Page 59 of The Consequence of You
Fuck, I was meant to ask if Rossi could wait inside today, but I’d forgotten when I heard about Mrs Hughes. If anything’s happened to him, I’ll never forgive myself. The sooner I get out of this situation, the quicker I can make sure he’s okay.
“What is it you want? Is it money? My father can get you some.”
“Shut up you little bitch, I can’t think straight with you yammering on.”
“Please, tell me what you want?” I plead. He responds by biting down on my shoulder hard, and I yelp in pain.
“I said, shut the fuck up!” I choke down a cry as he pushes me forward, the stinging in my neck and shoulder increasing, and the seriousness of the situation hits me all at once.
No one knows I’m out here.
It could be another hour before the staff alerts anyone. Even longer if they assume I’ve gone home. If Carlo has a car behind that fence, I could be hours away before anyone even realises I’m missing.
A wave of dizziness threatens to overwhelm me.
ASHER
As soon as I see the black ambulance outside the nursing home, I know one of the residents has passed away. It was the same type of vehicle they used when my grandmother passed a few years ago.
I do hope it isn’t Mr Charles. Our chess games had quickly become something I looked forward to each week. He’d lived a long and varied life, including a long career in the Navy. He wasn’t always fully lucid but when he was, he was a fascinating conversationalist.
Passing the private ambulance, I notice Rossi in his vehicle. I nod to him as I pass, and he just raises an eyebrow at me. I’ll win the old bastard over, eventually. The only redeeming thing about him is he’s clearly dedicated his life to protecting my girl.
Signing in, I head to the staff room. Two nurses are talking.
“Poor thing. She looked so upset.”
“Mrs Hughes looked forward to Callie’s visits twice a week, and the way she learnt BSL for her. It was such a sweet friendship.”
Shit. I need to find Callie.
Leaving the staff room, I quickly look round the usual places, but she’s nowhere to be seen. Mr Charles is in the sitting room watching television with some of the other residents. He spots me and waves an empty glass at me.
“Son, you couldn’t refill my water, could you?” I take his glass and quickly head to the kitchen. I rush to replenish his drink, desperate to find Callie and check she’s okay.
I’m turning off the tap at the sink in the kitchen that overlooks the garden when something catches my eye.
I squint.
Which fool is out in the garden in this rain? The weather has been awful for days.
Moving to get a better view, my heart leaps into my throat.
My girl is out there and she’s not alone. That fucking prick bodyguard, the one who was perving on her a few weeks ago in the bar, is out there with her.
He has her arms twisted behind her back and he’s shoving her towards the corner of the garden.
Fuck, no.
Mr Charles’ drink forgotten about, I don’t take my eyes off Callie as I struggle to open the patio door.
Why the hell isn’t she fighting him off?
I know firsthand she’s more than capable of using her self-defence training. The catch on the door has beensticking for weeks and I curse the nursing home for not having it fixed. It finally clicks open but as I turn the door handle, I see the reason Callie hasn’t got the motherfucker pinned to the floor already.
The cunt has a fucking knife pressed to her throat.
Gut-wrenching fear, like nothing I’ve felt before, coils in my stomach. My thoughts scatter, seesawing between panic and an overwhelming desire to take action.
