“No, it’s warm where we’re going. You’ll like it.”
“Do you promise?”
“Yes, baby, I promise.” She kissed the tip of his nose and then very gently and silently moved the bookcase.
She held her breath as she peeked out. The sudden awful thought that Gary had known all along where they were and was waiting for them to appear squeezed her heart. But fortunately, the basement was in its usual quiet, gloomy state. The one high window, laced with dusty cobwebs, let only a few blades of light stab through. To the right was a moth-eaten chair with a bloodstain on it from where he’d split her lip the year before and she’d fallen against it.
“Come.” She took Zak’s hand. Her heart was beating so hard she feared it might burst right out of her chest. Nausea gripped her as she climbed the wooden steps, avoiding the last one because it always groaned.
Zak held her hand so tight his tiny fingers were like vises around hers. “Bilbo first,” he whispered.
She nodded, then at the base of the main staircase, she released his hand. “Wait here, I’ll get him.”
His eyes were wide and scared. His cheeks pale as his bottom lip trembled.
Seeing him like that steeled her conviction. No child should feel the way he did, ever, and certainly not in his own home. And Zak wouldn’t, not for another minute.
Barefoot, she climbed the steps, her movements swift and light and once again avoiding a floorboard that creaked. She’d learned where they all were. It had been an essential part of her survival strategy.
She darted into Zak’s small room decorated to look like outer space and grabbed Bilbo, a small red rabbit he’d had sincehe was a baby. Thank goodness he’d been sitting on the bed and she hadn’t had to search for him.
A loud, juddering snore rumbled toward her.
She peeked into the master bedroom.
Her husband was spread star-shaped on the bed, fully dressed and with his head thrown back, mouth open.
Another snore accompanied by a grunt then a fart.
She suppressed a shudder. Her loathing of him was intense. It had become a part of who she was, and it was alive and hot and furious.
Part of the fury was that she’d waited this long to call her uncle and ask for help. But right now, she didn’t have time for regrets. She hadn’t reached safety yet.
Without a moment of sadness to be leaving the house she’d bought to live her married life in, she dashed down the stairs, grabbed her purse, and then quickly helped Zak with his shoes before putting her own on.
The front door was locked, as usual, but today in his drunken state, Gary had forgotten to put the key into his jeans pocket—effectively locking her and Zak in—and it was still in the keyhole.
She waited until another snore rumbled from upstairs and then turned the lock and opened the door. After she’d stepped outside, she pulled the door closed and stooped down. “Climb on, I’ll give you a piggyback.”
He smiled. “You said I was getting too heavy for that.”
“I’m feeling strong today, c’mon.”
He climbed on, his small arms and legs wrapping around her, Bilbo dangling under her chin.
Tammy didn’t wait around for any last moments of sentiment. She half walked, half jogged down the driveway to the sidewalk, took a left, and headed for the bus station.
Despite Zak’s weight, she felt light. Terrified of Garysuddenly appearing behind her, yes, but still light. This was the start of a new life, she was sure of it. A life where she wasn’t a human punching bag for a bad-tempered alcoholic who had so little confidence he thought everyone was out to get him.
A new life for Zak where he wouldn’t have to witness his mom pleading and begging, crying and bleeding.
She sped up, a full-on jog now. A dog walker stared at her, but she didn’t care. The bus station wasn’t far, and once she was on her way and made a few connections in the direction of California, Gary wouldn’t stand a chance of finding her.
Ever.
****
Jayden Moritz pulled up on The Strand directly outside 1983. Stomping his boots to the ground, he killed the engine on his Harley. He had better things to be doing than running errands for Hudson, but truth be told, after the last conversation he’d had with Skylar, he was glad to be off the compound, for a few hours at least.