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Something flashed at the corner of my eye, followed by the sharp sting of coarse rope at my throat. Pulled tight, it rubbed the existing wound, cutting off my air supply. I bent my knees, twisting to one side to slip my hand under the rope, tugging it away from the wound that leaked fresh blood.
Todd wrestled me, using his much larger body to bring mine down. I shifted my weight a little more, angling myself until I could drive the knife in my other hand between his ribs.
He gasped—a wet sound—and his eyes flew open wide.
I gritted my teeth and twisted the blade before yanking it out, hoping I hit something vital. For a moment, his lips worked like he wanted to speak, but no sound came out. He fell to his knees, blood pouring out of him. So much blood. My hands were wet with it, making me swallow down the rising bile.
Falling forward onto his hands, he gasped with deep, rattling breaths. “You…fucking…bitch,” he croaked.
I spun on my heel and ran for the door, grabbing my bag that was left beside it. From what I knew of stab wounds, if he got help quickly, he’d likely survive. With shaky hands I shoved the bloody dagger into a shirt in my backpack and scrambled for the car keys.
My wallet was inside and a quick check in the parking lot told me my bank card hadn’t been stolen. Clearly, they were that confident that I wouldn’t escape. A siren sounded in the distance and I jumped, but knew it wasn’t heading this way. Still, I slung the backpack over my shoulders and ran with a final look at the Range Rover I’d have to leave behind.
Morning was in full swing, the sky streaked with an array of pink, purple, and orange. It felt too cheerful for what had just happened. For what I’d just done.
After a few minutes, I stopped, finding a patch of dewy grass to wipe my hands on. But still the blood was everywhere. I shoved my hands in the pockets of my hoodie and forced myself to walk.
When I reached a gas station, I went inside, striding with purpose to the bathroom to wash my hands. The clerk inside clearly noticed the crimson stains crusting on my head and clothes. Mercifully, she didn’t speak.
I scrubbed my clothes and body with far too much soap, paying attention to the area around my nailbeds. After, I grabbed a wad of paper towels and dabbed at the cuts on my head, cleaning away as much of the blood as I could. The blade was next. Once it too was cleaned, I threw away the shirt it had been wrapped in before stowing the dagger back in the bag. Satisfied, I headed out to purchase a bottle of water. The woman at the counter pursed her lips, looking me over with suspicion.
“Abusive relationship,” I whispered hoarsely. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
Her gaze hardened further. “You need me to call the police, honey? Or an ambulance? You look like you’ve lost a lot of blood.”
I gave her a tight smile and shook my head. “Just heading back to Texas to stay with my mom for a while. He’s gone too far this time. I can’t go back.”
The lies were bitter in my mouth, but I knew it was the only way I’d keep her from calling the cops if she hadn’t already.
She nodded. “You get yourself out of here and stay safe. Don’t come back here even if he begs, you hear me?”
I forced a slightly bigger smile, taking the water with me. “Do you know where the bus station is? I had to leave my phone behind.”
The woman gave me directions and offered to call a cab for me, but I told her I was happy to walk. Surprisingly, she let me leave, meaning she hadn’t called the cops after all. It made me wonder what sorts of things she saw on a daily basis.
I stopped at the bank, then at Walmart, and picked up a cheap prepaid phone before continuing to the bus station. Time was not on my side, but I needed to have resources in order to stay safe.
By the time I reached my destination and purchased a ticket north—away from where I’d told the cashier, just in case things led back to me—I had just enough time to plug the new phone in and charge it halfway before my bus pulled in.
I climbed in and took a seat at the back, willing the other passengers to hurry up so we could leave. The sooner we got out of this city, the better.
I loaded the phone with the prepaid data and booted up the browser, checking the local news for any signs of my name or face.
Nothing.
A sigh of relief escaped me, and I slumped into the seat just as the bus lurched forward, beginning the journey that carried me further away from Romero.
Part of me wanted to call him. To make sure he was safe.
I hoped that my leaving had roused Eli, giving them all time to fight off whatever threat had been lurking outside.
My heart twisted painfully. I just wanted him to be safe, yet I felt like a traitor and a coward for running.
I keyed in his number, letting my thumb hover above the call button. My eyes shut and I took a steadying breath.
Then deleted the numbers one by one.
My head rested against the seat, the biting pain of the wound making me wince.
