“From right behind you,” Aiden interrupts, his voice a smooth, calm reserve in the storm Dax and I are creating between us. “The second you took off, we followed in the car and came after you,” he explains. “Who do you think tipped off the Calvary?”
“You were there?”
“We were there. Oh, and you did good, kid.” He nods to the black van. The doors slam shut. “You’ve got a real pair,” he praises. I take a secret pleasure in his approval, or perhaps not so secret, when I turn with a raised brow and a smug smile for Dax.
“Too brave if you ask me,” Dax grumbles and then changes the subject. “How many people know you as Jules?”
“As opposed to Juliet?” I ask, knowing this conversation was coming.
“Yes. Think carefully.”
“Mum, Carlo, the kids. Uh, Charlie and Koko too. Oh, and you and Aiden. Everyone else calls me Juliet.”
“That’s it? Not your…not Eric or that little toad?”
“Dad calls us all by our full, given names. It’s a power trip thing. Gresh calls me Baby most of the time or Juliet because that’s what Dad does. My tutors all call me Miss Feelan or Juliet, as that’s the name I’m registered by. No one else knows me well enough to know my preferred name.”
“Throw Sylvie and Ben into the mix. You introduced her as Jules to them,” Aiden adds. “So, you’d better add our security that night and your driver, too.”
I interrupt, recalling one other option. “And Tom…I might have told him my name. I can’t remember for sure.”
“At the moment, he’s the only one we don’t need to suspect, given that he hasn’t woken up,” Dax reasons.
“You think one of your men tipped off Hanson’s crew about me?”
“It’s a possibility, but not something we need to think about right now.” Dax turns towards the car and the three kids sitting in the back. “You’ll be safe today. They’ll not risk another attack so soon and not while we’re with you. So, what’s your plan?”
“Plan?” He expects me to have a coherent thought no matter a plan? I can barely breathe, no matter take charge. I don’t know how I got here or braved Dad. If you asked me to do it all again, I wouldn’t be able to. Perhaps it’s shock or exhaustion? Or maybe it’s because my entire purpose has just been ripped out from under me.
For the longest time, I’ve aimed to be free of Eric Feelan and the Tower and the Vale. I promised myself I’d graduate and get a good job and take my family somewhere safe. Helping Mum to raise the kids somewhere decent drove me. But now? I still want all that for the kids, but is it my place to provide it, or will Carlo do that? Either way, Mum hates me and I have to admit I don’t like her much either. In a single morning, I’ve had my goals, drive, and purpose stripped from me and let’s not throw my identity into the mix or I might just blow.
Dax turns me around and takes me a few steps further away from the kids. “Listen, if you can’t be around them, I’ll get you outof here. Whatever you need, little gem. Forget about responsibility or duty. Think about what you want.”
“I don’t know what I want. I don’t know who—”
“You are who you have always been. A name doesn’t make a person. A date of birth doesn’t shape a personality. You are the same kind, brave, wonderful person you were when you risked everything to save the people you love. I’m so sorry for everything you are dealing with, Jules, especially the parts that are mine or my brother’s fault. I’m fighting the urge to wrap you up and just run off with you so you don’t have to put up with anymore bullshit,” he admits. It’s not exactly an offer, but if it was, I’d probably say yes. “So, you tell me what you want to do today, and I’ll make it happen.”
“Mum will need somewhere to go; hospital, most likely. I don’t know about Carlo or what he’ll do…and then there’s Dad…”
“I’ve got all of that under control. They are grown adults, Jules. They are not, and never were, your responsibility, no matter how they made you feel,” he reminds me.
“Then I want to get out of here.” I look at the kids. Will I even get a chance to see them if Mum takes them away? If she hates me that much, she’ll not let me near them. One more day with them isn’t a hardship. A happy day. “And I want to take the kids with me. Could I…Could I borrow some cash? I’d like to treat them. They’ve been through so fucking much.”
“You all have. I’ll take care of that too. I’ll arrange for counselling for all of you when you are ready.”
“You don’t have to…”
“I know. It’s my choice. As for the money, Aiden will pay for everything today. Use him like a personal piggy bank.”
“I’d rather just borrow fifty. It’ll be easier to pay you back if I have a fixed sum.”
“Still running that tally?”
“Of course.” I try to smile, but it’s weak and slips from my face too fast.
“How about you let me pay you back for the run-in with thesefuckers and for using you as bait?” He grins sheepishly.
“Only enough to call it even.”
