Needing 13 - Johnny Kavanagh

ANGELS LIKE YOU

JOHNNY

"What do you mean Darren kicked Tara out of the house last night?"

My voice cut through the air, louder than I intended. Immediately, several heads turned to look at me. A heavy silence fell over the group.

"Keep your voice down," Shannon hissed, her blue eyes narrowing in disapproval. She let out a long, weary sigh. "But yeah," she muttered, her voice low. "He kicked her out. Tadhg tried to stop him. Wanted to call Joey, but Tara wouldn't let him."

I felt the anger boil up inside me, a red-hot surge of protectiveness. "Little Shannon, your brother's an eejit," Gibsie spat, his fists balling tightly at his sides, his knuckles going white with fury.

"For once, we're on the same page, Gibson," Lizzie chimed in, her voice laced with a bored, dismissive tone as if none of this drama really surprised her anymore.

"How dare he?" Claire gasped, her eyes wide with shock, her cheeks flushed in indignation. "Your sister's pure love!"

Gibsie and Lizzie both snorted, sharing a knowing glance before quickly looking away. What the fuck?

"My sister's complicated, Claire," Shannon corrected, shaking her head slowly, her dark hair falling over her shoulder. "Half the time, even Joey doesn't know what's going on with her, and they're twins. None of us really knows what's going on inside her head."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't even know my ma hit Tara until Connie mentioned it." She swallowed hard, her hands wringing together. "I don't know if it's happened more than once, Tara doesn't talk about it. But what's clear is that she and Mam can't stand the sight of each other—or rather, Mam can't stand Tara."

Lizzie added dryly, "It's a mystery why your ma still has custody of any of you. Your da should just, I dunno, drop dead already."

"Amen," Gibsie muttered under his breath, nodding vigorously in agreement.

"Tara's only alive because of my da. It's sick and twisted, but that's how it is. The only time he ever laid a hand on her was the time I ended up in the hospital."

A wave of nausea washed over me, my stomach churning with disgust. How could Teddy and Marie Lynch even call themselves parents? Teddy Lynch deserved to be castrated with a hot iron, and Marie... Marie needed some serious professional help. Choosing that bastard over her own children? It was mental.

"So my house is a warzone now. Tadhg won't listen to anyone but Joey or Tara. Ollie's the same, and Sean cries at night, asking where Tara is. He bawls every time Darren or Mam try to calm him down. I swear, my head's gonna explode."

"Your family would make a great TV show, little Shannon," Gibsie chuckled. "I'd pay good money to watch it."

"Gerard!" Claire slapped him on the arm, her face twisted in disbelief. "Can you not be a bit more sensitive? This is serious!"

"Sorry,"

"Don't worry—" Shannon began, but the sudden screech of tires interrupted her. A car came to a sharp stop in front of us, the door flying open as Darren stormed out, his face a storm of barely-contained rage. In the backseat, Tadhg, Ollie, and Sean sat quietly, their eyes glued to the scene.

"Have you seen your sister?"

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Claire snapped, her voice filled with indignation, standing tall beside Shannon.

"I'd tone it down if I were you," Lizzie warned, her eyebrow raised, voice calm but lethal. "She looks harmless, but that cat's got claws."

Shannon stood her ground, arms folded tightly across her chest. "Why do I have to tell you where she is? You kicked her out, remember?"