Page 12 of Demon's Angel

She’s shaking her head, her tight expression telling the story of what might have happened.

“Violet a good mother?” Hell asks.

“The best.” A vehement nod as emphasis.

So that might explain the reason for Violet leaving. Theo was in danger from her mother. Hang on, no, that doesn’t clarify it. What I’ve heard just raises more questions. “Miss, Mrs…?”

“Hounslow. Vicky Hounslow.”

“Ms Hounslow. Is that why Violet left?”

“Oh, goodness, no. After the bath incident Violet made sure Delly wasn’t around Theo unsupervised. Delly was deteriorating fast, going further and further downhill. It soon became that she didn’t recognise anyone and was becoming a danger to herself, as well as anyone else. In the past few weeks she got violent. I came in more often, but even with the two of us, she became harder to control. She wasn’t Delly, wasn’t Violet’s mom anymore. Just the shell. Violet couldn’t cope, not with a baby as well. It wasn’t an easy decision, but one that had to be made. Delly needed to be somewhere where she couldn’t hurt herself or others. She’s moved into a home. Unfortunately,” she breaks off and waves her hand around, “this house has to be sold to pay for it. I’m only here to do a final clean-up. You’re lucky you came today. Violet left, she’s got friends Theo and she can stay with until she could get herself sorted.” She sobs, then adds, “I wish it could have been different, but this is best all around.”

Hell’s eyes are upon me. He might know me well, but I can read him too. He doesn’t need words to let me know how much all this is for any woman to bear.

A child born out of violence, a woman quite possibly having problems having so recently given birth, and a mother who she can’t rely on and who doesn’t even recognise her. On top of that, having to sell her family home.

The reasons for Violet’s possible derangement render me speechless.

It’s Hell who bids Vicky farewell, and who herds me out of there. Violet would have been mad with grief and not thinking straight. I was right to come here. Although the answers weren’t what I’d expected, I’m enlightened as to Violet’s mental state and the reason behind it. I’m surprised she’s coping at all.

Before we start the bikes, I hear the sound of the hoover start up again and take a moment to look around the place that held so many happy childhood memories. I wouldn’t have wanted to hang around to see it being sold to strangers either. I don’t blame Violet for leaving when she did. But I do blame her for thinking she couldn’t look after Theo.

Why hadn’t she asked anyone for help? I might only have met her, but I’d been struck by the compassionate woman we’ve just been speaking too. I’m certain, if Vicky had known what she had planned, she would have stepped in and stopped her, and found some way to help.

Of course, I’m also guilty. Nathan would have expected the other person she’d have turned to would have been me.

Chapter Five

Violet

Ishould be scared, but the luxury of worrying about myself was something I’d given up a long time ago. First Dad’s sudden death, then having to deal with Mom and her rapidly-escalating deterioration. Then Theo. The fact I’ve been brought God knows where, am being held in something that resembles a torture chamber with two scary, non-talkative men glaring at me, barely registers. All my thoughts are on my son. My head is whirling. I walk across to the chair and this time, sit down.

Theo. The baby I love more than myself. What happens to me, I no longer care. I could die happy as long as I know that he’s safe, and no one will ever find him. I can’t allow myself to harbour thoughts that the way I went about it is wrong, Have to let myself believe in the inherent good in this world, and that even now he’s with a family who will care for him and love him. I did what I could.

I’d had barely any warning. No time to make official arrangements for his care. I wasn’t even able to do it legally; that would have left a paper trail. My leaving him with the woman at the mall had been an act of desperation. I’d had no choice, and no chance to reconsider. A check of her references, arrangements made, then the handoff. I’ll go crazy if I let myself think for a moment it was the wrong thing to do.

There had been no one on my side. No one I could trust. I still have Dave, no,Demon’snumber that he gave me the other day, but what do I know of the man he’s grown into? After Nathan’s funeral, he hadn’t come to my parents’ house again. I’d seen him briefly a few times in the distance when I was in my late teens, but never close enough even to say hello to.

Demon. Yes, his new name suits him. He’d always had these remarkable dark eyes flecked with gold which seemed to glow when he’d gotten excited or angry. The main differences since I last saw him are how long he’s grown his hair, that he’s become even more muscular, and his hardened expression that I don’t recall ever seeing before.

I’d seen the patch saying ‘President’ on his leather vest, and I doubt you get a higher rank than that in a motorcycle club. I’d known he’d joined, that his father had been president before him. But I’d never been exposed to the club or had any reason to think of Dave as a biker. When Nathan was home on leave, they were just two normal friends. Hellfire had never been anything other than Mr Black to me; he was my brother’s friend’s father, not a criminal. It wasn’t until later, when I was older, that I’d heard rumours of the sort of things they were into. Drug running and guns.

Nathan had still been friends with Dave, and I’d often wondered why. My brother had stood for law, democracy and the right to freedom. He didn’t join up to escape or get thrills; he’d really believed in what he was fighting for. Was going to be a career soldier, and I used to imagine him becoming a general one day. All that ended with the sniper’s bullet. Yeah, I couldn’t reconcile what I knew of my brother and the man whose friendship he’d made sure to maintain every time he came home on leave.

Now I’m in Demon’s hands, and I neither know nor care what he’s going to do with me. What I can’t understand is why he’s so upset about Theo? Why he’s so angry with me? Why had I blurted out that my son was the result of me being raped? And why had Demon walked out before I could explain the danger Theo was in?

Will Demon be returning? I frown as I stare down at my fingernails, bitten so short they’re barely there at all. If he does, will I want to tell him anything? Surely, he won’t turn me into the authorities for abandoning my baby? That can’t mean anything to him, can it?

You’re Nathan’s sister.

Is that it? Does he think he’s responsible for me, as he was my brother’s best friend? Huh! If so, where was he when I buried my father? Where was he when my mother scalded, and could have killed, her grandchild? Where was he when I wept through the night when she first hadn’t recognised me? Where was he when I mopped up the blood when she hit me across the nose?

There’s no clock down here, and I refuse to ask—Mace, wasn’t it?—how much time has passed. I refuse to try and get information; it really doesn’t matter to me. For the first time in months, I’ve no invalid or child to look after. No pregnant body to care for. Nothing else to think about except how much I miss my baby. Theo’s gone now, I’ll never see him again.

My plan had been to leave Theo and then kill myself. The world wouldn’t miss me, and it would mean Theo would be safe forever. I’d left no clue, nothing for anyone to follow. The assumption, hopefully, would be he’d disappeared with me. Demon has to let me go, then I’ll put my original plan into play. Soon I’ll be breathing no longer and won’t have to think anymore. I don’t even have a plan how to do it, but know it needs to be done.

If Theo’s father finds me, he’ll try to make me talk. I don’t like to think of the methods he’d use to force me to give my son up.

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