by JL Hallow
Greg nodded, processing everything she was saying. “Sounds like you’re taking appropriate steps but he can still find you, even if your address is not your actual address.”
“I know. My original plan was to leave the state as soon as I got full custody. With my parents being dead, there wasn’t much for me here. Just Caroline and her family but now that’s starting to change. I’m rebuilding a life here and I know I should go but…”
“This is home? It’s a good plan. You’ve thought about this, clearly. You shouldn’t let him drive you away if you think you can live a safe and healthy life here.”
“For at least the last year I’ve thought this through. Before I just wanted to up and leaving entirely; a new identity, a new state…But now I want to stay. The biggest thing was that I needed a reason to escape, we found that. Now I just need that one last thing to complete my plan. He’ll never see her again, never lay a hand on her again. That’s a promise. My job now? It’s something I can do anywhere. Like I said, I work from home. My laptop can go anywhere.” She said with a shrug. “If I have to leave, I can leave. But I just need to ensure that he can’t do anything about me crossing state lines with her.”
“Where did you go that night?” Greg asked.
“Which night?”
“The one when you guys escaped from the house. Where did you go? He had to know you’d go to Caroline’s. I gather she’s always been your protector.”
“Well…”
Chapter Twenty-Two: Making a Plan
Grace and Victoria, escaping.
It was nearly four in the morning when Grace pulled into Caroline’s driveway. All of the lights in the house were off; the entire family sleeping, no doubt. She tried to remember what day it was. Thursday? Friday? She wasn’t sure, the panic turning her mind to mush. Was Mike working or was he home, just trying to enjoy a night with his family? Well, she was about to blow that out of the water.
At the risk of waking Caroline and Mike’s kids, Grace turned the car off and got out. It was amazing how cold the concrete was under her feet. Opening the back door of the car, she peeked on Victoria. Good, she was still sleeping. She had fallen back asleep in the first ten minutes of the drive. With any luck, she would stay that way. Grace leaned in and kissed her forehead before pulling away and telling Gia to stay. With a deep breath, she left the sleeping child in the car and headed for the house.
Her feet were quiet as she padded across the stone walkway, up the grey front steps to the door. She stopped, hesitating as she stared at the doorbell. Should she call first? Knock? Ring the damn bell? Call, she’d call first. Slipping her phone from her pocket, she dialed Caroline’s number. Eventually, it went to voicemail and Grace hung up before trying twice more. She called Mike next, only once because on the third ring, he answered with a groggy voice. “Hello?”
“Mike?” Grace’s cracked.
“Grace? What’s wrong?” He rolled over, glancing at the clock.
Suddenly, he seemed to be wide awake. She could hear him moving about, sitting up as he shook Caroline and murmured for her to wake up. “What’s happened?”
Grace broke. “He hit her. He hit Victoria. I had to leave. I have nowhere else to go.”
Mike cut her off. “Where are you?” She could hear him standing, hunting for his boots as he started to get dressed.
“We’re outside.”
“We’re?”
“Me, Victoria, and the dog.”
“Oh for fucks sake, I’ll be right down.” Mike hung up and left the bedroom, Caroline following close behind.
When Mike opened the front door, he took Grace in with a stern look. There was no pity there, just rage. She could see it behind his eyes, could feel it rolling off his body. “How hurt is she?”
“She’s okay. I’ll tell you more when we get inside. But she’s okay. Safe. She’ll have a bruise but nothing’s broken.”
Mike nodded and moved around her. Caroline took Grace’s hand as Mike went to the car and grabbed the sleeping girl from her seat. Awkwardly, he reached for their bags and waited for Gia to follow along before he closed the car door with a nudge of his hip and headed into the house. He brought Victoria upstairs first and laid her down on the bed in the guest room, leaving their bags at the end of it.
He headed back downstairs, rubbing his tired face as he reached the living room. “Coffee?”
“Yeah, that’d be great.” She doubted she would sleep at all and she knew they needed some after being disturbed from their sleep.
She was too nervous to sleep, scared that Aaron would wake up and find them missing and come looking for them. He would go straight there to their house. He wasn’t stupid. Caroline was her only friend, he made sure of that. Eileen was her only family, and he was smart enough to know she would never go to her stepmother for help.
When Mike returned, it was with two cups of coffee; one for Caroline and one for Grace. He didn’t need one, already wide awake. He was used to being woken up when the tones dropped for emergency calls. He took a seat on the couch and leaned into it, pulling Caroline close as his gaze traveled to Grace. “Tell me what happened.”
“I made dinner, he came in from trying to fix the truck and told me to make his plate while he was washing up. I made Victoria’s first, she was hungry and had a real bad attitude. Not her typical attitude, so I figured she was hungry. Then I made his. It wasn’t done by the time he got to the table and I was just in no mood for his aggression so I gave him some attitude back. And by not done, I mean I was in the middle of making of making his plate and he already had a cold beer waiting for him on the table. It worsened his mood but he got over it. Then Victoria asked me if she could have a piece of bread, I told her yes, and she asked to get it herself. She needs to start being a little independent but she spilled her milk while she was reaching for it. Made a mess but nothing broke… He jumped out of his chair and hit her across the face so hard it knocked her out of the chair. I lost it. I threw my plate of food at him, smashed the glass pans that had the rest of our dinner in them, grabbed her off the ground, and told him to get the fuck out. He did. He went to the bar after throwing a chair at us.”
“Then what.” Mike prompted when Grace stopped talking, fury burning in the pit of his gut.
“I started to pack. I got the bags ready while he was at the bar, stuffed them in the front closet with our coats and my spare set of keys. He had no idea I had them made a while ago, I’ve kept them hidden. Then I waited for him to get home, knowing he’d be drunk and when he passed out, I got up and got Victoria and our bags, and then we left. I came straight here because I didn’t know where else to go.”
“Well you can’t stay here.” Mike said.
Caroline jerked away from him. “Michael!”
“That’s not what I meant.” He said holding his hands up defensively. “I mean she can’t stay here because it’s the first place he’s going to look. So, we’ve got about an hour and a half to find her somewhere to go and get her on the road before he gets up. I’ve got a few buddies in the department; Two married, one single guy. All three have private homes that won’t be found. They’ll be able to keep her safe. Berra has a few extra rooms…he works a lot but you guys will be safe there. I’ll call him first.”
Caroline nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good point. Berra’s a good guy, someone I would trust the kids with if we needed someone to watch them or anything.”
Mike stood, leaving the ladies in the living room.
When he returned ten minutes later, he seemed a little lighter. “Berra said he doesn’t mind. He’s just getting off shift at the firehouse, he’ll be home in twenty, give or take. He’s just packing his gear and heading back to the house. It’ll take you a little under forty from here to get there. I texted you the address already. He’s got a guest room, doesn’t mind the dog so long as she gets on with his, and says you can stay as long as you need to get on your feet. He won’t charge you or anything like that. Cool guy, understands the si
tuation.”
“He’s safe?”
“Very safe. I wouldn’t send you there if I didn’t believe that with every fiber of my being. He’ll keep you guys well protected and you won’t have to worry about a thing. If you need anything, ask him. If you can’t ask him, call us.”
Grace dropped her face into her hands and blew out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Chapter Twenty-Three: Saving Grace
Grace and Gabe
“Hey.” Grace greeted the man at the door with a forced half smile.
“Nice to meet you.” He replied. “Would you like some help with your bags?”
Grace shook her head and readjusted the sleeping kid on her hip. “I’ve got it. Kind of used to this by now.” She said with a chuckle.
Gabe Berra stepped to the side and allowed her to enter the house, shrugging slightly. “If you insist, but I really don’t mind helping. The dogs are put up in my room for the night, so don’t worry about them. I’ve set up the spare room, it’s upstairs and the third door on the right. If you want to bring her up…I’m going to make some breakfast and I’d be happy to make you some too.”
“Great, thank you. I’ll put Victoria and Gia up there, along with our bags and then I think breakfast actually sounds wonderful. Thank you for letting us stay here, Gia too. And I’m sorry it’s so late…I can imagine this is a bit of an inconvenience. Caroline said you’re single and I feel like I’m invading your territory.”
Grace stopped talking, immediately blushing. “I’m sorry…”
Gabe shrugged her off with a laugh. “You’re not invading anything. This is just a place I sleep when I’m not on shift, really. And it’s not late for me, this is my normal shift and I’m happy to help where I can. I’ve got the room and…You’re safe here.” Well, Aaron was never going to find her there.
“I’m going to go get those eggs started. You want a coffee too?”
“Coffee would be great.” She wasn’t going to sleep after all of this. It was impossible.
Grace shifted her hold on Victoria and headed for the stairs. She took them slowly, careful to not wake her sleeping child yet again. The poor kid wasn’t going to get a wink of sleep if she kept bouncing her from house to house. Following Gabe’s directions, Grace headed for the third door and nudged it open.
The room was so…cozy. Not what she expected in the home of a young bachelor. The blue plaid bed set matched the dark curtains that hung from the windows, several pictures were hanging from the walls, and the dresser even had a candle. A candle! And the bed frame was gorgeous. Dark oak that had been carved with an intricate design. And to think this was only the spare room.
“Nice digs.” Grace murmured under her breath.
Heading over to the bed, she reached down to pull the comforter back, gently lowering Victoria to the bed. She tucked her in and called Gia up to lay with her. Content her daughter was safe, Grace let the events of the night hit her. And they did, like a damn freight train. Exhaustion washed over her, forcing her to slump her shoulders as she closed the bedroom door and headed down the hallway. She had really done it, pulled off what she thought was the impossible.
She left Aaron.
But how long would it take for him to find her? To find them. How long until he got his hands on her again? Grace visibly cringed at the thought. No, there would be no going back this time. Not a chance. Watching him hit Victoria was enough for her. As she made her way down the hallway, she could hear the two German Shorthaired Pointers on the other side of the bedroom door as she passed it. A soft laugh escaped her when she heard their rapid sniffing and whining. Poor things, they had no idea who was invading their territory.
Making her way down the stairs, she paused at the bottom. She was about to have breakfast with a complete stranger, who was allowing her and her circus to take over his home. And her circus came with a hint of danger. Grace blew out a breath and turned the corner, flashing Gabe a smile. “Thank you for letting us stay here and thank you for cooking. I’ll clean up after.”
“Nah, don’t think anything of it. Like I said, I’ve got the space and it’s really no problem. I’m sure the dogs will appreciate having the kid around to play with. Your dog too. So, I’ve scrambled up some eggs, the bacon’s about done, and I didn’t know how you took your coffee but that’s about ready too. I started a pot before you even got here.”
“This really is your breakfast hour, huh?”
“Yeah, I like the overnight shifts. I’m kind of like a vampire, you see. The light, it burns!” He cracked a smile and slid a mug across the counter toward her.
“Make yourself at home.”
Grace tugged at the sleeves of her shirt, trying to drive the feeling like they were taking over his home away and trying to relax like he requested. Moving to the counter, she poured some sugar in the bottom of her cup and then filled it the rest of the way with coffee, no cream. “Thanks, this smells delicious, I can’t wait to eat.”
She hadn’t eaten since the morning before. She had thrown her dinner at Aaron and hadn’t been hungry afterward. “Can I help with anything?”
“No, I’ve got it.” He smiled. “Just go sit down before you fall down. You look exhausted.”
Grace laughed. “You’re not wrong about that. I am. I haven’t slept since last night, well, the night before last, but I don’t think I could even if tried. I… I know Aaron doesn’t know you or where you live and I know that Mike and Caroline would never tell him but I just can’t help feeling like he’s going to show up here, you know?” She held the mug tightly, staring down into it.
“Even if he were to find my house, I can promise you he won’t like who he finds on the other side of the door. Listen, it’s none of my business… but I’m not going to let the guy hurt you or the girl.”
“Victoria. Her name is Victoria.”
“Right, sorry. I should have asked.”
“No, it’s alright.” She said, shaking her head as Gabe came to the table and placed the plate in front of her.
“Eat. Even if you’re not hungry, eat. Especially if you won’t sleep.”
Grace eyed him, trying not to openly stare. But she couldn’t help it. It was the first time since she had arrived at the house that she had a chance to really take him in. He was younger than Mike, probably late twenties, early thirties if she had to guess. He was taller too, almost six foot four, he made her look like a munchkin in comparison. His hair was a dark, sandy blonde that had been buzzed short. She assumed that had to do with his job. His face was clean shaven, she knew for a fact that was because of work. Mike had often complained about not being able to grow a beard. There was something about the facial hair interfering with the suction of the masks. But what struck her the most? His eyes. She wasn’t typically someone who found anything striking about deep brown eyes but his? They seemed to hold so much wisdom.
Wisdom. Yeah, that didn’t sound foolish at all. But it was true. There was something intense about his gaze, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Perhaps it wasn’t wisdom, maybe it was understanding, but whatever it was, it got her attention.
“Can I help you with something?” He asked with a playful smirk.
“Oh, no. Sorry…I didn’t mean to stare.” Grace blushed, pushing the eggs around with her fork as she looked away. “Are you sure we’re not going to be a bother to you?”
Gabe shook his head. “Nah, not at all. I try to work as much overtime as I can. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to get on your feet and find a job and a place to live. I’m rarely home right now so it’d actually be doing me a favor to have someone around to help with the dogs.”
“I’m sure Victoria will love having two more to play with.”
“They’re great with kids. They’re my hunting dogs, just…no time to hunt.” He said with a shrug.
“Why work so much then?”
“Mostly to pay off the house faster. Simple as that, really.”
; “I see.” She said, picking up her coffee to take a sip. “My house is in my soon to be ex-husband’s name.” Grace said with a grunt.
“So, you’ll really go through with it then?” He asked.
“With what?”
“The divorce. Mike filled me in on what’s going on. Said Aaron gets a little violent and that I should be on my toes if he ever found out you were here.” He said with a shrug. “Don’t really plan on letting him catch wind of where you’re hiding.” Gabe said.
Grace nearly dropped her fork and sat up a little straighter. “Not that it’s really any of your business.” She pointed out. “But yes, this time I’m going to file for divorce and yes, he can get violent. This was the final straw. I don’t know what Mike did or didn’t tell you, but he actually hit Victoria tonight. We will not go back. End of story. If we do, it will be done with people I trust to keep him away from me, Victoria won’t be there, and it’ll only be to get the rest of our things. Once Victoria goes to her grandmother’s today, I’m heading to meet with the lawyer to get the divorce paperwork going if she can fit me in.” She picked up her fork and started poking at her food again.
“Are you sure her going to her grandmother’s is a good idea?” He held up a hand to cut off any potential protest. “I’m not questioning your judgment. I’m just saying, he knows she goes there sometimes, right? So he’ll be looking there or at Caroline’s and I hate to say it but I doubt either one of them will be able to keep him away.”
Grace fell silent, mulling over what he was saying. He had a point, a really damn good one. “I can’t bring her with me.”
“Or… I can watch her.”
Grace’s eyes narrowed, this time she did lower her fork to the plate before folding her hands and staring at Gabe. She studied every line of his face, looked into his eyes and hunted for any sign of distrust. But she had no reason not to trust him. His house was a safe haven and so was he. The most important thing was Mike’s trust in him. Mike was a man of good character and only kept those who reflected the same characteristics around. If Gabe wasn’t a good guy, Mike wouldn’t have felt safe enough to let the girls go there. And he certainly wouldn’t have allowed Grace and Victoria to stay there.