Chpt. 12

 

ta got that effect on people." Jesse mused,

"What effect do I have on people?" I snarled, pretty annoyed at this point.

"Ya can talk ta um wit nutin’ but dem pretty eyes of yers." Damn. My whole body’s a giant bruise, and Jesse’s off handed compliment made me blush. Thankfully, Jesse was more involved in grabbing hold of my ankles and trying to haul me across the floor and into a flat position. But the pull on my skin and muscles made me actually cry out and he let go. "Sorry, Vel."

"Just don’t do it again." Jesse rolled back on the balls of his feet and grinned at me. The movement caused me to feel sick, bile bit into my tender throat; I leaned forward and covered my eyes, blocking out the light with my hands, I let out an undignified little whimper.

"Ya all right?" he sounded worried, I looked up at him and gave him a weak smile.

"Oh yeah, ‘m real terrific." I think my sarcasm made him angry again because I watched his body go ridged and the corners of his mouth took a fast trip south. But before those goddamned beautiful amber eyes could set me ablaze like I felt they were going to, I heard a small cry from the doorway. Haley Rose was peeking around the corner, her grubby face aglow at the sight of me. She came running into the room and tried to throw herself at me, but Jesse caught her gently by the shoulders to keep her from ploughing into me and doing me more damage, or hurting herself.

"Velvet! Is it true? The whole building’s buzzing; did you really face up to all those boys just for your little girl?" I don’t’ think I realized how stupid what I did sounded until now. With I sigh I answered,

"Yeah…I did do that, I suppose…" there must have been something in my voice that gave away my thoughts because I saw a smirk form on Jesse’s lips. I shot him a dirty look and returned my attentions to Haley Rose.

"Haley Rose, hunnie, where’s James?" her little face fell and she rested her tiny hands on her pregnant belly,

"He’s at work…I’m lonesome…" then that face brightened right back up again, "will you stay with me?" I felt a headache already start to form in the back of my skull,

"’m sorry, Haley Rose, but Velvet has to rest right now. How about I go do somethin’ wit ya?" Jesse said, his anger at me melting at the sight of the little mother-to-be. "’nd you," he said turning around to me again, "stay dere ‘nd rest like a good goil before I knock ya out myself." I was finally allowed out of the room after another long nap and a decent sized bowl of broth that’d been delivered by one of the smaller boys from Annette’s shop with a message that she missed our smiling, grubby faces. The salt in the broth had burned my mouth, but that hadn’t bothered me as much as the unblinking stares of both Jesse and Haley Rose.

Once Dr. Jesse had proclaimed me fit to leave the building, Haley Rose decreed that we had to go surprise her James when he got out of work. So that’s where we were, standing outside a huge warehouse waiting for James to emerge from the deep red glow that was being emitted from the building. Jesse and I stood a little back from the street lamp, but Haley Rose sat down right beneath it. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Haley Rose leapt up from the curb where she sat and let out a joyous cry.

"James!" the still shadowed figure let out a curse,

"’da hell ya doin’ here goil? Yer gonna get hurt!" Haley Rose just laughed,

"No, I have Velvet and Whips with me, they’ll protect me." I did my best to hold back a snort of laughter. I wasn’t sure about Jesse, but I wasn’t up to protecting anybody from anything. James, Jesse and I all stepped into her little circle of light simultaneously, I gave James a nod, he just gaped at me.

"What the hell happened ta ya? Ya look like s**t."

"Thanks, ya don’t look much better." I shot back, suddenly annoyed again that I hadn’t been allowed near a mirror to asses the damage done to myself. I shot Jesse a dirty look, but I don’t think he noticed because he and James seemed to be shooting daggers at each other. James put a protective arm around Haley Rose before saying anything to Jesse, who just had his arms crossed over his chest and he looked sullen.

"Didja do dat ta ‘er?" if I were ever to see someone give me the look that Jesse was giving James right now, I would have turn tail and run.

"What the hell do you think? Why would I hurt my girl like this, huh? Gimmie one good reason." I was floored slightly, but I refused to say anything because I didn’t dare hope. Had Jesse just said "my girl"? In reference to me?

"I dunno ‘nythin’ bout ya, Whips, just what I heard. ‘nd I heard ya gotta short fuse."

"I don’t have a short fuse! And I didn’t do that to her, someone else did." A lot of someone elses, I thought.

"So ya just let ‘er get ta s**t beat outta her?" James’s voice was still quiet while Jesse was almost yelling, but I didn’t want to wait for James’s volume to reach the same level as his tone.

"Boys? I think we should prolly be goin’." I said finally, stepping between them.

"Jesse ya promised I could go see Belle." I watched Jesse physically try to restrain his own body,

"Yeah," he muttered, "alright." I smiled and gave Haley Rose a gentle hug, nodded in James’ direction again and set off down the street with Jesse’s arm tight in my hand.

 

I stayed silent almost the whole way to the Treasure Chest, and Jesse didn’t bother trying to start a conversation. I could almost feel Jesse’s anger and tension in the air like a pressing cloud. I sighed inwardly, apparently there was another part of my plan that I didn’t take into consideration, Jesse feeling like a coward. Damnit. Thankfully, the moment I heard Belle call my name and launch herself into my arms, my immediate worries about Jesse took a back seat.

"My God! What happened to you?" Satin cried taking one look at me. I avoided looking Satin in the eyes by focusing on picking Belle up into my arms.

"Nutin’. I tripped." I caught Jesse’s look from across the room, where he stood, leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest, the expression on his face was trying to figure out if it wanted to be uncomfortable or just stay pissed off.

"You tripped." Satin said. I knew that tone, she didn’t believe me. Damn. "You tripped and I imagine someone caught you with their fist, my dear." With a sigh, Satin walked into the outer room where she kept her bandages and salves. While Satin scolded from the next room, I suddenly realized that Belle was whimpering in my arms. I pulled her a little ways away from my body and looked into those little amber eyes; I was surprised to find that they were swimming with tears.

"Bellie? What’s da matter, sweetheart?" but she wasn’t listening to me, the second she’d gotten a good look at my face, Belle started to really cry. Fat tears streamed down those chubby cheeks and as she reached her arms towards Jesse. She was so upset that she couldn’t even seem to speak, she just grabbed at the air desperately until Jesse actually came and took her from my arms. My heart broke as I watched her turn her face into Jesse’s dirty shirt and continue to cry. I caught Jesse’s slightly sympathetic look out of the corner of my eye as I walked over to Satin’s little vanity. I leaned over and looked into the dingy mirror and swallowed a gasp when I saw my face.

The whites of both my eyes were dark blue/red that made the marbled white and blue stick out in my irises sharply; there was a deep gash across my forehead and the eyebrow beneath it was matted with dried blood. The street cobbles had formed patterned bruises on one side of my face, so they looked scales. Besides a dark bruise on my temple, both my lips were split everywhere, little red cracks bisecting the puffy flesh of my lips. And that was just my face. I dropped my head, chose to examine that worn, lovingly crafted piece of furniture rather then come to terms with what I just realized.

I’d frightened my little girl. Frightened her enough that she’d all but run from me. Without a word I allowed Satin to sit me on her little stool and put antiseptic on the more major wounds that she could reach without taking any of my clothes off. I sighed deeply, "Satin?" I asked softly,

"Yes dear?"

"Could ya keep Belle here fera while? Please?"

"Of course. You know that she’s no trouble."

"Jet ain’t gonna give ya ‘ny trouble?" just the sound of her name coming out of my mouth sped up my heartbeat. Satin just gave me one of those sad little smiles that she’s so good at,

"Don’t you worry your little head about Jet. I’ll take care of myself and your little girl." From his place resting on the bed with a drooping Belle, Jesse cleared his throat, I glanced up.

"Didn’t ya tell me dat Ms. Satin ‘ere’sa great mid-wife type lady?" Satin laughed a little, one long-fingered hand covering her pale mouth.

"Why yes young man, I am. But I don’t think that you have much need of my services in that area." Satin gave me a small sideways glance, and winked, I smiled a little bit. A slight blush alighted Jesse’s cheeks,

"Naw… not me. I was thinkin’ dat maybe James’ girl might need some help soon though. Lil’ broad looks like she’s gonna pop." Satin gave another elegant little giggle, then turned to me.

"Another baby having a baby?" I shrugged,

"Wasn’t any a my doin’." Satin seemed to be getting distracted now.

"No, no of course not Velvet dear, I know it wasn’t." she started gathering up her doctoring supplies and putting them back where they belonged. I sighed deeply as I watched Jesse tuck Belle’s half-sleeping form into Satin’s bed with the big fluffy comforter, Satin’s only real splurge of her otherwise untouched funds. Finally Satin came back into the room, "If this is something she’d like to do, bring her and her beau to me as soon as possible." I gave her a wane smile, then hugged her as tightly as I could without causing more harm to myself.

"Thank you so much Satin, for everything." She kissed my forehead, it was such a motherly gesture that my throat closed up for a moment.

"You’re very welcome, Velvet. Come back anytime. I believe that Silk might want to see you again sometime soon." I shrugged a little as I pulled away, I didn’t hate Silk, nor was I afraid of her the way I was of Jet, but I couldn’t say that I’d missed her terribly.

"I’ll be in touch real soon, Satin, and thank you."

"Don’t worry, dearheart, just don’t forget about us girls around here." I gave her a small smile as Satin saw Jesse and I to the very door that Jesse had been thrown out of several months before; I didn’t want to really remember any of the girls here besides Satin. Some had been kind to me, even others I liked well enough, but I didn’t really care for them. I couldn’t tell if it was because they did something several times a night that I had barely been able to get through once, but I just didn’t.

"Ya always seem

Reviews

[Corey Lunare-]

I bet i hurt Vel teribly to see her daughter run to Jesse and stay away from her. It must haveeaten her up on the inside so much..i can feel her pin from here. The poor girl...i cant say i like ths James guy too much although i suppose my first thought would be to accuse the husband of the beating also. I hope Vel gets better soon so she can be with her beloved daughter again soon. I can imaginethat pain. You've dne a mrvelous job in this chapter as always Dream, keep it up!