JAKE'S PUNISHMENT

Chapter 24 - HOLDING A GRUDGE

They were all silent for a moment. Jake just sat staring up and Mandy just stood staring down and Alex was enjoying it as usual and Danny wasn't sure how to feel. This had been such a shock, to find out that Mandy knew Jake

''Mandy?'' Jake whimpered eventually ''Mandy, you can help me, please? I need your help, please get me out of here''

Mandy burst out laughing, the cruel, sadistic sort of laughter. when you laugh at something you really shouldn't laugh at when you enjoy someone else's misfortune

''Help you? Why should I want to help you?'' she said mockingly

''You can see what is happening to me? I am being kept prisoner here. These guys are nuts, the family from hell''

''I won't help you'' she said coldly ''you didn't want to help me and our daughter when I asked you to step up and be a father, you turned your back on us and now I'm going to stand back and let you suffer, this is what you deserve, you deserve to be punished''

Jake was in tears again, he felt so weak now, always crying. always begging. This is what he had been reduced to and he hated it

''Please Mandy'' he begged, not caring about how pathetic he was, he had no dignity left anyway ''please help me, I'm sorry for what I did and if you just help me out of this I promise I'll be a good dad from now on. I'll spend time with our daughter I swear''

''Even if you did mean that, which I doubt, it's too late now because Danny is going to be her father'' Mandy told him

''Danny, you are dating Danny?''

''More than that soon I will marry him too, so you see my little Ellie and I don't need a selfish loser like you Jake, we have a real man now''

Mandy turns to Danny and kisses him ''let's get out of here now'' she tells him ''can't stand the stink down here''

The three of them turn their backs on Jake

''NO PLEASE MANDY, HELP ME PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU'' Jake cried out as they walked away

''SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP LOSER'' Alex yelled back at him, switching the light back out and slamming the door shut

Up in the kitchen, Alex got out a bottle of Whisky

Danny and Mandy sat down at the table and Danny lit a cigarette and looked subdued

''Anyone fancy a nightcap?'' he asked

''Yes please, I fancy a drink'' replied Mandy

''And you bro?'''

''Better not, I have work tomorrow'' replied Danny

''One won't hurt and I think we should celebrate'' Alex smiled happily at Mandy

''Celebrate what? Danny asked

''We have a new friend now, a new supporter of our Jakey project, that's cause to celebrate'' Alex poured three small glasses of whisky and sat at the table with Danny and Mandy

Mandy picked up her whisky and took a sip ''thanks for the drink'' she said to Alex

''You're welcome, we always share our alcohol with our friends in this house'' Alex told her 

''There's just one thing I don't understand''

''What's that?'' Mandy asked

''How did you already know it was Jake before you saw him?''

''Because I knew Jake was convicted for killing a young lad while drunk driving and a few months ago I introduced myself to his parents and told them they had a grandchild. I asked them where Jake was, he hadn't been in touch for a while and I wanted him to see Ellie or at least give me some money for her. Anyway they told me he had gone missing and the police wanted him because he hadn't completed his sentence, they told me some nonsense about him joining a monastery which I didn't believe for a second''

Alex laughed his head off ''Yeah my dad let Jake have a phone call to his parents to let them know he was still alive and they didn't need to worry about him, Dad told me that Jakey thought up that crap about the monastery, I have to admit, as much as I hate that little shit, he did at least make Dad and I laugh with his funny story about the monastery''

''His parents don't even believe it anyway, they know he lied about that, they just don't know why or where he is''

''Hopefully, they never will know''

''Certainly not from me'' Mandy assured him ''Anyway as soon as Danny mentioned the name Jake I put two and two together and realized that the Jake I knew and who had killed someone in a drink driving accident  who was missing was the same one that killed Liam and was being held captive here and I am glad I was right''

Mandy turned to Danny and hugged him ''And darling, I fully support what you are doing and you shouldn't feel bad and you shouldn't have doubts. He deserves it for what he did''

Alex raises an eyebrow ''Had doubts, bro?''

Danny shrugs  

Danny had been very quiet, just sitting and allowing the other two to talk. Finally, he said something

''I want to know why you hate Jake so much love?'' he asked Mandy

''You know why darling'' she replied ''he abandoned Ellie and me''

''Yes, but why do you want to see him suffer so much like this? You honestly hate him this much?''

Mandy nods her head ''I honestly hate him this much'' she said ''I know it's bad but I want him to be punished so much. I just can't help it, I can't forgive him and I'm holding a grudge