So this is a dark chapter. I think I'm getting all my happiness out with Rise of Green Street and all my angst is being poured into Intervals! Its been a while since I've written a really dramatic chapter so...enjoy. *waits for the angry reviews* :p xx
Pete watched as Eddie Hatcher let himself into the house, turning in a slow circle once he was in the foyer and whistling loudly.
"Well fuck me," he pursed his lips and nodded. "Done well for yourself, ain't you, Dunham?"
Spotting Allie over by the entrance to the hallway, he gave her a little wave and grinned.
"Ahhh, see there she is, the real bread winner," he eyed her appreciatively. "Hope you don't mind me dropping in like this, sweetheart, its just, you know, I was feelin' a bit left out,"
Pete stepped forward and met the younger man's eyes, his gaze fierce and dangerous as he looked him up and down. Eddie was barely 6 foot. Pete knew damn well he could knock him out with one punch if that's what it took, but for the sake of his kids upstairs and his wife behind him, fuck it, even for the sake of Sarah Hatcher, he wasn't going to let it come to that.
"You talk to her again," Pete told him, his voice low and cold. "You even look in her direction..."
"You'll what, Dunham?" he snickered. "Come on, old man. This I'm dying to hear,"
"I'm not really one for talking, mate," Pete shrugged. "I'm more of a show and tell kind of bloke,"
"Ooooh," Eddie pretended to shake as he stepped around Pete and grinned at the boys. "Other than bruising my knuckles with your fuckin' ugly mug, I don't think there's a lot of damage you could do to me,"
Pete laughed; he had to admit, the kid was either incredibly brave or dumb as fuck. Right now, he was going for both.
"Uncle Tommy did say you fight like a tart,"
Pete's head snapped up, fists clenching by his side as he stared the young man down. As much as he was willing himself to keep his composure, he wasn't sure he'd be able to soon. He heard Allie take a deep breath behind him and knew she'd moved closer. Part of him hated her for it, wanting her out of this prick's way, but the other half of him knew her better, he didn't have a choice.
"Really?" Bovver piped up. "And what did he have to say about me smashing the shit out of him...oh wait, he wasn't exactly in the chattiest of moods after that was he?"
Both Pete and Allie stared at him in shock; Bovver had never spoken about the night he killed Tommy. Not since the night itself when Allie had been in hospital and even then, it was broken sentences, mumbled words, nothing like this.
Pete half expected Eddie to scream at him or fling himself at him in a fit of rage but he didn't. He simply continued to walk calmly around the hall, stopping every now and then to peer at a photo or pick something up.
"You know, next week would 'ave been my cousin's birthday," he spoke slowly. "23 years old. Same as me. See Tommy, he was always such a proud old man, he loved that boy. More than life,"
Then why the fuck did he bring him to a match? Pete thought in disgust. The idea of putting Alex is that kind of danger...he shook his head as though trying to coax the thought, the images out of it. Never.
"How old is your boy, Dunham?" he asked. "Or your daughter, cute little thing she is. I like the red coat she 'ad on this morning, very Sloane Square,"
He put on a posh accent and laughed, catching the look of horror on the face of the woman stood behind Pete.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Pete half whispered.
"How would you feel?" Eddie kept his voice even, addressing Allie more than Pete. "Seeing her little head split open under someone's foot? Or seeing your boy screaming, begging you to help him while he got crushed to death. See if they're as pretty on the inside."
Pete wanted to move; he wanted to launch himself forward, screaming and beat the man to death. He wanted to hear his bones break under his fists and he wanted him to be conscious for every minute of it, but he couldn't.
Instead, he felt something brush past him and came out of his reverie when he saw his wife throw herself at Eddie, striking him across the face with such force that the noise echoed throughout the room.
"You sick piece of shit!" she screamed, curling her fist and striking him across the face again, opening her palm as she did so, letting her nails tear into his flesh. "I'll kill you myself!"
"Allie!" Pete grabbed at her, dodging the blows she was firing at Eddie who to give him his due, looked slightly unsure of what to do, of what he had done.
"Its alright, Dunham," Eddie laughed, wiping at the blood on his face caused by the scratches she had left there. "I got this one,"
His mouth tightened and he pulled his body back slightly, then swung forward at full force, his fist catch Allie just under her left eye sending her sprawling across the floor. She didn't move when she landed, but after a short moment, stood up shakily, grabbing at Bovver's hand as he instinctively reached out to her.
Pete stared at her desperately, remembering what she had asked him just an hour ago;
Promise me.
Seeing the bruise already forming on her cheekbone, he shook his head. Some promises were made to be broken. He pulled his fist back and slammed it into Eddie's chest, catching him just under the collarbone and feeling the wind knock out of him as he fell back. Grabbing him by the collar just before he hit the floor, Pete looked into his eyes and spoke through gritted teeth.
"That was a very bad move, mate," he slammed his head hard against the wooden floor and raised his foot, driving it down onto the young man's chest, waiting for the cracking sound he was craving. "You think I'm gonna make this quick for you, you're fuckin' mistaken, son."
"All this for a skanky bit of pink and two rugrats?" Eddie choked. "Christ, no wonder the GSE went down the shitter. Too busy playin' at being the fuckin' Brady Bunch to lead your own firm,"
"Its called having a family," Pete smirked down at him, adding more pressure to his chest. "Its not something you'd know much about given most of yours are 6 feet under,"
Kicking him hard in the ribs, he sent him a look of disgust before glancing over at Allie who was sat on the bottom of the stairs, staring at him dangerously. He'd never seen that look in her eyes before and if he was honest, it frightened him. But he knew what his wife was like when it came to her family. There was nothing she wouldn't do. Suddenly her eyes widened and she stood up slowly, her hands shaking as they hung by her sides.
"Pete..." she whimpered.
"Not exactly the hostess with the mosest, are you Dunham?"
Pete looked back and froze, unsure of what do to or say as Eddie Hatcher pulled the hammer of the gun back, causing a sickening echo through the hallway.
"No mind though, we've got plenty of time," he smirked. "Now how about that cup of tea?"
"Eddie, what the hell are you doing?"
At the sound of his aunt's voice, he flinched slightly, that much Pete saw; he knew she was here, he had followed her here but he didn't address her, he didn't even look at her.
"What needs to be done."
"There are children in this house!" she scream, starting towards him. "This isn't how I raised you,"
"You didn't!" he snapped. "Tommy did and this is what he would have wanted. He didn't get to have his son, I don't get to have my family, so why should this smug cunt get to sit here like nothing happened?"
Cocking the gun, he stared at Pete desperately; the anger and sadness in his eyes fighting each other making him look even more unstable.
"I'll give you one thing Tommy didn't get," he spoke calmly. "You get to choose,"
"Eddie, what the fuck are you playing at?" Dave shouted from across the room.
"Come on!" he screamed. "Your son, your daughter, or her," he pointed the gun briefly at Allie. "Pick one,"
"You really are a sick little cunt, aren't you"? Pete shook his head and started towards him. "Get the fuck out my house, now."
"You think this is a joke, Dunham?" he shook the gun at him. "You think this is a threat? Nah mate, what happened to your little yank friend the other night, that was a threat. This is it. This is how it ends for you. I'm giving you the grace to choose, now don't that make me a real gentleman?"
"You're sick in the head," Allie screamed at him, running forward. "You're talking about a little girl and a baby! They haven't done anything to you!"
"And you think Tommy's boy had a choice? You think he was guilty of something?"
"So we're paying the price because you're moron of an Uncle didn't think before bringing his CHILD to a fight?" she kept moving forward, ignoring Pete's attempts to pull her back. "Do you know what I'd do for those kids? Anything. I'd do anything!"
"Prove it then," Eddie shrugged, tightening his finger slightly on the trigger.
Pete reached behind him and gestured for the boys to move behind Eddie; then grabbed the heavy metal photo frame on the hall table and gripped it tightly. He knew damn well he only had one shot at this.
Eddie caught the look in Pete's eyes and knew someone was behind him but simultaneously, he didn't have a moment to do anything. The kick to his back came hard and suddenly, his cry of pain cut short as Pete brought the photo frame down hard on the side of his head, splitting it open and knocking him unconscious. The gun fell from his hand and slid out of sight, much to his relief, he knew one of the boys would pick it up. He wasn't dead, but Pete had no intention of stopping. Not yet. He raised his fist and slammed it down onto Eddie's head, his mind flashing back to what he had said a moment ago. Imagining Eddie hurting Poppy or Alex. His stomach churned and he drove his fist harder into the young man's face.
"Call the police," Allie threw her phone to Swill and turned her head, unable to watch her husband doing what he was doing but knowing it needed to be done. The man had come into their home and threatened their children. The thought made her shudder.
"One of you get the fucking gun," Pete told the boys, finally letting up and sitting back exhausted as Eddie groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, blood pouring from his head. "He's had his mitts all over it and that's all the old bill will need,"
Allie turned her attention to Sarah Hatcher who was slumped against the door frame, tears pouring down her face. Guilt swept through her as she started gently towards the woman, needing to pull her into a hug. She pictured Pete's mother, her own mother and imagined how they would have felt to have been witness to all this, to know that their flesh and blood was capable of such evil.
"Sarah..." Allie reached out to her, stopping when a loud bang rang through her ears. She froze, petrified to turn around and see what had happened. Pete's words echoed through her brain from a moment ago "one of you get the fucking gun,". Eddie still had it.
"I told you, I couldn't lose anyone else," Sarah Hatcher sobbed as she lowered gun slowly. "I thought you'd understand,"
She met Allie's eyes and saw the fear there, saw the one stray tear fall down her soft cheek as she shook her head shakily.
"You're a mother, too,"
Allie wanted to answer her, she wanted to scream, to ask why. But all she could do was sink to her knees, feeling the warmth of the blood seeping through her shirt as Pete's screams enveloped her, his arms coming around her just before she hit the floor. She could hear Swill shouting down the phone at the paramedics, the boys screaming as they ripped the gun from Sarah Hatcher's hands and pulled her down to the floor, keeping her there until the police arrived. She could hear the cries of her son, no doubt woken by the shot. She could hear Pete sobbing, his hands desperately covering her stomach as though trying to stop the blood from pouring out.
Turning her head, she looked at the photo of herself, Pete, Alex and Poppy just a month ago in the garden; the sun shining through the trees, their smiles warm and happy. It was perfect. And it was hers. And she prayed as her eyes fell closed that it wasn't the last time she would know it.
Please don't hurt me. o_o I do it all for the drama, I swear! xx