Moved On

Moved On Part Eleven

Feck!

Scrambling through the hole in the fence, Annie was almost pulled to a stop when her T-shirt caught on a jagged piece of wood. She stumbled clumsily when the fabric tore, suddenly releasing her.

She had left work early and completely pissed off her boss in the process, but she needed her possessions. At present all she owned in the world was in that house. Annie was still struggling to believe Sean owned it, that couldn't be coincidental.

Rearing up she ran in the direction of the property. An exclamation of disbelief escaped her lips when she saw the padlock on the back door. Taking the crowbar from her bag, she tried to pry it loose, Annie couldn't get the bugger off.
Then the air started to throb with the sound of a large engine.

Ah bollocks, what now?

Grabbing her bag Annie raced round to the front in time to hear a crunching groan.
"No!" She shouted at the massive, yellow bulldozer. "Stop!" Waving her arms to attract the driver, she ran toward the munching machine. A solid blur hit her before she could reach her target, carrying her winded body away with a running tackle. Slamming her back against his car, Sean pinned her there.
“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” He roared.
"All my stuff is in there." Annie wheezed through her spasming diaphragm.
As if to punctuate the desperate statement, the reversing bulldozer caused the front of the house to slump with an almighty crash, a cloud of dust and grit stinging her skin.
Sean peeled her off the car and opened the door. Pushing her down to sit sideways on the passenger seat, he gritted. "Fucking idiot, your stuff's in my boot"
"You knew I lived here!" Annie accused with a shuddering breath. "You already had this planned last night when you took me out and got me drunk."

Calmly Sean crouched down in front of her. Seeing the rip in the T-shirt, he pulled the neckline over her shoulder, exposing a graze she didn't recall getting. He moved his thumb gently over the damaged skin, she tried to shrug his hand off.

"I knew what I had to do, and I didn't want you to get hurt." He said quietly. Lifting her hand, he worked the crowbar from her fingers. "Because even if I hadn't done this." Sean waved his hand in the direction of the bulldozer as it lined up for another shot at the house. "You would eventually have got hurt. Smack houses, by their very nature, attract the wrong sort, thugs, pimps, fuckers with big guns and nasty tempers."
"Like you, a manipulative gangster with a baseball bat, knocking my mates about when you could have just told us to leave? How much did I drink last night Sean, ‘cos I don't remember drinking more than one cocktail?"

Sean's slow blink was almost hypnotic, and once open his eyes lit with an unholy light. Striking like a snake he grabbed her ankles and toppled her into the car, slamming the door. He was already in the driver’s side before Annie could right herself. Leaning across he pulled the seat belt over her shoulder strapping her in. "We're not talking about this here." Sean warned, firing up the car he accelerated hard enough to send her back into the seat.
"You can't manhandle me to get what you want!" She shouted.
Sean didn't acknowledge her until he pulled up outside his house.
Annie crossed her arms stubbornly. "I'm not coming in."
"Suit yourself." He said with a shrug. Reaching beneath her legs he scooped up her hand bag from the foot well. "But I'm not arguing in the street."

He left the car with her bag, knowing full well she wasn't going anywhere without it.

She waited a minute before picking up the iron bar. If it had worked threatening Danny, there was no reason why she couldn't do the same with Sean. Entering the kitchen, Annie found him filling the kettle. "You drugged me." She accused baldly.

He turned to see her holding the crow bar menacingly.

Sean didn't move, not even a blink, but the air around them seemed to crackle. "Are you gonna take me on pet?” He said so silkily the hairs rose on her body. “Well com'ead."

Anger swelled in Annie's brain. "You stole my freedom of will, my choice, my ability to make conscious decision, everything. I can't believe you would do that to me!" Annie blasted, her voice rising.

"Didn't take advantage though, gotta account for something?" Sean dropped in smoothly, eyes intent on her.

“It's not a joke!” Annie shouted. “I trusted you.”

Sean slammed his hand on the work surface, and Annie jumped.

"You're damn right it's not a fucking joke. Look at you darling, you're running from the law in the underworld of Las Vegas, messing about with cunts who would kill their own granny if it served their purpose. It's a wonder you’re still breathing pet. And what the fuck do you think you were doing going to a bar with a strange man? You don't know me, you met me only the day before. You let me ply you with a suspect drink, I could have been anyone!” He explained condescendingly, as if she were a toddler. “Clear drinks, or bottled drinks, so you can cover the top with your thumb. And never, never take your eye off your drink. This is basic Annie. You are so fucking naive you frighten me!"

"Oh I get it. You think you're doing me a favour. Poor little damsel gets herself in trouble and big ole Sean rocks up on his charger to save the day." Annie said with angry sarcasm. "Don't forget to impart a moral to the story. ‘Watch out love, everybody plans to fuck you over’. Well thank you Sean, lesson well learned."

“You're making it sound worse than it is.” He said quietly.

“No, I'm making it sound as bad as it is.”

Sean took the bar from her, simply snatched it from her hands before she could react. As if to prove he had done it because he could, he laid it carefully on the counter in front of her. "So what are you gonna do? You won't call the police on me, they'll ask too many questions. Find yourself another den of thieves to hole up in? Meet people who will make me look like the Easter bunny? Or...you could be pragmatic and stick with the devil you know."

Annie laughed in disbelief. “What do you suggest, shack up with you?”

“Like I said there are far worse possibilities. At least with me you won't have to hide. Here in my home there's safety...comfort...protection.” Sean pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Annie. It was the receipt for her sale to Danny Nielsen.

"What's this?"

“Choice Annie, You can walk out that door, or you can stay. The choice is yours.”

“What do you get out of me staying, what's in it for you?”

“Who says there's anything in it for me?”

“Because there's no such thing as a free lunch.”

"Good girl, you're learning. Nobody does something for nothing, people aren't just nice, and almost everyone will try to fuck you over. I on the other hand, just want to enjoy you."

“You want me to barter my body for your protection?”
“No queen, if I want to pay for sex I can cruise The Strip. But what I do want is a slice of home, someone to watch the footy with me.”

"I hate football." Annie interrupted.

“Doesn't matter,” Sean continued. “You’re English, you'll understand my appreciation of it, and that's what's important. I want someone to laugh at my jokes, people round here don't get my sense of humour.”

“It's not they don't get your sense of humour, it's that your jokes are rubbish.” Annie said acerbically, to Sean’s obvious amusement. “And are you really telling me sex isn't your true motivation?”

Sean spread his hands in defence. "’course I wouldn't mind a repetition of this morning, but I’d prefer the process to be more…organic. More like friends with benefits, as and when the need arises." He tossed his car keys in with the other articles in front of them. “Your case is in the car, the code to the door is 1989, I'm going for a kip. I'll leave the decision in your hands.”

Sean walked away, truly giving a confused Annie the freedom of choice.