She got up and ran to her room and locked the door. She laid on her bed and cried her eyes out.
John just tossed and turned. He couldn't get back to sleep. Ashley was on his mind. He wished he hadn't let her leave. He got up and went to the kitchen to make some coffee. He was tired of not having a phone. He wished he could call her. "I've got to go by the the phone company and turn my damn phone on." He thought as he poured the water in the coffee maker.
Stacey had waited up late for Ashley. She wanted to warn her, that her Dad had talked to her Dad and Uncle Randy knew she had been lying to him. But she fell asleep. She heard her uncle's truck crank up to leave for work. She looked over and saw Ashley's Trans Am in the driveway. When he left she ran across the road to find out what happened. She knocked but there was no answer so she used the spare key, Ashley had given her on her keychain.
"Ashley." She called out and went up stairs.
She knocked on her door. "Ash it's me open up." The door opened slowly. "Hey what happened last night? Uncle Randy was really pissed after he talked to my Dad and found out you've been lying to him."
Ashley turned to her and she saw her face. "Oh my God! What happened to your face?" Stacey questioned as she saw the bruises beginning to form.
"I was fighting with my Dad about John. He got so out of control and hit me! He kept grabbing my arms too. Look at these bruises.
She pulled her sleeves up and there were bruises all over her arms too.
"God Ashley Uncle Randy did all of this?"
"Yes." She started to cry. He took my keys, he said I have to quit my job, and I can't see John anymore! He said we're moving back to Mississippi!"
"Well you need to get out of here while he's gone to work! Call Johnny!"
"No he doesn't have a phone and I don't want to get him involved. He will try to jump on my Dad and Randy will kill him!"
"Oh God Ash. I am so sorry! Come over to my house!"
"No he said I couldn't leave! He's gone to put his resignation in and finish up some stuff at work and he's coming back!"
"Well I have to go to town but I will come back as soon as I can."
"Okay." Ashley just laid her head back down on her bed ready to give up.
Stacey ran over to her car. She was going to listen to her heart if Ashley was to stubborn to listen to her own. She jumped in her jeep headed for a little apartment on Bradley Beach.
John was ready for work. When he heard a knock at the door. He rushed to it, hoping it was Ashley.
He pulled it opened and Angela barged her way inside.
"Good morning Johnny. What's going on with your bathtub? I got an emergency call this morning that the apartment under you had water coming through the floor, all over their roof, from your apartment!
John smiled thinking back to last night and what he was doing that caused the water to overflow.
"Oh it was my bad, I forgot the tub was running and it overflowed a little. I thought I wiped it all up!"
"Well you didn't. She saw a trail of roses tracked out of the bedroom. And walked over to it and looked inside the room. "Oh it looks like you've been busy. Nice set up. So tell me is she as good as me? Why don't we try this big bed out and just see who's better! She grabbed his arms and pulled him a little closer. "It's been a while, maybe I need to refresh your memory?" She went in to kiss him and he turned his head away.
"Oh you want to play hard to get. Okay, I like that. It's more of a challenge. You'll be back in my bed Johnny. After you break the little blondes heart of course. You'll be looking for me I'm sure of it! I know you remember how good we were together."
"I thought Richie was your new play toy?" He grinned looking at her. The only reason he mentioned it at all, was just to let her know he knew about it.
"Oh Richie is just something to pass the time with. I got lonely waiting around for you to come knock on my door Johnny." She cut her deep brown bedroom eyes back at him.
John laughed. "I wouldn't hold my breath. Good to see you Ang, but I've got to go to work. Have a nice day." He pushed her toward the front door.
"Bye John. Don't forget, I'm around if you need anything, and I do mean anything, day or night." She smiled and walked out and closed the door.
John went into the kitchen and heated up some cold pizza in the microwave and ate it. He was sipping on some coffee when he heard a knock on the door. He ripped it open with attitude thinking it was Angela again.
John pulled the door open to find Richie standing there.
"Hey man what's up? What are you doing here so early?" John asked puzzled to see him.
"I was at Angela's and she had some emergency about a wet roof and she didn't come back. I got bored and I saw your light on. I'm ready for work and I didn't want to go all the way home."
"Yeah, I'm up. I couldn't sleep. Come in, you can have some coffee."
"Damn bitch!" John smiled and thought to himself. She's been fucking Richie and Just tried to get me in the bed. I see Angela hasn't changed a bit." He grinned as he grabbed out a coffee cup for Richie.
"I hope this shit don't come between us Johnny. It's not even that I like her that much. She's just so damn good in the sack!"
"You're preaching to the choir here man. That's how she gets you. She worms her way in. Be careful though. She gets obsessed easily. Or at least she did with me."
"I hear you, thanks man." Richie grinned. Glad John wasn't mad at him anymore about her.
He poured him some coffee and topped his off and they started walking out to the patio.
Richie saw the flowers, rose petals, empty champagne bottle and candles. And started chuckling. "What in the hell happened here? It looks like one of those themed rooms we saw in Playboy of the Mustang Ranch!" He laughed.
"Haha yeah, that's what gave me the idea, but she loved it. We got a little carried away and fell asleep. She left here about 4:30. I know her Dad was pissed she didn't come home last night."
They opened the door and sat down at the table outside.
"Well she's old enough." Richie replied thinking she was definitely old enough and perfect enough for him. He kind of hoped her Dad would be pissed enough to make her break up with John and maybe she could finally be his.
The door opened and a guy John had never seen before, from next door stepped out.
"Damn! which one of you was banging that chick all night?" He laughed. I couldn't get any damn sleep over here!
Richie sort of cringed, not wanting to know all this information.
John spoke up. "Well that chick is my fucking girlfriend so don't worry about what we're doing in my damn apartment!"
"Easy man! I just couldn't sleep. Maybe you can hold it down a little next time." The guy laughed.
You might want to buy yourself some damn earplugs!" John laughed and thought what an asshole this jerk was.
Stacey knocked on John's front door with no answer.
The apartment next door opened up. And Blake walked out.
"I can't get Johnny up, he must be asleep! Can I go throught your apartment to knock on his bedroom window! It's kind of an emergency!"
"I think he's out back! I heard him laughing. "Go on through to the patio."
She hurried through the apartment and Richie and John looked up surprised to see her when she stepped out.
"Good you're up!" She exclaimed, so glad to find him.
"What's wrong?" John blurted out, seeing the worried look on her face.
"It's Ash she got in some deep shit with her Dad, when she didn't come home last night!"
"What happened?" John asked very concerned about Ashley.
"He took her car, and her phone! He told her she had to quit her job and that she can't ever see you again! Johnny he's resigning today. He's taking her back to Mississippi!"
"Oh hell no, he's not!" John yelled out. "I told her to move in with me! She has to stand up to him!"
"She did Johnny! She tried to. He grabbed her, she has bruises all over her arms! And Johnny, he hit her, right across her face!"
"I'll fucking kill him! John yelled going in the apartment to get his car keys."
Richie jumped up following him. "Johnny you remember all the guns the dude has?"
"If he gets between me and her, he's going to fucking need them!" John left out the door and Stacey closed it behind her. They all jumped in John's Mustang. He screeched the tires going out of the parking lot and drove like a maniac to get over to Ashley's house.
They pulled up in John's front yard and jumped out. They ran over to Ashley's door and Stacey opened it. They hurried up to her room. "Ash it's me." She knocked and spoke through the door.
She opened the door and John rushed in and turned on the light to see her face. She grabbed her cheek to try to hide it and he grabbed her hand away. "Oh baby I am so sorry. It was all my fault. I shouldn't have let you leave. I knew something was wrong. I tossed and turned thinking about you. He threw his arms around her and held her close to him as she began to cry. So glad to see him. So glad to be in his arms.
"Everything is going to be okay baby. I swear to you. He won't ever hurt you again. Pack up your stuff. You're going with me."
"John I can't!"
"Baby why? He wants to take you away from me! I can't let you go!"
"Just leave John! Before he gets back here!"
Stacey grabbed her bag and started packing up Ashley's stuff.
Next door, John's Mom was awake and had just made her husband's lunch and walked out on the porch to drink her coffe when she noticed John's car. She walked back inside.
John Sr. was walking down the stairs.
"Is Johnny here? She asked him.
"No I don't think so."
"Well his car is in the driveway."
"I don't know, I'll just drive around it when I leave."
Stacey finished packing Ashley's new clothes she bought for her new job. She grabbed everything she thought Ashley would want and handed a big bag of it to Richie and she had another bag she had packed. They ran down and threw all of it in John's car. When they turned around Her Dad was coming up the street in his truck.
They ran back inside. "Johnny he's coming!" Richie yelled up the stairs.
Ashley started pushing John toward her bedroom door. "You have to go! Please go! Don't let him find you here!" She was almost hysterical.
"Hell no I ain't going anywhere! I'm not leaving you here! Come with me!" He looked directly in her eyes pleading with her to go.
He grabbed her hand pulling her into the hallway. Then he pulled her down the stairs and out the door, as the truck parked out front. As soon as Randy saw John with Ashley he was furious and jumped out of the truck. "What the hell were you doing in my damn house?" He yelled out.
John looked over at him. "Do you feel like a big man putting your damn hands on your own daughter?" John yelled with Richie standing beside him. Randy was a big guy and it might take both of them to take him down if they had to.
"What goes on with me and my daughter is none of your damn business! Randy yelled balling up his large fist looking at John.
"You made it my damn business the minute you fucking hit her!" John was probably going to get killed. Her Dad was huge, but he was ready to come out swinging and get his ass beat, if it came down to it.
"You fucking little punk, I don't know what the hell she sees in you! But you can move on to somebody else and forget all about her! We're leaving! I'm taking her back home to Mississippi!"
John got a little closer. "I love her and she means everything to me! And you ain't taking her any damn where!" John's face was hard and his eyes were cold. He never meant anything as much as the words he had just spoken.
"Ashley come on, we are going in to pack!" Randy looked at Ashley with his eyes blazing fury.
Ashley stepped forward with the marks on her face. She didn't want him to hurt John.
John looked at her. "Baby please don't go with him! I love you Ashley! Please don't leave me!" John pleaded with her.
"I have to." She was crying and it was ripping John apart. Her Dad grabbed her arm and jerked it, and when he touched the fresh bruises, she cried out in pain and John went berserk. He jumped on Randy's back and started punching him.
Richie tried to help, but Randy shoved him off, hard onto the ground and he hit his head. Ashley and Stacey were screaming. Randy turned around, looking straight at John. You must have a death wish!" Randy grabbed a hold of John and threw him to the ground knocking all the wind right out of him. He got down on his knees and wrapped his big hands around John's throat and began to choke him.
Richie got back up and tried his best to stop him. He punched him and he ran up and tried to kick him off John. But Randy's adrenaline was pumping and he seemed to have the strength of ten men, as he had a death grip around John's throat.
"Daddy stop! You're gonna kill him!" Ashley screamed and clawed at her Daddy's face. Then she climbed on his back and he shrugged her off. John was gasping for air and his face was turning red and and a little bit blue.
John was fighting for his life. Grabbing at Randy's hands around his throat. Kicking at his face with his feet. But he was no match for the big guy that had him down on the ground, choking the life right out of him as he was gasping for his last breath.
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