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ChapterTwenty-Four
Rita had gathered everything useful from the room she could find. It took a lot of imagination with some of the junk, but there was plenty she could use against him. Nearly anything could be used as a weapon in a pinch.
And this was much more than a pinch. Being held against her will was not a string of words she thought would ever describe her. But if anyone could get out of this, it was her. She’d survived over five years married to Boone.
Living with a man who presented himself as someone completely different to the world was its own special form of torture. Having to smile or agree or even just keep from speaking up killed parts of her soul tiny piece by tiny piece.
Nothing and no one would kill Rita Walker. She’d managed to keep herself whole through everything else in her life, and this would be no different. The fact that she’d gotten free from the ropes showed that.
She was no ordinary person. The average abduction victim lasted less than twenty-four hours — at least that’s what she thought Ariana said — and Rita had long since passed that.
Now it was a matter of getting out of here. First the room, then the house. Then whatever the outside held. Could be anything. She’d considered breaking the window behind the blackout curtains, but there were bars on the outside, not giving her any chance of escape. Beyond them, woods. They would make the perfect cover … if she could get past the bars.
She needed to focus on one thing at a time. With no shoes, no coat, and only makeshift weapons, the best thing she had going for her was her mind. While she needed to make changes in her choices of men, she was a smart person. She’d built a thriving business all on her own.
No man had stopped her. Nor would one now.
Her dad had practically forced her into her marriage, a business deal not unlike an old-fashioned dowry arrangement. Instead of exchanging the daughter for farm animals or kingdom alliances, this had been for cold hard cash. Rita had honestly believed she was helping her family out, getting her beloved parents out of a desperate situation. And that had all been true.
But if she’d had a clearer view of the situation, she’d have walked away long before saying her vows and signing that prenup — a document her husband had held over her head from the moment they became husband and wife. Boone had only wanted one thing — power. He reveled in the prestige that came with it, and to him Rita was nothing more than a trophy to show off.
He’d made the mistake of thinking he could treat her like another of his possessions, or like the people who worked for him. Behind closed doors, they fought over that constantly. She refused to be controlled. Didn’t care if he dumped her and left her penniless.
Some things were better than a bad marriage. Like being poor and alone. But she would never be either. Her bar and grill was one of the best places to be in their sleepy town. It was always full of people, so she was never alone. And she had her friends. Ariana and Lia made life with a miserable husband worth living. Between them and her business, she almost never had to see that jerk anymore.
And her secret money stash was getting to be significant. Between her allowance from Boone — how humiliating was that? — and her profits from the restaurant, she had a nice savings. If she could invest it, then it would be even better, but she didn’t trust him. Not for a moment. If she opened any kind of account, he would find out.
So making that kind of money would have to wait.
Boone thought he had the upper hand on keeping her married. Those pictures meant nothing. He would never use them against her. It would kill his pride to show them to anyone, to admit that his wife was stepping out on him. Oh the horror of admitting he didn't have full control over her.
She couldn’t wait to be free of him. But first she had to free herself from mistake number two.
Creak, creak.
And it sounded like he was back.
Good.
She was ready to get this show on the road. Mitch was going down, and after that she would face Boone.
No man would ever dream of trying to hurt her after this. Not that she would let one near enough to try. Those days were over.
The doorknob jiggled.
Rita’s heart clawed its way up her throat. She grabbed the broken table leg and held it like a baseball bat. Inched closer to the door.
Waited.
Click.
Go time.
The door opened.
She swung with all the energy she had. Given how long she’d been tied up without food, it wasn’t her best.
But it was enough.
