PHOEBES POV
My heart is beating so fast I think it might actually come out of my chest.
I try to rain it in because I know if I have a panic attack now my Mom will turn this car around. She knows I need closure on this and after tonight I know that if they find any piece of Jose Rodriguez bigger than a match box it will be a miracle so I need to do this. I don't want to be haunted by it anymore like I know my Dad is haunted by his childhood before he was adopted. I have only been witness to it a few times over the years but what I did see made my heart break for my daddy.
I remember one time when I was 14, Mom had to go to New York for work and I always noticed that when she wasn't there Dad always seemed like he was off kilter, he basically pined for her like a puppy even though she was only gone for two days.
That night he ate dinner with us kids and then went straight down to his home gym. He came back up two hours later dripping in sweat saying that he was going to bed.
A few hours later I was heading down stairs to get a midnight snack when I heard him. He was screaming in his sleep. Even though us kids were never ever permitted to go into our parents room, I broke the rules that night. I opened the door and saw my father thrashing around in bed screaming things like "Don't touch me" Or "It hurts" and "Ana please don't leave me"
I didn't know what to do having no experience in this type of situations so I did what Mom always did to me when I was little and had trouble sleeping.
I walked over to my fathers side of the bed and gently stroked his hair and started singing softly to him. After a few minutes he totally relaxed and turned over on his side with a small smile on his lips. I put the cover back over him and gave him a small kiss on the head and left the room.
He never knew that I went into his room that night and I never told a soul.
I am brought out of my little flash back when I look out the windshield and see the towering sign that we are driving under.
GEH Shipping, Seattle, WA
"Are you sure about this, Phoebe? I can turn this car around and we can just go home and forget about it" my Mom bites her lip as she says this, a surefire way to tell she is a ball of nerves.
"But I wont be able to forget it, Mom. Maybe in time it will fade but... I need for him to see he did not break me" she looks over and nod her head once.
"Can you see your Dad's car anywhere?" she slows down the car and tries to look for any sign of dad or Taylor. I crane my neck around to look.
"Over there..." I point out the window at the far corner of the yard where I can see two SUV's and my dads car. She looks at where I am pointing and slowly drives the car over parking just beside my Dad.
"Last chance, Pheebs. Are you 100% sure you want to do this?"
"Yes. I'm sure"
We both get out of the car and walk towards the container where we can hear faint voices. All of a sudden I hear my father scream "SICK TWISTED FUCKER!"
We both look at each other and run to the door. Mom flings it back and when I walk in I see my father punching the shit of of what looks like an already dead Jose.
"Daddy stop!"
He turns around with a look of utter disbelief. He starts to say things but all I hear is white noise. I stare at Jose hanging to the wall, bleeding from his mouth, head, nose and what seem to be his balls...well, whats left of them.
I know what I want to do. I walk over to a chair and look through my bag. I grab a pack of emergency smokes and matches that I keep in the zipper. I have not had a smoke in about two months. I slowly quit my habit but always keep a pack for dire emergencies. I think this qulifies.
I grab a bottle of water and walk back over to the man that has tormented my thoughts and pour the water over his face and head to wake him up. He slowly comes around to himself and when he see's that it is me he looks like he is going to shit himself. Good.
"Welcome back Jose...lets talk" God, my voice sounds cold.
He can barley talk, his jaw is almost hanging off, but he still manages to sneer at me.
"Go to hell bitch...they're going to kill me anyway...just get it over with"
"Oh no... Before you depart this world and go to the deepest dregs of hell, I want you to know a few things first..." I had almost forgot that there were other people in here.
"Can you give me a few minutes on my own with him please? You don't have to shut the door, just leave the room. I don't want you to hear some of the details" much to my shock they don't argue with me. Both my parents kiss me on the head and turn to leave when Jose rasps out gurgling with blood.
"What's the matter Phoebe?... Don't want Mommy and Daddy to know that you had a damn good time with me..." before either of of my parents can react I turn and back hand him as hard as I can across the face causing him to scream in pain.
"Just go. I'll come and get you when I'm done" I say softly.
They all leave but my father makes sure the door is still open a crack. I know that all four of them are listening but I don't want to see their faces when I'm dealing with him. I turn to face him and cant help but laugh. He was always saying things to me to make me think my father was weak, now looking up at him smothered in blood hanging by his arms I wonder how weak he thinks he is now?
"You know after all these years I just want you to answer me one question...you always said that you were in love with my Mom from the moment you met her so why did you not act on it then? Why wait until my Dad came on the scene?"
"Fuck you Phoebe! I don't have to say anything"
"Well I am going to say things to you. I think that you have this problem were you cant stand people having what you want, you never once told my Mom how you felt until my Dad came in the picture and then you try to kiss her...and then after they were married you were always waiting in the wings...looking in on a happy little family that you could not have"
"I had part of it though didn't I baby? And you loved every minute of it! If memory serves me correctly I had more that a bit of it. Remember the time I made you..AGHHHH" before he can take a very unpleasant trip down memory lane I kick him in the balls.
"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH! I am not here to listen to you brag about how you raped me! Its pathetic the fact that you could not get a woman so you had to force yourself on a 15 year old girl. You wanna go down memory lane you prick? Here's one for you to think about...how about the time you tried to get me to kiss you and I was so repulsed by that fact I threw up? Remember? Or how about the time I fought you so hard you had to tie me up? DO NOT stand there and tell me I fucking liked it you fucking sick bastard!" my temper is gone so I start to pace up and down. I take out a cigarette and strike a match and light it taking a long pull.
That's so fucking good.
I go and grab something from my bag walk back to him and look him straight in the eye.
"Before you die I want you to know two things. Number one, how much this hurts..." I hold up the burning end of my cigarette so he can see it. He tries to wriggle away but he is tied so tight its pointless.
I grab his neck in my left hand and hold him tight and put the lit end just under his eye on his upper cheek. The smell of the burning flesh brings me back to the day he held me down and burned my back. He did it because he was bad mouthing my Dad and I said if I turned out to be half the person my Dad was I would be happy. His reply was to say if I wanted to be like my father I should look a little more like him so he pushed me over, put his foot on the back of my neck so I could not turn around and he burned me right in the middle of my back on my spine.
"AGGHHH you fucking bitch! I'll fucking kill you when I get out of this!" he bellows.
"Oh Jose, you're not getting out of this so I am not worried" I walk back over to the door and stick my head out. I see Jason and Luke stood either side of the door and both my parents wrapped in each Other. I motion them to come back inside. The three men stand shoulder to shoulder and my mom stands in front of my Dad with his arms wrapped around her. They all know I am not quite finished yet so they all remain mute.
"Dad, I am almost done and then he is all yours. Jose I wanted you to know two things. Number one of course is the fucking burn you now have on your face and number two... Well, why don't I show you" I walk over and hold up the picture I took from my bag.
"This is a family picture we had taken about four weeks back. You see in the middle sitting on chairs are my Mom and Dad" I point to them even though he knows who I am talking about.
"Stood behind them in the center with his arms crossed is my big brother Teddy. To his left behind my Mom is my baby sister holding my baby brother...and to the right of Teddy, behind my Dad, see right there?, that is me and in my arms, you see that little brown haired angel right there?...that is MY daughter...one of the times that you terrorized and abused me...you got me pregnant...and 9 months later I had this little bundle of joy placed in my arms and even though at the time I was still only 16, I have raised an incredible little girl... A little girl that will never ever be told name... Or be shown a picture of you... A little girl that will call another man Daddy, while you burn in hell" I whisper the last part in his ear. He is so stunned he can not speak and it gives me more satisfaction than I could ever believe.
That's is all I need to do. I turn on my heels grab my bag and walk over to my parents.
"I am done with him. Mom, I will wait in the car for you" I walk out side and get in the passenger side of my Moms car.
I feel free.
I feel lighter.
After this night I make a vow to myself to never even think about him again and get on with my life.
My daughter, My family and My man.
That is my way forward.
ANA'S POV
I watch my daughter leave the room without so much as a backward glance at Jose and I know in my heart that she will be OK.
She got what she needed tonight.
"Ana...Ana please help me. Please Ana" I turn to find Jose rasping at me and anger flares in me. I break out of Christians arms and walk towards him.
"Help you? Help you! Why the fuck would I help you? I hate you Jose and I hope you burn for all eternity for what you did to my daughter"
"What about my daughter Ana... She deserves to know me. I am her father" He can barely talk at this point.
"Are you fucking joking? Fuck this and fuck you, Jose" I reach into the waistband of my jeans and pull my gun.
I hear a "Jesus Christ" come from Christians direction and a joint "Oh fuck" from Jason and Luke.
I aim right at his head but at the last minute I point down and press the trigger. The scream that comes from his throat is like nothing I have ever heard before.
He passes out were he stands and slumps forward in his restraints. I put the gun back in my waistband and turn to face three very stunned men. I walk over to my husband and he tell Jason and Luke to cut Jose down.
"I am taking Phoebe home. I trust you and I know you will do the right thing here" I know Jose will not die at Christians hands. That is not his style.
"Ana...you shot his dick off!" He points the the pool of blood coming from Jose's crotch.
"I know.. A bullet to the head is to easy for him..I am not sorry I did it. He hurt my baby. Our baby, in the worse way a woman can be hurt. He does not deserve to live but he will not die at my hands. I am going home, I will see you later" I stand on tippy toes to kiss him.
I leave my husband and walk to my car. Before I can get in Taylor stops me and takes my gun from me without a word. I know he is going to get rid of it.
I get into the car and find Phoebe reclined in her seat with a small smile on her lips.
"You Ok, Phoebe?"
"For the first time in a long time...I actually am"