AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m getting you out of the city and to a bus station,” Gianna finally says. She pulls her purse into her lap and unzips it. “We don’t have much time, Mary. I overheard my father discuss the need to eliminate you before you cause too many problems.” Mary sucks in a startled breath. This can’t be happening.
Gianna continues, “Here take this.” Gianna hands her a backpack she’s pulled from a shopping bag she’d been carrying when she dragged Mary through the store. Mary looks at the bag uncertainly. “I have a couple changes of clothes, some cash, and a fake driver’s license and identity. You’re going to have to get familiar with this cover as you travel. It was done hastily, but it should get you away from the city and perhaps even the state before they realize you’re gone.” Gianna pauses. She looks at Mary with worry evident on her face. Mary can feel the tears beginning to fall. Gianna is deadly serious. This isn’t a joke. Mary briefly wonders if Gianna’s done this before. Well she surely has, or she wouldn’t have been this organized.
“I don’t understand, Gianna. I haven’t told the police anything. I don’t know anything to tell them,” Mary cries, her voice pleading with Gianna to believe her. Gianna’s face softens. She takes Mary’s hand.
“I believe you, Mary, but my father will not.” Gianna gives her a sad smile. “My father is ruthless. He won’t take the risk of giving you the benefit of the doubt. I have my suspicions on how all this got started, but I don’t have proof, not yet, but I’ll do my best to clear your name with my father. In the meantime, we have to get you to a safe place where he can’t carry out his plan to have you eliminated. Honestly, you were supposed to die when your mother died, but something went wrong.”
Shock hits Mary at Gianna’s casual attitude when speaking about her death. God this can’t be her real life. This is like something out of a movie. Mary stares at Gianna, trying to get the words to make sense. Mary can feel her heart thumping in her chest. She can’t breathe. Her chest is tight and hurting so badly. Her hands are going numb. She’s dying, and Gianna is just sitting there, staring at her. Gianna suddenly slaps her, startling Mary.
“Get a hold of yourself,” Gianna demands. “This is not the time to have a panic attack, although I can understand why you’re having one. We don’t have time for this. We’ll be at the bus station soon.” Mary takes a few deep breaths, trying desperately to calm herself. After a few seconds, she nods, pinching her lips together in a determined line. She can do this. Her life depends on it.
“Give me your cell phone,” Gianna demands. Mary hands over her device. Before she can process what’s happening, Gianna hits the window button on the door of the car. As the window drops, Gianna tosses her phone from the moving vehicle.
“What the hell?” Mary exclaims. Gianna doesn’t give her a chance to say anything else. “Now here is a burner cell phone.” Gianna hands her a small black phone. “I have my number in there, but only call me as a last resort. I’ve programmed the number in my phone, too. When I’m free to talk, I’ll call and check on you.” Mary is reeling from the shock of what Gianna has told her. She’s still having a hard time processing all of this. “There’s a ticket in your backpack for the bus. It’ll take you to Philadelphia. You chose where to go from there. Whatever you do, don’t tell me where you’re going. If father finds out I’ve helped you, I don’t want him to be able to get it out of me.”
Their driver steps on the gas once they have a clear stretch of traffic. Mary looks out at the passing city streets. Is she really going to leave this place? The only place she’s ever known? What is she going to do when she leaves? What about her brother and father? What’ll happen to them? Will they even care that she’s gone? Gianna draws her attention again.
“Mary, pay attention!” Gianna snaps. “Your life depends on it. This is not a drill, sister. This is real life. You need to be formulating a plan of where you’re going after Philly.”
“This is crazy, Gianna.” Mary is suddenly angry. “I can’t just go to Philly! I’ve never been on my own. I mean I know I’m twenty years old, and I should be able to live on my own, and I’m sure I could, but I don’t want to go to Philly. Why is all this happening to me?” Mary’s voice breaks on a sob. Gianna gives her a sympathetic look.
“I’m sorry, Mary,” Gianna is in near tears as well, her beautiful green eyes glittering with unshed tears. “I don’t know why this is happening, but it truly is happening and I need to get you to safety. I’ve seen too many people leave this world too soon. Your mother being one of them. I don’t want to see that happen to you.” Gianna takes Mary’s hand, giving her the most intense look. “Mary, the life of our families is dangerous. It’s dirty, and I hate it. Someday, soon I too will be leaving this life behind, but until then, I’m going to do my best to keep good, decent people like you from being murdered by my father.” Mary squeezes Gianna’s hand, grateful for the woman’s help. The women hold onto each other for a moment before Gianna gets back to business.
“Now, the last bit of advice I can give you before we drop you at the bus station” –Gianna’s voice is serious and intense– “change your appearance as soon as you possibly can do so. Also do not contact anyone you knew before. If you are contacted by someone from your past, it means they’re on to me and have taken your new number from my phone. Don’t answer any calls on that phone except from me. I’ll be in touch as soon as I can, but it could be a day or two before I can reach out.” The car slows to a stop. The driver exits the car. “Be safe, Mary.” Gianna shoves the backpack into her hands as she pulls Mary’s purse out of her hands. The driver opens the door of the back seat and reaches inside taking her hand. Mary exits the car. The driver gives her a sympathetic look and leads her toward the entrance to the bus station.
“Take care, Ms. Amato,” the driver says. “Ms. Russo is right in what she’s doing for you. You need to get as far away from here as you can and don’t speak to anyone from here ever again.” He turns to heads back to car, climbs inside, then the car pulls away. Mary stares after the car for several moments before a passerby crashes into her. She looks down at the backpack clutched tightly in her hands. She heads inside to the station and finds a seat where people are awaiting their bus departure. She opens the backpack and rifles through it. She finds the ticket and checks the time. Her bus leaves in fifteen minutes. She rises and makes her way through the terminal to find where to board her bus.
Hours later, she is staring out at the sight of Philadelphia just up ahead. The bus ride has been long and uncomfortable. Mary has been sitting between two families with small children, who haven’t enjoyed their bus ride any more than Mary has. The wailing infant in front of her has given the toddler behind a run for their money on being the most annoying traveling companion. Mary’s head hurts. Her back and buttocks are aching from sitting for so long in the hard uncomfortable seats. She’s relieved when the driver announces they can depart the bus.
Stepping off the bus, she looks around at the dirty, musty smelling terminal. People are heading toward the bus station entrance, and Mary allows herself to be dragged along with the tide of bodies for a bit. She works her way through the throngs of people until she reaches a ticket booth. She looks over her options of her next destination. She considers heading west, but then notices a bus heading south with her final destination Nashville, TN. The bus won’t leave for several hours, and Mary thinks maybe she should pick the next bus leaving but has another thought. If somehow Russo, Sr. finds out she made it to Philly, he would expect her to take the very next bus out and would track her to that location, too. Mary decides to take a risk and hang out in Philly until early morning, taking a different bus. She purchases her ticket, then she leaves the station in search of food. She’ll come back to the station just before time for her bus to depart.
It’s almost three in the morning. Mary is dead on her feet as she makes her way be to the bus terminal to board her bus heading south. She’d stopped by a small department store and purchased a bottle of hair dye and spent several hours lightening then coloring her hair in the bathroom at the bus station. People coming and going had complained about the smells from the chemicals, but Mary is taking Gianna’s advice to heart and is changing her appearance. She didn’t have anything else to fill the hours waiting for her bus to depart. She’s even taken care to dye her eyebrows to match her new ruby red hair color. She’s taken a few inches off her long dark hair as well with a pair of scissors. She nearly broke down when she saw her new appearance in the mirror, but she forced herself to keep it together. She doesn’t have anyone to depend on any longer, just herself. Staring into her wounded hazel eyes, she vows to keep herself alive and to find a way to clear herself of the mob, once and for all. She’d copied files from her father’s computer over the last couple of days before Gianna had reached out to help save her. Mary had been trying to get evidence on the Russo family. She wanted to turn them in and stop her unwanted wedding, but she hadn’t seen a lot that could help. She’s just hoping something in the emails, spread sheets, and shipping invoices from the warehouse will give the detective what he needs to bring them down. She fingers the zip drive with all the information on it in her pocket. She mailed its twin just a few minutes ago. She’s kept a copy for herself, too afraid to not keep a copy of all the evidence she’s collected. She needs something as leverage if her father or Russo, Sr. catch her.
Mary walks toward the bus, getting into line with the other passengers. Movement to her left catches her eye. She glances in the direction of a disturbance just as she’s about to board the bus. Several large men in suits are jogging through the near empty terminal. In their haste, they’ve collided with a bag lady as she exits the restrooms. Her belongings fly up into the air. Her scream of shock echoes in throughout the station, drawing the attention of the patrons. The hair on the back of Mary’s neck rises as she recognizes a couple of the men. Giovanni Russo, Jr. and her own brother, Tony are arguing with the woman who’s screaming at them for scattering her belongings. Mary looks back at the line in front of her noticing the path is clear for her to get on the bus. Indecision hits her. Once she’s on the bus she’ll be trapped, but where will she go if she doesn’t. Looking back, she sees her brother and Junior are still distracted trying to get away from the irate bag lady. Decision made she hurries onto the bus, heading for a seat near the back door, just encase she needs to make a quick getaway.
Time moves slowly as she waits for the bus to depart. Her right leg is bobbing up and down as her nervous energy demands an outlet. She’s slunk into her seat but keeps an eye on the front of the bus. Suddenly Tony jogs up the steps of the bus. His eyes scanning over the passengers. His gaze locks with Mary’s. Her heart stops beating as recognition flares in his eyes. Junior comes up the steps behind him.
“You see her anywhere?” Junior demands as he pushes Tony further onto the bus. Mary pleads with her eyes to her brother. She doesn’t know what he’ll do, but she’s praying to mother Mary for her protection.
“No, she’s not here,” Tony says as he turns to Russo, and they exit the bus. A few moments later, the driver boards the bus, closing the door. Mary hears the whoosh of air as the air brakes release. The bus rocks side to side as it pulls out of the terminal. Mary risks peeking out of the window as the bus turns onto the street. Russo Jr. and several of his goons are stalking about searching every nook and cranny of the terminal. Tony walks out of the shadows staring at her bus as it pulls away. Mary lets out shaky breath as the bus picks up speed, and no one appears to be chasing after it.
* * *
Ruby jerks awakefeeling the truck slow and turn. For a moment, she’s still on the bus six years ago. Her heart hammering in her chest, she sits up, remembering she’s in Tucker’s truck headed for Savannah, Georgia. She looks over at him. His handsome face in profile flashes as the lights of a passing car hit it. He is truly handsome. Her inexperienced body has more than taken notice of him. She wants so much more than she can allow herself to have. Why is she even here? Tucker glances at her as he makes the turn into the Walmart parking lot. Ruby briefly wonders where they are as she looks around.
“Hey beautiful.” Tucker’s sexy smile makes her body shiver. “Did you sleep well?” Ruby quickly wipes at her mouth hoping against hope she hasn’t drooled all over herself in her sleep. Thankfully her hand comes away dry.
“Um, yeah,” Ruby answers, with a little white lie. She doesn’t feel rested at all. The dreams of her past still fresh in her mind. Tucker pulls into a parking spot close to the grocery entrance of the large retail department store. “Where are we?”
“Just outside of Savannah,” Tucker answers. Ruby can’t believe she’s slept for hours as they’ve traveled south on I-95. “I thought we’d go ahead and get some groceries before we go the house I’ve rented.” Ruby moves to open her door when Tucker starts getting out on his side. “Babe.” She looks back at him immediately understanding his unspoken demand. She stills her movements and waits for him to come around to her side. She smiles as he helps her down from the truck. The man can’t help himself. He needs to be her caretaker. She shakes her head in amusement as they start into the store. This late at night, there are few customers around. Ruby looks at her phone, seeing it’s well after midnight. Tucker gets a cart at the door, and they head into the store.
24
TANK
Tank studies Ruby when she’s not paying him any attention. The woman has stolen his heart in such a short amount of time. In the past when he’d thought about finding ‘his woman’, as his teammates refer to it, he’d been sure he’d be freaked out by the feelings, but he isn’t. Since his childhood had ended abruptly with the loss of three-fifths of his immediate family, he’s been determined to never love anyone else like he’d loved his parents and his sister. He’d never again wanted to feel the soul crushing loss of someone he loved so deeply.
However, Ruby is worth taking the risk. She’s kind, intelligent, and brave. She’s also gorgeous and a damn good kisser. His lips are itching to kiss her again. She’d been a little hesitant at first, but then she came alive and met his tongue stroke for stroke. His cock hardens just thinking about it, but this weekend isn’t about them moving their relationship to the next level. It’s about getting her to open up and let him help her. That starts with getting them some food and whatever supplies Ruby needs.
