Finding one of the longer pieces, about ten minutes, she tilted her head to the side and then the other, and he slid them inside.
She shook and it broke his fucking heart to see.
With the music playing and he hoped drowning out all the noise, he picked up his cell phone.
“Devil, I’ve got to do something.”
“Backup is on the way.”
“Dad, I can do this. He’s killing that woman.” Simon stopped at a sudden cry, a thump, and then nothing. “You hear that?”
“Fuck, Simon, get the kid. Get out of there.”
“Not happening. She isn’t going to be afraid of him again.” He hung up his cell phone and looked at the little girl.
“Where is that little bitch!” the dad said, yelling.
He eased out one bud. “I’ve got to go and handle this. Close your eyes, listen to this music. Don’t come out. Okay?”
She nodded her head.
He put the bud back in and stood as the door opened. The little girl did as he asked. She closed her eyes and Simon stood.
“I bet you’re that fucking whore’s boytoy. Well, she’s dead. You can’t have her rank pussy anymore. Get out of my way. I’m taking the kid with me.”
He went to move past but Simon put his fingers to the man’s chest, stopping him from moving.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?”
The man shoved him and Simon didn’t move. He tensed his whole body. This time, he shoved back and the man moved out of the room.
He closed the door behind him so the little girl wouldn’t even see anything if she was tempted to open her eyes.
“What the fuck?” the man asked.
“You like hitting women who are too afraid to hit back? You’re a fucking coward. But I’m not. I’m not afraid to hit back.” He turned to see the woman they’d tried to save. Her neck was at an odd angle. Her face was covered in blood and bruises. It also looked like he’d stabbed her.
“That was an accident.”
“Believe me, this won’t be, but it will be far too kind for you.” Simon lashed out, kicking his foot in the man’s leg. He went down. Wrapping his fingers around his neck, he tightened his hold, cutting off his circulation.
With him fighting for breath, he let him flail his arms, trying to fight back. Letting go as the man tried to take in several deep breaths, he reached around, grabbed his chin, and tugged, snapping his neck.
After dropping him to the floor, he entered the bedroom again. Staring at the girl, he saw she still had her eyes closed. He went to her, putting a finger to her foot. She jerked, opening her eyes, and when she saw him, she threw her arms around him, holding him close.
The earbuds came out and he held her. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” He sat on the edge of the bed.
Time passed. She wouldn’t let him go.
When the door opened, he turned to see Devil enter the room. Paramedics were close but when he tried or anyone tried to take the little girl away, she held on to him tighter.
“Please,” she said, whispering.
“I’ve got you.” She wouldn’t let go and he got to his feet. There was only one person he knew who could help.
“I’ve got to take her to the clubhouse,” he said.
The paramedics started to argue.
“I wasn’t asking. I’m not staying here.” He looked toward Devil. “It good for me to move her?”
“It is.”
He looked at the paramedics. “You’ve got two choices, take me to the clubhouse, and I might be able to get someone to help you, or you get the hell out of my way.”
The girl still shook.
Simon got it. She felt safe with him. For too long, she hadn’t been safe with anyone, but he’d helped her. This wasn’t the first time, but the second. She felt an anchor to him, and damn it, all he wanted to do was protect her.
As he glanced at his dad, Devil nodded. “I’ll handle it.”
The paramedics drove him to the clubhouse where Tabby would be waiting. He had no doubt Devil had also put a call through to the clubhouse to warn them about what was happening.
Once he arrived, he saw a lot of the guys were outside. That was his sign that Tabby was inside with Nathan and Skye. Nodding at each of them, they all stopped to watch. The girl’s hands would be seen, along with her bruised face.
Entering the clubhouse, he saw the tables had been moved away but what also caught his attention was the sweet sound he hadn’t heard in such a long time. Tabby was singing. It was only softly, but for the first time, she was finally singing. He looked toward her and found her. Tabby, wearing a plain white dress with her hair pinned atop her head with some curls cascading down, looked up and smiled at him. Nathan sat on the carpet. Some food was on plates. Skye lay on a mat with a toy positioned over her so she could reach up.