“A strike to the throat? Damn, woman, you are fierce, liking that move the most.”
“It will debilitate an attacker. Total shock and awe like Bailey and Harley like to say.” He chuckled.
He stared at her, smirking, feeling a mix of emotions.
“You’re going to like New York. It’s only temporary. We can come back to Salvation during the week for a few days, and in a few months, we can come back and stay for a while. You know I love it here. I love how friendly everyone is, and so supportive. It’s a great place to feel safe and protected. Plus, your good friends Kendrick, Pierce, Frankie, Lou, and Tex are all here. They’ll want to see you guys and hang out.”
“Those guys are fucking crazy. Still doing missions and not wanting to settle down or take a break from that life. Believe me, they wouldn’t care if we didn’t see them for months. They’re hard men. No hearts, really,” he said and stroked over her breast. She caressed his hair and squinted.
“I don’t believe that. You were just like them until I came along,” she said and winked.
He cupped her breast and rocked his hips against her mound.
“There’s something to be said about a sexy woman and her loins.”
“Oh really?” she asked and gave his arm a slap. He chuckled and just stared down into her gorgeous eyes. He loved her so much his heart ached when he thought about it.
“Salvation is a great place. A good place to settle down. To start a family,” he said, caressing her hair. She gulped. She wasn’t ready yet. He understood that. Her fears, her anxiety still in the way of doing certain things.
“Okay. Let’s move this ass before I make love to you again and make us all miss the plane.” She lifted up and kissed his lips. Brady deepened the kiss, and he felt her press her thighs against his hips and thrust upward. Apparently, she was game for making love one more time before showers, getting dressed, and heading to the airport.
He was game, too. Donata was his everything.
* * * *
Vye huddled against the building. She was so exhausted. She didn’t think she could work at the diner much longer. The contractions were coming every few days. The baby was due any time really. Thank God she was looking up and not daydreaming, or she wouldn’t have seen the dark sedan outside of her aunt’s apartment building.
He’d found her. The son of a bitch had somehow found her. She couldn’t let him see her, but she worried about her aunt. She didn’t know what to do, or how long Murdock and his crew of shit had been there. She watched as he emerged with them from the building. He looked pissed off. She waited until she saw him and his buddies leave and debated about going inside. Could one of them be watching the building? She didn’t know, and that terrified her. If Murdock got his hands on her, she was going to get a beating. He would kill the baby. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she felt sick.
Think, Vye. Think like he would. Like someone on the run from death. Take no chances. Trust no one. Do whatever is necessary to protect the baby. Whatever is necessary.
She took a deep breath and then exhaled and rubbed her stomach.
“Okay, baby. We got this. We can’t stay here. We have to go far, far away from here,” she whispered aloud, and then backtracked behind the apartment building and waited a little longer before she entered through the back-exit door. She was shaking so hard, worried that one of the men remained with her aunt to catch Vye, but as she unlocked the door and entered the dark apartment, fear struck her insides, and her heart pounded inside her chest. Where was her aunt?
She heard a noise and then gasped, turned, and saw her aunt with a bag of ice against her cheek. She ran to her.
“Oh God, he struck you? He hurt you?” She cried, tears spilling from her eyes. Her aunt looked pissed.
“He’s an evil man, Vye. He will stop at nothing to find you and to hurt you. You can’t stay here.”
She cried and covered her mouth with her hand. Where would she go? What was she going to do? Her aunt reached out and touched her arm.
“I’ve got a plan. The place I told you about. My cousin?” she said.
They talked about her heading to Texas to her aunt’s cousin’s farm. Ella Brazos was her name and the town called Salvation supposedly was some sort of storybook place.
“It will be a new start for you. You’ll be safe there with my cousin, her sons, her husbands, and their friends. All good people.”
“But what if he follows? If he somehow finds me? He struck you, threatened you. He could kill you, and anyone who helps me.”
“I’ll take the proper precautions, and when it’s safe, when he gives up, I’ll come out there and see my great nephew,” she said and covered Vye’s belly with her hand. Tears continued to flow.
“Will I ever be free from him? From the abuse, from his desire to own me in every way?”
“I pray he won’t ever find you and the baby, ever. My cousin Ella will know what to do and how to handle things. You trust her. You get to the farm, no matter what. She’ll explain how things work out there. About the rules, the security they have in place to protect women like you, women in predicaments with nowhere else to turn.”
“I don’t understand. Is it like some sort of women’s shelter or something?”