Chapter 37 Darius
Darius
The family singing Happy Birthday comes to an end and I hit stop on the record button and shove my phone in my pocket.
Another bitter-sweet moment that Amelia has missed.
Mr. Haynes and Catherine have arranged a little party at his house and invited my family over to spend the day celebrating Elsa’s first birthday.
“Mr. Haynes?”
“Yes, Coby.”
“Before we have cake, can we go in the pool?”
My brothers’ eyes lit up when they got here and saw the pool out back.
“Hey, we’re here for Elsa, it’s her day,” I say, getting a knife to cut the cake.
“It’s okay, if they want to splash around, it’s fine with me. It’ll be nice for it to be used for once.”
They both look to me like I’m the doom to all their fun. Sighing, I mutter, “Fine. But no drowning, I haven’t got time to be hauling you both to the hospital.”
While Mr. Haynes busies himself with showing the boys where they can change and Ma and Catherine settle Elsa down for a nap, I slip away up to Amelia’s room.
From the first time I came in here, to fuck her senseless, I’ve felt a peace being around her things.
Someone’s been in here since Amelia got sentenced, every photo of her and Clare are gone.
It’s like the place has been cleansed. I’m not unhappy about it, it’s not like the girl is going to reappear any time soon.
Closing my eyes, I remember the time I was in here months ago. I wanted to hear her tell me she was carrying my kid, the time I was here before that, I was more than likely putting our daughter inside her. I’d do anything to go back to those days, to hold her and kiss her soft skin.
I sent word to one of our girls on the inside to call me and when my phone rings it better be her. I’ve been waiting nearly four fucking days.
“Darius?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“Sorry it’s taken me so long to call you back. We’ve been on lockdown.”
“Just update me on Amelia.”
Usually Jermaine makes these calls but this time I want to talk to her myself.
“There’s not much to say, she’s still keeping to herself. Only talks to her bunkie. Her fine little body is getting tighter from the yoga but apart from that, there is no change, Darius.”
Just hearing about her body gives me a twitch.
“No change, huh? Then why did she call me the other night fussing about the Sixer’s main man following me and my kid around. Something about shit going down on movie night?”
“Shit,” she drawls down the line.
“Yeah, shit. I pay you very fucking well to make sure no one gets near her, not to touch her, not even to speak to her.”
“I’ll deal with it. You have my word.”
“I don’t care how you do it, or what it costs me, make sure every Sixer bleeds or ends up down in the hole. I want examples made and I don’t want Amelia around any of it.”
“You’re asking for a riot, might be a little difficult to keep her out of it.”
“No riots, fuck, I want this done on the low. I don’t want shit making life worse for Amelia.”
I can hear her eyes rolling and I flex my fists.
“I want to be hearing talk on the streets about their cunt bitches bleeding by the end of the week. If you still want money flowing in, I want blood flowing out.”
I hang up and squeeze the phone, struggling to do my best not to break it.
“I’m not even going to ask, I just want to know Amelia is safe.”
Richard lingers in the doorway. He steps farther into the room when I nod.
“She’s more than safe, you have my word.”
“How much have you paid out to make that happen?” he asks, coming to sit on the bed next to me.
“No more than I can handle.”
“Shouldn’t that be my job?”
“Perhaps but you won’t catch me asking you to reimburse me.”
“It never occurred to me.” He grins.
“She called me the other night. It felt so good hearing her voice. It’s crazy but I swear I slept better that night for it.”
“She’s my daughter and God knows I love her, but seeing her once a week is harder than not seeing her at all. Some days she’s not herself, some days she barely talks and then some days she’s my little girl again and we talk about everything and anything.”
“At least you get to see her. I’d put up with just sitting across the table from her without her saying a word.”
“You really do love her, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“For the time being, you’re going to have to suck it up. I talk to her about it every time and she’s not changing her mind. Go at her pace, take what you can and before we know it, she’ll be home, and we can put this all behind us.”
“You think it’ll be that easy?”
“I haven’t been able to do anything for her, but making life easy when she gets out…
that I can do. This last year hasn’t only changed her, everything I once thought has been shot to pieces.
And I’m guessing we’re not the only ones.
You’re different to the guy I first met.
You’re a good man, Darius, Amelia will see that when she’s not surrounded by that damn awful place. ”
He stands and looks around the room. I feel his pain. He was right though, Amelia won’t be the only who’s changed, nor Richard. I have changed, shit, nothing is going to be the same ever again.