Chapter 7
Stay away
“Hello?” I pull out my phone from my jacket pocket and answer.
I’m sitting at a small desk in Grace’s offices. She has a few important events coming up that she has to be styled for, so I’m pulling ideas from various designer catalogues online. She’s risen so high in popularity that everyone is watching what she wears, even if it’s just to the gym. And I love the clothing budget. I have definitely given Jake’s black AmEx a workout lately, and he couldn’t care less.
“What a pretty little girl you have,” a robotic voice says after a series of clicks and beeps. And the altered voice takes me back to another time and place. Even though I can’t recognize it, in my heart of hearts, I know who it is.
No. This can’t be happening. I worked so hard; I have sacrificed so much, all to keep the monsters at bay, but somehow, they followed me home after all.
“Who is this?” I demand. I refuse to believe this is happening again. It can’t be. The unfairness of the situation hits me like a slap across the face.
“You know who this is,” they answer after a heavy pause that has my stomach sinking into my toes.
“I did what you said,” I say in a broken whisper. It feels like all the blood has drained from my face, and I feel lightheaded. The only thing keeping me grounded right now is the knowledge I have to stay strong for Rachel. “You said you would leave me alone if I did what you asked, and I did.”
“She looks so happy playing in the schoolyard,” the voice says. “So carefree and innocent. She has no idea the things her parents have done.”
“No,” I whisper, looking around to make sure I haven’t drawn anyone’s attention. “I don’t believe you.”
“That’s a lovely blue ribbon in her hair.”
“No.” The sob that threatens to rise up from my chest is audible in my whispered protest. I know if I can hear it, he can too.
Rachel was just given that hair bow by her new bestie Becky over the weekend. Becky’s mom, Amber, made matching bows for the girls of bright blue ribbons mixed with soccer-ball-patterned ribbons. But she hasn’t had it long, so whomever this is, is watching her now.
“It would be such a tragedy if something happened to her. She has her whole life ahead of her…” the voice trails off, but the threat is there. It’s like a living, breathing thing that stands between us. And I know without a doubt he will follow through on his threats if I don’t tread carefully.
“No!” I cry. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked. Leave her alone. Please. Just leave her alone.”
“Have you?” the voice prompts. “Have you really done everything I asked you to? Or are you connected to Donovan again? If memory serves me, he was the price you so happily paid. Well now the stakes have been raised.”
I am. Rick is back in my life, and now we are more intertwined than ever, even more so than when we were married. Something told me when Rick crashed back into my life that I was dancing with the devil himself, but I had stupidly ignored the feeling. I left Rick years ago to protect him, and now I’d have to leave him again to protect our daughter. And I will.
I have always loved Rick, and it’s been physically painful being near him and not having him completely, but I would give it all up again to protect Rachel. Rachel is my everything. She is the best of both of us and has her whole life ahead of her. What happens to me no longer matters; my pain is no longer relevant, and neither is my joy, because she is everything.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I made a mistake.”
“You know what to do.” And then the line disconnects.
My stomach roils at the thought of a creep watching my baby. I have to get to her now. I can’t be away from her any longer. Every second that ticks by is another that could mean total devastation. It’s the middle of the school day, but I don’t care. I’ll check her out and take her home to hunker down for movies and Chinese food. She’ll love it. I have to keep her safe. And hopefully, she will never know the wolf was knocking at our door.
I scoop my keys up off the desk and log out of the computer I was using. My heart is pounding so fast it feels like it will beat right out of my chest. My palms are slick with sweat, and my brain is swirling a mile a minute. My thoughts are racing with so many what-if scenarios, and I can’t make it stop. I sling my pocketbook over my shoulder and run out the office door and right into a hard body. Thick arms banded with heavy muscle close around me, and full lips brush my ear.
“Hey, baby, I was just looking for you,” he purrs in my ear.
What I wouldn’t give to go back and be able to lose myself in his body. To be ignorant in the unfairness of our situation, of the rules of the game and the die that had been cast against us.
God, how I would have loved to hear those words spoken like this a month, a day, an hour ago even, but now, I can’t. I can’t have anything to do with Rick Donovan, because it could very well cost our daughter her life. Oh how I would trade places with her in a heartbeat. A life for a life. Mine for hers. I would do it too. Without hesitation. She would be safe and happy living with Rick, and I would be gone.
Whatever monsters I brought into their lives would be gone forever with me.
“I have to go,” I whisper, and my voice sounds wrong to my own ears. His body stiffens in response, and I know he hears it too.
“Cara?” Rick asks. I can hear he’s on alert, looking for the threat and where it might come from. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just have to go.” I try to push away from him, but he tightens his arms around me. No. Why can’t he let me go? I just need to go.
