AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I can’t believe he’d do that to me.”
Akira nodded. “It might not be him. Jim Wright is a known shark. He’ll threaten anybody with anything, and he has no problem doing it. He looks like a regular middle-aged guy in his golf shirt, but he’s lethal. That’s why he’s the best.”
“But that means that I don’t have much of a choice. Right?”
Akira shook her head. “Youalwayshave a choice, Chloe. It might get ugly if you decide to follow through on this, but if it’s the right thing for you, I’ll support you every step of the way. Bryce can outspend you, that’s true. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay married to him. If you want out, let’s do this.”
There was a knock on the door. “Chloe?” My brother sounded half-asleep. “There’s someone outside. They want to talk to you.”
“Don’t open the door! Get in here.” I yanked Noah inside the bathroom and handed him my phone. “Keep your eyes on Akira. Do not leave this room.” I locked the bathroom behind me.
There was a knock on the motel room door. “Who is it?” My knees buckled.
“UPS. Package delivery,” a man’s voice said.
“Can you leave it outside?”
“You have to sign for it, ma’am. I’ll step away from the door and leave the signature pad right outside. I’m not going to hurt you. Look out the window—you can see my truck in the lot.”
I peered outside and was relieved to see a delivery truck pulled up in front of the motel. I opened the door a crack. The man, in a brown uniform, was already halfway down the hall. He held up his hands as though he were about to be arrested. “I have a daughter,” he explained. “I tell her to never open the door for anybody, so I get it.”
Touched, I quickly signed the electronic pad and slid the small package out from beneath it. “T-Thank you. Have a nice day.” I closed the door immediately.
My hands were shaking as I looked at the padded envelope. The packing slip had my name and the motel room number on it. Who the hell knew where I was?
I opened it with shaking hands.
A key fob was inside with a BMW logo, along with a type-written note.
Chloe:
There’s a car waiting outside for you. No driver. This has to be your choice.
Take Noah to the parking lot behind Main Street Market in Northeast.Dale will be waiting. Then use the navigation to drive to the Bar Harbor Airport.
I’m asking, Chloe. I won’t come and drag you away like some kind of prisoner. If you aren’t there within the hour, I’m telling my lawyers to follow the contract to the letter.
One hour. I’ll receive a notification as soon as you sign for this, so the clock starts now.
I’ll be there waiting. The rest is up to you.
- Bryce
Heart pounding, I peered out the window again. As the UPS truck drove away, a shiny silver BMW SUV appeared behind it. The car hadn’t been in the lot this morning.
I clicked the key fob, and the SUV beeped.
Fuuck.What was I going to do? Maybe I could talk to Bryce, I reasoned. Perhaps I could tell him to his face that I couldn’t come back, that we could never be together, and then beg him to let me keep Noah. My husband didn’t have a hard heart toward me—at least, I prayed he didn’t. Yet.
I burst back into the bathroom. “We have to go.”
“What the heck’s going on?” Akira said. “Jim Wright’s waiting for us!”
“I know. But I have something I have to do—now. Tell Jim to call his client. He’ll understand.” I unceremoniously hung up the call and grabbed Noah. “Let’s go, buddy. I’m taking you to meet Dale.”
“Good.” My brother wrenched himself out of my arms. “Maybe he’ll have some food. Or mydog. Or anything that makes sense, unlike you.”
I took a deep breath. “I probably deserve that.” Ihaddragged the kid out of bed in the middle of the night and made him leave his puppy behind.
