Page 14 of Raptor

She pauses, and I hear her father talking in the background. "Ma," I say softly, catching her attention before she leaves the room. "Will you speak to Thomas and ask if Jess can stay here?"

Ma doesn't even hesitate. "Of course. If you need me to, I will."

"Thanks." I give her a big grin. "Did you hear that?" I ask Jess.

"I did, and Dad's said yes." She sounds as shocked as I feel. "Is your mam okay to collect me?"

"Absolutely," I reply, watching Ma do a little jig in the corner. "How long do you need?"

Jess laughs. "Ten minutes."

I grin. "We'll be there. I'll text you when we're outside," I promise her.

"Excellent. Thanks, Mal. You're the best. See you soon."

The call ends and Ma’s already got her car keys in hand. "Come on, Mal, we'll get you in the car and get Jess."

I smile. My mam is the best. Even though she hasn’t really been around, she'll always do whatever it takes to keep me safe, and Jess too. I know I should have told her what has been happening to Jess, she'd have done everything in her power to stop it. But I have to respect Jess' wishes and I regret doing that so much. I wish she can find peace and I know that will only happen if Thomas Grace dies, so I pray for that every single day of my life.

"What's the plan?"I ask. We're currently sitting in a coffee shop. It's been too long since we've hung out and had time for the two of us.

Her father rarely allows her to be with anyone other than me, and with me being so preoccupied with the baby, it's been a rough six months. I wish I was able to be there for her when things are tough.

"I don't know," she replies, reaching for her coffee.

"You didn't get to enjoy your eighteenth like Chloe and I did." I sigh. She was supposed to. Ma even offered to pay for her ticket, as did Chloe's parents, but Thomas put his foot down. Thefucking prick was no doubt scared his daughter wouldn't return home if she left to go on a vacation.

"Why don't you go out tonight, let loose and have fun? Your dad isn't in town. You can lie and say you're staying at my house. You'll have so much fun," I say with a grin "Please, Jess. You've been through so much and you never get the chance to let loose and have fun, to be a teenager. You're eighteen now, and I know you're scared of what your father will do, but you have to live once in a while."

When we picked Jess up, she told us her dad is going out of town and that's why he let her stay with us. Either way, I'm glad she's here with me now.

"Earth to Jess." I laugh as I wave my hand in front of her face. She's no doubt daydreaming about Stephen, the guy who's been on her mind since she was fourteen. "Are you listening to me?"

She shakes her head, giving me a soft smile. "Sorry, miles away," she says. "But I think you're right. I should go out and have fun."

My heart gallops at her words, and I can't contain how big my smile is. "Yes," I say a little too loudly. "I'm so proud of you. I have the perfect thing for you to wear."

Jess' back is bad. The scars she has are awful. I should know; I was the one who patched her up and helped her heal from the burns her father gave her.

"Okay. I can't wait to see it," she says, but I see the fear in her eyes. I hate that she's worried, but tonight is all about her and we're going to have the best fun ever.

"I'm so damn proud of you. It's going to be an amazing night," I promise her. I'll do whatever it takes to ensure it is.

I'm waddlingthrough the crowd of people. It's late and I'm tired, but Jess has had the best night ever and I'm not going to be the one to cut it short. I've never seen her so comfortable and at peace before. She let her hair down and had an amazing time. She's buzzed after drinking a few Cosmopolitans. I made sure to not let her get too drunk; just have enough drinks so that she feels the buzz without getting messy.

When I manage to make it outside, the cool air hits me, making me wish I had brought a jacket. I glance around for Jess, knowing she came out here to get some fresh air.

"The fuck are you doing here?" I hear a deep, gravelly voice say.

I turn and see a tall, dark-haired guy towering over Jess. My girl doesn't look scared, and that's because the guy is the dick who’s been following her since she was fourteen. Stephen Maguire is a crazy son of a bitch, yet where Jess is concerned it seems as though he has a soft spot. Though looking at the anger in his eyes right now, I'm wondering how true that is.

"Well, it's nice to see you too," Jess retorts, and not that pleasantly.

I grin, proud as hell that my girl is giving as good as she gets. I love that she's not scared around him like she is her father.

"Little Dancer, answer the question. What are you doing here?" he snarls at her.

As much as I feel I should move toward them, I don't. Jess likes Stephen and tonight it's about her. I don't want to get in the way of them.

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