limits (7 page)

Chapter Six

“Plant road,” I
told Luke again, the irritation really growing between us at this point. “He
definitely said Plant road. I’d remember that.”

“Well we’re here
and there hasn’t been a single hotel,” Luke had insisted on coming with me to
visit my dad tonight because the road I’d mentioned was in such a rough area.
That, and we’d decided being alone in the car probably wouldn’t be a very good
idea for either of us right now.

So, here we were,
arguing about the fact that my dad might have lied to me.

“Just ring him,” Luke
pulled up at the end of the road. “And find out what the address really is.”

“But it was meant
to be a surprise,” I whined, looking at my phone with lamentation.

“I’m sure he’d rather
you rang and found out whereabouts he is than you turning back before seeing
him at all. There definitely isn’t a hotel around here.”

I sighed, knowing
he was right. “Fine. I suppose I’ll have to, then.” I turned down the radio and
grabbed my phone. “Hey, dad. Where is it that you’re staying again?”

“It’s a place on
Plant road,” I
knew
I’d heard him right before. “It’s maybe not the best
place for you come, though.” That much was obvious just from driving up and
down. Luke’s concerns had been validated going by the number of boarded up
windows and trackies I’d seen. I couldn’t stop my relief at having his tall,
well-built figure beside me.

“I’m already on
the street now, just give me the number and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

He did so with slight
reluctance and that just made me feel more nervous. I gave Luke a sideways
glance and he shrugged, setting back off again. My phone was so obnoxiously
loud that he’d heard what my dad had to say. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

But my stomach
clenched at the thought of my father living in one of these places whilst my
mum was safe and sound wrapped in the bed she’d defaced with another man. It
wasn’t fair at all. This was probably going to send my rage levels all the way
back up.

The house we
pulled up at was even at the bad end of the street and I tugged and the ends of
my hair compulsively. “It’ll be fine,” Luke urged me to get out of the car.
“I’m sure I could fend off anyone with these muscles.”

I could only shake
my head and laugh as he flexed. There was no denying the power in that arm.

I stuck close to
his side when knocking on the door. My gaze was glued to the boarded up window
on the top floor. How had my dad even found this place? There was no way he
could afford to rent an entire house, even something this grim.

A pot-bellied man
opened the door and I put him at about the same age as my dad. Perhaps they’d
been at school together. “What can I help you with?” He eyed us both up and
down blatantly, chewing gum with an open mouth. “If you’re ‘ere for the powder
then we’re all out. Check in next week.”

My eyes widened,
and Luke stiffened beside me. “My dad’s staying here, I think. I was just
wondering if I could go and see him.”

“Oh, shit,” he ran
a hand over his bald head. “Maybe don’t mention that I just said that to you if
you don’t mind, told ‘im I wouldn’t y’see. Just go right on up the stairs.
First door on the right.”

The boarded up
room, I guessed from the position of the staircase. “Thanks.” Luke was almost
uncomfortably close behind me as we climbed the stairs.

I was engulfed in
a hug when I entered the room and my dad squeezed so hard it hurt. “Hi honey,
it’s so good to see you.”

“You too, dad.”

When he pulled
back, he eyed Luke suspiciously, before sticking out a hand. “I’m Charles. It’s
nice to meet you.”

“Luke,” he shook
back with an almost awkward expression.

“This is Phoebe’s
boyfriend.” It was the best way to clear up our relationship when it came to my
dad. “We’re working together and I’m helping him out with some German.”

“Aha, well I’m
sure your grade will be propped up in no time. My daughter has always been a
clever one,” that was a blatant lie if ever I’d heard one, but it still made me
smile.

We took seats on
the battered sofa and my dad was forced to perch on an upturned crate in the
middle of the floor. I was really dying to ask him about why he was staying
here and
how
he knew about it in the first place, but the mood was good
right now. “How are things going with you?”

“They’re going,
slowly. I know this place is horrid, but it’s better than the streets and that
was the alternative,” there was a bitter hatred in his voice and I knew it was
aimed at my mum. “How is she holding up?”

“I don’t really
know. I haven’t spoken to her very much. I’ve been employing awfully good
avoidance tactics.” I suspected Luke didn’t feel overly comfortable here, but I
really appreciated him tagging along and I knew he’d be glad he had too.

My dad ran a hand
through his hair. He seemed so much greyer and haggard than before, even if it
had only been a week. The small, single bed in the corner was little more than
a mattress on the floor and it couldn’t have been comfy for sleeping on. “You
said you were working?” His eyes had darkened against and I resisted the urge
to sigh.

I knew where this
conversation was going.

“Ah yeah, just at
a chippy for a few nights a week. Definitely nothing impressive. For petrol
money more than anything.” That would soothe his mind, hopefully. He’d never be
able to make himself work in a fish and chip shop, no matter how much he needed
the money.

“Oh, I see. That’s
nice, then. I’ve been job searching since I left home even more,” he tapped his
foot impatiently. “Some money would be nice.”

It was the least
subtle thing I’d ever heard and for a moment, I really considered giving him my
other half. I really
didn’t
need the money, but my father almost didn’t
deserve it. There were plenty of retail jobs that he could have walked into
with his previous experience, but he was just unwilling.

Luke would never
have accepted my money even if I’d begged him to take it.

“I know, I’m sure
something will come up soon, though,” I managed a small smile.

“Have you seen
him, yet? Met him?” My dad had seen him the one time he’d caught them in bed, but
from my understanding they’d both left the house relatively quickly. I doubted
either had even gotten a good look at each other.

“Neither.
Hopefully I never will.”

He chuckled. “I’m
sure you’ll be forced to eventually. Some kind of horrible dinner to get to
know him, or something.”

“Like she’d ever
be able to convince me to do that.”

A quick rapping on
the door interrupted the conversation and the guy I’d met downstairs popped his
head in without waiting for a response. “You kids need to get out of ‘ere,
someone is coming over. Sorry ‘bout the short time, but this is something big.
You’ll ‘ave to come back some other time.”

My dad grimaced,
but there was nothing he could do about it. I’d have to find out about his
connection to this guy next time I came to visit. “It was really good to see
you dad,” we all stood up and I embraced him in a tight hug. “I’ll come and
visit again soon, I’ve really missed having you around.”

“I’ve missed you
too, honey, but maybe it would be better if you didn’t come back here again.
Wait until I’m more sorted, or come and meet me in a coffee shop. And if you do
insist on coming back here, bring him with you,” he stuck his thumb towards Luke
before releasing me.

“I will, don’t
worry. I’m not just not going to see you because my mum’s forced you into this
situation, though.”

“I’m sure we’ll
work something out,” he turned to Luke and shook his hand once more. “Good to
meet you. Make sure you look after her while I’m not around.”

“
Dad.
”

Luke was quite
clearly on the verge of making an uncomplimentary remark, but the sentence had
clearly struck closer to home than either of us would have liked. We needed to
be looking out for each other for sure, because this stalker thing didn’t look
like it was going away any time soon. “I will do.”

“You really need
to go,” the guy at the door stressed once more, apparently not moved by our
goodbyes.

“You two should head
off. Stay safe and I’ll see you again soon.”

I gave a sad wave
before exiting the door and starting down the stairs. It looked as though we’d
not been quick enough because the door opened just as I reached the ground
floor. The bald guy who was trailing us pushed his way through and quickly
shook the hand of the man at the door. “’Ey up, mate, good to see you, sorry
about these, they’re just leaving,” he ushered for us to hurry up and leave.

The man at the
door gave us a once over and I realised he had a glass eye. I tried desperately
to stare, keeping my gaze glued to my scuffed up converse. “It’s no problem, I
feel better in your business model if you’ve actually got customers at the
house.”

“Right, right,
yes,” my dad’s landlord coughed awkwardly and stared us down, letting us know
that we still had to leave straight away. I wanted nothing more than to get out
of this building as fast as possible. “Still, they were just leaving. We can
talk alone.”

“Excellent,” he
took a step forward so the exit was free and I went straight for it, keeping my
eyes completely downcast. I almost jumped when I felt his gloved hand on my
arm. “Just know that if you ever need anything straight from the source, you
can always find me here,” he handed me a car with a number on and I stared at
it in horror.

I definitely
didn’t want anything to do with that.

Luke gave me a slight
push from the other side and we exited together, both with pale faces. “I don’t
want to go back there again, no matter what I said,” I stuck close to his side
even when we were back on the street. “I don’t know what the fuck he’s doing in
there.”

“I’m not letting
you go back there, whether you like it or not,” Luke even looked slightly
annoyed by the entire thing. “So I’m glad that’s your opinion. What a bunch of
sleazeballs. Your dad seems nice enough, anyway.”

I chuckled, but
held up my finger when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was an unknown
number, which instantly had my guard raised.

What a sweet
family reunion. Just be aware that I know all about your dad’s illegal
residence if you were feeling inclined to go to the police about me,

Love, your friend
in the Ford.

I passed the phone
to Luke with a quivering hand and my gaze found the car in no time at all.
Parked down the street, facing the other way, there was still no chance I could
see his face.

Luke followed my
line of sight and began striding towards the car, fists clenched by his side.
“That piece of shit, I’m going to go and show him exactly what he gets when we
threatens us. That piece of absolute
shit
.”

I had to jog to
catch up, and I tugged on Luke’s arm. “Stop, there’s no point. This isn’t going
to accomplish anything.” Other than perhaps get him to spill the beans on my
dad, of course.

Luke didn’t
listen, but the car had sped off before he was even halfway there. I knew if we
hadn’t been stood in the middle of the road, then he would have lashed out at
something. “What a dickhead. Who does he think he is to just threaten you like
that and drive off like some kind of coward?”

My fist was still
wrapped in the arm of Luke’s jackets and I pulled once more. “There’s nothing
we can do about it, come on we just need to get home. We’ll figure something
out then.”