“Please. Not Meggie,” Dinah whined, prone on the squeaky clean linoleum.
Thomas kicked Dinah’s thigh and she whimpered again. Meggie growled and launched herself at Thomas, buoyed by the thought of her father coming for her, not caring if Thomas beat the crap of her. She’d learned to cover her pain and bruises but she wouldn’t have to. She could show each little hurt to her daddy and he’d find a way to make them go away. He’d make him go away.
Her fingernails dug into Thomas’s cheek and she drew them down, drawing blood just like he drew her mother’s blood and sometimes hers. He grabbed her upper arms and slammed her against the wall. Meggie bounced and stumbled onto Dinah, who lay silent and still, but warm, the rise of fall of her back assuring she lived. Thomas yanked Meggie to her feet by her hair. She kicked, connecting with his penis and he dropped to his knees.
Meggie blew out puffs of air, not having much time. Steeped in drunken insanity, Thomas’s meanness and strength rivaled a dozen men. She doubted he’d even feel a bullet.
Stupid bull of a man.
Ignoring her pain, she scrambled to her mother and latched onto her hands, pulling her forward. “Come on, Momma. Help me.”
She needed to get them to Dinah’s bedroom. Just until Thomas drank himself into a stupor and passed out. If she couldn’t convince Dinah the wisdom of leaving while Thomas slept off the vodka and bourbon, then, at least, the latest danger would pass. Thomas would be sick for a day and sober for a couple more. Sometimes, he even went a week without drinking. Sober, his hits lacked so much viciousness and murderous intent.
Meggie pulled Dinah another inch and her mother groaned. Thomas roared to his feet. She didn’t want to leave her mother but her sense of self-preservation took over. Dropping Dinah’s arms, Meggie stumbled toward the nearest door, the half bath right next to her bedroom. His arms encircled her waist. He lifted her off her feet. Meggie screamed, struggling in his arms.
He stepped over Dinah, keeping a firm grip on Meggie, and walked into her bedroom. Reaching her bed, he slammed her down. She sprung up and barreled into him, the maneuver useless. When his hand neared her, somehow she dodged it and, instead, sunk her teeth into the fleshy side.
“Bitch!” he yelled, crashing his fist on the side of her head and her world went black.
Meggie ached everywhere—her face, arms, hands, belly, thighs, knees, legs and feet. Even the top of her head and her breasts throbbed. Wincing, she lifted herself on her elbows, the moonlight reflecting on her bare body. Blood and bruises glimmered in a grotesque sheen and she shivered, her skin burning, her insides cold. Whatever sick twist in the universe sent Thomas into their lives wrapped itself tighter and tighter.
Feeling the pain of Thomas’s rage sweeping through her body, she understood her mother’s decisions. It was the other times. The times when she only listened and witnessed, she resented Dinah’s inaction. She sniffled and fell back onto her pillows, tears slipping down her cheeks. The two of them gave bodies of evidence a literal meaning. On them lay a wealth of substantiation Thomas was a violent pig. Then, again, on them a mountain of proof validated Dinah had bad taste in men.
Meggie thought her mother had all types of demons to contend with. While she could always judge Dinah, tell her life happened, she knew so many other factors were in this twisted tale; therefore, her inaction could be overlooked and excusable. Meggie’s couldn’t.
Dinah didn’t fight back. Meggie’s sense of outrage overwhelmed her at times and she couldn’t help but fight back but there was absolutely no winning with Thomas. Unless they ended up on an outpost in Antarctica, he’d always find them and hurt them. One day, he’d kill them if Meggie didn’t do something.
That her mother had done one small thing and telephoned Big Joe was enough. Thomas wasn’t going to allow her to leave. No, he wanted to sever all ties between her and her father. But Meggie couldn’t allow that to happen. Her father would protect her and rescue Dinah. No matter what else had passed between him and Dinah, he loved Meggie enough that he’d want to see her mother safe.