Chapter 12

 

 

 

 

Drew didn’t leave again for six weeks after the first time that Rebecca and I broke into his office. I had no clue where or how long he would be gone. I knew it would be overnight because he took a bag. Rebecca and I had talked a couple of weeks before, and I told her how, when the power had gone out the last time, Drew made me stay on the phone until the cameras reset. I knew we had three minutes. Our plan was for her to go to the basement and quickly trip the breaker, giving me just enough time to run into his office before the cameras reset, and pray to God that he didn’t notice until they were back on.

He must have been away from his computer. He never called because he couldn’t see me. I had a story made up that I was in Rebecca’s room if he called. I knew that I wasn’t allowed in her room, but I was going to tell him that she wasn’t feeling well and that I had gone to check on her. I didn’t have to worry about it, and once I donated fifteen thousand dollars to the new bank account for my newfound charity. I tapped on the floor. I couldn’t text or call because I was afraid that Drew would find out. The lights blinked and I ran to the sofa and back to the show that I may or may not have been watching.

I don’t think I’ve ever had that much adrenaline forcefully pumping through my body in my life. 

He was only gone for a couple of days that time and again when he had returned I thought for sure that he knew. I just knew that he had found out about the missing money. He didn’t mention it, and when he came out of his office later in the afternoon, I asked him if I could have Rebecca take me to the library. I wasn’t about to knock on his door and ask, so I just waited for him to come out.

He ran his finger down my arm with some sort of seductive look.  “Do you need me to download some more books on your e-reader?”

“No. I have plenty on there. I would rather go to the library and get out of here for a little while.”

“Were you a good girl while I was gone?” he asked, brushing his thumb over my nipple. I knew that he would be paying me a visit later.

Fuck you…

“It’s kind of difficult not to be. I’m not allowed off this property.”

“You can go to the library. I have work to do anyway, but I expect payment later. Do you understand?”

“Yes, and thank you.”

Drew stuck the little chip on the back of my phone so he could plug it into his computer when I got back. I was hoping that I could pump information from Rebecca, but it wasn’t going to be in the vehicle. I held up my phone in the car so that she knew not to say anything.

She instead talked about recipes and a show that we both had watched on television the night before.

Rebecca asked the librarian for some paper. I grabbed the first book that I saw.

“June 2^nd,” Rebecca wrote and passed the note to me.

“Three months?”

“Yes. Ms. K is working on your new residence now. The money that you have rightfully taken over the last couple of months has been withdrawn and has made a nice down payment on your new house.”

“My new house? I’m going to be a homeowner?” I wrote really fast, trying to contain my excitement. “Where?”

“She wouldn’t tell me. She said that you didn’t need to know that part yet.”

“Do you trust this Ms. K? How do you know that she isn’t taking the money, and we will never hear from her again? How do you even know someone that does this?”

“She’s not stealing your money. She is good, real good. You will disappear from here and be untraceable. Do you remember on the news about three years ago when Constance Simmons disappeared? She is safe, living a beautiful life.”

“Constance Simmons, that senator’s wife?”

Rebecca nodded. I did remember that story. Her husband was all over the news. I actually felt bad for him. He seemed so sincere and loyal to his missing wife.

“How do you know Ms. K? I asked again. Rebecca had been at the mansion as long as I had. I mean she did leave when Drew was home sometimes, usually when he wanted the house to himself with me.

“Lots and lots of red tape. I had to go through nine people before I finally got to talk to her. Three months, Morgan!!!”

We were only in the library for fifteen minutes when Drew sent a text to my phone.

“Time is up.”

Dickhead…

 

What the hell did I check out of the library? I sat naked in Drew’s office reading about some sort of little creatures getting into people’s houses through drain pipes while Drew worked and played with me, of course. I usually checked out autobiographies. I loved to read about other people’s lives, it helped me to step out of my own for a while. I wouldn’t step out of it with that book. I couldn’t even read it.

That was a good office visit. I lay bent over Drew’s desk while he played with me, using different objects. He held the phone with his shoulder, and I watched him click on different views of the house. I paid close attention as he clicked on different windows, hitting stop camera, when he hit stop camera whatever image was up, froze on the screen. That was very useful information. We could stop the camera during the night when I needed to get into the office. It would look like I was sound asleep, without using pillows and would allow me more time in Drew’s office.

***

I stopped talking when Dawson removed his hand from between my legs and slid from beneath me.

Dammit…

“I have to pee. I’ll be right back,” he said.

“Let’s go to bed,” I suggested, “instead.”

“Are you done talking?” he asked, sounding disappointed.

I smiled. “No. I would rather tell you now so that we don’t have to do it again later.”

He smiled back. “I’ll meet you in bed.”

“You know what I still don’t get?” Dawson asked, sliding into bed with me.

“What?”

“I still can’t figure out, why you? I mean how would he even know about you?”

“The only logical exclamation that I have been able to come up with is, when he came to our school and donated all of that money. He donated to a lot of things, including me,” I smiled a devious smile to myself, proud of the fact that he bought me my house. “The only thing that I can come up with is he wanted someone who wouldn’t be missed, someone that their drunken father would sell. I don’t think he is into the whole romance thing, and he just wanted someone he could control and not have to worry about a family getting in his way. He didn’t have time for a real relationship, not that he ever wanted one. You know what does baffle me though?”

“What’s that?” Dawson asked, pulling me into the arms that I loved holding me.

“You located Justin in Las Vegas….” I suddenly stopped. I couldn’t go there with Dawson. He still thought that I was from Indiana. I almost spit out that I didn’t understand how Justin and I both could end up in Las Vegas.

“Yeah?” he questioned.

“I don’t know, it just seems so far away. How did someone from Las Vegas come to adopt my little brother all the way from West Virginia?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. I would imagine that people adopt kids from all over the country.”

“I guess,” I replied. I was letting that one go right that second.

“So you and Rebecca snuck into his office and moved money? He never got suspicious? I mean that seems like an awful lot of money to move without his knowing? What did you say he did again?”

I didn’t…

“I’m not exactly sure. I know it has something to do with software,” I lied. If he were going to go digging, he was going to need a mighty big shovel. “Yeah, we pretty much just snuck into his office, moved money and got the hell out of there.”

“Tell me about the day that you finally left.”

“I left a month earlier than we had originally planned. I couldn’t take the chance on staying another month. I was in the kitchen eating lunch with Rebecca when Drew came in being way too happy and cheery for Drew.

***

“I thought you were going to the library?” he asked, taking a bite of my sandwich.

“We are, right after lunch,” I answered.

“I have a surprise that is going to keep you very busy, right here at home,” he chanted.

I looked over to Rebecca standing on the other side of the counter.

“Do you mind?” he asked, and she disappeared.

“What?” I asked, wondering what in the world could keep me busy at home.

“A baby.”

I almost choked on my own tongue. “I don’t want a baby,” I stated.

“Doesn’t matter what you want, does it, Morgan?” he said with a smirk and a tilted head. “You’re done getting your shots. I will have you barefoot and pregnant in a month.” He smiled, taking another bite of my sandwich.

Now what? I couldn’t let him get me pregnant. I would be terrified of the monster that he could produce. There was no way he was injecting me with that poison. I started doing some calculating in my head. I was supposed to have a shot in about a week. How much time do I have after my last dose before I could get pregnant?”

“I think Derik needs to drive today,” Drew stated, got up, kissed me on my shocked cheek, and disappeared. Was he afraid that I would try and run after that bomb?

 

Rebecca followed me to the nonfiction section of the library after our silent ride to the library.

“Tell me already,” she demanded in a quiet whisper as we pretended to look through the books.

“He’s not letting me get my next shot. He wants to get me pregnant,” I whispered, and turned to see Derik sitting at a small table looking right down the row at us. He had an annoyed look on his face and looked down at his Rolex and then back to me. I knew he didn’t want to be there and was telling me to hurry.

“He what?!”

“Shhh,” I warned.

I picked up a book and flipped open the cover. It was called Once in a house and was about a woman held against her will, forced to marry, and bare the children of a prince in England. I really wanted to read that book, but I didn’t dare. I knew that Drew would throw a royal fit about it. Instead, I chose a book of short stories from Ernest Hemingway.

Drew was out of town for almost three weeks the next time. I asked Rebecca every day about a new plan and always got the same answer. Apparently whoever Ms. K was didn’t work like that. She couldn’t get hold of her and had to wait for an unknown number to send a text. She had tried to text the numbers from before but never got a response.

Finally, on the day before Drew’s return she got a message.

Send last donation to Sulton Flux Bank.

It read with the account information.

Rebecca quickly texted back and told her what Drew had planned for me, not knowing how much time she had with the new unknown number.

Wait for instructions.

Was the only reply back.

We made our very last transaction that night. Rebecca took care of the lights, briefly causing the cameras to reset. I quickly went to the cameras on Drew’s computer and froze my sleeping body on the one facing my bed. My fingers trembled fiercely and my heart beat a million and one miles a minute. I had never taken that much money at one time. I was terrified that he was going to get an alert or something. He would know that forty thousand dollars had just come out of six different accounts. I quickly hit submit on the very last transaction and stomped on the floor for Rebecca to get the lights and get me the hell out of there.

I don’t think I slept a wink that night. I was so nervous for Drew to come home. I wished I had known when he was coming. It could be any second or day.

Drew did know about my last transaction. He frantically spent hours on the phone that morning when he got home, trying to get someone, anyone to tell him what happened to his money, and who authorized forty thousand dollars of his money to go toward a remodel of an animal shelter.

That was the last day Drew had ever hit me. I didn’t know at the time that it would be the last time. I was sitting in his office, naked of course. It seemed like that was when he wanted me there, when he was stressed, but this stress was over me. He just hadn’t figured that part out. I silently prayed that he didn’t.. Only after his toying with me and finally releasing his frustration in my ass did he calm down some.

“Is it okay if I go to the library?” I submissively asked.

“For what?” he asked annoyed.

What do you think asshole?

“Probably to get a book and get out of this house,” I didn’t mean for it to come out so smart, but it did and I felt the back of his hand come in contact with the same cheekbone that had taken his blow so many times.

“You can go to the library when you can learn some respect. Get the fuck out of my office,” he demanded with a thick voice.

I lightly shook my head, letting Rebecca know that he wasn’t going to allow me to go that day. I wanted out of there so bad. I needed to tell her that he was looking for the money.

I was silently eating lunch in the kitchen later in the afternoon when Drew came in. I could feel the black eye and the puffiness just below it.

“That looks pretty good, make me one and bring it to my office,” he said talking to Rebecca and looking at my food.

“Sure,” Rebecca replied, nicely.

“You can take her to the library after that if you want,” he stated.

Yes…

“Is Derik available to take her today? I was going to go take a nap. I’m not feeling the best today.”

I couldn’t help it. My head just snapped right toward her with a look of vengeance. I couldn’t believe she was going to send me away with Derik, knowing what he would do.

 

Derik never spoke in the car. I made sure to show him my little chip that would be placed in Drew’s computer when I got back. I hoped that would scare him off, and he wouldn’t try anything. It didn’t. He smiled a devious grin and turned on the radio.

“You’ve got fifteen minutes,” he warned, opening the library door for me.

I was scared shitless. I knew that Derik was going to do what Drew had already done that morning to me. I went right to the nonfiction row and had to look around a dumpy lady who just stood there in front of the section that I wanted.

“Go to the bathroom, first stall,” she said and disappeared.

I, of course, had to ask permission from Derik.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” I whispered.

He followed.

I opened the first stall door to a dark blue duffel bag waiting for me on the floor. I quickly opened it and read the short note.

“Change into these clothes immediately, walk out the front door, and get into the waiting cab.”

This was well thought out. I stuck a piece of the bubble gum in my mouth and started chewing to soften it up. I sprayed the cheap perfume that I was sure Derik would catch a whiff of, and pulled on the long black wig. I was glad that my hair was up and didn’t have to waste time on the hair with the provided hair tie.

“What the hell is this?” I wondered, pulling out a thin sleeve of some sort. I pulled it on, and it literally looked like I had a tattooed sleeve from my fingers to my shoulder. I quickly undressed placing my expensive pantsuit in the bag. The jeans were old, ratty, and way too big. I put on a flannel shirt with the cut off sleeves and topped if off with nerd glasses and work boots. My heart was going crazy. If this didn’t work, I knew I would be spending the rest of my life eating carrot sticks and apples, locked in the gym.

I threw the duffel bag over my shoulder and left with a bubble in my mouth. I didn’t know whether I was supposed to take the duffel bag or not, so I did. Derik was waiting right outside; arms crossed leaning against the wall to the left. I didn’t look at him but could see him out of the corner of my eye. I knew I had seconds when I heard his knuckles knock on the bathroom door, telling me to hurry.

There were two yellow cabs parked right out front. I panicked. I didn’t know which one to take. I just knew that Derik was going to grab me from behind at any second. I couldn’t even open one of the cab doors and ask if they were going to I didn’t know where.

I stood in a frozen state, not knowing what to do. I almost jumped out of my skin when someone grabbed my elbow and shoved me toward the first car. They opened the back door for me, and I got in. I didn’t even look to see who it was. I did turn around once we were in traffic. There were a lot of people on the sidewalk. I didn’t see Derik anywhere.

It took forty five minutes for my heart to regulate, and the nerves to settle throughout my body, and then it started all over. The driver handed me a manila envelope, chocked full of information and ID’s.

“What’s this?”

No answer. He wasn’t going to discuss anything with me. I opened the flap and pulled out the prepaid phone as the driver pulled off the side of the road, and I was quickly rushed into another vehicle parked right behind us.

“Thank you,” I said to the driver who only nodded. I didn’t know what I was thanking him for. I didn’t even know how much he knew.

“I need your cell phone,” my new driver said before I exited the cab. I handed him my new prepaid cell phone.

“Not that one,” he stated, and I fished Drew’s phone from the pocket on the side of the duffel bag. He handed it to the cab driver and ushered me on my way. I had never thought about being tracked, and the panic started all over again. I was sure he was tracking me.

I jumped again when the new phone rang in my hand.

“Hello,” I cautiously answered.

“Are you doing okay?” the unidentified voice asked.

I hadn’t even noticed I wasn’t breathing until that moment. I inhaled deeply.

“Yeah, I think so. This was just so unexpected. Are you Ms. K?” I asked.

“Yes, I am. It’s always best that you don’t know what is happening. You have full instructions in the envelope. I will call you later. Don’t answer any calls from that phone unless it is this number, understand?”

“Yes, thank you Mrs. K.”

“You’re welcome. Relax, it’s over. You’re going to be fine.”

It's over?

That was the first time I had realized that I was on the run. I was away from Drew, but still had no idea where I was going. I pulled out the contents of the package and began to find out who I was and where I was going.

At first I was Lisa Fitzgerald, and when my new driver, who also didn’t talk to me, pulled to the front curb of the first of six banks where I would withdraw money, it started to become real. I was nervous as hell there too. I just knew that Drew was onto me, and I would be escorted to the office by bank security where I would be held until he arrived for me. He didn’t come, and I walked out with a seven thousand dollar prepaid Visa card, one of many that I would accumulate during the journey.

Everything started to sink in when I was driven to the last bank by my fourth driver. This was really planned out, and I had no idea. I had gone into six different banks, with six different identities and was carrying over twenty-five thousand dollars in prepaid cards. The majority of the money had been withdrawn for the purchase of my new home. I still didn’t even know where I was going. I had been in four different vehicles, but at the stop of every bank it became easier for me to walk in, withdraw my money, and leave. I never removed the black wig until my last driver pulled into the parking garage hours after my escape. I knew we were in Freemont, Nebraska, but that was it. I had never been out of West Virginia until I was sold to Drew Kelley almost six years prior.

We parked beside an older white Honda Civic, and I had no idea what was going on.

“This is it. Good luck to you. I need the envelope and your phone now,” my last driver said, holding out his hand to wish me luck. Those were the only words that my chauffeur had spoken to me the entire three hour trip.

He pulled the keys from the package and handed them to me with a smile. Where the hell was I supposed to go? The contents of my package only had information about the banks and my identities. I didn’t know where I was supposed to go in this car.

I got in the older car, the black SUV pulled away, and left me alone. There was another package on the passenger seat, along with a brown leather purse. I sat there forever trying to pull myself together. I was scared. I didn’t know what was out there. I had lived in a bubble my entire life. Could I really do this? It was a little too late for that. I was there. If I went back now, Drew would kill me for sure. I had been gone for over three hours. I was sure that he was beside himself.

I noticed the little black GPS stuck right in the middle of the windshield, took a deep breath, and opened the new packet of information. There was another phone and papers, clipped together. I rummaged through the purse and smiled a little. Lipstick, mascara, fingernail clippers, tiny little mirror, and a wallet. I opened the wallet to my new identity. Riley Murphy, 1712 Long Gate Road, Misty Bay, Maine. Was this where I was going? Did Ms. K expect me to drive clear across the United States in this car? I pulled out my driver’s license and wondered who had taken the picture. I knew that it was taken at the library even with the blue background. I was wearing the same outfit that I had worn there not too long before. I had a credit card, insurance card, a social security card, and a registration to the car, all with my new name. I must be Riley Murphy, and that would be the last name that I would have from my multiple identities. 

I turned on the GPS, and it was already set for my destination. I was nervous about driving. I hadn’t really driven much, but I did just fine and was out of that city and on to the next. I actually turned on the radio and felt myself relax. I was free. I couldn’t believe it.

At that moment I realized I never got the chance to thank Rebecca. I would never see her again, and I owed her so much. I wondered if Drew would make her leave. I assumed that he would. She was kept there to babysit me. He didn’t need her anymore. I hoped that he wasn’t too hard on her. I knew he would try to get information out of her. I was glad that she didn’t know anything.

My new phone rang after a couple of hours of driving. It was Ms. K, telling me that the rest of my trip would be left up to me. I had already figured as much. She told me not to get off track and to go where the GPS took me. It was already set for food and the hotels that I would check into. She told me that she would call the next day and not to answer the phone unless it was that number again.

I was scared that first night in the hotel. I should have just kept driving. I didn’t sleep a wink, waiting for the door to burst open and find Drew or Derik. I took a shower and pulled on the clothes that had been sent with me. The duffel bag with my designer pantsuit was left in the second escape car, and this was what I had to work with. Three pairs of jeans, a couple of sweatshirts, new panties, socks, a few shirts, and a box of brown hair dye. I was happy to see that. I hadn’t seen my natural brown hair since the first week I was at Drew’s house.

***

 

I hadn’t realized that I talked for so long until I looked at the clock. It was almost midnight, and Dawson and I both had to get up for work the following day. I looked up at him, and he smiled, kissing my lips.

“And that was almost two years ago,” I said, kissing him back.

“I’m glad you’re Riley Murphy,” he whispered as we both slid down into the bed.

“Me too,” I agreed, snuggling my back to his front.

I lay in Dawson’s arm contemplating where I had been and where I was now. I was by no means looking for love when I ran from Drew, but that was exactly what I found. I couldn’t imagine loving anyone as much as I loved Dawson Bade. I had never felt the security that I felt with him, and I knew that he truly did love me. Who else would have loved someone as messed up as me? I wasn’t always going to be screwed up. I was getting stronger and better every day, thanks to Starlight, Lauren, and my sheriff.

I had to open the shop earlier the next day because Dawson had to drop me off. I didn’t mind, and I was happy to ride the short drive with my hand in his. I kissed him, and he waited until I unlocked the front door and was inside before waving and pulling out.

It was fairly slow that day. I wasn’t surprised. I wouldn’t have gone out in that cold either if I didn’t have to. Dawson came in around one. He brought me a hot roast beef sandwich and a bowl of broccoli cheese soup from Millie’s. He ate with me. We sat at the table in an empty shop, right in front of the window.

“Charlie thinks you need a starter,” Dawson said as we ate.

“Is he going to get it fixed today?”

“No. He said it would probably be a couple of days before he could get to it. He’s coming to tow it later on today. What? You don’t like being escorted to work in my cruiser?” Dawson teased.

“I love it,” I smiled. “I’ve been thinking about something, Daw,” I said.

“What’s that?”

“Where are we going to live once we’re married?”

“I don’t know. Where do you want to live?”

“Well, your house is bigger, but mine is closer to the ocean, and I kind of like being close to Lauren.”

“You have got to be joking. That girl is a pain in my ass. You know she’s only your friend because you feed her, don’t you?”

“She is a pain in the ass,” I agreed, “but you still have to love her.”

“You have to love her. I don’t. I have to go, Ry. I’ll come and get you at six.”

“Call me when you get off. If it’s this slow, I might just close up an hour early.”

Dawson kissed me goodbye, and I cleaned up our lunch trash.

 

<><><> 

 

I didn’t think we would ever make it through the long Maine winter. I pretty much lived at Dawson’s for the entire winter. He was in love with his fireplace, and my house was not equipped with one. March wasn’t warm, but at least it wasn’t freezing either. I was not looking forward to the trip to Las Vegas again, even though I was when Star had first told me about it. The closer it got, the more and more I hated the idea. I hated the idea of being away from Dawson for four days, and although I knew I was being silly; I still feared running into Drew or someone else seeing me. I didn’t know who. I never got to know anyone there except for Jena, and now that I had Star and Lauren, I knew that Jena and I were never truly friends. Not like what I had with Star and Lauren anyway.

I was looking forward to the hot weather. That part was exciting. I was anxious to wear shorts, a skirt, and short sleeves, anything but the winter coat that had become attached to me over the past few months.

Starlight left almost two weeks before our scheduled trip. Her daughter Moonie would be accompanying us on the trip and Star was going there first to fly out with her. I was picking up a rental car and would meet them the same day in our shared hotel room. We did need to visit vendors and find some new merchandise for the shop. Tourist season in Misty Bay was right around the corner, and if we were as busy as the previous summer, we would need all the merchandise we could get.

On Saturday night, Dawson, Lauren, Joel, and I built a fire outside, roasted hot dogs and drank a few beers. It was cold outside, but the heat from the fire made it comfortable. We were having a good time when my cell phone rang with an unidentified number. It was Star’s daughter Moonie, letting me know that her mother had broken her ankle and was having surgery as we spoke. She wanted to inform me that they weren’t going to make the trip to Vegas. Star still wanted me to go and said that her two friends Wendy and Marsha, whom I had met the last time, along with her sister, Sunny would still be there. I was disappointed. I was looking forward to my weekend with Star and Moonie.

“You should just go with me, Dawson,” I suggested after hanging up with Moonie.

“Yeah, well, had I known Star was going to break her leg a week before you were leaving, I would have. It’s too late for me to get vacation now.”

“Lauren?” I looked to my friend for help.

“Sorry, I’m in the same boat,” she replied. “I need more than a week to get vacation approved too.”

“Joel?” I joked.

“Sure, why not,” he teased.

I was a little apprehensive about going alone although I wouldn’t actually be alone. I would have Marsha and Wendy, and Sunny would be my roommate. I knew I would have a blast with the free spirit. She was a lot like Star.