This was my chance. My chance to slip away. Could I do it? My heart began to pound as I became anxious about the possibility.
“Come to our house, sunshine,” Dad suggested.
I nodded. “Okay.”
The five of us started walking toward the white French doors that led inside the house. I wanted to tell my parents if I went to their house my new plan wouldn’t work because Rich would find me and bring me back home. In the few seconds we had to make a break for it, I needed to slip away with Gabe. I couldn’t say anything because Trista would hear and tell Rich.
Fuck!
“Go get the car and then I’ll be ready. I need to find Lea,” I added, dodging people as they walked quickly out the door.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a circle of people standing where Rich had been. I was certain he was still there, dealing with the man who had crashed his party. Luckily, there was a ton of cops at our house and I’d recognized a few in the crowd of people. Whoever it was had picked the wrong night to threaten Rich—but the right night for me to escape.
I stepped around the corner to the kitchen to find Lea when I felt a hand grab mine, halting me. “Angel—”
“This is my chance, Gabe. I can slip away and hide from him while I file for divorce.”
“Wait. What?”
“I don’t want to go to my parents. I want to come home with you and put our plan in motion. It’s perfect.”
“Are you sure?”
I smiled. “I’m positive.”
Lea went to rush past me and I grabbed her arm. “Hey, you need to go home. Shit’s going down. I’ll send you the money—”
“What about cleaning up?”
I shook my head. I didn’t care how the house was left. Rich could clean it up or hire someone. “Don’t worry about it. Get your staff out fast. I want everyone out.”
“How are we going to get you to my house?” Gabe asked when Lea walked away.
I thought for a few seconds and then an idea came to me. “I’m leaving everything here because I’m certain Rich can search it,” I said while walking toward a drawer in the kitchen. “Write your number on this and I’ll call you to come pick me up after I explain everything to my parents. I’ll be at their house.”
He gave me a concerned looked. “Are you really sure about this?”
“Yes!” I shrieked. “We need to hurry.”
He wrote his number on a piece of paper I’d gotten from the drawer while I ran to my room, grabbing my gun and my purse. I put the gun in my purse and threw my cell phone on the bed before going back to the kitchen where Gabe was waiting. He handed me the piece of paper and we started to run toward the front door.
The plan was in motion and I was scared shitless.
Gabe gave me one last look before slipping into the limo where Trista was waiting and I slid into my parents’ SUV.
My heart felt as if it were pounding out of my chest as I kept looking over my shoulder out the back window, making sure we weren’t being followed. I couldn’t believe I’d left everything behind. I hoped once I’d filed for divorce, my attorney could get a few of my childhood photo albums back at the very least. I didn’t need the clothes, the jewelry, my cell phone—all of that was replaceable.
“Now do you want to tell me what’s going on?” Dad asked, pulling onto the freeway.
“I will once we get to your house.”
“Autumn, this is scaring me,” Mom sobbed.
“It’s going to be okay. I promise.” I reached over and placed my hand on her shoulder where she sat in the front seat. I didn’t know for certain if everything was going to be okay, but it had to be.
We sat in silence as Dad drove to their home. I looked down at my hand where I had the piece of paper with Gabe’s number written on it. I wished I had my phone. I wanted to hear him tell me everythingwouldbe okay and I wanted to be in his arms—safe.
Dad pulled into their garage and we all got out and went inside.
