Greetings from Sugartown by Carmen Jenner

fucking parole, he put his hands on her, for Christ’s sake. And you bastards aren’t going to do anything to protect her?”
    “I know you’re angry, but I’ll ask you to refrain from using that language, Mr Cade.”
    Ana pats my thigh, and gives me a gloomy smile. “It’s okay.”
    “No, it’s not,” I bellow, and lean forward on my elbows. “I wanna know what the hell you’re going to do to keep her safe from that fucker?”
    “The restraining order is still in place—”
    “A piece of paper? That’s what you’re giving us to protect her? We both know that doesn’t do shit.”
    “Mr Turner has been issued a warning for last night’s antics. Unless he violates it again, there is nothing we can do.”
    “Bull-fucking-shit. The only reason you won’t do anything is because Turner money funds your police barbeques every damn Sunday. Daddy’s money lines the pockets of most of the businesses in this shithole town, including the mayor’s. Slap him with a misdemeanour, fucking run him outta town, do something so that I don’t wind up putting a gun through his fucking face.”
    “Elijah!”
    “Not smart, Kid.”
    “Yeah, neither is letting a rapist walk free, but I’m just an ex-con, so what the hell do I know?” My chair scrapes against the lino as I spring to my feet and stomp toward the door.
    “Thanks for trying to help,” Ana says as she stands up and follows me. That’s the woman I love—polite to the bitter end, even if it winds up killing her.
    We step out into the blindly bright winter sunshine. I’m fuming so bad I’m practically vibrating, but I pull her to me anyway, and run my palms up and down her arms. “We’re gonna fix this, baby girl. Even if I have to run him outta town myself.”
    She stiffens in my embrace and wipes her eyes. “I just … I don’t want you doing anything stupid.”
    “I’m not going inside again, if that’s what you mean?”
    “I can’t lose you, Elijah.”
    “I can’t have you hurt again, so I guess we’re just gonna have to agree to disagree.”
    “No, we’re not.” She pulls back to search my face. “Promise me you won’t do anything here. I overreacted last night. I doubt he’s going to wittingly break that AVO and land himself back in jail.”
    “Jesus, Ana. Are you listening to yourself? That fucker raped and beat you. He cornered you last night—he should still be in the clink, and these arseholes aren’t going to do a thing about it.”
    “Trust me, no one remembers that more than me.” Her voice breaks. “I don’t want you doing anything that’s going to take you away from me, from our lives. Would you just try and think about that for me, please? Just think about us before you do something you’ll regret.”
    I exhale loudly. “Fine.”
    “Can we not talk about this today? Can we just go do something, just you and I? It’s a beautiful day, and we’re both not at work for a change. Let’s go somewhere no one knows us.”
    “You wanna get outta town, huh?”
    “Please.”
    “Alright.” I take her face in my hands and place a kiss to her cold nose. “But I get to drive.”
    “Was there ever another option?”
    “Not really, no.” I grin.
    I jump on the bike, and twist the throttle when I feel Ana slide on behind me. Then we roar off down the road. An hour or so later, we’re pulling into the main street of a beachside town with a lot more people than Sugartown. We get fish and chips, and I pull a blanket from the saddlebag, and we sit on the headland overlooking the ocean. Neither of us talk about Scott for the rest of the day, and though all that shit’s still very much there in the back of my head, I push it aside for her. I let it stew in the darkest recesses of my mind, and instead I take her in my arms, and we laugh and lay in the sunshine until she sighs and says we should head back.
    “We don’t have to.”
    Ana gives a humourless laugh. “Yes, we do. We have work, and the house, and Sammy. Plus, left