by Ivy Jordan
I stood at the car rental place, shifting my weight from left to right while in line. It was moving slowly, too slowly, and I was growing impatient.
Finally, the large man in front of me was called to the counter, leaving me to be next. I stared at the woman with long black hair and a tiny waist with contentment as she asked one ridiculous question after another. I looked back to the large man who was being helped by the other clerk, shifting back and forth between them, wondering which would be first to leave and open up my spot as next.
Finally, the black-haired woman quit asking questions and took her keys. The woman at the counter waved me towards her with little enthusiasm and I handed her my credit card. She punched the keyboard in front of her computer with her long red nails until finally stopping to look up at me.
“Is a sedan okay?” she asked. I nodded. I couldn’t give a fuck what type of car she gave me. I just needed to get to Maddie before it was too late.
After what felt like an eternity, the woman finally entered everything she needed into the system and left the counter to retrieve keys. Her lips pursed together as she handed them to me, then her eyes narrowed as she told me the location of the car.
“Great, thank you,” I said quickly, taking the keys and rushing from the counter to the lot to find the car.
I walked the length of the parking lot twice, and then finally found the little black car that my credit card had paid for. I climbed inside, pulled Maddie’s wallet from my bag, and entered her address into the GPS system. Ten minutes and I’d be at her front door.
My phone rang as I pulled onto the highway. I slid my thumb across to answer and turned up the stereo for the Bluetooth to work its magic. “Hey, Beth,” I greeted.
“Isaac, where are you?” she asked with a panic in her voice.
“I’m in Portland,” I answered.
“Is everything okay? You never called me to let me know how things had gone,” she lectured.
I forgot in all the commotion to check in with her. She worried, I knew that, and under the circumstances, I couldn’t blame her. “I’m really sorry; things took a different turn than expected,” I explained.
“What does that mean?” she questioned.
“Well, we had a delay, Maddie found her phone, talked to Rob and took off,” I sighed, feeling the impact of the situation as I spoke.
“Oh, Isaac, is she okay? Are you with her now?” she probed.
“I’m on my way to her place now. I have no idea if she’s okay,” I admitted with a defeat in my tone.
“Isaac, you need to be careful; he could be dangerous,” she warned. There was no doubt in my mind that he was dangerous; that’s why I was going seventy in a fifty-five to get to her as fast as I could.
“Shouldn’t you call the cops, have some backup?” she asked.
I chuckled half-heartedly. “And tell them what?” I snorted. “Elijah is on his way,” I informed her.
Knowing Elijah was on his way seemed to satisfy her, but she still tried to convince me to wait for him to arrive. That wasn’t happening, not if I found her and knew she was in danger. I couldn’t call the cops; there was no way they’d understand. What would I tell them? “Yes, officer, I lied to this woman about her identity, kept her for weeks at my place in Florida, and made her fall in love with me…this man, the one that she knows, the one whose she is wearing his ring, he’s the bad guy.” Yeah, right. I was fucked. I had to do this on my own if Elijah didn’t make it in time. I knew that.
I promised Beth I’d be careful and hung up so I could follow the directions from the GPS. The woman’s voice told me to take a right, then a left, and then told me the destination was on my right. I slowed, watching for addresses and found a large brick apartment building with the numbers matching my GPS and parked behind a black car, similar to the one I was in. Her apartment was on the third floor, number twelve. I looked up, checking the windows, finding one that had a light on three floors up. I didn’t know if it was her apartment or not, and I couldn’t see anyone inside.
My phone rang again. I unplugged it from the Bluetooth and slid my thumb to answer it. “Hey, Elijah,” I greeted my friend.
“I’m here; where are you?” he asked, his voice winded.
“I’m in front of her apartment. I don’t know if she’s here yet or not, or if she’s with him,” I explained.
His voice was still winded as he grumbled in the phone. “I’m walking as fast as I can to find my car,” he explained.
I talked to him while he looked for the car. Once he found it, I gave him the address and told him it was only about ten minutes away, seven if he drove like I had. “I’ll be right there. Don’t do anything stupid,” he warned.
I assured him I wouldn’t and hung up.
Suddenly a shadow walked past the window on the third floor. I stretched my neck to the passenger side window to get a better look. Another shadow walked by, but I couldn’t make out the people. I knew there were two up there. If that was Maddie’s apartment, Rob was with her. Fuck, I am too late!
I wanted to go up, to bust through the door and slam Rob to the ground, wrap my arms around Maddie, and save the day. I knew there were a couple problems with that plan. One, I wasn’t sure that was her apartment. Two, Maddie may not be happy to see me. Rob may be filling her with lies, pretending to be the sweet fiancé that is only concerned with her safety. If she still believed his story, and he hadn’t shown his true colors yet, she would surely call the cops and have me arrested.
I picked up my phone and stared at her name on my contact page. My thumb lingered over her number. Something inside of me made me call. I had to hear her voice, to know she was okay, and to warn her about Rob.
The shadows moved past the window again as the phone rang, and then Maddie’s angelic voice sounded in my ear. “Hello.” It sounded a bit shaky, but it instantly calmed me to hear. She hadn’t answered my calls before so something must be wrong.
“Maddie, please don’t hang up; just listen,” I pleaded. “You’re in danger. You came to Miami to get away from Rob, from his abuse. I lied to you; I’m so sorry. I was only trying to protect you. I didn’t want the police or the hospital to know who you were in case he looked for you. I didn’t know your memory was gone, and when you woke up, and you didn’t even know me, and I didn’t know what to do,” I explained quickly.
I watched the shadow in the window. Someone came up from behind and then his voice sounded in my ear, irritated, angry, and filled with hate. “Is that him?”
Maddie mumbled, “Yes.”
“You need to get away from him,” I insisted.
“Hang the fuck up,” I heard Rob yell, and then the Maddie’s cries were muffled, far away, no longer in the phone. A loud slap sounded, the kind of slap flesh against flesh makes, and I knew he had hit her. My heart raced as the phone hung up and silence filled my car. The shadows were no longer in the window, and I could no longer see Maddie or Rob. I had to go to her, to help, even though I promised Elijah and Beth I wouldn’t go alone, that I wouldn’t do anything stupid.
The only stupid move I could imagine right now was doing nothing.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Maddie
The sound of Isaac’s voice, warning me and explaining why I left, shook my soul. I remembered. I was running from Rob, willing to go anywhere, give up everything, just to get away.
My cheek burnt from his slap, and tears filled my eyes as he jerked the phone away from my hand. It rang again, and I knew it was Isaac, worried after what he’d heard. Rob’s eyes were pitch-black as he pushed the button on the side of my phone to turn it off. “We’re leaving,” he demanded.
I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to go anywhere with him. My memories flooded back like a wild tidal wave through my mind. He hurt me, a lot. He was jealous, and that’s why I didn’t have much of any sign of Isaac in my life. I’d erased Isaac from my life for Rob but memorized his number.
I was stupid.
“
You need to leave,” I demanded of Rob.
He chuckled, his lips curling into a crooked smile as he glared at me. “I’m not going anywhere without you,” he hissed. He inched towards me, his hands reaching out to grab me. I stepped back. I looked over his shoulder at my front door. I didn’t think I could make it past him and unlock the deadbolts, and he’d shoved my phone into his pocket. I had nowhere to go, no one to call, and no one to save me from this monster.
I took another step back and then turned to run down the hallway towards my bedroom. He was right behind me. I could hear the loud stomping of his feet, but I didn’t turn to look. I made it to my room, rushing inside and quickly grabbing the door to slam it shut. Rob’s hands pressed against the wood, stopping me from creating the barrier between us. He was strong, much stronger than me, and no matter how hard I pushed on the door, it wouldn’t close with him on the other side.
My throat burnt as a scream roared through it and out into the room. “Go ahead, scream. No one is going to help you now,” Rob snarled.
“Leave me alone,” I cried out as he pushed open the door, knocking me to my backside onto the floor.
“You’re just a dirty little whore. I gave you a ring, a promise of a better life, and what’d you do? Ran off to Miami with some scumbag that did nothing but lie to you. He doesn’t care about you. I’m the only one who cares. You have no one, Maddie, just me,” he hissed, reaching down and gripping my right arm tight in his hand. He jerked me upward to my feet. His hand squeezed the flesh of my arm so tightly, I cried out.
Rob jerked me violently from the bedroom and back into the hall. I pulled back with my feet, but his strength was too much to fight. I struggled as we entered the living room where my suitcase sat on the floor.
“We’re going to my place, and you’re gonna be punished for what you did,” Rob growled.
Rob pushed me down onto the couch while he gathered a few belongings to add to my suitcase. I was remembering his place as he spoke. It was just outside of town, once a small baked goods factory, now converted into a large gym with an apartment above. It was late, so the gym would be closed, and there were no houses nearby, only businesses that were already shut down for the night. I couldn’t go there. I wouldn’t go there. He could do whatever he wanted to me there, and no one would hear. At least there are neighbors here, and they would surely call the cops if I continued to scream for help, wouldn’t they?
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I blurted.
Rob looked up, his eyes still black, but his smile filled with amusement. “You’ll do whatever I say,” he ordered.
I shook my hand. “No, I’ll scream, and someone will call the cops.”
He laughed. “No, they won’t. A neighbor called once, and you scolded them for interfering with your personal life, don’t you remember?”
Mrs. Carter, yes, I remembered. She called the cops, and I’d refused to press any charges for fear of what he might do after. She’d come to my door that next morning to me answering with a black eye and busted lip. “Oh dear, are you okay?” she asked.
Rob was there, standing behind me at the door, but out of sight of Mrs. Carter. He’d threatened to set a fire in the building in the middle of night, one so strong and furious that it would burn up my neighbors as well as myself if they ever called the cops on him again. I’d pleaded with him that I couldn’t control them, that it was his fault the cops had come. That’s when I got the black eye. I looked at Mrs. Carter with as much anger as I could muster.
“Do not interfere in my personal life ever again,” I scolded with a cold and sour tone.
Her eyes filled with confusion and pain. She was a lovely lady, one so sweet and kind that it crushed my soul to talk to her like that, but what choice did I have?
“Get up; let’s go,” Rob demanded, pulling my arm hard and jerking me to my feet.
His chest pressed into mine, his hot breath so close it washed over my skin like an evil, slithering snake. “I missed you,” he whispered, pushing his lips into mine. I struggled, but he held me tight, pulling me in close to him. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I cried out for help once again.
Rob’s hands moved to my ass. “I’ve missed this too,” he hissed, squeezing my ass cheeks in his hands.
I swallowed hard, realizing that there may not be a life away from Rob. This may be my fate. I wish I’d never left Isaac.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Isaac
I dialed Maddie’s number again, but after only two rings it sent me to voicemail. When I called back, it went directly to voicemail. Panic rushed through my veins at the thought of her being hurt. I was right outside, just steps away from her. I had to go in and help her.
My phone rang as I opened my car door. It was Elijah. “Hey,” I gasped as I answered.
“I’m almost there,” he said.
“I just called her. Rob’s in there with her, the third-floor front apartment. He hit her, took her phone. I’m going in,” I informed him as I headed for the front doors to her apartment building.
“I’m only a few minutes from you; don’t go in yet. Wait for me,” he pleaded.
I couldn’t wait. Maddie was hurt. I heard the slap that landed across her soft face. If I waited, even a couple minutes, there was no telling what could happen. “I can’t,” I hung up the phone and shoved it into my pocket.
My hand pulled at the door, and I rushed inside. Up three flights of stairs, I prayed she was okay with every step. I could hear her scream from inside the door, but it was locked. I slammed my shoulder into it as hard as I could, but it barely budged. My shoulder burnt from the impact, but I couldn’t quit. Another slam into the door and it gave a little more. It was obvious there was a deadbolt locked, and pushing through was going to be a hard task, if not impossible. Beth’s words floated in my mind: “Call the cops.” But I couldn’t, at least not yet.
“Maddie!” I called out, hoping she’d hear my voice through the door and know she was going to be saved. I needed her to feel some comfort. From the sounds of her screams, she was already terrified.
A door opened behind me, a little old man with thin black hair stepped out into the hall. “I have a key,” he said, his voice shaky.
My eyes widened as I nodded at the man to open the door. “Are you the man who’s been paying Maddie’s rent?” he asked. I nodded. It must’ve been the landlord. Thank God for small miracles.
“Mrs. Carter called me earlier when she heard commotion next door. She worries about Maddie; we all do,” the man said as he opened up the door.
I pushed it wide and found Maddie on the floor, Rob on top of her, and her skirt pulled up around her hips. Her bright eyes were glossy with tears, and her bottom lip trembled as she looked in my direction. I lunged towards Rob, tackling him from atop her and taking him to his back. Maddie pulled her knees to her chest, sobbed violently, and shook back and forth as my fist slammed into her ex’s face. His strength was something I hadn’t accounted for, and I wasn’t in the shape I’d been in when still in the military. He grabbed my neck, choking it hard as I struggled to pull from his grip. My throat swelled and started to burn from the force his hands delivered.
I lifted my arm again, forgetting about removing his grip and slammed into his face, once, twice, three times. He released. He let out a loud growl as he rolled me to my side, and then to my back. Soon I felt the impact of his fist slamming into my nose, and then my jaw.
My eyes drifted to Maddie. That look of fear in her eyes sent adrenaline through my body, and a new strength emerged with a vengeance. I bucked from the ground, grabbing Rob by the throat like he’d done to me, and threw him off of me. I quickly got to my feet as he stumbled to his. He lunged towards me with his head down like a bull charging a red flag. I stepped out of the way, pushing him past me and into the wall head first.
Red and blue lights flashed through Maddie’s apartment window as I tried to make my way over to her. She stood quickly, that look of fear still in her eyes
, and ran towards the door. “Whoa,” a familiar voice sounded, and then Elijah entered the apartment with Maddie in his arms.
She wrapped around his neck, sobbing uncontrollably as he patted her back gently and gave me an approving nod.
The police arrived shortly after Elijah, stopping to talk to the landlord first. I sat down on the couch, staring at Maddie in Elijah’s arms, remembering the look of fear she’d had in her eyes, not only for Rob, but me as well. I knew once she talked to the cops, I’d probably be arrested, or at the very least, brought in for questioning.
Elijah peeled Maddie from his arms as the cops approached. One of the officers took her aside, out of the apartment where I couldn’t hear or see. Elijah walked over to me, sat on the couch next to me, and patted my leg. “You just couldn’t wait, could ya?” he chuckled.
“He was on top of her; I think he was trying to rape her,” I sighed, watching two officers escort Rob out in handcuffs. “I couldn’t wait.”
“I know. You did good,” Elijah said with a pat on my back.
An officer moved into the apartment, approaching myself and Elijah on the couch. “I understand you are the one who broke this up,” he questioned, his dark eyes looking directly at me.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“How did you know she was in distress? Did she call for help?” he probed.
“I called her. I heard him slap her as he screamed at her to hang up the phone,” I explained.
“Well, it’s a good thing she has friends like you,” the officer smiled and then handed me a pen and paper. “If you don’t mind, write down your statement,” he added and then walked away.
I wasn’t sure what to write down, at least not about why I was outside her apartment, or why she’d taken off from me and ran to him. “Just stick to what happened from the phone call til now,” Elijah said as if he’d read my mind.