Bluffing

"Oh, thank God." Thea stood up as she saw Dominic walk into Sam's living room, "Thank God." She sighed, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him as her hugged her back tightly, burying his face into her neck.

In all honesty, he was glad Jackson was gone, because he didn't want to think about the dangers Thea was in with him around. He was so relieved she and James were safe.

"I'm ok." Dominic assured her, kissing her cheek as Thea looked up at him.

"What's going on? What did they say to you?" Thea asked.

"Not much really. They let me do the talking. They were asking me about the history with Jackson so I had to go over all of that again." He said, "I think they want to speak to you at some point too. I don't think they're jumping at it, though, considering the guy was an evil piece of shit." He said as Thea nodded, still shaken up, "Where's your dad?"

"I don't know, he dropped me off here and then left." Thea said, "Sam is upstairs changing James' diaper. She's sober, don't worry." She added as Dominic nodded.

"Ok, now would be a good time for you to tell me what the hell actually happened?" Dominic asked, "Did he… did he hurt you?"

"No… no he didn't touch me." Thea said truthfully, "I went upstairs to check on James and then I came back and he was in the kitchen." She said, "I just thought he was out of prison and had come to finish me off, because his dad couldn't… that's when he started talking and I realised he was the one who had attacked Jude." She said, "He said he was gonna disappear and leave Jude with the fear that he was still out there, and that he could come back any time." She said, "And I just couldn't… I couldn't have Jude live her life like that." She said, "And he kept talking about her attack and I just… I just lost it." She shook her head, "I just… couldn't hear any more of it. Knowing what he'd done to Jude, what memory and pain he'd left her with… I just couldn't-"

"Ok, ok…" Dominic wrapped his arms back around her tightly as she held onto him.

"It wasn't self-defence." Thea understood, "He wasn't touching me. I just… did it." She said as Dominic shook his head.

"No, you were defending your sister and any other girl who could be in danger of him. You didn't know what he was gonna do." Dominic said, caressing the back of her head softly.

"I don't want you taking the blame for this." Thea shook her head.

"I'm not gonna get into trouble. They just need to know what happened." Dominic said, "Don't worry about me." He said as Thea sighed to herself.

"I want to go see Jude." Thea said, "I want to be with her right now." She nodded.

"Ok." Dominic agreed, "Me and your dad agreed that we stick to the story that it was me who did it. Ok?" He looked at her, "Even with your mom and your sisters and your family. Gives us less chance of getting caught out." He said as Thea nodded.

"Ok." Thea nodded.

"You really think this is gonna work?" Dean asked, standing in the street with Punk and AJ, "Because I don't fancy getting killed or going to prison." He nodded, "I've done well to avoid both this far in my life."

"Yeah, don't rub it in." Punk nodded, "It's gonna work."

"Can't help think I'm being used as bait." AJ said.

"You're not being used as bait. Rio is just gonna think that." Punk said, "First things first, we gotta tell the police, get them on board-"

"Did I just hear that right?" AJ smiled a little as Punk turned to her, "Phillip Brooks wanting the police to help?" She smiled.

"Don't get used to it." Punk said as she kissed his shoulder, "Everyone knows what they're supposed to do. Everyone is on the same page." He nodded with ease. Having help from other people for once was unusual. He was so used to it being the three of them against everyone. The pressure didn't feel so suffocating. The fear of something bad happening didn't feel so likely, and with the police on board, it was almost certain to work in their favour.

"We tell the cops tonight. Vincent goes to Rio tomorrow to set it in motion." AJ nodded.

"Yeah, and we tell the girls everything." Punk nodded, "They're not in the dark with this." He said as AJ nodded.

"Sean text me and told me Jude was awake." AJ nodded as they arrived at Sean's house, all agreeing that being with Jude right now was still the most important thing.

Punk walked into the house first as AJ and Dean followed, walking into the living room where they saw Thea sitting with Jude on the sofa, whilst Dominic was standing over by the window with Sean.

"Hey." AJ immediately walked over to her daughters, wrapping her arms around them both, kissing their heads, meanwhile Punk made his way over to Dominic and Sean.

"How'd it go?" Punk asked Dominic.

"They questioned me for a while but… they let me go." Dominic shrugged, "Said they'd be in touch, I guess. And that they'd wanna talk to Thea but… it went as well as it could have."

"Ok." Punk nodded, patting Dominic on the back, "You're gonna be fine." He assured him, "How is Jude doing?" Punk asked Sean.

"She's just found out about Jackson being dead. She's sort of all over the place." Sean said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I don't blame her." Punk sighed, looking over at AJ sitting with the girls, "Just stick together with each other right now. It's gonna be over soon." He assured them both. His girls weren't just his family, these boys were his family too, and he promised he'd protect them just like his daughters.

Punk made his way over to Thea and Jude, hugging them both as they clung onto him tightly, "It's gonna be ok." He whispered to them both, crouching down at the couch, "He's gone." Punk nodded to Jude, "And I know… I know that really doesn't make a difference to what you're going through, but he can never, ever hurt you again." He made clear as Jude nodded whilst Thea looked on.

"I just want all of this to be over." Jude told him as Punk nodded.

"It will be. Soon." Punk nodded, looking over at AJ who gave him a nod, "But it's not over yet." He said as they both looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Thea shook her head. Ultimately with Jackson being dead, they only assumed that this was somewhat over.

"AJ, call Karen and tell her to come here, that we gotta talk." Punk said as AJ nodded, leaving the room with her phone as Punk stood up.

"Dad, what's going on?" Jude shook her head as Dominic and Sean looked over curiously.

"This is what's gonna happen…" Punk began.

"They killed him." Rio spat, "They killed my son." He said, sitting at the visiting table in the prisons visiting room, looking across at Vincent.

"I-I know." Vincent nodded, "I'm so sorry." He said as Rio shook his head, "I want to help you." He said as Rio looked up at him.

"You want to help me?" Rio chuckled.

"I do." Vincent nodded, "I owe you one, right? And they killed your son. I'm a dad too. If… If anything happened to my kids whilst I was locked up, I'd expect old friends to show up and help me out. I can't imagine how helpless you feel in there." He said. Of course he'd prepared what he was going to say.

"Helpless isn't the word." Rio said, "Agitated." He corrected, leaning back on his chair and stretching as Vincent watched him, "And what can you help me with exactly?" He questioned.

"You told me you wanted April." Vincent said as Rio looked across at him, "I'm a free man out here, I can help you out with that." He said, "Don't forget, that bitch got me put in prison too. It wasn't just Brooks."

"That's right." Rio nodded, "I forgot you took the fall too." He realised, looking across at Vincent.

"Look, I don't know what you have planned already, but let me help. If you need me to get April somewhere, I can do it." Vincent said. He knew Rio well enough to know that when he was desperate and out of plans and ideas, he would jump at any sincere sounding help he could get, if it meant getting his revenge.

"I want both of them." Rio said, "Phil and April." He said as Vincent nodded slowly, "Hell Dean too. He's just as guilty as both of them."

"Just Phil, April and Dean?" Vincent asked as Rio nodded.

"There's a junk yard about ten minutes South of here, used to be the old trailer park, you remember it?" Rio asked as Vincent nodded.

"I know it, yeah." Vincent nodded.

"Get those three there. That's all you gotta go." Rio nodded to himself, "My guys working for me will take care of the rest. But I gotta be careful. Cops are keeping an eye on who is visiting me." Rio said quietly, "Since when did the cops start liking street kids like April and Phil?"

"Beats me." Vincent shook his head, "Time and date?" He asked.

"Tomorrow night. 9pm." Rio said as Vincent nodded.

"Ok." Vincent said.

"Come visit me when it's done." Rio nodded, "Chaos will follow after it, but I want to know it's done." He said as Vincent nodded.

"Ok. I'll come with good news, hopefully." Vincent said as Rio nodded.

"You better." Rio said as Vincent nodded.

"I will." Vincent said, standing up from the table and leaving the room as Rio watched apprehensively. Love may have been Punk's downfall, but desperation was sure to be his.