She swallowed hard, thinking about how Quinn, Kenny, and Blake would react to this news. They were not on speaking terms with their brother Bryant at all. She gave her subconscious a shove and focused on the Joneses. Why she cared about what Kenny, Blake or Quinn thought she didn’t know. Although, the way they pinned her in the corner, looked her over with jealous, hungry eyes, then threatened that the conversation wasn’t over, had her up most of the night. They sure were acting rather strangely.
“Well, basically, yes, Lena. We know it’s a lot to ask, but you seem to be the perfect person for the job. He doesn’t know you. You won’t take any of his crap, and you know how to cook, clean and we can teach you how to help him with exercises for his leg,” Doc stated.
“You’re really our last hope, Lena. He’s been drinking, and it’s not good for the healing process both physically and emotionally. Last night he wound up in the hospital after falling and cutting his leg. He needed stitches.”
She stepped back when she heard those words about being their last hope and about Bryant needing stitches. Instantly, her drunk of a mother entered her mind as well as the pigs she brought home to the apartment.
“Lena, what’s wrong?” Will asked.
“I don’t know if I can take that type of abuse again,” she admitted then sat in the chair and hung her head. These people had done so much for her, and now she could pay them back by helping with their son, but she was afraid of her past.
She felt the hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw that it was Will.
He knelt down beside the chair.
“What do you mean, Lena?”
She took a few seconds to answer.
“I know I haven’t shared a lot about my life with any of you. It’s because it’s just too painful to have to recall. I’m not sure if I can handle some drunk ex-Marine I don’t even know, cursing me out, calling me names, or treating me the way my mother treated me when I was growing up.”
“Oh, Lena, your mother was an alcoholic?” Doc asked.
“She was drunk most of the time, and when she wasn’t passed out, she was entertaining.” She leaned back and took a deep breath then stared at their faces.
“That’s terrible for a kid to have to witness,” Frank added.
“I want to help you. You’ve done so much for me.”
“I think that you’ve come a long way from those years living in that type of home environment. You’re a very bright, very beautiful young woman who’s kept positive despite that childhood. You’ve shown us how wonderful and caring you are and how much of a hard worker, too. Don’t regret being unable to do this. We’ll keep thinking of a way to help Bryant,” Abigail stated, and Lena stood up, prepared to leave the room.
“I’ll think about it, okay?”
Abigail nodded her head.
* * * *
Lena was tired of getting hit on, tired of turning down dates, then getting called a slut, and she was tired of the Jones brothers giving her a hard time about working at Rocky’s. She needed the money, and she knew that Doc Jones was keeping her in the office without really having work to do. She was going to have to take the job with Bryant. She wanted to quit this stupid job and do something positive with her life. Enough was enough.
As she headed out of the bar prepared to take her bike, she noticed a group of guys standing near the corner of the building. It was beginning to rain as she started to pull out her bag so she could throw on her sweat shorts and a hooded sweatshirt. Hopefully there wouldn’t be a downpour.
She stepped into the shorts as she heard the sound of sneakers hitting gravel and coming closer.
“Hey, Lena, what are you doing?” some guy named Derrick asked, slurring his words. His other buddies took position around her. She knew this wasn’t a good situation and hoped that someone else would exit the bar. It was late.
“I’m headed home, Derrick. Don’t you think you should, too?” she asked as she began to zip up her bag then pull on her sweatshirt. The rain began to get a little heavier.
“I was thinking about taking you home with me. What do you say, Lena? Come home with a real man, and you’ll never forget it.” He touched her sweatshirt and she pulled away.
“I’m not interested. You seem like nice guys and all, but I’m tired and need to be at work early tomorrow morning.”
She wanted to jump on her bike and leave, but then she felt the hand on her shoulder and someone else turn her toward them. Some creepy guy grabbed her around the waist and turned her so she was flat up against the wall.
The panic hit her that she was being attacked. Flashbacks of Triumph entered her mind.
“Get off of me!” she yelled.
“Keep her quiet or someone is going to come outside,” Derrick whispered through grinding teeth.