Page 137 of Replay
“I won’t,” he bellowed.“I’m not leaving my sister to be beaten by a monster who needs locking up.You can’t love him, Alle.You can’t.Open your damn eyes and see what he is.”
Broken.Frightened.Amazing.Sensitive and kind.That’s what.
Flynn continued dragging her towards the exit, despite her attempts to kick him in the shins.
Noticeably, no one came rushing to her aid, though she thought she heard Ginny calling out.
The security guards he marched her past took one look at his uniform and gave him a nod.Never mind that she was writhing, and spitting like something straight out of hell.If he expected thanks and compliance for his magnanimous rescue attempt he’d got the wrong woman.She was not taking this shit.Not from him.Not from anyone.She was a grown woman and could make her own mind up, thank you.
In any case, Spook would need her more than ever.The details of what Marshall had printed didn’t matter.She knew they were a manipulation of the truth.Spook had spilled his heart to her, and he’d done it with absolute sincerity.Marshall—her brother—was just a prick with an agenda.The truth was irrelevant next to sales and making a name for himself.
“Flynn, let fucking go of me.We can talk, okay.Just stop.Spook is not the monster Marsh is making him out to be.The court dismissed the case.That woman lied under oath, and then her brothers—”
Almost too late she bit down hard to stop herself.
“Her brothers, what?Huh, Alle?What did they do?Beat him up?”he thundered.“I don’t fucking blame them.He deserved pounding into the ground.”Alle experienced a profound and ghastly sense of precognition.“Whatever they might have done doesn’t change what he did.He beat the fucking shit out of her, and others too, by the sounds of it.He raped her.Is that what you really want?To be with a guy like that?It’s not what I want for my sister.It’s not what I’m going to accept.I won’t stand by and do nothing.”
“You have no right to do anything,” she yelled.“Fuck you, Flynn.It’s my life and my choice, not to mention that what’s being said is bullshit anyway.”He’d got her outside on the car park now, and there was Ewan, idling against the side of his murky brown vehicle.
“If it’s all bullshit, why were you wincing when you came back from Cannes?”Flynn goaded.
Alle’s attention immediately zoomed in on Ewan.“What did you say?”she bellowed at him.
Something, obviously, but not anything he knew for a fact.He certainly didn’t have anything to say now regarding her obvious distress or the frankly vicious arm lock Flynn had her in.No, Ewan’s brow just creased a bit and he opened the rear passenger door up.
Flynn slapped a hand on her head, forcing her to duck so as not to hit her head on the doorframe.The car interior smelled of leather and cats.
“You don’t understand.It’s none of your fucking business.”
“Actually, we understand perfectly.”
“I am not leaving here.”She redoubled her efforts to twist loose, managed to temporarily free one wrist and then the other.Flynn grabbed hold of the back of her dress.Scrunching the fabric tight in his fist without any thought for her dignity.Up rode her hem.
Fresh air whipped against her skin.There was a collective intake of breath from behind her.Followed by an explosive growl.“Holy fucking shit!I’m going to kill him.”
“I’ll help,” Ewan barked.
“No.”Flynn shoved her in their elder brother’s direction.“You take her, and get out of here.I’ll deal with this.”
“Neither of you are doing anything,” Alle screeched.She’d never wanted to knock their thick heads together more.How dare they make assumptions?How dare they interfere with her autonomy?She was not some princess who needed protecting or rescuing.Her mind was very clear on what she wanted, and that was a lifelong relationship with Spook and a whole variety of toys.“Get the fuck off me.This is kidnapping, you imbeciles.”
Two against one, she hadn’t a hope.The moment they’d got her pinned on the backseat, Ewan slammed on the central locking.
“Go,” Flynn slapped the roof, as Ewan scrambled into the driver’s seat and revved the engine.She was thrown across the car as he sped out of the parking lot, past a great swarm of reporters and onto the main road.
Alle released a wild scream of frustration and drummed against the window.She didn’t have her phone, or her suitcase.She had no means of contacting Spook to tell him what had happened to her, or to offer comfort.Not that Ewan knew that.She made as if she’d just snatched something up from off the seat.“Turn this fucking car around right now, Ewan,” she bellowed.“Or I’m phoning the police and I will have you and Flynn arrested for kidnapping, and don’t think for a second that I’ll regret it.”
“Chill the fuck out,” he yelled back.Instead of turning around, he pulled into a side street.
The moment he stopped the vehicle, Alle rattled the car handle until he released the locks.She leapt out onto the pavement, and Ewan followed.
“You bastard,” she snarled.“You fucking bastard.I though you at least had more sense than this.”
Ewan folded his arms across his chest and stared grimly at her.“Alle, stop shouting.I’ll take you back, okay, but not until you tell me what the fuck is going on and why you have bruises for miles across your thighs.”
“They’re on my arse too.Want to take a guess?”she snarled defiantly.
Some sort of light seemed to dawn.He raised a hand and stroked it through the thickness of his beard.“Did you ask him to—”
