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"I cannot stay here. I have to do something."
"Our security team is also on the job. Someone will find out what's going on." James was careful not to allow the icy fear to show. His son needed him to be strong. "Your wife is strong and very smart; she will get through this."
"She is pregnant." He closed his eyes briefly as terror struck through him. "I cannot lose her. Cannot lose them." Sinking down into the sofa, he buried his face in his hands.
*****
He had a feeling. A gut feeling that was telling him that something was not right. He stood at the doors, his hand on the gold handle as he hesitated. He should respect her privacy. She was getting better. But there was something off about her the past few weeks. He had asked if she was taking her medication, and she had told him yes.
“Daddy, I don’t like the feeling of mistrust you are giving off right now. I am fine.”
But there had been something manic about the way she was smiling. And she had flown off on one of the maids just the other day, accusing the woman of moving around the things in her bedroom.
And she was not home yet. She was not answering her phone either. Taking a deep breath, William opened the doors, and stepped over the threshold of the elegant cream and rose-pink sitting room, and headed into the matching bedroom.
He headed to the vast closet and flung the doors open. She had a locked box where she kept the things she valued the most.
He found it easily at the back of the closet and took it down, taking it with him to the loveseat in front of the fireplace. It was locked, but the lock was thin and easily dealt with.
Closing his eyes, he prayed that what he would discover was just frivolous stuff, a young woman of her age would store away. He was praying that he was a silly over cautious old man who was overreacting, but his gut told him that he was not wrong.
Opening the lid, he felt his heart sink to his slippers as he stared at the contents. There were dozens of newspaper clippings of Jaylen Monteith and his wife. One as recent as last week at some restaurant or the other.
She had torn away the photo of the wife and crushed it up. His trembling hands dug through the pile to see notes that documented times she had spent stalking them and how she was going to get rid of the wife and take her rightful place at his side.
Reaching for his phone, he dialed her number again and it went straight to voicemail. “Honey, it’s approaching nine and I am getting concerned. You missed dinner. Please call me.”
Hanging up the phone, he sat there staring at the contents of the box, the dread in his heart blossoming.
*****
The bitch had taken her phone and had not left her with anything to cover with and she was freezing. She had left half an hour ago. She had heard the car engine driving away. And she was exhausted, pissed off, and hungry.
She was also determined to get out of there alive. She had her son to think about and Jaylen was by now going out of his mind with worry.
She had used a zip tie and the more she tried to get out of it, the more it was cutting into her skin. Heaving herself up, she tried to get adjusted to the darkness.
The place was musty and the dust was making her sinus act up. Forcing herself to calm down, she took stock of the room. It was dingy, the furnishings sparse and it was a single-room deal.
Waiting until her eyes became adjusted to the shadows, she shuffled over to the sad-looking kitchen.
If she could find a nail or some sort of sharp instrument, she could cut through the restraints and go and get some help. She did not have a jacket as the bitch had also taken that, and she did not want to think about the creatures lurking around outside.
Shuffling her way and stumbling several times, she finally found a nail jutting out from a rotted board. Dropping down, she turned around to try and hook into the nail. It took several frustrating attempts that had her screaming out and crying, but then she finally got it hooked.
She was exhausted and her wrists were bleeding. She wanted to give up and actually did so a number of times.
But she tried again. Whenever the woman came back and she did not know when there was no reasoning with her. She was bat-mad. Taking a deep breath and holding the tears at bay, she started again. She felt herself going limp from exhaustion but was determined not to give up.
“Please. Please. Please," she whispered hoarsely. “I don’t want to die. I have a baby inside me and I want to live. Please help me.”
She had no idea if it was the entreaty or the damn thing that had finally worked, but her hands were freed. They were throbbing and bleeding, but she was free. Now to get to work on the ones on her ankles. Switching around on her butt, she worked the nail out of the wood and started on the restraints there.
It was slow work and she had to stop several times and rest before continuing. It took several minutes before she was able to loosen the tie and by that time, her feet were so numb, it took several tries for her to stumble to her feet. Struggling to the rough log wall, she leaned against it and took several deep breaths.
Pressing her hand against her stomach, she felt relief when the baby kicked against her fingers.
“We are okay buddy. And we will be fine.” With that, she made her way carefully outdoors.
