Page 81 of By Virtue Fall (The Shakespeare Sisters 4)

‘A shower would be good at least.’ Ryan nodded.

He left his mom by the entrance, heading for the brick wall, past a metal bin and discarded cigarette butts. Unlocking his phone, he pulled up her number, and hit the call button.

But the last person he expected answered the line.

‘Sutherland? What do you want?’

‘Marshall? Where’s Juliet?’

‘She’s here, of course.’ There was some mumbling, then the sound of Thomas’s breathing disappeared.

‘Ryan? Are you okay? Are you still at the police station?’ Juliet was breathless.

‘You’re with him?’ Ryan asked, his voice low.

‘Ryan, I … ’

‘Daddy says it’s breakfast time.’ Poppy’s voice cut through the line. ‘We’ve got waffles and real orange juice.’

; ‘Are you at home?’

‘No, I’m at Thomas’s house.’

It felt as though somebody was pulling his guts out of his stomach, inch by inch. ‘Did you spend the night with him?’ He didn’t want to know. Except he did. His head was in a mess. All he could see was red mist, pulling down inside his mind and making him crazy.

‘I did. But it’s not what you think. Have the police let you go yet?’

He didn’t want to answer her questions. Not when his own were pounding at his skull. ‘I’m on bail,’ he said, his voice a monotone. ‘Can I come and see you?’

There was a brief pause. Long enough for him to look up and see a red cardinal flying down from one of the leafless trees. ‘It’s really not a good time.’

That was all he needed to hear. He should have known it all along. The clues were there from the start after all. It didn’t matter how good they were together. It didn’t matter how he felt about her. Thomas had asked her to come home, and she’d gone running. She’d chosen him.

While he spent the night in a jail cell, imprisoned for trying to save the girl he’d fallen for, she’d spent the night in the arms of the man who’d treated her like crap. He wanted to punch something all over again. Wanted to make somebody else hurt the way he did.

What a goddamned fool he’d been.

26

O, teach me how I should forget to think

– Romeo and Juliet

‘What did Sutherland want?’ Thomas placed his coffee cup carefully on the table, his eyes never leaving her face. ‘Have they let him out?’

Juliet stared at the waffles in front of her. Poppy had poured half a bottle of maple syrup over them. The congealing mess was making her stomach turn. She took a deep breath, choosing to ignore his question. ‘Poppy and I need to get home. I have to go to the shop, and she’s missing school.’

‘Not until I know you’re safe.’

He sounded so reasonable, so rational, And yet the thought of having to stay here in his house made her feel like a prisoner.

‘Of course we’re safe. Ryan isn’t violent, you just riled him up.’ She glanced at Poppy, not wanting to say any more. The poor kid had heard enough already.

‘The man’s a threat to all of us. He hit me, Juliet, he’s an animal. I’m not willing to take a chance with my family. You need to stay here until I get a restraining order.’

She pushed her plate away, unable to look at it any more. For some reason Thomas’s calm tone felt more threatening than any shouting he might have done. ‘I’ve done everything I can. You asked me to stay here last night, and I did. You asked me to keep Poppy off school and I have. But we have lives to live. Ryan isn’t going to hurt anybody, you know it and I know it. And no judge is going to put out a restraining order after he hears what actually happened.’