Jessie sighed dramatically; she was actually enjoying herself immensely. ‘I think you and I both know the truth of this situation. We both know that I am far better than you, Jonny. That’s what is bothering you.’
She could see her words hit home; she wasn’t going to let him get the better of her without a fight. Well, that suited her fine. She liked a good fight, she liked to get a reaction. It just proved to her that she was right – all men were bastards and not worth her time or effort.
‘If you really want to know the truth, Jonny, I think you’re what is commonly known as a fucking moronic imbecile. I’ve had better conversations at bus stops with glue sniffers. So do me a favour and fuck off, will you?’
Jonny Parsons was not a man to take anything off a woman. A coward by nature, he didn’t think twice about raising his hand to a female. Jessie Flynn’s words were like a red rag to a bull – he was never going to let her treat him like a mug. Grabbing Jessie by her throat, he forced her up against the wall and, taking his fist back ready to use it, he said angrily, ‘Don’t you talk to me like that, you fucking whore. I don’t take that shit off anyone, especially not from a fucking tramp like you.’
Jessie was laughing at him now, enjoying the drama and violence no end. ‘Go on then, Jonny, I fucking dare you. Hit me. Go on, big man. Give it your best shot.’
Jonny Parsons could see the need in her face; she wanted a fight, she wanted a scene, and suddenly he wasn’t sure he wanted to be a part of that. As drunk as he was, he knew this could only bring him untold aggravation. She was a Flynn, after all – Michael’s daughter – and that fact alone was enough to sober him up, and remind him of why he had sought her out in the first place. She was even more fucked up than he had believed and, from what he had heard, she was a real fucking headcase. But she wasn’t worth dying for.
He threw her away from him angrily, aware that she wanted him to hurt her. She would always insist on being the star of her own show. It was pathetic. She was a good-looking young woman, but she was dangerous and vindictive. A deadly combination.
‘You destructive fucking bitch, you want me to hit you, don’t you? You want me hurt you, stoop down to your level. But I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction. You’re not worth a fucking slap – you’re not worth the aggravation.’
He walked away from her unsteadily, and Jessie watched him warily. She had asked for that, she had pushed him too far. It was what she did. She pushed everyone to the limit. She loathed people like him, who saw her as nothing more than a stepping stone into her father’s life, who thought that, by fucking her, they would somehow get Michael Flynn into the bargain. It grieved her, knowing that her only real value as a person was her name. She leant back against the wall once more and, closing her eyes tightly, she breathed in the cold night air for a few minutes, steadying her heartbeat, and trying to calm her nerves.
If only they knew the truth – that she was the kiss of death where her father was concerned. He loathed the men that she attracted; he saw them for the pieces of shit they really were. She did too, if she was really honest with herself. Not that she let that stop her, of course. She went out of her way to humiliate her father – he deserved everything he got.
She looked at her watch, a gold Rolex that had been a birthday present from her loving parents. If anything, it had been a bribe. Her mum and dad had tried to make her feel they loved her and cared about her, but it was a crock of shit. As long as her son was in her mum and dad’s care, she could do what she liked and, in return for her son, her old man would happily bankroll her and her lifestyle. Jake was her parents’ second chance at parenthood. He was the son they could never have, the golden boy, the heir apparent. Her dad had forced her to have her baby. The big Catholic, who saw abortion as tantamount to murder – and who would know more about that than her dad? But what they couldn’t do was make her settle down, embrace her role as mother and pretend that she had learnt her lesson.
She closed her eyes tightly; she mustn’t think about any of that now. It was pointless. She didn’t want to look after her little lad anyway, so why did she let it bother her so much? She had handed him over to them willingly, glad to have someone else take the responsibility for her. It had been a fair exchange.