Page 83 of Savage

“I don’t think so. Leave before I fuck you up old timer.”

Daisy and I then fell back a step, in horror, as my father lunged towards Jaxon, his fist raised and he threw the punch which hit the younger man directly in the face. It rocked Jaxon’s face to one side and our eyes met. A line of blood trickled from his nose to his top lip and he touched it with his tongue before smirking; almost as if he was feeding off the pain.

“Oh my God!” Daisy yelled with her hands against her face, sobbing uncontrollably. I put my arm around her shoulders and moved back a few steps.

My father was rubbing his wrist and like lightning, Jaxon lunged forward and hit my father in the stomach with his shoulder, knocking them both to the floor.

Both men scrambled around attempting to get on top of each other until Jaxon had my father pinned and repeatedly started to punch him in the face. Jenson started swearing and struggled to push Jaxon off him.

The bone-crunching and thudding noises were sickening and I thought I was going to vomit.

Daisy cried out and tried to move forward but I grabbed her, surely, she wasn’t about to defend my father? To be honest, I don’t think she knew what she was doing. Her face was the most vacant I had seen it. I pulled her away as my dad shielded his face with his arms before jabbing a punch into Jaxon’s ribs which knocked him to the side.

I had seen boys fight before at school but I had never seen anything quite so violent, there was pushing, shoving, punching; the sound of bone against bone echoing around the kitchen. My mother and I were helpless as we clung to each other, moving this way and that as the men rocked around the kitchen. Pots and pans were knocked off the pot rack which hung over the central counter and the fruit bowl smashed, sending apples everywhere. The sounds resembled a thunderstorm.

“Stop please, both of you!” I screamed, but they were both too far gone to take any notice. Aggression and testosterone oozed from them as did blood. Both their faces were now bruised and I watched in horror as my father pinned Jaxon against the wall, his elbow digging into Jaxon’s neck and he pushed hard against it. One of Jaxon’s eyes was swollen and I panicked, pushing Daisy to the side, and clawing at my father’s back. Beating him with my fists.

“Stop it, you’re hurting him,” I yelled, raining blows onto my father’s shoulders. Jaxon’s air was being cut off as Jenson shoved his arm further against his windpipe.

As I hit my father in the back of the neck, Jenson turned, his shark-like eyes like lasers and released the younger man. Jaxon fell limply to the floor and before I knew what he was intending, I watched in horror as my father pulled his leg back and kicked Jaxon in the stomach. The younger man’s breath spewed from his body and I was in agony.

Shoving past Jenson, I threw myself over Jaxon, attempting to shield him from my father’s booted feet as he drew his leg back for another go.

“Stop, please!” Daisy yelled as she sank to the floor, screaming. “Help, please! Someone help!”

Everything went in slow motion then as Marcus miraculously appeared above us. He grabbed my father by the shoulder, spinning him around and lamping him straight in the face. Blood spurted from my dad’s nose and he stumbled, clutching at his face, his back banging against the wall just above where Jaxon and I lay. I held Jaxon’s head up, cradling his face; he was conscious thank fuck and breathing heavily.

My father growled and pushed off the wall and Marcus grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and head-butted him in the face. I watched as Jenson’s nose split open and he wobbled like a drunk person.

“Get the fuck away from my son!” Marcus boomed before grabbing Jenson again and sending him sprawling over the kitchen table and onto the floor. Jenson pushed to his feet and shifted around the table, striding towards Marcus who caught his fist and round-housed him with the other. My father went down like the sack of shit he was.

Marcus then sank to his haunches, peeling me gently away from Jaxon who had opened one eye; pain etched into his features.

“Are you OK son,” Marcus questioned, his concern for his child was overwhelming as he placed his hand on Jaxon’s head. Checking the rest of his body for injuries. “Do you think you can stand?”

Jaxon nodded and slowly started to push to his feet as Marcus straightened, helping him up. Daisy broke free and then launched at my stepfather. I watched as he pulled her shaking body into his embrace sideways, enveloping her and telling her how she was safe now and not to worry.

I saw Chris, ashen-faced in the doorway as his father turned to him and instructed, “Phone the police, Chris, now. Tell them we have an intruder.” My eyes darted to where Jenson lay, he was out cold.

After holding a sobbing Daisy for a moment, Marcus whispered in her ear and then released her. He then started to check Jaxon for injury again, from top to bottom. His son was leaning against the wall behind him, needing the support and I moved back toward him but Marcus stopped me with his arm. “He’s fine, Wynter. I’ll look after him. Take your mother upstairs, now.” There was no argument. I had been told and I understood it was for the best as my mum was losing it, big time. She was on the brink of hyperventilating.

I nodded, shooting a look of concern toward Jaxon who unbelievably wore a crack of a smile. He then closed his eyes and flicked his head to suggest I do as his father said. I grabbed my mother’s hand and dragged her away. She was hysterical. I didn’t want to leave, I needed to see if Jaxon was OK but I understood. I needed to get Daisy upstairs.

The image of Jaxon’s bloodied face and punch-drunk body as we left the room would remain in my memory always. He had defended us and had taken a beating for it from a man older and larger. The brutality I had just witnessed left a sick feeling in my stomach. How I kept down the contents was anyone’s guess. The need to stay strong for my mother probably.

I took a shell-shocked Daisy to her room; she was a bag of nerves as you would expect and she only stopped shaking when Marcus entered the room around an hour later.

His face was etched with concern as his focus locked on his wife. I had managed to get her into bed and she sat there with her knees drawn to her chest looking like a child.

I pushed to my feet as Marcus came towards the bed, moving so he could sit next to my mother. “Thank you, Wynter,” my stepfather said as he took Daisy’s hand in his.

Standing looking down at them, I felt a surge of relief in my chest. “Is Jaxon, OK?” I questioned, my voice cracking slightly. I had heard the police arrive earlier and so knew Jenson would be gone. In respect of what happened next, I had been in the bathroom with my mother for a good half an hour, so I wasn’t sure where Jaxon was.

Marcus twisted his head to one side. “I’ve put him to bed, he’s asking for you.” His reply forced a warmth to bloom in my chest and all I could think was getting to him as quickly as possible.

“Thanks, I’ll go and check on him,” I replied with a smile.

Marcus’s eyes flickered across my face briefly, it was a tender look. He then turned his concentration back onto Daisy and started to speak to her. Saying how she had nothing to worry about and how much he loved her and was proud. At that point, my belief that Marcus was good for my mother was set in stone for life.

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