She sighed as she realised she was going to agree and this was exactly what Jim meant when he talked about her making promises she didn’t keep, making it impossible to trust her.
“You have five minutes?” She hoped she sounded more confident and stronger than the shaking of her hands and churning of her guts suggested.
A frown creased Tasha’s brow when she saw her father moving towards the door.
“No. You’re not supposed to be anywhere near me, so out here,” she told him firmly.
“Okay. I am sorry I hit you, but you just jumped in and pushed my buttons, like you do every time.” He still refused to fully accept the blame, preferring instead to pass responsibility back to her.
She shook her head disbelievingly, well maybe disappointedly. “Is that it?”
“No. Tasha, I am in serious trouble with Liam. He is getting heavy about the money I owe him. I know I have no right to ask, but if you could just help me out one last time I’ll never ask again and I won’t ever borrow money off him. I promise.” He pleaded with her now.
“How much?” He sounded like a broken man and as much as she’d heard his promises dozens of times before, she really, really wanted to believe him.
“Twenty-eight grand.” There was a flatness to his voice that suggested he didn’t really understand just how much money he had asked for.
She thought about it, briefly, and wondered whether she should pay it off one last time. Nobody would ever know and she had the money, Jim’s money. He had told her he’d set up payments into her account each month and she was sure he would never ask her if she had spent it or what on. She kind of felt sorry for her dad; he was a fuck up, she couldn’t dispute it, but he was her fuck up of a father. Maybe just one last pay off would finally resolve everything. Before she had chance to answer she was startled to find him next to her, in her face and she was suddenly afraid again. She needed him to be calm and meek still if she was to resolve this.
She half-smiled at him, nervously, hoping to contain the situation when he spoke, “Tasha, come on,” he sounded angrier. “You have the money. We both know you do. Call it a final settlement—for Pippa.”
Tasha stared at him in disbelief. Had he really just tried to sell her sister, his youngest child to his oldest?
She was considering what to say when he spoke again, “You really are a bitch aren’t you? You want me to beg and plead, well, fuck you. I do not beg. When did you become such a hard-faced bitch? Maybe you should have a few lessons in manners and sharing, I know Liam would be happy to help because, apparently, he misses you. You must have been one hell of a fuck,” he spat at her, then intimidatingly added, “maybe I should sample some too.”
She was going to be sick. He stepped towards her again, forcing her to step back as he ran a hand down the middle of her body. His fingers stroked from her neck, between her breasts and down to her abdomen. She was shaking with fear now. No matter what else he had done, allowed to be done to her he had never touched her like this before, never shown the slightest interest in her in a sexual way. With tears burning her eyes and throat, Tasha swallowed hard, realising she really was in serious danger now, maybe more serious than she’d ever been in. She didn’t doubt just how much trouble she would be in with Jim because yet again she hadn’t followed through with an agreed course of action.
Almost resigned to her fate, she fell back against the door and randomly began hitting the intercom buttons to every flat in her block and as people began to answer her father ran. He called back to her, name calling and words about taking good care of Pippa for him and then he released a single, sinister laugh before he ran into the darkness.
Voices were still replying to her calls on the intercom as she gathered her thoughts and calmed a little, her breathing began to return to normal.
“Sorry, kids messing around,” she said, using her fob to open the door. Once safely inside she let out a long, deep cry as she hunched over the stair rail. That was too close for comfort and again proved Jim to be absolutely right, she couldn’t be trusted to do as she should. She jumped more than usual as Viva Las Vegas sounded in her hand. Still a little breathless, she answered, “Hello.”
“Where are you? You said ten minutes twenty minutes ago. Are you okay?” He was obviously infuriated further by her and whilst she hadn’t done what she’d said he had no clue yet just how much she’d deviated from their agreed plan.
“I’m just running upstairs, sorry. Give me five, maybe ten and I’ll be sorted.”
Before Jim had a chance to respond she hung up. She let herself into the flat and after expelling the contents of her stomach into the toilet she dialled the number for Mr Stewart before checking every room in the flat, twice, leaving all of the lights on.
“Mr Stewart, Jerome. It’s Tasha Winters,” she said, her voice shaking.
“Tasha, is everything alright?” he asked and then mumbled, “go back to sleep it’s business. Yes, at midnight, again.”
“Sorry.” Tasha realised she had disturbed Mr Stewart and most probably his wife too. “My dad has just approached me outside of my flat and was rather unpleasant when he thought I wouldn’t give him any money.”
“Have you called the police? Did you give him cash? Has he gone now?” he asked, concerned and slightly more awake now.
“No, I didn’t think it was a 999 job. I didn’t give him anything and he ran off when I hit the intercom buttons for the block.”
“Good girl, well done. I will contact your local police station tonight and they will need a statement so when I have a time in the morning I’ll call you. Are you sure you’re okay? You live in a secure block?”
“Thank you. I am just a bit shaky, and yes it’s a secure block.”
“If you have any concerns, Tasha, call 999. It is a 999 job as you call it.” His tone was reassuring.
“Thank you, Jerome.” Unlike Jim she didn’t need to remain on formal terms.
“No problem. I will speak to you in the morning from the office.”
