Page 75 of The Vampire and the Barista

“Safe, far away from you. Somewhere you can’t get them,” Jamie replied, looking around searching for another exit. He couldn’t see one, just a gate at the end. He started walking backwards.

His father matched him step for step, then leant close and grabbed the front of Jamie’s top. “Where are they? I need them.”

Jamie grabbed his father’s wrist, trying to get his father to let him go. “Why do you need them?”

“That’s my business. Now, where are they?”

“Let me go,” Jamie shouted, struggling harder.

His father let go of his shirt and punched him in the stomach.

Jamie bent over, one arm around his middle, the other holding onto the wall. “I’m not telling you where they are,” Jamie wheezed out.

His father grabbed Jamie’s hair and yanked his head up, his face close to Jamie’s. “You’ll tell me, boy, or I’ll beat you to death in this alley.” As if to emphasise the point, he let go of Jamie’s hair and did a one-two punch and hit Jamie in his face and kidneys.

Jamie groaned and felt his eye swelling and becoming blurry; he also felt blood dropping down his face, but yelled. “Someone help me.”

His father laughed. “You think anyone will care that someone like you is being beaten up here in this alley? No. No one will come to your aid.” He punched Jamie again. “Now, where are they? I need them back, living under my roof.” He threw Jamie into the opposite wall.

His forehead hit the wall, and for a moment, he saw stars and felt more blood running down his face, this time from his forehead. “Help,” Jamie called with as much breath as he had left.

“Pathetic,” his father said, looking at him, disdain on his face and reflected in his bloodshot eyes.

Suddenly, his father went flying over Jamie’s head and slammed into the back-alley wall, a blur following him.

Jamie leant against the wall and looked up. Derrick was stood, looming over his father. “Leave the alley, Jamie,” Derrick said in a deadly calm voice, without looking away.

Jamie nodded, “Okay,” and, using the wall for support and holding his other arm over his stomach, he managed to leave the alley, and he moved away from the entrance. He glanced around and saw Ivan getting out of his car.

“Ivan,” he whispered.

Ivan was humming to himself as he worked. He literally couldn’t remember being this happy. Even with Derrick, he wasn’t this happy. He clicked the pay button on his order and smiled to himself. Jamie would protest, but Karl and Kitty hopefully wouldn’t. It was nice to actually have people to spend his money on and spoil.

“Would you stop already?” Olly grumbled.

Ivan turned to look at Olly. “Stop what?”

“Being so happy. You’re humming.”

Ivan shrugged. “I can’t help it, I am happy. My Jamie is perfect and loves me as much as I love him.”

“I really am happy for you, just stop with the humming.”

Ivan looked at the time. “I’m due to pick Jay up soon. I’ll leave now and save your precious ears.”

“I would say thank goodness, but you need someone with you, remember?”

“I can find someone else,” Ivan offered.

Olly stood up. “It’s okay, I’ll come with you. You can text Seth.”

Ivan laughed. “I can do that,” he said, pulling his phone out of his pocket and sending Seth the message.

They had just walked out of the office when they encountered Karl and Jack.

“What are you two troublemakers up to?” Olly asked them.

“We were going to raid the kitchen for biscuits,” Jack replied.