I wipe away a new round of tears and lie back on the bed. Suddenly, I’m so exhausted I can’t keep my eyes open.
I wake to a heavy pounding on the door. At first, fear claws at me. Oh, God, he’s found me already.
But then the cook’s surly voice calls through the door. “It’s cold, and I don’t want to stand out here all night.”
I throw the covers off and race to unlock the chain. The second the door is open, she sweeps inside and peers out the ratty curtains. “I don’t think anyone followed me. They all thought I didn’t like you anyway, so…they have no reason to think I’d help you escape.”
I reach out to hug her in thanks, but she holds me off. “I still don’t like you, girl, so back off.”
“Sorry,” I mumble and sit on the edge of the bed. “Thank you for coming.”
She unwinds a gray scarf from her neck and tosses a heavy bundle on the bed beside me. “That’s a few things I took from the kitchen no one will miss, and then a couple of other things I thought you might need.”
I untie the top of the bag and peer inside. Some food I can eat without much fuss, a charging cable (how did she know?), and a heavy black—
“You brought me a gun. Whose is it?”
“No one will miss it. I didn’t take it from the armory at the penthouse, so don’t worry. I’m not an idiot.”
I scowl at it in the bag and then close the top of it, so I don’t have to see it anymore right now. Guns still make my skin crawl.
“Any news, are they all looking for me?”
She nods. “Everyone is out hunting for you right now. All the men who can look are doing so, and your man is stalking back and forth like a caged beast at the penthouse in case you come back there, or someone contacts him about a ransom.”
Guilt bites hard, and I lean over to stifle the pang in my middle. “I hate this. I so hate this. I keep thinking if I go back—”
“He’ll kill you,” she deadpans. “He’ll drag you in the door and murder you right there in the entryway. He doesn’t tolerate any weakness, and you’ve made him vulnerable in a way he’s never been. Hell, he wouldn’t be under watch by the council if it weren’t for you.”
She’s right. Of course, she’s right. I have to stay away. In more than just keeping his son safe, I’ll be helping him, protecting him. “Okay. I’ll try to keep moving and head out of town. Maybe in the early morning hours, I can make it to a new motel and just keep jumping until I can catch a ride out for good.”
She nods, her lined face set grimly. “That’s a good start. Just keep moving and use what I gave you there if you feel like you’re in danger. Just be careful, all right?”
I nod, wanting to tell her I’m not a complete idiot, but I doubt she’ll trust my judgment there. “Thank you for helping me, by the way. If there’s anything I can do for you when I get out of here, please let me know.”
“I don’t want anything from you, girl. I just didn’t want you to throw your life away. Watch him kill you one way or another until you’re gone for good.”
It’s almost the nicest thing she’s ever said to me, but I don’t call her out on it since she won’t take it kindly. I simply nod.
She throws her scarf back around her neck and marches toward the door. “Remember what I said, be careful. I’ll check in with you again tomorrow and see where you are and if there is anything I can do to help, but I might have to stay away for a couple of days, so no one suspects anything.”
I open the door for her. “Thanks again.”
She leaves without another word, and I lock all the locks behind her. I’m tired but still scared. For some reason, I climb back into the closet with the blanket and huddle up on the floor. It’s about the same comfort level as the bed. The bag is still sitting on the bed, and I don’t have the heart to look inside again. She’d given me a gun as if I could possibly use it. Hell, I couldn’t even use it when I should have to protect Rose and me.
I rub my belly again and whisper softly to the baby inside. It’ll be a long time until he hears me, but for now, it comforts me in a strange way. I’m doing this for him, and it’s something I can’t afford to forget.
The neighbors start screaming at each other, and I can hear them through the wall. The yelling shifts to a physical altercation, and suddenly, I’m back in that house under my dad and Sal’s fists. No, I won’t go back to that. Sal is dead, and I never have to go back to that.