“You’re welcome,” he replied in a soft tone. “Take care of yourself.”
“I will. Goodbye.” Ella hung up the phone, nearly sagging against the kitchen counter. It was weird how sometimes a negative could be turned into a positive. Rory coming to Vegas was quite possibly the best thing that had happened, because he’d violated the mediation agreement. Yet it was hard to see any of this as a positive. She wanted to be far away from all the hell that had clouded her life.
She wanted Rory gone from her life … forever.
Blowing out a long breath, she placed her cell phone in her purse. Not wanting to be late for work, she took the stairs in her condo and was out of breath by the time she made it down to the parking lot.
She approached her cherry-red Volkswagen Beetle, appreciating the clouds covering the Vegas sun. Her heart hammered from the jog down the stairs, and she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
As she reached her car a sudden sense of fear engulfed her and she stopped by the driver’s-side door. Feeling watched, her hand shook as she reached into her purse and took out her keys, attempting to unlock the door.
Goose bumps prickled on her neck, and she glanced behind her, the sense of fear now real and warranted. Rory approached with long strides, his gait somewhat wobbly, and his eyes were bloodshot.
“You fucking bitch,” he snarled, closing in on her. “I told you to come see me last night. You did this to yourself.”
His words were slurred as he staggered toward her. Ella gasped, hurrying to unlock the door, but her shaky fingers couldn’t land on the button. Then he was there, grasping her arm, and she cried out in pain.
He spun her around, and his eyes were wild, lost in rage. A scream hung in her throat, the fright making it silent. As he slammed her against the car, the beer on his breath brushed across her face, and she managed to press the unlock button. Desperate to get away, she kicked his shin, and he stumbled back.
“Dirty slut!” he roared, reaching for her.
Ella gave him a hard push, not being that frightened woman anymore. He would not hit her again. Not now. Not ever. He fell back on his ass, and in that moment, Ella opened the car door.
She nearly dropped into the seat when his arms wrapped around her waist, and she managed to scream, “Help!”
Terror sent ice in her veins and her heart hammered in her ears. Knowing she had to get away, that no one was there to help her, she elbowed Rory, hard. His groan echoed around her, as she broke free and dropped into the seat with a gasp.
With eyes so dark and full of rage, Rory reached in through the door, but she grabbed the handle, and, using all her strength, she slammed the door closed on his arm. “Fucking bitch!” he roared.
When his arm was clear, she slammed the door shut and locked it. Loud bangs shook her world apart as Rory screamed obscenities, hitting the window with enough force she thought it might break.
Her hand shook as she attempted to get the keys into the ignition. The second the car started, she grabbed her cell phone out of her purse and shut her eyes. Needing to get away from the loud noise around her, she screamed, “I’m calling the police.”
Then the banging on her window stopped.
She opened her eyes, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. Rory staggered back, the rage cleared from his gaze for a second. Still, the Rory she had known didn’t stand there. The drunken maniac did.
Ella put the car in gear and hit the gas pedal. Her insides quivered as she looked in the rearview mirror, seeing Rory running in the opposite direction, clearly taking her threat seriously.
Gasping and shaking, she kept driving until she’d put a mile between them. Then she pulled over to the side of the road. After putting the car in park, she dropped her cell phone to the seat, knowing she’d never call the police. She prayed Rory would be scared enough to leave now, as he suspected that the Vegas police were after him.
She ran her hands over her face, attempting to control the shakes of her body. God, when is this going to end?
Kyler …
I need you …
As much as she wanted to call him, she hated the thought of his knowing about her past. Sometimes she wished she could vanish. Leave it all behind, and be free from all the pain that seemed to follow her. She missed her family with an ache in her chest that bled. Feeling more alone than ever, she dropped her head into her hands and a sob broke from her throat.
You are alone …
At a little after three o’clock, Kyler pulled his cruiser into the parking spot. He cut the ignition, staring at the station, knowing he had to do something about Ella. She wasn’t talking to him. After breakfast, he’d tried numerous times to ask a few personal questions, and she’d completely shut him out.
I don’t want a serious relationship, she had told him.
Too bad for her he wanted exactly that.
He’d waited a long time to find Ella. Now that he’d found her, he wanted to love her. Only problem? She wouldn’t drop her emotional walls for him. She was clearly content in her decision to keep things casual between them, but he wanted to break down that damn wall. Embracing her challenge to gain new adventures was one thing. Running from pain to escape was something else entirely.