When I finally realized I was pregnant, I’d been hidden and safe, working as a waitress to keep the money flowing. It’s not enough to raise a baby on, especially when I’m always looking over my shoulder and ready to drop everything in a second.
“Girl, what’s wrong with you? You haven’t been on your game today. There’s a bunch of nicely dressed men here. They want you to handle their table, so get it together,” my coworker says, pressing her hand to her hip while she tips her head toward the table next to the entrance.
“Nicely dressed men?” I’m in the middle of nowheresville. I peek out through the circular window on the kitchen door, and I see Cox and Agent Moreno. Two people who should not be sitting anywhere near each other unless it’s in the courtroom.
Shit. I need to get out of here before they find me. There’s no way that they’re working together unless they’re both dirty. It makes sense since Richter’s trial is around the corner. If they dispose of me then they can go on, dealing in trafficking without interference.
I turn back to Lisa, pulling her away from the door, so they can’t accidentally see my head. “I can’t take their table. I don’t feel so good. Listen, I’m pregnant.”
“Oh my goodness, Anabella,” Lisa squeals with a broad smile on her face. I quickly shushed her, but not before she drew some attention toward us. I’m still out of sight of them, but any kind of commotion could attract their notice.
“Give me a minute, and then head over to their table and tell them I wasn’t feeling well and left,” I say with pleading eyes.
“Sure. Okay.”
Stopping before going out the kitchen door, she turns to me and asks about Moreno, “Is he the father?”
“No. Definitely not.” I shake my head with my lips taut in fear. She nods before leaving to service their table. I head into the locker area, grab my bag, and then dash out and thankfully hop into my car registered to a fake name Anabella Montez. I don’t use it when I can, but I also work under the table at this road stop diner.
Fleeing quickly, I get out of town and to my apartment and grab my money and a bag of clothes with the pictures of Cowboy. They may be ones that were meant as a threat, but in reality, it’s the only closeups I have of the man. I need something to hold onto when nights get cold, and my soul begs for him to rescue me. It’s silly because I’ve made my bed, and now I have to lay in it, wallow in all that I’ve lost.
Once I get on the road, the first place that comes into my head is where I’m going. I speed back toward Steeleville, still many miles from it. It’s the only place I can go to be safe. The road is dusty, kicking up debris as I flee, but I’m the only car on the road.
Relief turns to dread when I hear a car behind me, speeding like the devil. Suddenly, I’m not alone on the road. I check the rearview mirror and know it’s Moreno and Cox. The venom in Cox’s eyes screams malicious intent, and I know if they get their hands on me, I’m a goner. He wants revenge on me more than Richter, or so it would seem. Charges were dropped on him for insufficient evidence, but his career went down the toilet like that’s my fault.
With the pedal to the floor, I speed away as fast as I can, but my car isn’t a new one, and it’s only a V-6 versus their supercharged V-8. Suddenly, my car starts to sputter and slow. Shit. I’m bumped from behind and then slammed, sending my car spinning into a ditch.
“Shit,” I scream.
****
“Ah, there you are, beautiful,” Moreno says, staring at me with eyes darker than I remember, and the viciousness is all aimed at me.
“Why are you doing this?” I ask, head pounding as I lay on the floor of a dark, empty room.
“I see you got my message, and yet you were going back to him, weren’t you?” he roars that last part, rage and anger shooting through him. He lifts me up by my biceps, holding me firmly while he snarls and then snaps. “Do you know how much I hate that asshole? You met the fucker and instantly fell into bed with him after being cold as a fish with me all these years. I thought we had something. We could have had something, but I’m guessing you let that asshole knock you up.”
My lip quivers and I try to stop it, attempting to remain calm even though I’ve never been so afraid. “What? I don’t understand. We’ve never had a relationship.”