Page 25 of Hansel
I did a double take. Raped. That’s what she had said. Keeley had been raped. For a moment, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breathe.
Sweet, harmless Keeley had been raped.
“Are you still at the Drunken Otter? I'm heading home now. Stay where you are until I get there or one of the others.”
The Savage Sons needed to know. Maye not all of it. But at least that the women in our lives were in danger, that someone had ripped from one of our own something that should only ever be given.
“The Sons can't know, Hansel. Not them.”
The venom in her voice surprised me. It made me do a double take. “You know who did it, don’t you?” I kept my voice even but inside I was boiling with rage. “Was it one of my brothers?” I needed to know. I needed her to tell me that my suspicions were wrong. That she wasn’t implying what I thought she was implying. “Fucking tell me, Gretal, now.”
“It's under control, Hansel. I don’t need you to save me. I don’t need you to save us. I am more than capable.”
She ended the call without saying goodbye and I instantly called her back. I called and called and she didn’t pick up.
Gretal was going to do something stupid, or she had already done something stupid. Either way, she was in trouble. Chewing on my lip, I turned to scan the street. She didn’t want me to phone anyone but it would be hours until I got home. And in those hours she would more than likely get herself killed. I knew my wife and the giant hero complex she had. She thought she owed the world something.
“Fuck.” I swore long and hard.
A woman caught my attention. The hood of a jacket hid the colour of her hair from me. She was sitting at the bus stop and was staring at me with wide terrified eyes. I recognised her. I knew her well.
Sylvie.
***
“Sylvie.” I called after her, taking a step into the road as she bolted. She could run all she liked; she wouldn’t get away from me. She wasn’t meant to be there. She was meant to be with the others. Back at The Drunken Otter.
Seeing her there, so far away from home, sent a fresh wave of panic ripping through me. She was unprotected there. Pope would never forgive me if I didn’t haul her ass home where she would be safe.
Except, would she be safe? Gretal didn’t trust the Sons anymore.
My hand closed around Sylvie’s arm and I spun her around roughly. She cried out in pain as I yanked on her arm. She raised tear-filled eyes to meet mine.
One look at her face and I let her go.
She was a mess. One eye swollen and blackish blue. Her bottom lip was split.
“What the fuck, Sylvie? Who did this to you? If Pope finds out someone hurt you then he will…” What the hell was going on? Why were the women in our lives being attacked? Why was Sylvie running away from the man she had dedicated her life to when she knew he would protect her?
“Go away, Hansel, I'm fine. It's fine.”
She sounded like Gretal. Almost word for word.
“Did someone hurt you like they did Keeley? Is that why you are running?” I had a feeling I was being a fool. Like I was missing something important but I just couldn’t put my finger on what.
“He hurt Keeley? It was Keeley?” She sobbed loudly. If the street hadn’t been empty she would have drawn attention to us.
I stepped back before I could help myself. “He?” It hit me in a rush what she was saying. I didn’t want to believe it.
“Fuck, Sylvie, fuck, tell me it’s not what I think it is?” Curling my hand around her bicep, I dragged her closer. “Can you ride?”
“I'm not going back, Hansel. Not now and not ever. If you try to take me I'll scream.”
I rounded on her. “Scream all you like. Gretal is going after him, fuck.”
My wife, my beautiful, hot-headed wife was going to go after him alone and I was miles away. There was no way I could get to her in time.
“He’s changed Hansel. He never used to be like it… I…”
