‘And what happened?’
‘He didn’t believe me.’ I couldn’t fight back the tears and they came streaming out.
‘Did he threaten you?’ he asked
‘He said he’s always had to beat the truth out of me.’ My breaths were even more scattered now.
Hudson reached into the car and held me as close as he could.
‘I’m scared.’
‘You don’t need to be, not anymore.’ His voice vibrated against me.
I was shaking against his body and felt the fear rushing through my blood. The radio was still on in the background and the voice of the presenter filled the car. He introduced the next song and then announced the station. A wave of anxiety came over me as I realised what I heard.
‘No, no, no …’ I repeated the word “No” to myself as if I were in some sort of trance. Hudson pulled away from me and called my name as if to bring me back to him.
‘The station!’ I cried, ‘It was on the whole time! Alex would have heard the station, he’ll be able to find me!’ I was panicking and couldn’t think straight as my thoughts fell out of my mouth, ‘I have to go! I have to leave right now, I’m sorry Hudson, I’m sorry!’ I tried to push him away and close the car door but he placed his hands on my shoulders and ordered me to look at him. His voice sounded distant though he was right next to me.
‘You don’t need to keep running!’
Hudson turned off the car and took the keys from the ignition. He stood up and reached out his hand, which I took. His body wrapped me up in a strong and warm embrace.
‘He’s going to hurt me again,’ I said, choking on my tears.
‘No, he won’t. I promise you,’ said Hudson.
Hudson kissed me on the forehead as I stood and tucked into him. ‘I won’t let him get anywhere near you,’ he said.
I looked up at him. ‘He’s going to find me, and when he does-’
Hudson interrupted me, ‘And when he does, he’ll have me to answer to.’
I pressed myself back into him and he held me tight with his strong arms locked around me.
‘What am I meant to do now? If I don’t run, I’ll just be waiting for him to show up. I’ll never feel safe knowing he could turn up at any moment.’
‘You can’t let him still have control over you. If you run now, you’ll always be running and that’s no way to live. You used to be on your own with this, but you’ve got me in your corner now,’ he said.
I held onto him even tighter. Knowing what Alex was capable of worried me so much. I couldn’t go back to work, or go anywhere in public, because Alex would be there waiting until he could take me without anyone noticing. I explained everything to Hudson, and he understood how dangerous this situation was but he wasn’t deterred. After I told him that Alex would be coming for me with at least two other men, Hudson started taking it more seriously. Whenever Alex had to “take care of something” he would always leave the house with two men, often at late hours. I could never find a way to prove what he was doing, but I knew it wasn’t good.
‘You’re going to stay with me until this is over,’ Hudson ordered.
I would have normally argued against this, and explained that I didn’t want to impose, but I just nodded and accepted the offer. We both knew there was no other alternative.
‘Will your dad be okay by himself?’
‘Alex wouldn’t hurt my dad, he won’t even approach him. He’s going to stay as invisible as possible.’
I knew that Alex would stalk me until he knew exactly where I was, and only then would he try and take me away quickly and quietly. We started to devise a plan, but first I needed to go back to the house to collect my things and tell my dad about everything. Hudson got in his car and followed behind me. I knew that I was at least three hours away from Alex, so I didn’t feel like I had to start looking over my shoulder just yet. Even though I wasn’t leaving town, it still felt like I was running, but it was the nicest feeling to know I wasn’t doing it alone this time.
When we arrived at the house I called out to my dad, but he wasn’t home. I checked the yard and noticed that his fishing rod wasn’t leant up against the wall, and his tackle box was gone. Hudson looked like a giant as he ducked his head and walked through the back door to join me.
‘He won’t be back for hours, I’ll just send him a message.’
Hudson was looking around the room, not sure what he could do to help. I walked over to him and took his hands in mine. We looked at each other and I saw the worry and pain in his eyes, as if I were looking at my own reflection. He pulled me close to his body and kissed me softly on the lips.
‘I’m sorry you have to do this,’ he said, as he traced his fingertips down my arm.
‘I’d rather this than have to leave altogether,’ I said.
He nodded knowingly with a gentle and comforting smile. I stood up on the tips of my toes and kissed him on the lips before I made my way to my bedroom. I told him I’d be just a minute. I knelt down at the side of the bed and reached underneath to where I had been keeping Alex’s laptop. I placed it on the mattress while I grabbed a few changes of clothes, and all the essentials, then piled everything into a large sports bag which I heaved over my shoulder. When I emerged, Hudson reached out to grab it from me.
‘Is it too much?’ I asked, as I handed it over, ‘I guess I don’t know how long I’ll be imposing for.’
The bag was relatively heavy and had enough in it to last me a week or so. Hudson made it look so light as he took it from me and casually slipped it on his shoulder.
‘Trust me, you’re definitely not imposing,’ he said, as he smiled and shook his head a little.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
For the second time that day I had passed through the front gates to Hudson’s estate. This time Hudson was in the car with me, and there was no mystery woman on the balcony. It was a large improvement from my last encounter. The car engine rumbled and came to a stop. Hudson jumped out the car and made it around to the passenger side before I could open the door myself. He took my hand and helped me down before reaching into the back seat to grab my bag. He threw the bag effortlessly over his shoulder as he took my hand and walked me towards the front door of the house.
I was nervous with anticipation about being inside his house. It was exciting to see into more of his life and feel like I was getting closer to him. He opened the door for me and invited me in. The style inside matched the classic elegance of the exterior. Everything was neat and tidy, with antique furniture and beautiful paintings hanging along the main hall. At the end of the hall we entered into a large light filled room which was the size of a small theatre. At one end was the kitchen, and the other a large living area. All of the room was beautifully lit by the natural light above that flowed through the ceiling that was mostly made of glass. Around the top of the room was an internal balcony with additional doors opening onto it. It was so grand.
‘My sister and nephew are staying in the south wing of the house, my room is this way,’ he said, as he walked ahead and I followed behind. He quickly snapped back around, ‘Sorry, you can stay in any room you like, I didn’t mean to assume you’d want to-’
‘I want to,’ I said, cutting him off before he could finish.
He smiled back at me, nodded and turned around continuing towards his room. We passed through another hallway much like the first, then made our way up a set of wooden stairs. When we reached the top of the stairs I was met with an extraordinary view over the vineyard and down into the valley. The windows on this side of the house were floor to ceiling and ran all the way along the hall. Hudson opened two large doors inwards to his room. The room was as large as a living room and filled with light. He placed the bag on a wingback chair in the corner of the room then turned around to me and placed his hands on my hips. His touch made my body weak.
‘Please make yourself at home here. I want you to relax and not worry about a thing okay?’ he said.
I smiled and
thanked him. He brushed a few strands of hair from my face and tucked them behind my ear before leaning in to kiss me. He kissed me soft and sweet as he held me close to his body. He made me feel so protected by him.
‘So, I’m a little nervous. I really have no idea what we’re doing. Are we just waiting for Alex to show up?’ I said.
‘Yeah, we both know we won’t be waiting long, and when he shows up here, if he makes any threats, I’ll have the police here in a flash and they’ll take care of him,’ he said.
Hudson’s plan didn’t seem very well thought through and it worried me.
‘Alex will show up, but he won’t knock on the front door and ask to come in, and I don’t think the police are going to be able to get here before anything happens. He’ll lose control and you won’t be able to stop him.’
‘I know, and that’s why I’m not worried. You’ve told me everything I need to know to make sure we’re all ready.’
‘All ready?’ I asked.
‘I’ve got some guys who’ll be keeping an eye on the place for a few days.’
‘It seems like a better idea to just go to the police. Your sister and nephew are here, what if something happens to them?’ I was becoming very anxious.
‘They’re leaving tomorrow, so that’s not a problem, and you said it yourself, you can’t go to the police. If you try and charge him with anything now, he’ll pay his way out of it, and you don’t want to spend the next few years in a courtroom with him. I think our best shot at ending this is giving him back what he wants and having me here to make sure he leaves when once gets it.’
I was silent and nodded, agreeing with him. He pulled me in close against his body, wrapping me up in a big warm hug before kissing me on the cheek.
He pulled his head back to look at me. ‘I’m just going to go chat to Emma and make sure she’s ready to go tomorrow. Make yourself at home and I’ll sort us out some lunch when I’m done.’
‘Call me when you’re ready and I’ll come and help.’
He smiled and walked towards the doors. ‘You’re my guest, you’ll do nothing but relax,’ he ordered.
When he passed through the doors he turned back over his shoulder and smiled at me before making his way down the hall. I watched his body and thought about the last time I was here at his house, in the barn discovering him.
The bedroom was so big and full of light. I stood at the window for a few moments and took in the beautiful view before wandering around the room and exploring. Behind the bed there was a dividing wall that separated the bathroom and bedroom. The bathroom was so large that my footsteps echoed against the walls and bounced around the room. Two of the walls were floor to ceiling glass, and let in the spectacular views of the valley. I was tempted to make myself very at home and run a bath, just so I could lay there in the giant tub and take in all the beauty.
The sudden scream of a child startled me and I jumped before gathering myself and heading in the direction of the scream. I could hear Hudson’s footsteps coming up the stairs along with the sound of the child’s giggles and screams. I was standing in the doorway to the bedroom when Hudson reached the top of the stairs with a gorgeous little boy in his arms wriggling around trying to escape his tickles. He had bright blonde hair and would have only been three years old.
‘He wanted to meet you,’ said Hudson, as he put the boy down on the floor.
I knelt down to his level. ‘Hi sweetie! What’s your name?’
His hands were held together behind his back as he wiggled on the spot, suddenly shy and unable to make full eye contact with me.
‘Ben.’ He said his name before latching onto Hudson’s leg.
‘All right, back to mum we go!’ said Hudson, as he smiled at me and started marching down the hall with Ben attached to his leg.
He scooped him up off his leg, and threw him on his shoulders. Ben squealed and bounced up and down, holding onto Hudson’s head. I was laughing at how adorable the sight was when Hudson spun around, his eyes covered by Ben’s little hands.
‘Come down when you’re ready,’ he said, as he pulled Ben’s hands away from his eyes so he could see me.
‘I’m ready now,’ I said, and followed them downstairs.
Ben was trying to reach behind himself and give me high fives. We connected on a few of them, and he laughed every time. When we reached the main living area, Ben saw the bags sitting in the hall and got upset straight away. Hudson comforted him and said next time he comes to visit they can ride the tractor together again. Ben still seemed upset but I could see he was a little bit excited by the idea.
Emma emerged from the stairs and introduced herself. She was stunning, and I could see a lot of similarities between her and Hudson. She seemed very sweet and softly spoken and Ben seemed to adore her, reaching up to grab her hand.
I didn’t realise they were leaving today, and I hoped it wasn’t because of me. I started to feel a little bit awkward.
Hudson picked up all three bags with ease. ‘All ready?’
Emma nodded and said it was nice to meet me. I said the same in return and waved goodbye to Ben after noticing him looking up at me and waving. Hudson said he’d be back in a second and saw them out.
When Hudson returned he apologised and said he didn’t realise it was today they were leaving. Of course, I didn’t mind having him all to myself.
‘Can I get you anything? Lunch!’ he said, remembering he had told me he’d make lunch.
He opened the large glass doors off the living room, sliding them back so they opened up onto the porch and the valley below.
‘Take a seat and I’ll be out in a few minutes.’
I sat down on a chair that reclined back a little and took in the view. Hudson was back incredibly quick with two bottles of water and two glasses. ‘Still or sparkling, whichever you prefer!’ he said, before he darted back inside.
In what seemed like no time at all he emerged with a platter of meats, cheeses, breads, dips and various olives among other things.
‘Wow, thank you.’ I was very impressed.
‘I end up with so much local produce from people I do business with around here that I have a hard time eating it all, and I hate seeing it go to waste,’ he laughed, ‘that’s really why I asked you to stay here. I need your help finishing all this food!’
‘It doesn’t seem like a bad arrangement to me!’
I asked about Emma, and Hudson told me she was going through a tough divorce and just wanted to get away from everyone for a while, but tomorrow she had another meeting with the lawyer so had to go back home. I had a sip of the sparkling water and continued to ask Hudson questions. He told me about how he inherited the winery after his parents died in a car accident nearly seven years ago. The winery was left to both him and his sister but she wasn’t able to keep it running, and Hudson knew everything there was to it, so he took it on. Talking about his parents brought back memories of my mum. I tried to push them away but a tear slipped down my cheek. Hudson saw it and wiped it away. He wrapped his arm around me and comforted me as I sniffled and tried to regain my composure.
‘Sorry, that’s just so sad, I’m so sorry. My mum died in a car accident too, it’s just bringing back a lot of memories as well,’ I said.
‘It’s okay, don’t be sorry for me. I’m okay now, and one day you’ll be okay too, but you don’t need to race to get there. It’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever have to deal with,’ he said.
We both looked at each other, knowing the exact pain we had both been through and in that moment felt closer than ever before.
After lunch Hudson took me on a walk around the vineyard. He held my hand as we walked through the rows of vines and he explained the wine making process to me.
‘Can I ask why you don’t drink?’ he asked.
‘My dad used to drink a lot. Well, he was an alcoholic.’
Hudson offered his sympathy, thinking I must have grown up with an angry and abusive father. I was quick to correct h
is assumptions.
‘He was actually a great dad, he was never violent or anything like that, never lost his temper. He was always happy and kind, he was just very reckless and often drank and drove. I guess because he’d been doing it his whole life and never really had an accident him and mum were confident with his drink driving.’
‘So he was drink driving when they had the accident?’ he asked.
‘Yeah, they’d been out for dinner, both drinking and dad drove them home. Well, almost, they were only a few blocks from home when he accidentally ran a red light and didn’t see a road train coming which hit directly into mum’s side of the car.’
Hudson squeezed my hand to comfort me and I continued, ‘It’s not that I’m against drinking, or anything like that. Alcohol is just a reminder of what took her away from me and I just can’t come to touch it again, not yet anyway.’
‘I understand that,’ he said, as he wrapped an arm around me.
The sun was beating down on us and I could feel the sweat starting to form across my brow. We were near the back of the vineyard when Hudson saw a toolbox on the ground and walked over to it.
‘Whoops! Forgot to bring this back with me yesterday after I fixed the tractor. It broke down out here and I was so excited that I got it going again that I just took off, wind in my hair, not a care in the world,’ he laughed.
He picked up the toolbox, which must have weighed as much as me, if not more, and threw it over one shoulder. It was quite a walk back up to the house and I could see Hudson starting to break a sweat.
‘Probably shouldn’t have attempted this in the middle of the day,’ he said, as he lifted his free arm and wiped the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his t-shirt .
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