Billie The Bully, chapter 35

Billie dialed Tre's phone, but then thought about what he and Mike were supposed to tell Matt, Frankito and the girls, so he hung up. Then he changed his mind and dialled again, only to hang up once more.

"For God's sake!!!" He shrieked.

He was going out of his mind. Lucy could be anywhere, dead, alive, hurt, injured, and he couldn't do anything. He didn't dare ring the police.

Finally, Ben crashed into the kitchen, colliding with Billie. Billie knocked his hip against the table, and it really hurt, but he didn't care.

Rubbing his hip, he asked, "What shall we do?''

"Call the cops?" Joey asked, approaching the doorway out of breath.

Ben shook his head. "This...it's too easy. If dad has any sense, he'll be well out of Rodeo by now. Possibly even past San Fransisco. Bill, how long has it been?"

With shaking hands, Billie Joe checked his watch. "An hour and...twenty minutes."

Ben let out a shaky breath. "Yeah. Well away."

There was a silence as each thought of Lucy, and where she could be. Was she hurt? Was she...dead? Was it too early to think that?

"Dad wouldn't kill her," Ben said, seeing Billie and Joey's faces. "He loves her and he thinks she still loves him. All he wants is a family."

And for a moment, Billie understood him. He loved his boys, and he still loved Adie, even if in a different way. When the boys had been young and he and Adrienne had been married, he would have done anything to keep that together. It sounded strange now, because obviously in the end they got divorced, but that was a mutual decision, so it was different.

"Shall we call Mike and Tre, and Carrie?" Joey suggested.

Ben bit his lip. "Carrie, maybe. Matt...no. He's too young, man."

Billie nodded. "We shouldn't worry him. I'm not even sure 'bout Carrie, to be honest, Ben."

Ben sighed and raked his hands through his hair. "Look, let's just find my mom, okay?!"

Joey walked over and gave him a long hug. "She'll be okay."

"You don't know that." Ben whispered, clinging to him.

"I don't.." Joey sighed. "But I hope. And I can feel it."

Joey met Billie's eye. I hope she really is alright.




"It was my house, Lucy," Robbie hissed in Lucy's ear. "My house, my rules. But ya didn't quite get that, did ya? With all ya secret phone calls and your stupid ideas!"

"I called my mother." Lucy whispered. "Until you..."

"Aw, Lucy gotten all choked up?" Robbie yelled. "Aw, poor Lucy! Poor bitch! Until I what, eh? Gave you a good smackin'? You deserved it. You disobeyed me."

Lucy struggled against the rope. "Please, let me go!"

"You're stayin put!" Robbie shouted. "So stop squirmin'!"

"NO!" Lucy shrieked. "Help! Someone, help! Let me go, Robbie!"

"One more chance, bitch!"

"HELP!" Lucy yelled with all her strength.

"You asked for it!" Robbie came at her with a fist.

And Lucy's world went black.