Hanna
I heard living room door shut, and I peeked out of Garrett's room, wondering if I could make a break for it. Nikki was lying on the mattress, completely nude, her big breasts and shaved womanhood clearly on display.
"Don't even think about it," she growled when she noticed me.
I briefly considered taking her on, figuring now might be my best chance of escape. I didn't have my car keys, or even my phone, but if I could knock her out or tie her up somehow, I could take Garrett and use her keys, if her car was outside, to get away. She must have realized what I was thinking because she rose to her feet, standing in the center of the mattress to glare at me.
"Come on, bitch, if you think you can take me," she challenged. "We can go right now, and I'll fuck you up."
I said nothing and backed into Garrett's room. Nikki was my babysitter, and the woman who had shared Carl's room the morning we'd tried to get Garrett back.
I'd slept little last night. After Bull and Kat became quiet, I peeked out of the room, hoping they were asleep, but they were laying on the mattress watching television. Later, after Carl returned home, I'd had to listen to Nikki and Carl snarling at each other about sleeping on the floor in the living room, over the sex-stained sheets Bull and Kat had left, and over me being in the apartment. Carl wanted Nikki to stay with me the next morning while he went to a meeting, Nikki didn't want to, and that had led to another sneering, snarling argument.
I'd heard him telling Nikki the same shit he used to tell me, how the Bayport deal was his big break and would get him noticed... how Alex was watching him and was impressed with what he was doing... and how after he beat Rand's ass in the race, he'd be a lock to move up in the club. I took more than a little evil pleasure from the fact that I knew Alex was involved because Carl had fucked it all up... and he had as much chance of beating Rand in a race as I did. I so wanted to be there when his house of lies came crashing down around him.
He's slowly won Nikki over with his smooth lies, and I'd been forced to endure listening them fucking just like I had Bull and Kat, though at least they weren't as loud and obnoxious as the first pair had been, nor had it gone on for as long. I'd smiled in darkness that nothing had changed with Carl.
Long after they were quiet, I again opened the door to Garrett's room, and though they were asleep, they'd moved the mattress to directly in front of the door. I'd snuck into the living room and patted through Carl's pockets to find his phone. It wasn't there, but I discovered it on the floor beside the mattress. It had bleeped softly when I unplugged it, and I'd frozen, afraid Carl would wake up, but he hadn't. I'd returned to Garrett's room where I tried to guess his unlock code until I was afraid I'd lock his phone. I quietly put it back as I found it, holding my breath as I plugged it back in. I then searched in the gloom until I found Nikki's clutch. Moving quietly, I'd taken it into the bedroom with me. I found a set of keys, but with no way to get out the door, they didn't do me any good. Like with Carl's phone, I couldn't guess her unlock code, and the phone gave me a timeout. Frustrated, I put the phone back in her clutch and returned it to where I found it and returned to Garrett's room where I spent the rest of the night.
I quietly closed the door as Nikki glared at me. Garrett had slept through the night, waking early this morning with a raging fever. I'd given him a dose of Children's Tylenol to knock the fever down, and he'd gone back to sleep. I felt grungy and strung out, but if Carl would let me take Garrett to the doctor today, it'd be worth it. I lay down on the bed with Garrett and he snuggled into my arms in his sleep. I closed my eyes, and soon enough, I joined him in slumber.
-oOo-
The slamming of a door jerked me from sleep.
"Fuck, Bee! What happened to you?" Nikki asked.
"Where's that fucking bitch?" he snarled, his voice slurred.
"She's still in there with your kid.
What happened
to you?"
He said nothing and I heard him stomping toward the room. He jerked door open. "Get your ass out here!"
Carl looked like someone had used him as punching bag, but I couldn't have cared less. Whatever had happened to him, he probably deserved it, and I hoped it hurt like hell.
"Shhhh..." I hissed as I slowly disentangled myself from Garrett. "You'll wake him up."
"All that fucking kid does is sleep!"
I winced with the loudness of his voice. "What do you expect with him so sick!" I snarled softly. "I think he has the flu and maybe bronchitis. You said we'd take him to the doctor today. Can we go now?"
"We're not taking him any fucking place!"
I could feel my wrath coming like a storm. "You promised! What kind of man are you that would—" I never saw the slap coming, Carl's hand flashing out and slapping me so hard I stumbled into the wall, my face exploding with pain.
"You want to know what kind of man I am?" he snarled as he grabbed my face and held it close to his. "I'm the kind of man who doesn't take shit off some whiny ass bitch!" He pulled me off the wall, his fingers still locked on my face, and shoved me into the living room. I tripped over the mattress and fell to Nikki's feet. "I'm the type of man who takes what he wants and fucks anyone who gets in his way," he snarled.
"Why'd you hit me!" I complained, holding my cheek where he'd struck me, the skin burning as if my cheek were being pressed against a stove. "I did what you asked! I'm here! I just want you to take your son to the doctor like you promised!"
He glanced around the apartment. "You didn't clean the place up like I told you!"
"When was I supposed to do it? I didn't want to be in here with those two fucking, and I was holding Garrett so he could sleep! Let's take him to the doctor, and as soon as he starts feeling better, I'll clean. Please, Carl, you promised!"
"I haven't got time for that shit!"
"You promised!" I said, but I stayed down, knowing from experience if I got up, he'd likely knock me down again.
"Goddammit!"
"Jesus Christ, Bee, just let her take the kid to the doctor so she'll stop bitching!" Nikki said, staring down at me, her eyes hard and without sympathy. "I'm tried of listening to him cough anyway."
"Fuck!" he roared. He lunged at me, grabbed my hair, and hauled me to my feet as I gripped his wrist while wailing in pain. "This is all your fucking fault!"
"You're hurting me!" I cried.
"I told you if you fucked with me again I was going to do more than hurt you," he growled, his face close to mine.
