Please

Geronimo's

Disclaimer
This chapter contains an event of physical abuse and my be uncomfortable for anyone with a history of domestic violence.

Jo debated internally all week about going out on Friday. Unable to hit anything with her hand still healing, she threw herself into her fitness training, straining to overload her mind so it wouldn't keep wandering back to the same thing.

Would Marco be there? Jo wondered if it was attraction or just resentment that made her face warm and her teeth clench. Then her imagination chimed in with distractions like the smell of his leather jacket. Who wore a jacket in the summer? Without warning, the memory of his soft hands on hers before he trapped her wrist beside him bubbled to the surface and Jo kicked her gym bag across the floor in frustration.

Ass.

She curled her hands into fits, focusing on her endless supply of rage. It steadied her. She needed a distraction.

Not really caring what she wore, Jo left the apartment in skinny jeans and a Metallica T-shirt. She grabbed her faux leather jacket even though she didn't think it'd ever leave its place hanging over the strap of her bag and left before she could convince herself to stay home and wallow. There would be dozens of people there, she could probably avoid him.

The bar was a ten minute walk from the nearest bus station, but it flew thanks to Jo's reasonable footwear decision. Even her grippy boots would have left her feet aching by the time she got to Geronimo's. The street was empty, silent except for the sounds coming from the bar. She ignored the smokers sitting around the stairs and laughing at their own jokes and bounded up to the entrance. Music was playing but not as loud as at a club. By the sounds of voices drifting out into the street, the place seemed packed. Perfect.

Jo slowed when she reached the inside, eyeing the crowds of people milling and carrying drinks to tables around the room. She glanced to the left, where she knew the bar was and scanned the faces for Kate. She was laughing at something with the bartender as he handed her a drink. Jo started towards her, squeezing through the people.

She stopped. A familiar set of dark eyes had locked on her through the crowd.

Shit.

Marco straightened a little from where he leaned against the bar beside Kate. He offered her a charming smile and lifted his hand in greeting. Jo's chest tightened as the embarrassment from their last interaction flooded back to her. She wasn't about to let him see her blush again.

Jo spun on her heel and made for the door. Anger, at him, at herself, made her lightheaded as she pushed her way back out into the night air. She paused long enough to take a deep breath but then headed straight back down the steps.

The ridiculousness of her coming all this way and then leaving without a word wasn't lost on her. Did she really think she could come out partying with Kate and not have to deal with him? She cursed at herself for being so stupid.

"You ok? Where you going?" One of the smokers called as she made her way down the steps.

Jo ignored him, just focusing on not tripping in front of the group. After the first one spoke, the others turned to get a look at her, only fuelling the embarrassment she felt. The man who spoke stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be a nice guy." He smiled, a little clumsily.

Drunk. Get out of there.

Jo's eyes flicked the man's friends who were slowly all getting to their feet. Jo tried to step around the man but he put a hand out to stop her again. His other hand drifted to her waist and Jo's anxiety spiked.

"Stop." She said firmly, jerking away from him.

"Jeez there's no need to be such a bitch." The guy frowned.

Jo scoffed and made to go around him the other way. This time he grabbed her jacket.

"Hey!" Jo spun and grabbed for the jacket he dangled jokingly over her head.

His friends were laughing and he glanced back to grin at them. Her frustration got the better of her and Jo swung a hook right into his diaphragm, not as hard as she could but hard enough to surprise him and she snatched her jacket back. He bent forward, coughing.

"Ah- bitch!"

The man wasn't laughing anymore. Before Jo could turn to run he grabbed her arm and jerked her back to her friends. She stumbled right into their hands and jerked when their hands found her shoulders to hold her steady.

"Get off me-"

A fist connected with her face. At first, all she felt was shock. What was this feeling making her head spin? The top of her cheek burned, and she stumbled again. The hands behind her were now holding her up. She couldn't see much, her vision swam.

What's happening?

.

The man flew to the side and spun out onto the path next to the bar. When he stopped rolling he lay sprawled across the concrete. He groaned, lifted his head slightly, and then slumped back down, unconscious. Marco put his foot back down and pulled out his phone. The other drunks moved towards him immediately but Marco held up a finger, still looking at his phone. They paused, confused.

"Time to go. Unless you want to explain to the cops why you're faces ended up online."

He turned the phone screen towards them. The PoliceEyes app showed the three of them, and the one sprawled next to the road, the three walking backwards slowly, hands raised a second ago dropping back to their sides. In the next second they were peeling their friend off the ground and hurrying down the street.

Once they were out of sight, Marco let out a shuddering breath and switched off his phone. His hands shook as he put it back in his pocket and he tried to steady his breathing. He looked at where they had stood. Jo was kneeling where they'd left her, not moving. Marco straightened and stumbled down the rest of the steps.

"Jo?" He bent down to be at eye level with her. "Jo? You ok?"

Jo's brown eyes were wide, her cheeks were tear-streaked. Marco tilted his head when he noticed the red mark on her cheek. That bastard had hit her.

"Shit... Jo, are you ok?" He could hear his voice waver, partly from his own panic and partly from the realisation that she was shaking violently.

Her hands lay by her sides, limp, and more tears started to spill down her face. Her whole body began shaking harder and her breaths began to come shorter and faster.

She was hyperventilating. Marco made a quick decision and scooped Jo up off the ground. The fact that she didn't resist or protest worried him even more. He straightened and started walking around to where he parked his car. He'd text Kate later, Rhys was working until late, he'd be able to pick her up.

Marco blinked when he felt Jo move. He looked down and saw her hand clutching his jacket tightly. She had her eyes squeezed shut and she was still shaking but her breathing was starting to slow down.

"You're gonna be ok." He murmured, slowing to cross the street to his car.

~