Dominic’s roar reverberates around the narrow corridor and in the second it takes me to realise what’s happening, he has pulled Felix off me.
‘Nothing to see here,’ Felix blusters. ‘Is there, Amber?’
I can’t stop crying. ‘He followed me,’ I babble. ‘I didn’t want this.’
Dom gives a small nod. A muscle is jumping in his cheek like a trapped fly in a jam jar. He grabs the neck of Felix’s shirt and curls his other hand into a fist.
‘Come on, mate,’ Felix pleads, palms outstretched. ‘We’re all a bit tipsy. I must’ve got my wires crossed. No harm done, eh?’ He looks over Dom’s shoulder and his eyes widen. I follow his gaze. The restaurant owner and two of his waiters are watching from a safe distance. Felix, sensing a chance to gain the upper hand, tries to wriggle out of Dominic’s clasp, but Dom is younger, fitter.
‘Oh no you don’t,’ he snarls. His lips curl as he draws his fist back and with another guttural roar, punches Felix on the jaw.
I hear a small cry and spin round. Willow is watching her father, one hand on the door frame, another covering her mouth. Time slows down as her terrified eyes meet mine, then, as ifsomeone has flipped a switch, she races over as Felix reels, staggers, then crumples to the floor.
40
WILLOW
‘Dad? Dad!’ I sprint over to him and start shaking his shoulder, but he just curls up into a ball, whimpering, like I’m about to aim a kick at his kidneys. ‘It’s me, Dad. Willow. Are you all right?’
He groans, and as he does, a dribble of blood oozes out of his mouth. Fuck.Fuck. Whenever that happens on the TV it’s never good news. Internal injuries, I think. Or – ten times worse – a punctured lung or burst artery. I force myself not to hyperventilate.
‘Somebody call an ambulance!’ I scream at the waiters hovering in a knot by the door.
‘There are no ambulances on Pelagia, miss,’ the owner of the taverna says. ‘No doctors. You have to take a speedboat to Thalassia.’
‘Don’t you understand? My father’s dying here! Look, he’s bleeding from his mouth!’
Dad clutches my hand and mutters something.
‘What?’
‘It’s a toof. He knocked out one of my teef.’ Groaning, Dad uncurls himself gingerly and spits something into his hand. I peer at the tooth in disgust.
‘Ask them for a glath of milk,’ he lisps.
‘Milk?’ I cry. ‘Why do you needmilk?’
‘To put my toof into.’ He presses the bloodied incisor into my palm. It’s all I can do not to gag. ‘So the dentith can reattach it.’
‘There is no dentist on Pelagia, either, sir,’ the taverna owner says regretfully. ‘But I will bring you milk.’
‘Where is that bastard?’ Dad asks, once he’s gone.
‘Dominic?’
He nods and pulls himself into a sitting position.
I shake my head. The last time I saw Dominic he was frogmarching Amber out of the taverna, his normally genial face like thunder.
‘I think he and Amber are walking back to the villa.’
He grunts. ‘Simone?’
‘She said she had a headache and called Yannis. He picked her up in the buggy. They’ve only just left. I can call her and tell her to come back for us if you like?’
‘No.’ He holds out a hand and I pull him to his feet. ‘We’ll walk.’
‘Are you sure?’
