“What the fuck is going on?” cried Tasha and as he turned to face her again, she knew he was about to redirect his hatred and anger towards her. She recognised the look, the contortion of the face. She swallowed hard and tried to brace herself for the impact she knew was imminent. As his hand came down hard across her face, she screamed to her siblings to get out and also told Lucy to call the police. She watched them leave, her siblings knowing the drill, leading a reluctant Lucy from the house.
Grabbing Tasha’s hair, her father pulled her down to sit next to her mother.
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it? Whore of a mother, and whore of a daughter. At least you didn’t give Liam the clap,” he screeched.
Tasha laughed. Her mother had been used in payment to Liam and she’d given him something. The back of his hand came fast and hard to stop the laughter, which it did and was replaced with tears.
He turned to her mother again. “At least your whore daughter was a virgin for Liam. It’s only since him she decided to fuck anything with a pulse.”
Tasha laughed again, although there was nothing funny about this situation. Maybe it was the shock of her mistimed amusement that caused him to stare at her disbelievingly.
“You think this is fucking funny?”
She stopped immediately. Getting to her feet and feeling brave, or at least proud of the fact Liam had not been her first, she stood in front of her father and looked him straight in the eyes. “You really think I gave that slimy, dirty, paedophile my virginity?” She laughed again, a deeper, darker laugh. “I slept with Gerry when I was almost fifteen so your great pal Liam would never be of significance. You pimped me to him and you were both stupid enough to think I would let him have any part of me?”
She was almost hysterical now until he squeezed her face tightly and dug his nails into her skin.
“You fucking bitch! Let’s see if you’re laughing after I’ve finished with you. My debt has gone up because of your disease ridden bitch of a mother. So, you have a choice; give me £20,000 or you give yourself to Liam.”
She stared at him and for the first time could see him for what he was, a sad, scared, pathetic, little man and she was done here. Jim was right, there had to be a solution for Dan and Pippa and she knew he’d find it. Then there were her grandparents, who were also right. If her mother allowed herself to live this way, then nobody else could change that.
“Maybe you should screw him yourself.”
Another blow came to her face making her scream out in pain, but she cried more as he issued his ultimate threat. “Then Pippa will pay.”
“No. I will go to the police and tell them everything and you won’t be allowed anywhere near her.” She realised her threat was made out of fear, but she meant every word. No matter what happened afterwards, the publicity and attention, the embarrassment and shame, they would all be necessary and a small price to pay if it meant Pippa was safe from enduring what she had. The thought of her grandparents discovering exactly what she had experienced at her parent’s hands was the hardest part of everything because she knew they would blame themselves, but Pippa and Dan were her priorities, they had to be.
“You fucking little bitch.” He roared as he lunged for her again. “You need to be taught a lesson you will never forget.”
He pulled his belt from his trousers and she knew what was coming. He’d done this a couple of times. One time was when he had offered her to Liam and she was having a period which had apparently upset Liam. He had belted her that night, despite the fact Liam had still fucked her and slapped her around for making him feel so disgusting. Her thoughts were disturbed by the crack of the leather across her thighs and as she cowered, he hit her again, across her back, her shoulders, her arm, she wasn’t sure where he was hitting her now. She cried out and thought this had to stop and the police must be on their way.
Her thoughts briefly transferred to Jim and how he worshipped Lizzie and even Lenny cared about what Lizzie and Philip did. That was normal, they were proper dads, not this lunatic she had been unfortunate to have been sired by. She thought how mad Jim would be when he knew she’d come here. He had told her to stay away and to call the police if anything started. He had also said she shouldn’t put herself in danger to protect the others and here she was shrinking on the floor under his belt and fists. She had stopped crying and was trying to switch off completely.
Unsure how much time had passed, Tasha became aware of Lucy’s voice, “Tash, let the paramedics take a look at you.”
Tasha looked up from the floor and there were people everywhere; policemen, paramedics, Dan, Pippa, Lucy, her mum and Gerry.
“Hey, Princess. What the fuck has he done to you now? Lucy is right, you need to get checked out. I’ll come with you if you want,” Gerry offered as he crouched on the floor next to her.
She shook her head, numb and a little disorientated. “I’m fine, I just need to go home.”
“Miss, we will need a statement and your friends are right, you should see a doctor or at least let these lads check you out in the back of the ambulance,” said a uniformed officer.
Before she could reply, her mother interrupted, “No statements. This is a private matter and we have nothing to say.” She stared at Tasha and spat her next words, “In fact, I think you owe your father an apology. You need to get a solicitor down to the police station to get your father home, now.”
Tasha shook her head, only slightly disbelievingly then looked back at the policeman. “My sister is fifteen and my mother is as big a fuck up as my father, meaning I don’t think she is safe here, so until things are settled I’d like to take her home with me, if I’m able? And my brother too?”
He looked at Pippa and Dan who both looked petrified and horrified by the evening’s events and nodded. “Is that what you want?” he asked Pippa.
She simply nodded as Dan appeared to be holding her up.
“That should be fine, Miss. I will need to take your details.”
Tasha sent her siblings to gather some belongings and gave the police the necessary details, almost forgetting her mother was still there until she voiced her thoughts.
“I forbid it, Natasha. You have no right.”
Tasha cut her dead with a cold and stony glare before she spoke, slowly and calmly, “If you try and stand in my way over this I will make a full and frank statement to this lovely officer and I will contact a solicitor and a press agent and I will sell every dirty, sordid secret this house keeps. I will spend the money on shoes and bags and leave you and the bastard you allowed to do all of this to fend for yourselves and rot in hell. Are we clear?” Her mother didn’t look convinced until Tasha took a single step closer. “And for the record, it was you, you and him who had no right.”
