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“Oh no,” Claire whispered, finally seeing what I was seeing. “Shan, it’s okay.”

“What’s okay?” Johnny demanded, looking around the dimly lit car park. “What the fuck is going on?”

Gibsie shrugged. “No clue, lad.”

“It’s herdad,” Claire choked out. “He’s over there in that black car.”

“I need to go,” I finally managed to squeeze out as I continued to stumble away. I was in full-on panic mode and my delayed flight instinct had kicked in. “I need to leave—” Spinning around, I made a run for the shopping center entrance. “I need to gonow!”

“No, no, Shannon, don’t run—” Johnny’s arms came around my waist, pulling me against his chest. “I’m right here with you,” he whispered in my ear. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Did he see me?” Sagging weakly in his arms, I clenched my eyes shut as tears dripped down my cheeks. “What if hesawme, Johnny?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he coaxed, turning me around in his arms. “He can’t touch you.”

“Just take me away,” I whispered brokenly as I buried my face in the fabric of his hoodie. “Please get me out of here.”

“I will.” I felt Johnny stiffen and then he was pulling me closer, if that was even possible, both arms wrapped tightly around my body. “I promise.”

My stomach churned violently and I broke free from Johnny’s hold, staggering away, clutching my stomach as the familiar taste of bile assaulted my senses.

“Are you going to be sick?” Johnny asked, tone thick and gruff. “Shan—”

Shaking from head to toe, I doubled over on my hands and knees and heaved violently as my stomach emptied itself on the footpath.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Johnny coaxed, pulling my ponytail out of the danger zone. “Everything’s fine, baby.” Crouching down beside me, he continued to hold my hair and rub my back. “Just breathe, Shan. Nice and slow… Good job. That’s it…” Digging his car keys out of his pocket, he tossed them toward Gibsie and said, “Bring the car over here, lad.”

“I’m sorry,” I choked out as I sank back on my heels and gasped for air.

“Don’t be sorry,” he said softly. “Are you done?”

I nodded weakly. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Shan,” Johnny replied, helping me to my feet. “You’re fine, baby.”

A car pulled up beside us then—Johnny’s Audi, I realized, with Gibsie in the driver’s seat and Claire sitting in the back. Leaving the engine running, Gibsie jacked the hand brake and climbed over the seats and into the back to join Claire.

Swinging open the passenger door, Johnny helped me inside and closed the door behind me before stalking off.

“Oh my god,” I cried, turning to see him heading toward my father’s car. “Johnny, don’t!” Pushing the door open, I scrambled out. “Just leave it alone, Johnny!” I choked out, stumbling weakly after him. “Please don’t do anything—”

Bang.

I watched in a mixture of shock and horror as my boyfriend slammed his palm down on the windscreen of my father’s car, hard enough that I was surprised it didn’t form a crack. The impact startled both my father and the woman whose head was in his lap. Both jerked up, wide-eyed and staring.

“Get out of the car,” Johnny ordered, pulling on the locked driver’s side handle. When my father didn’t make a move to oblige, Johnny grabbed the door handle with both hands and began to pull on it violently, causing the car to shake. “Get out of thefuckingcar!” he roared, slamming the side of his fist on the window next to my father’s head.

I watched the scene unfold like a car crash, petrified but unable to look away. The woman in the car looked on in horror. I briefly wondered if she knew he was married.If she knew he was evil…

My father looked enraged as he unlocked the car and shoved the door open. Johnny looked equally incensed, but he took a step back, giving my father the space required to actually obey his command and get out of the car. I shuffled closer, unsure but needing to get closer to this, needing to go to my boyfriend.

“You,” Johnny snarled, chest heaving, when my father stood up and faced him. “Are the worst piece of shite I’ve ever had the misfortune of coming across—and that is saying something considering I’ve traveled the fucking world.”

They were face-to-face, foreheads nearly pressing against each other like two raging bulls in a heated showdown. Fear choked me. If my father hit Johnny, what would he do? Would he break up with me? I couldn’t control any of this. I felt as weak as my mother—as useless, too.

“Only god fucking knows how you managed to father her,” Johnny was roaring. “Because I sure as shit don’t understand how something so good could come from something so fucking toxic.”

“Who the fuck are you?” my father snarled, red-faced.

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