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Before Alex opened his mouth, I knew the answer. I nodded, letting out a trembling breath.
“Don’t do this,” he said. “Come back, marry me. I will keep you safe.”
It wasalmosttempting. The dark unknown around made me feel small. Vulnerable. Like a lost puppy on its own in the world. I was. When Alex left, I’d be on my own. With nowhere to go and no one to trust. Could I do that? I wasn’t street smart. Hell, I wasn’t smart in any way. I knew nothing of the world. Only a few weeks ago did I pay the price of trusting the wrong people.
My eyes traveled over the dark silhouettes of trees surrounding us, then back to Alex. “I can’t.” I shook my head as to emphasize. “I can’t live like that. With him. Let me go.”
“Damn you Kaylie,” he snapped. “Damn you for doing this to me!” He nearly shouted the last words. He spun around, stood there breathing heavily in the pressing silence then turned around to face me. “Here.” He handed me a card, muttering under his breath as I took it. “I can’t believe I’m helping you with this.
“You’re a good person, Alex. Don’t let Mr. X ruin that.” I turned the card over, eying what was scribbled on it. “What’s this?”
“This is the one person you can trust in this city, hell, in this state.”
I eyed the name with skepticism. For all I knew it could be another trap. “Who is he?”
“My uncle. Dominic Ramírez. He’s the younger brother. We all lived here in Bloomsbury together, until my father betrayed him. Made him take the fall when things went to shit. Dominic spent eight years in the slammer because of my father. He’s doing everything he can to bring him down.”
I gaped at him, then eyed the card again. “Why would you…”
Alex laughed that cold harsh laugh again. He shook his head at me, and instead of answering the question, he sighed, and said. “If you need refuge, find Dominic.”
“Where is he?” I asked.
“Blackmoor manor, in the woods,” he said as if that meant anything to me. I nodded anyway, tucking the card into my purse and backed away. “How can I thank you?”
“Leave me out of this. If father—”finds out you set me free, I finished in my mind.
“I get it. I won’t tell anyone.”
Alex made a short nod, then cast a quick glance over his shoulder. “I can’t stay out here. You’re on your own now. Take this.” He shoved a phone into my hand. Before I could process the reality of his words, he turned on his heels and strode away, soon disappearing into the dark.
I looked at the cell, surprised to see it was mine. When he took it off me, I never expected to see it again. Tucking it into a pocket, I started to jog down the road. I couldn’t stay here. It was too close to the mansion. If anyone realized I was gone…
It was still night and not likely. People were sleeping. Even crime bosses like Mr. freaking X and his guards. And as far as they knew I was locked into my room with no way out. They didn’t know about Alex’s hacking skills.
With a little luck no one would miss me until dawn. I had a few hours to leave enough distance between me and them to have a chance.
Then what? My pulse quickened, and it had nothing to do with the increased pace. No, it was fear. Uncertainty. The crippling thoughts that I made a mistake. I was alone. Nowhere to go. No one to call. The cell burned into my pocket, pressing against my thigh as a taunting reminder of how lost I was.
Unless…
Ducking into a cluster of trees off the main road, I sunk to the ground leaning against a tall stone. Catching my breath, I slid out the cell and hesitated, finger above the one name I didn’t dare to call. If I did, and he didn’t answer… could I live with myself? The only man I ever cared… noloved. I loved him and it got him killed.
My vision blurred from sudden moisture, and I held my breath as I tapped the name and lifted the phone to my ear.
The signals went to voicemail, and the few confusing seconds of hearing his deep husky voice made my heart leap. It dropped just as fast. So did the phone as it slid from my grip as all my fears were confirmed. He really was gone.
He didn’t make it…
The boyfriend’s words echoed in my head and twisted my heart. I slid my legs up, cuddling my knees in a desperate attempt to hold myself together. The night air dug into my skin, making me hug myself tighter as hope fell from my eyes. Somewhere out there an owl hooed, piercing the silence and making me shudder.
I should go. Run. Instead, I curled up, making myself as small as possible and wished I could melt into the stone and disappear. There was nowhere to go. No one I could trust. Defeated and stripped of hope, I started to regret leaving in the first place. I could have had a life with Alex. A decent life. I would have been protected, taken care of, and given everything I desired. But the little dignity I had left refused to let me.
When the first rays of light broke through the night, I picked myself up. Stretched my aching stiff muscles and stumbled back onto the road. Then I ran. Until my legs grew heavy, and my lungs burned. Then some more.
A lone car swirled out of the way as it passed me, and I stumbled to the side in sheer shock. Where did it come from? Was I so blinded by desperation I didn’t see a car speeding toward me?Shit. I slowed down, gasping for air as my heart thundered in my chest. Black spots danced before my eyes, and for a moment I thought I’d pass out.
I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t strong enough. Didn’t know anything about the world to survive on the run. I needed help. The little card Alex gave me weighed a ton in my purse. It was more than tempting to pick it up and call the number. To reach out to this Dominic and let him handle everything. I didn’t. Couldn’t. For all I knew it was another trap. Another lie. I trusted easily. I was naive. Never again. Trusting my father was my biggest mistake. Trusting Alex wasn’t going to be on the list of stupid things I did.
