Page 6 of The Eraser

"What's this about?" I ask him after a while. He's driving out of the city. I don't think I've ever been this far before.

"I looked into your family," he tells me, and I tense. I'm not stupid; I know Nicola and Eric saw the bruises on me the day of Callie's birthday party. They're not dumb; they know what they mean. So I'm not surprised Jer has looked into me.

"Your da, he's a real dick."

I laugh at his words. "Oh, you can say that again."

"I'm not sure how much you know about your family, Stephen, but your parents were in a car accident when your ma was pregnant with you. She suffered horrendously. She had multiple broken bones and you were born premature. It was hard on her. I remember it happening and the aftermath of it. The pain she was in was excruciating, and your da was a cunt," he spits. "He didn't help and he left your ma to do everything. He came to me and got drugs. I didn’t know at the time that they weren't for him, but your ma."

"He got her hooked on the drugs, didn't he?" I ask, wondering how the hell I didn't know this before now.

He nods. "Yeah, he did. He's also the man who continues to get her drugs."

Rage flows through my veins. I'm so fucking angry, so damn mad that he's the one who’s doing this to her. He ruined her life. "Why?"

"I don't know," Jer admits. "I have no idea why he'd do that, but, son, it's fucked up and you deserve answers. If you're coming to work for me, you can share an apartment with Freddie. He's not had the best of upbringings either and the two of you seem to get along great."

I glance at him. "You're willing to let me stay in an apartment?"

"All my men have their own homes. It's what I do. I look out for those who work for me."

This man seems too good to be true. From what I found out today, Freddie is fourteen, the same age as I am, and now that I know he's working and living alone, it makes me want that too. What the hell am I going to lose if I do decide to take Jer up on his offer? Nothing can be worse than how things are now, that's for fucking sure.

"Okay, Jer, I'll work for you."

He grins. "Good. Now I can keep an eye on you both. There are rules you have to abide by, and if you break a rule, there will be consequences."

"I understand," I reply.

I know he's taking a chance on me. Hell, the entire O'Hara/Houlihan family has taken a chance on me, and I won’t let them down. The love Callie and Nicola have given me is the only love I have ever felt. It will probably be the only love I'll ever encounter. I'll never betray them. To me, they're family, and they always will be. I know they'll be pissed if they find out I'm working for Jer, but it's something I feel I have to do. I can't stay at home anymore. The beatings are getting worse by the day, and there's only so much I can take before I snap. Or worse, he'll kill me with his rage.

I sit back and let him drive. We're getting further out of the city than I've ever been. I have no idea where we're going, but Jer sure does. I watch the green trees and grass we pass by as the car continues to rack up mileage.

"We're here," Jer says after an hour or so. "Are you good to go in alone?"

I lift my shoulders and shrug. "Sure. What do you need me to do?" I ask.

His brows knit together. "This is your home. Get your shit and I'll take you to the apartment," he says, sounding irritated.

"Sorry, boss man, but you've got the wrong house. I live in the city. I've no fucking idea whose house this is." Whoever the fuck it belongs to, they must be rich. The house is huge, and by the looks of things, they've got at least ten acres of land. Not to mention the many outbuildings too.

"Stephen," Jer says slowly, "this is your father's house."

What? This makes no sense. "Dunno where you got that from, Jer, but I can tell you it ain't."

But there's a tingle in my spine that’s telling me Jer is right. Not to mention, there's a Range Rover parked in front of the house, one that I know belongs to my father. It's a huge farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Why would my dad be here? He shouldn't be. He's supposed to be at work.

Fuck it. I unbuckle my seatbelt and open the car door. My strides are purposeful as I move toward the house. There's a loud whirring coming from the back, and I follow the direction of the noise, surprised to see my father standing at a wood chipper with a fucking stupid grin on his face as he holds a woman in his arms. A lot of trees have been cut back and taken down. It seems like they’re renovating and re-doing the entire garden landscape. Fucking prick.

"So, who's the whore?" I snarl as I move toward them.

The couple pull apart, jumping at the sound of my voice. "The fuck are you doing here, Stephen?" My da sneers as he glares at me.

The woman is young, probably in her early twenties. Her hands go to her stomach, where it's clear that she's pregnant.

"That his?" I ask, and she nods, her gaze moving from my father to me. "I'd be careful if I were you. He may end up putting you in the hospital, like he did my ma. Or getting you hooked on pain pills and drugs, then beating the shit out of the kid. You've got it all to look forward to."

I can't stop the anger that flows from me. I've put up with Da's shit for so fucking long that I'm broken. I know I am. I'm nothing like how other kids my age are. I'm not emotionally in tune, nor do I give a fuck. There's a part of me that's dead inside. But standing here and watching how fucked up my da is has pushed me over the edge. I'm angry. So fucking angry. I want to hurt the fucking asshole, just as he has done to me for the past ten years of my life.