Mr. Lawson's Assistant

Chapter 42

Damon drove me back to his house to check on Tony, but when we arrived, Mrs. Lawson told us that she'd sent Tony upstairs to sleep. She'd sent him up to take a shower and nap, after she cleaned his cuts with the few things she could find in her first aid kit.
"I never thought I'd have to use all sixteen butterfly bandages at once," Mrs. Lawson sighed, rubbing Damon's back gently. Suddenly, Damon stiffened, and he reached quickly down into his pocket for his phone.
He said nothing as he pulled out his phone and started dialing, moving forward from his mom a few paces.
"What is it Damon?" Mrs. Lawson frowned at her son.
Damon answered without looking up, "Kenya."
My stomach dropped. This morning, Damon said that David and Kenya had gone to see my dad. We'd only found David.
Damon dropped his hand away from his ear and blew out a frustrated breath. "She's not answering."
"Call her again, she might have missed the first call, honey." Mrs. Lawson told him calmly. After Damon dialed three more times, and Kenya still didn't answer, I called the hospital and asked the nurse to put David on the phone.
"She'd just left when the guys came to the door," David told me over the line. I nervously gripped the material for my sweatpants with my free hand.
"I'm going to run by her house to see if she's there." Damon shoved his phone into his pocket and grabbed the keys he'd just replaced on the wall moments before. I wanted to ask if I could go with him, but he was out the door before I had the chance to speak.
*
Mrs. Lawson chatted idly, while we waited for word from Damon, but after half an hour of nothing, she fell silent.
I glanced down at my blank phone screen for the millionth time that minute, tapping my finger against the counter top impatiently. Mrs. Lawson quietly stirred the glass of tea she had made herself as she paced slowly around the kitchen.
"Perhaps, I should call Greyson," Mrs. Lawson said softly, looking over at me with anxious eyes. I opened my mouth to answer, but my phone started to buzz, and an unknown number flashed across the screen.
Jumping in surprise, I reached down and snatched my phone off the counter, answering the call.
"Hello?"
"Oana, it's Damon." I held my breath. "I found her, she was in her apartment. She didn't answer her phone because it was dead."
I sagged in relief. "I'm glad she's alright."
"Me too. Pass the word on to my mother, and I'll be home in about twenty minutes."
I hung up the phone and glanced over to a beaming Mrs. Lawson.
"Well, now that that's settled," she set down her tea and tightened her hair tie, "Why don't we-" Mrs. Lawson paused, and I followed her gaze behind me to where Tony was shuffling down the stairs in the living room. Instinctively, I tensed, but reminding myself to keep my past emotions in check, I remained in my seat. As Tony reach the last step and begin waking towards the kitchen, I observed his stitched forehead and bloodshot eyes. "Mr. Tony! How are you feeling?" Mrs. Lawson seemed not to notice how stiff I'd gone. She brushed past me to usher my step-father into the kitchen and offered him a glass of water. He still had the butterfly stitches across his head, and his right eye was slightly purple, and both his eyes were red, but other than that, he looked normal. David's words came to the front of my mind as I watched Tony sip delicately on the water he was handed.
"He saved me".
I wanted to deny those words. No matter how much good Tony did, I would always blame him for my mother's death. One right didn't correct a horrible wrong.
"Are you hungry, Mr. Tony?" Mrs. Lawson smiled, gesturing towards the fridge as she reached for her tea cup.
Tony shook his head. "I'm not feeling up to anything right now." He glanced over at me, and I clenched my jaw.
Now is not the time, Oana.
I thought, turning my eyes down to the counter in front of me. Tony stood in the kitchen, talking with Mrs. Lawson for about ten minutes, before Mrs. Lawson excused herself.
"Well, if either of you need anything, I'll be out by the pool getting some air. The outdoors does wonders for stress." Mrs. Lawson laughed, before she made her quiet exit. A part of me started to sour at her for leaving me alone with Tony, but I realized that she had no idea about the tension between Tony and I.
With all your other bruises, how could she?
I pulled my phone off the counter top and slid from the bar seat I was in, when Tony turned to me.
"You don't suppose they have any beer, do you?" He asked gruffly.
My hands balled into fists at my sides. Without a word, I walked quickly out into the living room. "Where do you think you're going?" Tony raised his voice and started after me. My heartbeat quickened at his pursuit, but I refused to turn back to look him. "You turn back around and look at me right now, young lady." He growled. I shuddered and closed my eyes. Almost in slow motion, my feet stopped against my will, and I stood staring at the wall in front of me, my spine straight and my hands in fists at my side. "Just because you disobeyed me once when you were seventeen, does not mean you get to defy me again anytime you feel like it!" Tony snapped, stomping into the living room behind me.
I turned and faced him, seething. "You're not my father and I will never have to listen to you!" I spat, "I don't care how many times you try to beat me into submission!" I burst, feeling hot, angry tears stinging at the back of eyes.
Tony's whole body tensed, "You little b-"He snarled, lunging at me. I screamed, turning to run. Aiming myself at the front door, I stumbled over the welcome rug trying to escape. The look in his eyes was murderous.
Tony came after me in seconds, and I didn't even touch the front door before he came slamming into me from behind. I scrambled to my feet, gasping for the air that had just been knocked from my lungs.
Tony trapped me against the front door. "Don't you ever talk to me like that again!" He roared, raising his hand and slamming his palm against my cheek.
"Get away from me!" I spit at him, coughing when he hit me again. Suddenly, Mrs. Lawson appeared behind Tony, her face paleing when she saw what was happening, but, smartly, she kept her distance. "Stop it!" She cried, holding a cell phone in her left hand. "Please, stop!" She exclaimed. Tony couldn't hear her. He was focused fully on me, his eyes darkened in dangerous rage. In a brief moment of understanding, I realized what he was trying to do. He was trying to kill me.
Shoving myself to my feet, I back against the front door, feeling for the handle.
Locked.
"I'll kill you!" Tony raved, rushing at me. My stomach dropped, and I yelled for help as I dove to the floor. Sliding past Tony, I barely had time to get to my feet before he tackled me to the ground again. My already battered body protested as I hit the marble floor, unable to catch myself. "I swear, I'll kill you!" Tony chanted, his fists making a muted thump as they connected with my body. I struggled to get away, but the hits kept coming, and I couldn't orient myself enough to dodge them.
I choked when I felt a hard kick to my stomach, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I could vaguely hear Mrs. Lawson in hysterics above me, but everything had been slightly blurry since my impact with the ground. Still, I tried to move away, the adrenaline pumping through my veins.
"Oana!" Someone burst through the front door behind us, but when I tried to call for help, I couldn't catch my breath enough to speak. I was on my stomach now, kicking and gasping for air, trying to get away from Tony.
Mrs. Lawson's high voice pierced the chaos, "Damon! Stop him!"
Another voice joined the fray "Mom? What's going on!" Greyson burst inside from somewhere near the kitchen, I couldn't tell exactly where.
"Oh God, he's going to kill her!" Mrs. Lawson sobbed.
I blinked, screaming when something hard hit me just above my lower back. Sprawling my arms out, I dug my fingers into Tony's arm that was reaching for my neck. Jerking his arm away, I panted for air, frantic to get away as I tried to stand up and run. Tony tackled me again, this time wrapping his hand around my throat.
"You'll die!" He screamed at me, "I'll kill you!" His fist tightened around my throat, cutting off my limited supply of oxygen. I clawed at his hold, but I grew weak in seconds.
"Stop!" Damon rushed forward, knocking Tony to the ground, consequently taking me down with him. Tony released his hold on my neck, and I gasped for air, saliva and blood running down my chin as I sputtered for breath.
Someone grabbed my arm, and started pulling me away from Damon and Tony. The two men were exchanging punches, and Tony was slinging curses with every other breath he gathered.
Wheezing, I whipped my head up to see who was dragging me towards the staircase.
Greyson slid his arms under my shoulders and helped me to my feet. "Breathe, Oana. Just breathe." He instructed, helping me stand and supporting me when I collapsed. Damon and Tony were still brawling on the other side, and Mrs. Lawson was wailing, backed into the kitchen with her hands on her face. That's when I heard the sirens outside, and my legs started to shake. "Easy, you're alright," Greyson tightened his hold on me, "calm down." Greyson ordered, shifting my weight into his arms so that I wouldn't collapse again. I lifted my eyes over the railing in time to see Damon scramble to his feet, Tony just in front of him. I wanted to scream at him and tell him to run, but I could scarcely breathe. Tony lunged at Damon, but Damon was too quick for him. Dodging his attack, Damon swung a hard right hook that knocked Tony to the ground.
"Everybody put your hands up!" The sirens grew louder as a group of men and women in black uniforms flooded in through the front door. I suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over me, and my muscles trembled.
"No, you stay with me, Oana!" Greyson demanded when I slumped against him. "Keep your eyes open, sweetheart." He encouraged, lifting my chin so I would look him in the eyes. At first, my vision was too blurry to focus on his blue eyes, but after I blinked a few times I could see his face more clearly. "There you go, that's it. Stay with me." He praised quietly above the shouting around us. "You're ok," He breathed, "everything's going to be ok."