Rox was not going to put up with his shit. What if she were pregnant? Her heart felt like someone stomped on it the minute she’d realized Liam had lied to her. She needed to clear her head and she couldn’t do that around him. He had a way of talking her into things and getting her to act like she wasn’t herself. Playing the damsel with him had been fun, but she could handle things on her own and she was getting out of there as quickly as possible.

Throwing her leg over her bike, she slammed her helmet on and started up the engine. The growl of her baby always helped her think, helped her zone out when she needed to and she sure as hell needed to right now. Driving around for a few hours sounded like a good idea. Maybe take it someplace out of the way where she could really open her up. Checking her mirrors, she saw him standing in the doorway, a dark outline of the man she thought she loved. Glancing back over her shoulder, she revved the engine.

She pushed back the kickstand, revved the engine again and took off out of the gate. The automatic sensor swung it open and she checked the road for any cars. One perk of having all the money Liam did was you could live out of the way with no neighbors and open roads. There was a car parked off to the side of the road across the street, probably some kids who parked to go make out on the beach. Watching him turn back into the house, she finally made it through the gate as it opened wide enough to get her bike through.

She pulled out onto the desolate road and headed toward her apartment. She’d grab some things there and maybe take a few days off work. Everyone was always telling her to do that. Take a couple of days to clear her head and just be alone for a while. Her apartment door had long been repaired and she was looking forward to being able to get some space, maybe some perspective about things. Maybe she should go be Mark’s chef out in NYC. A change of scenery could be nice. Headlights shone on her from behind and she checked her mirrors. It was the car that had been parked on the side of the road.

There was a gnawing pit in her stomach as the car accelerated toward her. She tried to swerve out of the way and, in the process, hit a patch of gravel. The bike skidded, crashing with her under it. Thank God for her jacket and jeans. The car slowed and she saw into the driver’s side window. Jon glared down at her before driving past and speeding off. The blood rushed from her head and her vision wavered. He wasn’t gone. She wasn’t safe. She needed to get back to the house. Her chest tightened and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears.

The fucker had been lying in wait for her to come out. The bike had landed on top of her and she struggled to push it off. He was turning the car around. She needed to get out of here. Pulling off her helmet, she threw it aside and pushed on the bike that had her pinned to the ground. She felt for her phone in her back pocket, crying out as the gravel dug into her back. Not able to reach her phone, she focused on getting out from under the bike.

Liam was right! How had he known? That gnawing pit grew larger and threatened to wrack her body with tremors, but she didn’t have time for that right now. She needed to get out from under this bike and get back to the safety of Liam’s arms. It was amazing how quickly everything around her had changed and how quickly the things she was running away from became the things she wanted to run toward as fast as her legs would take her.

Why had she left? The gate to the house was still in her line of sight. Using all her strength, Rox pushed as hard as she could. Straining under the weight of the behemoth, she ripped her jeans, but lifted it enough to slide from under it. Only then did she see the blood. It was all over her hands and she had a nasty gash on her leg.

She sucked in her breath as she tried to right her bike. It was a heavy piece of machinery, but she pushed it up and righted it. It was rideable. She thought about her phone in her pocket and decided she’d rather be safe in the house over waiting by the side of the road for help. She gunned the engine and hopped off when she made it back to the gate, stumbling at her clumsy dismount. She cried out as her leg hit the pavement, and she hobbled back to the keypad. Adrenaline pumping and her fingers shaking, she tried to remember the code.

The car was getting closer now. He was toying with her, crawling closer and closer knowing she had nowhere to run, trapped between him and the gate. Blood on her fingers, she punched in 4-8-3... and held her fist to her forehead. What the hell was the last number?

She pressed the intercom button, holding it down. Why had she left? Why couldn’t she just let herself be happy for once? Liam was going to be in the basement. She’d seen him grab the wraps for his hands. He was punching the bag and would be for a while since she pissed him off.

The crunch of the tires made her knees weak. Trying to remember everything he taught her, she limped to face Jon. She backed herself up against the gate. Not the best place to be, but she didn’t have much choice. He climbed out of the car with something heavy in his hand. She didn’t know what it was, but it brought back memories of her regular beatings before. Usually it was his fists, but every so often, when he was irate, he’d grab whatever was handy and use that to hit her.

A whimper escaped her mouth as she tried to stand up straight. She held up her fists, preparing for an assault.

“You’re going to hit me, Juliette?”

“Not if you leave right now. Just leave Jon. Go back home and start over, why are you even here?”

“I’m here because I told you we weren’t through until I said so. You don’t get to walk away from me. Found someone else better, huh?” He pointed up at the house. “Found someone with more money? I should have known you were a money-grubbing whore from the beginning. Always giving me so much aggravation. Always making me do things I didn’t want to do.”

“I never made you hit me, you did that all on your own.” She tried to keep her head clear as terror threatened to claw its way out of her throat.

“Only because you pushed me, Juliette. Always pushing. Always fighting. Always cheating.”

“I never cheated on you.”

“What do you call fucking that guy? The guy from the bar?” He roared, pointing at the house. A small squeak escaped her despite her resolve not to let him see her flinch.

“We’re not together. We haven’t been together for years,” she shouted. She was not ready to back down.

“Like I said, I decide when we’re finished. I love you and I’ll never let anyone else have you.” He walked right up to her. Bringing his hand up to touch her face, Rox punched at him, giving him everything she had. She felt her already bleeding hand connect with his nose and there was a satisfying crunch. Liam had taught her well. She attempted to kick him in the nuts, but he easily blocked it and knocked her to the ground. With her injured leg, she crumpled. Jon spat blood on the ground and looked down at her with a bloody smile.

“It seems you’ve gotten a bit tougher over the years. So have I,” he lunged for her and grabbed her by the hair. She shrieked as he dragged her toward the car. Kicking and screaming, he hefted her up and pulled open the door. She threw her elbows and hit him in the side of the head. He dropped her momentarily and she crawled backward toward the gate. Standing, she grabbed onto the gate and screamed for Liam.

Jon took this opportunity to come up behind her and she was completely unprepared for the blow from whatever he had packed in his hand. The last thing she remembered was staring up at Jon as he dragged her into the back of his car. Her eyes fluttered shut with one final thought running through her head.

Liam, I’m sorry!