Daniel's POV

Phoebe had run into another room.

This one was smaller. I had a quick image of dozens of books and shelves, before my eyes fell on Sarah and the two kids peeping out from behind her back. Jacob and Ava and they both looked terrified.

They were staring at another door to our left. Instantly, I could feel the hair on my neck prickle.

Whoever he was, the man leaning against the wall was a thug. I didn't have to hear the hissing words; the leering sneer and muscle-popping arms were enough. The knife dangling carelessly from his fingers was a dead give-away.

I heard Phoebe's gasp, caught the flash of movement as she ran in-between Sarah and the man.

"A knife against kids? What the hell are you thinking Paul?' she was fearless. If I hadn't been so afraid for her I'd have cheered.

"I should've known you wouldn't be far away," his sneering voice grated.

My fists, already clenched, tightened. "Phoebe, move away," I urged, but she didn't even spare me a glance.

"Get out, Paul," she said. "Nothing has changed and nothing is going to. Sarah is not going to sell. So go tell your boss to find someone else to intimidate because it won't WORK!"

"Oh please - you think he'll turn tail because some little girl says no?" He laughed - a deep, raucous sound.

Jacob's and Ava's heads completely disappeared from view.

I had to fight the urge to punch his lights out right there and then...

"What the hell is this about?" I asked trying to keep the anger under control.

"Have you heard of Derek Sebastian? " Phoebe asked.

"Oh yeah..."

Who hadn't; he owned most of the land around there after all.

"And he's the one who wants to buy this place?" I asked.

"Sure thing," said Paul. He looked at me properly for the first time, weighing me up, checking me out - Let him... I thought. "And he's offered good money for this wreck of a building. Three hundred thousand as it happens."

"And that wouldn't buy a property big enough for half the kids here," Sarah retorted. "If we have to move out of the area we'll lose half the kids."

"You just don't give a damn if they're left homeless," Phoebe added. "What sort of animal are you?" She looked like a tiger ready to pounce.

"So is this your knight in shining armour come to save you all...?"
The sneer was turned on me this time.

"Just get out," I said. "Only cowards threaten women and kids. I hadn't realised your boss had stooped quite that low?" I expected him to take the bait - go for me.

He was fast - too damned fast.

His hands were around Phoebe's throat before I could do a thing!

All I could see through the red haze of anger were her eyes wide with fear... I heard a sound - feral, high-pitched. Only later did I find out it came from me...

I lunged, grabbing him by the throat. Fury gave me strength and I threw him against the wall. Books fell from shelves crashing onto floorboards. Under my fingers, I could feel his pulse throbbing, hear him gasping for air.

"D-A-N-I-E-L Enough!"
Her shouts of fear finally broke through.

Under my hands, Paul was beginning to slump. It would be so easy, I thought. One less monster in the world - I closed my eyes, fighting my own demons. Breathe, I thought, just breathe. All those months of therapy must have been worth something as sanity began to seep in. This was not what Sarah needed or Phoebe... What sort of monster was I, no better than the slug under my hands?

"You have no idea how close you were," I hissed in his ear. The shove, as I let him go, sent him reeling head-first into the side of a bookcase. He slid to the floor, too stunned to move.

For a long moment, no one said a word. All I could see where the two kids shaking like withered leaves in fall...

Edited by lindajonesAuthor

A/N What will happen next? Is Daniel's reaction justified? Is Phoebe right?

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