2

Anthony felt his husband's fist connect with his jaw before he could really register that Jamie had moved.

With a soft groan of pain, Anthony tried to push past Jamie, to get out of the cramped hallway.

To get somewhere he could be seen, where someone could help him.

But no-one ever would.

Anthony knew that now.

His neighbours had seen him regularly sporting black eyes or a bruised jaw, but they nodded politely to him whenever they saw him and kept on walking, never looking back.

Every time, Anthony silently begged them to look back, to offer him some help.

They never did.

The second blow stunned Anthony for a moment, and before he knew what was happening, he was on the ground, Jamie stood over him, his knuckles bloodied, but not as much as Anthony's face.

Bracing himself just in time, Anthony thought he heard a rib crack as Jamie's heavy boot descended on his chest.