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I hold my breath as a familiar voice on the other side says, “Hello, Honeybee. I’ve missed you. I’ll see you soon. Then, I can finally bring you home.”
Needles prick my body, and tears rapidly blur my vision.
My ears ring as my phone slips from my hand and crashes onto my floor.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Cam jumps off of the counter and is by my side in a second.
But nothing’s working—not my mouth, my brain, or my body. I’m frozen in place as his words play over and over in my head.
Honeybee.
How do I know he’s not outside right now, just waiting for me?
Cam rubs my shoulders. “Baby, what is it?”
I can’t find my words, so I grab my phone off of the floor and hand it to him.
He presses play and holds it to his ear, listening to the voice of the man who abused me for years.
He sets my phone down on the counter and kisses my forehead. “What do you want to do? Do you want to stay here? I really think we need to go someplace else.”
We need to not be in such a trapped space. The shop has two exits, but knowing Trey, he will block one somehow and corner us. I know just the place we’re going to.
“Grab your stuff. We’re going to the library,” I tell him as I throw the phone back on its charger.
“I want to support whatever your plan is, but is reading really the answer right now?” he asks nervously as I take off for the stairs and he follows behind me.
I roll my eyes at him and timidly chuckle. “I’m not going to read. The library is closed today and tomorrow. We’re going to camp out there. I know the ins and outs of that place like the back of my hand. If Trey doesn’t show up by the end of day tomorrow, maybe we can go to Chloe’s.”
He nods, trusting me fully. “All right, let’s do it.”
Quickly, I throw some clothes into my bag along with my charger, my toothbrush, my hairbrush, snacks for a couple of days, and my box of ammo. You know, all the essentials.
Cam waits for me by the door with his duffel bag on his shoulder.
“Hey, can you grab those blankets, please?” I ask, pointing to the stack in the basket by the couch.
Tossing my bag down, I rush to grab something I forgot. Sliding my arms through the sleeves, I pull Cam’s hoodie over my head and sigh at the happiness it brings me.
“Ready?” I say as I grab my bag and tuck my pistol into my hoodie in case we need it on the walk over.
Nodding, he opens the door for me, and I step outside first with my hand in my pocket. He shuts it, and I hastily secure a few of the locks behind me.
My ears listen for the smallest creak in a floorboard or a hinge opening on a door. But dead silence is all I hear.
I lead us down the stairs and out of the stairwell, walking on the balls of my feet across the sitting area of my shop.
Opening the front door, I throw my hood up and lock the door once Cam walks through.
“Take a breath for me, please,” Cam whispers into my ear.
Forcing the air I was holding through my teeth, I slowly exhale. Scanning the streets, I look for anything out of place. But everything seems as it should be.
We make the short walk to the library and are approaching the doors when Cam says, “How are we getting in? Is there a hidden key or something?”
Digging my keys out of my pocket, I slide one into the door until it clicks and unlocks.
“About a year ago, Susan was really sick and couldn’t run the library, so she asked me to watch over it while she was ill. I kept it in case I ever needed to get away or if she needed help again.” I push the door open and relock it behind us.
