{74}✔️

A/N: Trigger warning: Homophobic slurs, mentions of drug use, mentions of abuse.

Billie's POV

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"That's a stupid fucking plan, Billie!" Dahlia hissed.

"Yeah, I wouldn't call it stupid, but it certainly is boring. For us at least." Caden pouted. I rolled my eyes at them and moved Dahlia off of my lap so I could slide out of the car. She tried to get out too, but I pushed her legs back in and then bent down so I could be face to face with her.

"I'm coming in with you!" She yelled. I shh'd her quickly, grabbing her chin roughly with the hand that wasn't resting on the roof of the car. I pulled her face closer to mine and stared at her, my eyes drifting down to her lips for a few seconds before finding her eyes again.

"I told you you're not coming in, so you're not coming in." I told her lowly. She froze for a few moments and we had a small staring contest. I gave her a look that said I meant what I said and she didn't argue as much as I know she wanted to.

"I'm not a child, Billie. I got myself into this shit—"

"And I'm gonna get you out. Just do what I told you, Angel. Stay in the car. It shouldn't take long." I smiled before giving her a quick peck on the lips and then finally letting go of her chin.

I closed her door before going over to the driver's side and yanking the door open. I rolled my eyes at Kai as she sat there, wide-eyed and breathing heavily as she kept a tight grip on the wheel.

"Do I have to drag you out of the car or are you gonna be a big girl and get out all by yourself?"

She sighed and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Get her ass out of the passenger's seat." I instructed as she got out. She nodded and slammed her door closed before walking around the car.

"The one bitch who doesn't wanna go in gets to go in. I'm outraged." I heard Cadence muttering when Kai opened the door. I shook my head, a small grin finding its way onto my lips before I quickly dropped it.

"Y-You're not gonna help me?" Kai asked as she dragged Valerie's heavy body out of the car. "No," I told her simply. "We'll be back in a while. Nobody get out of the car." I told them before she closed the door and began dragging Valerie toward the porch of the small house in front of us.

"W-Why do I have to go in, Billie?" Kai mumbled.

"He's your uncle."

"So?!" She huffed. I glared at her and she apologized quickly before shaking her head. "I don't wanna see him. I can't—I don't wanna be around him. I can't—"

"He hurt you didn't he?" I questioned quietly, gesturing for her to drop Valerie on the porch. She did as told and then crossed her arms over her chest.

"I know you hate me, Billie, but—"

"I'm not gonna let him hurt you," I sighed. "I don't fucking like you, but I don't like pedos either. I heard that he hurt you...When you were younger." I raised a brow.

"Where'd you hear that?" She whispered.

"I'll protect you, Kai. I promise I won't let him hurt you. If he tries to touch you, if he even looks at you wrong, I'll hurt him."

She shifted uncomfortably and nodded. "Okay...Can you not tell anyone else about what you know?"

"I fucking should. That's exactly what you did to Dahlia, isn't it?!" I spat. She looked down and squeezed her eyes shut. I rolled my eyes and shook my head at her. "I'd never do that to you or anyone else. That's the kind of shit you don't bring up no matter how much you fucking hate someone. You didn't deserve to be abused by him and you don't deserve to have your business put out there like that. I wouldn't do that to you."

"Thank you, Billie."

"Shut the fuck up and get her ass up."

I waited for Kai to pick Valerie up again and then leaned against the side of the door frame, banging my fist on the door until someone finally answered. Judging by Kai's facial expression, I'm guessing her uncle was the one who'd answered. Good.

"What the hell happened to her?" He questioned angrily, nearly snatching her out of Kai's hands. Kai just looked down and scooted closer to me.

"We'll explain that when we get inside," I told him. His eyes drifted over to me and he frowned. "Who the fuck are you?"

"You don't catch on fast, do you? All that will be explained when we get inside." I grabbed Kai's hand and pushed past him quickly. He protested for a few moments before I heard the door slam shut.

I glanced around the dingy little living room and let out a small laugh. Valerie really left a good ass man, three kids, and a gorgeous house just to live in this dump, huh? Stupid.

I turned around just in time to see the man throwing Valerie on the biggest couch they had. "Fucking explain what the hell happened to her!" He demanded.

"You're not gonna offer us a drink first?" I tilted my head.

"You have two seconds to explain before I call the cops." He spat.

"I'm expected to believe that you're gonna call the cops out here?" I chuckled. "I've been here two seconds and I've already spotted three different types of drugs. Let's see, we've got cocaine under the magazines on the coffee table, weed on the kitchen table, and...Yikes. Looks like crystal meth in that baggy sticking out from under the couch cushion, doesn't it?" I turned to look at Kai and she stayed quiet.

"Well, it's not like it's mine." He mumbled.

"Well, it's not like it matters." I mocked. "I didn't beat your girlfriend up myself, anyway. Her daughter did. Dahlia."

"Dahlia?" He questioned. "Isn't that that dyke Kai was fucking with a while back?"

"That's the one!" I grinned. "She's my girlfriend, actually."

"You're a dyke too?" He questioned in disgust, lighting a cigarette.

"Yeah, we're all a bunch of gays." I sighed blissfully. "You've had pussy before, I'm sure you can understand why I like it."

"You've got me there," He chuckled. I bit my cheek, my face reddening as I tried to hide my anger. This guy is scum. Disgusting fucking scum. I hate talking to him, but I've gotta play it cool if I want this to go right. "Why are you here if your girl is the one who beat her up?" He asked before taking a seat and then patting the spot next to him. "Come." He ordered Kai.

"She'll sit with me," I told him, pulling her down on the couch with me. "And she isn't going to talk to or look at you unless I need her to." I narrowed my eyes and looked at her. "You look at me. Keep your eyes on me."

She nodded silently.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, little girl?" He laughed.

"Valerie, as I'm sure you know, is an abusive piece of shit." I ignored his question as I turned to look at him again.

"She ain't never abused me, what the hell would I care for?" He shrugged.

"She hurt her kids, and Dahlia wanted to hurt her to get back at her for all the shit she put them through when they were younger. She just lost her temper a little bit, it happens to the best of us." I sighed. "I'm guessing you don't care all that much, you know, considering you aren't even trying to get her to the hospital even though I think we both know she needs to be in one. I mean, I'm no doctor, but it really looks like she's got a broken arm, there's blood everywhere on her, and it'll be a miracle if she doesn't have a concussion."

"I can't take her to no hospital. They'll throw me in jail. They'll think I did it...We had some past issues." He shrugged again, grunting as he repositioned himself on his seat.

Wow. So a fucking pedo and he hits women? What a fucking amazing guy. I totally get why Valerie left her loving family for this piece of shit.

"Right. I'm not really concerned about you snitching, it's her I'm worried about." I pointed at Valerie and shook my head. "She's gonna run to the police the first chance she gets and I can't have that. I mean, I could definitely bail Dahlia out if she went to jail, but she shouldn't have to go through all that. She'd be all alone and scared in there and I hate to even think about it. Plus, if she ends up in jail because of this, people will find out. People at school,  her dad...We can't have that shit."

"The woman does what she wants. If you're gonna beg me to beg her to shut the fuck up about this, you're wasting your time. I can't control her unless I've got my dick in her or—"

"Yeah, but I'm sure she won't snitch if she knows I'm more than willing to tell every police officer within a fifty-mile radius everything I know about you and your whole fucked up family, right?" I tilted my head.

"You don't know shit, kid." He grunted.

"I know your whole family is made up of humongous pieces of shit. I know Kai's brother sells drugs. I know you guys do drugs. I know Kai's darling little mother, your precious sister, is a whole prostitute. I know you own illegal guns. I know about your little dog fighting business. I know—"

"You tell her all that shit, you little brat?!" He shouted. Kai looked over at him as he stood up and pushed herself closer to me. "I-I don't know how she knows—"

"Hey, did I ask you to say anything? Did I tell you you could look at him!?" I questioned, grabbing her jaw and forcing her to look at me again. "You look at me. Simple instructions. Follow them."

She nodded.

"You sit the fuck down. She didn't tell me shit. She doesn't know how I know any of that." I rolled my eyes. "And I know a lot more too. But don't worry about it. I'm not gonna tell anybody a single fucking thing, just as long as your bitch doesn't open her big ass mouth either. But see...I kinda feel like Valerie isn't the type of person to give a shit who gets in trouble as long as she doesn't, you know? I don't think she'll care about me telling anyone all that stuff since I guess she isn't really to blame for any of that. She just enables it." I chuckled bitterly. "So, just to make sure she doesn't say anything to anyone about this, I just wanna make it clear right now that I know all about her too. I know, of course, about all the abuse she inflicted on her kids. I know you have a kid. I saw him. Does he live here?"

He stayed silent, but his eyes flickered toward a room down the hall. I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I bet she wouldn't want him taken away. I bet she doesn't love him. I bet she treats him just like she used to treat Dahlia, but I bet she'd hate for him to get taken—"

"He's my kid and she's never laid a hand on him." He growled. "And he isn't going anywhere!"

"He is if anyone finds out about all the drugs you keep around him." I grinned. "I know Valerie assaulted Dahlia and her dad way before any of this happened too. I guess you could say they're even, actually. I know a lot more than that too. But I think you get the gist already."

I stretched as I stood up and gestured for Kai to do the same. "It's getting late, so we should be leaving now. Just tell Valerie whenever she wakes up that if she says a word she's dead. Literally and figuratively." I pushed Kai toward the door and smiled at the guy before opening it. "I hope I don't have to come here again. It smells like ass in here."

"Next time I see you, Kai. You're gonna get it." He spat.

I stopped in my tracks and glared at him.

"I already told you she didn't tell me anything. And if I find out you touched her I'll kill you too. Don't try me." I huffed before pushing her out of the house. "Oh, by the way!" I slapped my forehead as I pretended to remember something. "My dad, Patrick? He says hi." I grinned.

"P-Patrick?" He gulped.

"Yep. Have a great night!" I slammed the door closed behind me and rolled my eyes as I let out a small breath. "Well, that was fun."

"How do you know all that stuff?" She questioned.

"My dad. Long story." I shrugged.

She rolled her eyes and wiped angrily at the tears that were suddenly sliding down her face. "He's gonna hurt me next time he sees me, you know? I hope you're happy about that."

"I'm not gonna let him hurt you."

"You're not gonna be around to protect me!" She yelled.

"Oh, shut the fuck up." I ran my fingers through my hair in annoyance. "That guy isn't gonna be able to hurt you while he's in prison for who knows how long. I'm not keeping all that shit to myself. I'm telling the police everything I know."

"B-But—"

"Just trust me. For fuck's sake, this is the one thing I'm good at. Threatening people and beating people up and making whatever I want to happen happen. That's my shit. That's what I'm good at. If I say imma do it, imma do it. Just trust me."

"But what if—"

"I'm going to protect you," I told her once again. "Jesus, just get in the fucking car, punk ass. And don't hit any potholes or speed bumps while you're driving this time!"

I smiled largely as I opened the back door. Dahlia got out quickly and I got in before pulling her on my lap again. "See? Didn't even take ten minutes!" I told her. "We came to an understanding and I'm more than sure that you're safe now. You don't have to worry about her saying anything to anybody about any of this. Promise."

"Billie," She sighed tiredly. "I feel bad that I don't even wanna know what you did...It was nothing illegal, right?"

"Nothing illegal." I smiled. "You can rest your pretty little head now."

"I'm trusting you on this." She mumbled before burying her head in the crook of my neck again.

"Good. You should."