Never Regret

I carried on sucking on my cancer stick, smiling as I heard footsteps coming up behind me. Two arms wrapped around my waist and I closed my eyes as a pair of lips pressed tender kisses into my neck.

“Michael,” I moaned.

“Who the fuck is Michael?” the person chuckled.

I shrieked and spun around, dropping my cigarette and sidekick as I saw a broad-shouldered, heavily muscled, tattooed man with jet-black hair and a cold smirk. The man that had hurt me so many years ago.

“Joseph,” I whimpered.

“Don’t sound so surprised, Mackenzie. You knew I’d want to see you again,” Joseph drawled.

Joseph was the only person that called me by my full name, and he’d always refused to change that.

“Why are you here?” I asked as confidently as I could.

Joseph just chuckled, stepping towards me. I took a step back.

“I wanted to talk to you. Is that such a crime?” Joseph said innocently.

“Yes it fucking is. Especially since the last two times we spoke was when you raped me and when I put you in jail,” I spat.

“Mmm still as feisty I see. Putting that to good use with your new boyfriend?” Joseph mused.

Where the fuck is Michael?!

“Leave him out of this,” I growled.

“We’ll see. Besides, he’s not the one I want to see. I want to see Jasmine,” Joseph said simply.

I stayed silent, out of shock. I remember Tommy telling me that Joseph knew about our daughter, but I didn’t know he knew her name.

“Yes, our daughter, Mackenzie. I want to see her. She needs her father,” Joseph said seriously.

“You are no father to her. You fucking raped me! Jasmine is the only good thing that came of our relationship and I will not let you ruin that,” I said angrily.

Joseph’s eyes changed from amusement to anger. Shit. That’s never good.

“Let me see my daughter,” Joseph snarled.

“No!” I shouted.

Joseph raised his fist and swung it at my face, hitting me solidly in the jaw. My head smashed into the side of the bus, and all I remember before my world went black was an explosion of pain and the sound of running feet.

*

[Michael Guy Chislett]

I walked quickly off the bus, eager to see Mackenzie and find out what was wrong with her. She didn’t sound happy at all. But as I drew closer to her bus, I heard her speaking angrily, and a male voice I didn’t recognise talking back. I walked quicker. As I rounded the corner to her bus, I saw a man with black hair and tattoos standing with her.

“Let me see my daughter,” the man snarled.

“No!” Mackenzie shouted.

I froze as he raised his fist and swung it at her, hitting her in the jaw.

“Hey!” I shouted angrily.

The man spun around, not even seeing Mackenzie’s head smash into the bus. I panicked as she collapsed to the floor, a red smear where her head had hit the vehicle. The man smirked.

“Let me guess...Michael?” he smirked.

“Who the fuck are you to touch my girlfriend?” I growled, running over to Mackenzie.

“Joseph Harmon, the only man that will ever mean anything to her,” he introduced, mockingly bowing.

“You son of a bitch,” I spat.

“Easy now, you don’t want me angry,” he smirked.

I took my jacket off and laid it under Mackenzie’s head, and grabbed Mackenzie’s sidekick off the floor and tucked it into my pocket. She’ll need that. I then stood up, squaring my shoulders as I glared at him.

“If you ever fucking talk to my girl again, let alone lay a hand on her, I will rip you limb from limb, you got that?” I snarled.

This anger surprised me. I’m not one for violence normally. But Mackenzie’s special and this dickhead hurt her.

“I’d like to see you try. Nice meeting you Michael, see you soon. But now I’m off,” Joseph laughed mockingly.

“No you’re not,”

I turned my head to see Logan, JC, Reece and Taylor all standing in their bus doorway, Logan having spoken. Joseph just laughed. Is this guy insane? Does he not know how much those three guys want to kill him?

“I’d heard that you three had taken in Mackenzie like some sort of pet but I didn’t think they were telling the truth,” Joseph smirked.

“I’ve been looking forward to the day you came back, Harmon,” Logan growled, clenching his fists.

Joseph just laughed again as Logan shoved him in the chest, making him stumble backwards. I walked back over to Mackenzie, scooping her up in my arms. Her head was still bleeding, easily seen by the red and pink patch staining her hair. Shit!

“Taylor, call an ambulance. That psycho really injured Kenzie,” I said urgently.

Taylor’s eyes went wide but she nodded. I sat down properly and supported her head with my arms, pressing my jacket to the wound in the hope of staunching the blood flow.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” Logan grinned almost wickedly, kicking off his shoes and pulling his t-shirt over his head.

Joseph just grinned, a manic look in his eyes. I saw out the corner of my eye people from the other buses walking over. Shit. This was not what Logan needed. First, a fight. But now a crowd? This could end up just like his illegal underground fights. Mackenzie always worried that he’d get addicted again.

“What’s going on?” Pete asked worriedly, running over to me as he saw Mackenzie in my arms.

“That’s Kenzie’s ex, the one that raped her. I’m assuming they had an argument because I saw him hit her and she’s bleeding badly. Now Logan’s fighting him,” I explained.

“Shit. Has an ambulance been called?” Pete frowned, nodding to the blonde girl.

“Yeah, it’s on it’s way,” Taylor nodded, appearing by my side.

“Why are you letting him fight?” Pete asked JC and Reece.

“Well it’s either Logan or us. This asshole needs to learn a lesson,” JC growled.

Me, Pete and the rest of the bands were shocked. JC never speaks like that. I mean, I can understand it. This guy did rape and punch Mackenzie, after all. I’d be quite happy to fight him myself, but I know Logan would do the damage he deserved.

And then it started.

Joseph ran at Logan, throwing punches, all of which missed. Logan laughed and grabbed one of Joseph’s fists, pinning his arm behind his back. Everyone winced as Logan shoved Joseph’s elbow up, Joseph’s face contorting in pain. Logan then kneed Joseph in the stomach and rammed an elbow down on his spine, making him fall to the floor. Joseph grunted as Logan held his face to the tarmac, crying out as Logan punched at the top of his back. Logan chuckled and stepped away, leaning over Joseph’s body.

“Don’t tell me you’ve given up already?” Logan taunted.

Without warning, Joseph flipped his body over and slammed his fist in Logan’s face, and Logan stumbled backwards. Joseph leapt to his feet, a crazed anger in his eyes. How did Mackenzie ever date this guy?!

“Ah, straight punches don’t fly with me. You gotta mix it up,” Logan mocked, wiping the blood from his nose.

Everyone groaned as Logan swung his leg round, kicking Joseph harshly in the thigh. That’s got to hurt. Joseph cried out, limping. Logan made a move to punch at Joseph’s face, but as Joseph flinched Logan kicked him again in the same thigh. Ouch.

“Give in and get gone, Harmon,” Logan suggested mockingly.

Joseph cried out in frustration and lunged at Logan, but Logan dodged him. Joseph skidded to a halt and turned around, but wasn’t prepared for Logan punching him in the face. And again with the other hand. And again with the first hand. Blood streamed down from Joseph’s nose, but he wasn’t backing down. Jesus fucking Christ, this won’t end well.

“This has got to end right now, with you getting the message to stay the fuck away from Mack and Jasmine and anyone to do with both of them,” Logan said coldly.

“How about you fuck off?” Joseph spat.

“Wrong answer,” Logan laughed cruelly.

Logan turned around briefly, before leaping in the air and swinging his leg round. Logan’s foot came into crunching contact with Joseph’s head, making Joseph’s head snap to the side and blood fly from his mouth. As Joseph fell to the floor unconscious, everyone cheered and clapped. Logan tilted back his head and roared at his victory. But then I saw the look in his eyes. It was bloodthirsty and almost...animalistic. No.

“JC! Reece! You’ve got to make him cool off!” I shouted.

Everyone looked at me, confused. It was only then that I noticed Taylor was crying.

“He pr-promised me that he wouldn’t g-get addicted again. Now l-look at him!” Taylor whimpered.

“Kenzie wouldn’t want him getting addicted again,” I whispered, holding her tighter.

JC and Reece looked at each other, before nodding and walking over to Logan. They whispered something in his ear and Logan’s head snapped over, glancing at both Mackenzie and Taylor with guilt in his eyes. He nodded and spat at Joseph, before taking off on a jog, hopefully to calm himself down.

“Where the fuck is the ambulance?” I growled, not liking how pale Mackenzie was.

She’s, like, chalk white, and my jacket is pretty damn stained with blood.

“It should be here soon,” Taylor sniffed.

Reece came over and wordlessly pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead as he guided her back onto the bus. JC came and sat down next to me, everyone else heading back to their buses.

“You guys going to be okay?” Pete asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, us two will go with her and we’ll call you with updates,” JC nodded.

Pete nodded in reply and walked back to the Cobra bus.

“I can’t believe she dated such an asshole. Seriously,” I said in shock.

“He’s always been like that. We always thought he was crazy,” JC sighed.

Then we heard Pete shouting and turned our heads to see him waving his arms in the air at something. Fucking finally, the ambulance.

“Thanks for staying with her. I know I should’ve done, but I wanted to watch Joseph get the ass-beating he deserved. You have no idea how broken, how much of a wreck she was after the rape, let alone after the birth. I know we didn’t know her then, but Lisa told us everything. She would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming and thrashing about, and there was nothing anyone could do. That fucker needed what Logan gave him,” JC said fiercely.

All I could do was nod. I didn’t want to think about the pain the Mackenzie had been through. Seeing her be punched and bleeding tonight was enough to make me furious. Finally the paramedics ran over to us.

“What the hell happened?” the male one asked, laying the stretcher down on the ground.

“Mackenzie was attacked by her ex, that fucker over there. One of us then fought her ex in her defence to get him to leave her alone. He wouldn’t go,” I said softly, gently laying my girlfriend down on the stretcher.

“I’ll call for another ambulance for him then,” the female paramedic said, the other female walking over to Joseph’s body.

“Mm, he’ll need it,” JC muttered, standing up.

JC and I followed the paramedics to the ambulance, and climbed into the back with the female. The male got in the driver’s seat and as soon as our back door was closed, the ambulance sped off. I took Mackenzie cold hand in mine, biting my bottom lip.

“Will she be okay?” I whispered.

“She’s lost a lot of blood, but yes, she’ll be okay. She’ll need stitches and blood transfusions, but she should be alright to be released tomorrow. Is she one of the musicians?” the paramedic asked.

“Yeah, she’s the bassist in my band,” JC nodded.

“She won’t be able to do anything strenuous for a few weeks, so maybe a stool on stage?” the paramedic suggested.

Mackenzie wouldn’t like that. But we both nodded, smiling to ourselves. The three of us fell into silence, and I found myself staring at Mackenzie’s angelic face. I just hoped that she wouldn’t cut herself off again, like she had been when we first met. That would ruin everything.