“More than you would believe, but we will talk about it when I see you.”
“I thought we might. James, I need to go to bed, I’m knackered”
“Then go to bed and text me when you get up to tell me how you are.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Night.”
“Night, baby. I love you.”
She smiled and hung up. As infuriated as he was, he was still gentle and loving.
“Okay?” asked Lucy.
Tasha nodded. “But I am going to bed. Dan, are you going to college tomorrow?”
“I suppose,” he replied.
“I will drop you off and take Pippa to school and make sure they know she is not to go anywhere with anyone other than you or me and then I will visit Grandma. I also need to make a statement to the police. Jim has sorted legal people to get injunctions and residency sorted and I now have P.R. people.” She smiled and raised her eyebrows.
“Do you trust him, Tash?” asked Dan, his sister was acting very un-Tasha-like, allowing this man, Jim, to be so involved with their very messy home life.
“Yes, I do, with my life. He really is one of the good guys, Dan. You’ll like him. But I really am knackered. Night.” She kissed Dan who was already in his makeshift bed on the sofa then Lucy who was going to bed herself.
Chapter 29
Tasha jumped, the sound of her message alert waking her from a restless night’s sleep. She frowned seeing six o’clock on her screen. Her frown deepened and a sigh accompanied it when she realised the message was from Liam. What did he want and how had he got her number? She glanced across at Pippa who was still fast asleep and smiled as she thought how innocent and peaceful her sister looked. She pulled herself out of bed and winced, all of her aches and some new ones rediscovered. She put her black robe over her t-shirt and short pjs and quietly padded down the hall towards the kitchen. Dan was already awake and sitting up on the sofa with breakfast TV on.
“Sorry, did I wake you?”
“No. I’ve had a text from Liam.” She was still shocked by that fact.
“What the…he is unbelievable. What’s he want?” Dan asked, more concerned than ever.
“I haven’t read it yet, but I will and then I will have to call Jim with the details.”
“He seems a bit controlling, Tash. Are you okay with it?” Her brother wore an awkward expression. “I’m just saying, and with everything you’ve done, been through—”
Tasha nodded, why wouldn’t she? Dan’s points were valid. “He is a control freak, but he cares for me, Dan. He’s the same in every area of his life, but he would never put me, us, in danger. He wants to make everything right and to be honest I quite like his control freak streak most of the time.”
“You love him, don’t you?”
“Yes. Like I have never loved anyone before,” she told her smiling brother. “Now, let’s check this message.”
She reread it aloud to Dan. “Will you pay him off? With cash I mean,” he added with a look of mortification.
“I don’t know. I could, but I think Jim will say to tell himto go fuck himself. Plus, when Dad gets out he will just run up another debt and it has to stop. I need to contact Jim,” she said as Lucy appeared and hugged her.
“How you doing?”
“Just sore,” Tasha assured her friend as she quickly text Jim.
