TROUBLE AT THE PARK

PEARL’S POV~

I felt like the ground would open up and swallow me, one minute she was holding my hand and the next, she was lost in the crowd.

How do I explain this to Nico?

Frantically I plunged myself into the heavy crowd, screaming her name, I asked everyone I could but no one saw her.

I realised I didn't have a phone and couldn't reach anyone for help. I ran to the swing hoping she’d gone ahead of me.

I saw a girl, the same height as her, the same dress too.

“Sophie!” I called out happily as I ran towards the little girl but when I turned her she wasn't the one, she screamed alerting her mother who quickly grabbed me and shoved me aside.

“what are you doing!” she yelled.

I raised my hands to her.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I'm looking for my…. A little girl, I came in with her, I lost her in the crowd” I explained, it took a lot more convincing as people were already starting to gather around us.

“No! You tried to grab my daughter! You wanted to kidnap her!” she kept yelling and no amount of explanation was enough to convince this erratic woman.

Soon the park police officers were heading towards me and I started to panic again, my hands shook, im a million miles away from home in a strange land.

The one simple job I had to do, I messed it all up.

“Show me your ID” the officer instructed, “I'm looking for a child, she’s about 5 or 6 years old, she’s…”

“Is she your daughter?” he inquired, looking hard at me, his eyes studying my every expression.

“No but…”

“Show me your ID!” he interjected, I was very scared and I did not know what to do, or how to get out of this, just when I thought the war was over I felt a hand wrap around my waist and someone pulled me close, I turned and who I saw shocked me to the core.

“Babe” he started, before turning to the officer, “she’s with me,” he said.

The officer could see the expression on my face, he was doubtful, but then I forced myself to cling onto the bastard, looking a little convincing.

Eventually, he believed me, made me apologise to the crazy mother and watched me walk away with this liar.

At a safe distance, I pushed him off me and the next thing was my palm striking his lying face.

“you lying piece of shit! Did you trace me here to finish me off?” I yelled, before walking off.

Liam grabbed my arm and pulled me back,

“Pearl, look I'm sorry okay, im sorry” he started.

I slapped him again, “sorry? You ruined my marriage! Why did you lie about us? Why did you let Logan believe all those lies about us?" I inquired, as memories of that night flashed in my mind.

He was quiet, seeing that I was making no headway. I turned to leave, but he held me back, “Look I can't erase what has happened, but let me help you, you are looking for someone?”

“It's none of your business, I don't need anything from you, you are the scum of the earth and i rather eat hot coal than do anything with you!” I snapped.

“Pearl come on don't be stubborn about this, look I'll help you out but after this, you won't see me again” he assured me, but his eyes remained just as treacherous as that day in the study,

“What the hell are you doing in Japan Liam, aren't you far from your mother’s tits for comfort?”

“I guess I deserve that, but…”

“You and your entire family deserve to languish in hell” I chided, my tone suddenly full of bitter hate.

“I'm here for business, that's all you need to know, what are you doing here pearl” he asked, his eyes roaming my body as though he expected to see some unexpected change.

“Eyes up here you fucking pervert, you disgust me Liam, im going to let you help me just this once after this I never want to see your pathetic face ever again, understood!”

“Sure, sure!” he exclaimed in surrender, “Good, I came here with a little girl, she has long brunette hair in two ponytails, she’s wearing a blue frock sundress and her name is Sophie”

“That’s almost every kid in here Pearl, Who is she? Last time I checked you don't have a daughter” he laughed.

But I kept a straight face, showing him that I wasn't up for explaining myself to anyone, least of all him, “Are you in or not?”

“Fine, you take this side, I'll take that side, we meet back here in an hour alright?”

I nodded and left, frantically searching for Nico’s sickly daughter.

There was this daunting fear I had pitting deep down in my core.

Something that scared me about Nico, I had to find her, he may be my saviour but I don't want to find out what lies behind door number 2.

I looked everywhere but there was nothing, the hour was running out and I hoped Liam had better luck than I did.

I walked back to our agreed location defeated, praying in my heart that Sophie would be with Liam.

I was frightened, I wondered if I would ever see her beautiful face again, as I approached I heard a loud gunshot and everyone scattered.

But not me, I ran toward the sound, hoping it had something to do with Sophie being found.

When I got there, I found Liam struggling with a masked man, pulling Sophie away from him, a gun on the floor beside them.

“Sophie!” I cried as I ran towards her, she heard me and started her journey towards me.

She jumped into my arms and I hugged her tightly, “I'm sorry Pearl, the man said he wanted to show me somewhere fun” she cooed.

I hugged her again, and gave her a small kiss, giving her my blood, had her imprinted on me and I could no longer see her as a stranger I'd helped.

She was now a part of me.

“Shh, it's okay honey it's okay, I'm here now” I gave her a quick smile, and I watched Liam wrestle the man to the ground, stomping him hard like mashed potatoes.

“Liam!” I called but rage had taken over him, a rage I never knew he possessed.

“What were you going to do with her? Huh you disgusting pile of shit!” he thundered angrily before grabbing the gun from the floor, he cocked the gun and pointed it at the man.

“Liam that’s enough, we’ve got her, let the police handle it” I cried, but all that didn't faze Liam.

“No, he is going to be out by tomorrow night, I'm not going to let that happen” he snarled.

“Sir! Drop your weapon! Sir!” I heard voices say as they came running from behind.

Liam looked over at them, and he smiled, the whimpering man started begging for mercy and Liam released the trigger fatally shooting the man to death, right in front of Sophia and me.

She screamed and I stared at him in horror, I stepped back in fear, in all the years I'd been married into that household I'd never known any of them to be this violent.

And it made me wonder what Nico had said earlier about not knowing the kind of dealings the Davis-Malone family was into.

Slowly I backed away as the officers confiscated the weapon from him, they threw him to the ground.

He watched me turn and leave, his eyes weren't the same, there was something far more sinister about it.

Slowly I guided Sophie to where Nico had asked us to wait.

“I'm sorry we could not have any fun today Sophie” I sighed, she hugged me, “Thank you for not leaving me as Mommy did”

I felt that, whoever she is, wherever she is I hope she realized she lost a gem of a daughter.

“Miss Pearl?”

A voice called, I turned to see, it was a man dressed like a guard, “yes?”

“I was sent by Don D'Angelo to pick you up, I heard there was a gunfight, it's not safe anymore, this way maam”

I followed him to the car, and soon we were on our way home, I heaved a sigh of relief as we pulled into the driveway.

Wait….. This isn't the beach house.

“Where are we, this isn't the…”

I heard the radio go static and then a voice came from the other side, “Do you have her?”

My heart started to pound out of my chest, is this what I think it is? Again?