The Escape

by Alice Ward

  Dropping a foot behind her, she gracefully turned to the side, then faced him again. She dropped the other foot back, turning gracefully, almost like a dance.

  “Now, be that bully bull again.” She held up her hands. But this time, when Kylian pushed against her palms, she dropped her foot back and turned sideways, and the boy went racing past her. “See!”

  Kylian turned. “That was cool.”

  She faced him again. “Let’s do it again. Use my trigger words from before.”

  “You’re so ugly,” Kylian shouted. I bristled, but Madalyn simply stepped backward, and he moved on past. “Ugly duckling.” I stared at them as they continued the game. “Unwanted. A disappointment. Useless. Trapped.”

  It was then that I realized that those were the things that people used to say to the woman in front of me. Ugly? Trapped? A disappointment?

  I was near tears when it was Kylian’s turn, and his trigger words were revealed. “You wanted it. You asked for it. You liked it.” If he were older, I knew those words would be even more hurtful, more blatantly painful.

  “In real life,” Madalyn explained as they did their dance together, “you won’t be able to physically move like this, but if you can imagine you are, then—”

  “Then my brain can move.”

  She smiled and rumpled his hair. “Exactly.”

  He looked up at her. “Is it really that easy?”

  She placed both hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye. “No, but like with anything you practice, it becomes easier.”

  He nodded. “Like catching a baseball.”

  She grinned. “Or a rock.”

  This. Was. It.

  This was what I wanted. Just this. My family smiling and laughing, even when things got rough. Even when there were tough lessons to learn.

  Madalyn swiped at her forehead with the back of her hand. “Whew, I’m hot.”

  Yes, she certainly was. But not for long.

  I took off, heading toward them both. With a laughing Kylian under one arm and a screaming Madalyn under the other, I jumped all three of us into the pool. Kenzie jumped in too, and that was how I spent my next hour, in the pool, trousers, shirt, tie and all.

  The next hour was spent in the kitchen, cutting up vegetables for salad while my girls and Kylian layered a lasagna in a pan.

  Later, we ate then took a long walk down the beach, taking CeeCee with us to give her a little break from the puppies.

  Darkness fell, and we sat on the deck, watching blue sky change to indigo and then an inky blackness, untouched by the moon or stars that hid behind the rain clouds that were rolling in.

  It was a four storybook night for Kenzie, but soon enough she was sound asleep and I crept out to check on my son. “You okay?”

  He blinked sleepily at me. “Yeah. I think so.” He rolled onto his side. “What’s going to happen to Mom?”

  I stroked his hair. “I honestly don’t know.”

  And I honestly didn’t.

  “When all this legal stuff is over,” I told him, “I want to get her some help. She’s changed a lot since marrying…” I sighed, “you know.”

  He nodded. “I know.” Yawning big, he blinked heavily. “I miss her.”

  My heart squeezed. “I know you do. I’m so sorry all of this happened.”

  “Not the now her, but the old her. She used to be really funny…” his eyes went flat, “before him.”

  I leaned down and kissed his forehead. “We’ll just have to wait and see if she wants to be that person again, Kyl. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life it’s that you can’t force someone to change. They have to want that change for themselves.”

  He yawned, so big it made me yawn too. “I like Maddie, Dad.”

  “I like her too.”

  “Do you want to marry her?”

  The question surprised me. “We haven’t known each other for very long, so I don’t know if I can answer that right now.”

  He looked me dead in the eye. “You should marry her.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yeah. Kenzie thinks so too.”

  Another surprise. “You two have been talking about this?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Kenzie said that if you do, she’s going to call her Mama Maddie.”

  I laughed. “That makes her sound like an old Italian woman.”

  Kylian grinned. “Yeah, kind of like Mama Mia.”

  “Exactly.”

  Another yawn. “I’ll tell Kenz she’ll have to come up with something else.”

  He closed his eyes and didn’t open them this time. Soon, his breathing settled into a steady rhythm. I kissed his forehead again. “I love you.”

  He mumbled something and turned over to face the wall.

  Pushing to my feet, I wandered around the house, making sure the doors and windows were locked before setting the alarm for the night.

  I found Madalyn in the bathroom, fresh from the shower. She wore the cute little pajama set I liked and was slathering lotion on her arms.

  Our eyes met in the mirror as I walked up behind her. She sighed as I pushed the straps of the pajama top down her arms. Pushing her wet hair aside, I kissed her shoulder, her neck, her ear.

  Cupping her breasts, I watched her nipples tighten in the mirror, listened to her breathing hitch as I dropped my hand down to cup her sex. She was hot, and I knew she would be wet. She was always wet for me. And when I pushed the bottoms down and explored, I learned I was right.

  Ridding myself of my clothes just as quickly, I rolled on a condom.

  When I entered her from behind, I said, “You are beautiful. Your face, your body, your soul. Your spirit.”

  Taking her hands, I lifted them until they were on the mirror, mine covering hers. When I plunged into her again, I said. “You are a swan.”

  Tears welled in her eyes as I retreated, pulling out so slowly I felt the vacuum of her body attempt to pull me back in. Flexing my hips, I thrust. “You are free.”

  With each stroke, I told her what I wanted her to know.

  “You are resourceful.”

  “You are funny.”

  “You are smart.”

  “You are kind.”

  Tears streamed down her face as her body tightened around me as she accepted the compliments I gave her. The compliments I’d never stop giving her.

  “You are courageous.”

  “You are amazing.”

  “You are inspiring.”

  “You are honest.”

  “You are strong.”

  She came, sobbing and laughing, her fingers linked with mine as I made love to her both mentally and physically.

  “You are determined.”

  “You are important.”

  “You are romantic.”

  “You are radiant.”

  Each stroke, each word. Each truth.

  “You are compassionate.”

  “You are creative.”

  “You are empowering.”

  As my balls tightened, there was so much more I wanted to tell her, so much she needed to know.

  “You are a blessing to all humankind. A blessing to my family. To me.”

  And when I came, I had one final thing to say as my semen raced from me to her.

  “You are loved.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Maddie

  It was still very dark when I finally gave up on trying to sleep and crept from Xander’s bed, pulling my robe over the little sleeping shorts and tank that had quickly become one of my favorites. It was a little after five in the morning. Sunrise would be in a half hour or so. I would make a cup of tea and watch it paint the sky with its greeting.

  Blowing Xander’s sleeping form a kiss, I closed his door softly before heading down the hallway. Stopping by the sunroom, I peeked in at CeeCee. She stood immediately and gave me a little whine, a clear indication that she needed to go outside. Hooking up her leash, I tapped in the code to unarm the security system and took her to
the patch of grass at the side of the house. It was still wet from the rain showers during the night.

  Grrrr.

  Startled because I’d never heard the sweet spirited animal growl before, I peered into the darkness, trying to see what she saw. There was no movement, no sound, but when she growled again, the hair on my arms lifted, making me shiver. Making me afraid.

  “Come on, sweet girl, finish up,” I told her, but she continued to stare at something I couldn’t see.

  Grrrr.

  “Let’s go.” I tugged the leash and was thrilled when the dog squatted and peed quickly, but her ears were laid back on her head, and she suddenly seemed as anxious to get back inside as me. The second she was done, I picked her up and broke into a run, my bare feet slipping on the wet grass. Taking the dozen steps two at a time, I nearly stumbled over the stone pyramid Kylian created in my rush to get inside.

  With the door closed firmly behind me, I blew out a breath and immediately started to feel silly about my overreaction. I hugged the dog to my chest and unclipped the leash. But instead of hurrying back to her puppies, she stood with her nose pressed to the glass.

  Grrrr.

  I watched, waited, then like a miracle, she relaxed, her eyes resuming their normal and upright position on her sweet head. She stood sentry for a few more moments, then looked up at me, giving me the dog equivalent of a shrug. One more look outside, and she relaxed more fully before trotting, her nails clicking on the wood floor, back to her little family.

  Relieved but still shaken, I reset the alarm and poured water into the kettle to boil. It had probably been some animal prowling about. With our luck, it was probably some stray cat that would deliver a dozen kittens tomorrow. I’d clearly overreacted.

  But had I?

  Even now, standing in the kitchen, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. I felt exposed. Of course, the entire back of the house was essentially a solid sheet of glass. But where before it had been wonderful to have such open views of the beach and ocean, now, I felt like a fish in a bowl, waiting for something or someone to tap, tap, tap on the glass.

  Telling myself to stop being silly, I lifted the kettle from the stove just before it started to whistle. Pouring the water into a mug, I dumped in some honey, stirring until it fully dissolved. Selecting an herbal brew from the variety of tea bags, I ducked it into the water, letting the familiar task calm me. Or at least attempt to.

  Still feeling exposed, I decided that I was wound too tight to be comfortable on the deck, so I wandered into the far corner of the living room, then kept going until I was in Xander’s office. Spotting his iPad, I took it off the charger, and headed back to the living room. Curling into the oversized corner chair, I pulled a soft throw over my legs.

  Tapping in Xander’s passcode, I went to my recipe bookmark, intent on finding us something new to try for dinner. But as I searched, the recipes made me think of Franz and my mother and home.

  Opening a new tab, I typed in my mother’s name — Jacqueline Birgitta, Queen of Aldcliff.

  Her regal formal portrait appeared first, then other photos of her dressed in head to toe black. For my funeral, I knew.

  It had been close to a week since I’d last allowed myself to look through the news, and had been startled to see, despite the prince’s insistence that I was alive, my family gathered by the royal mausoleum located on the abbey grounds. Mama must have insisted.

  More photographs had been added to the collection since I last looked. I scrolled through them, looking at each face in the small crowd. I was glad my mother had managed to have a private event and not be forced to host dignitaries for days.

  Of course, I was only the fifth daughter, I thought with a bitterness that surprised me. I doubted there had been much of a fuss made over the specifics.

  But still… I enlarged the screen and examined my father’s face. He looked genuinely sad. In another, he dabbed a handkerchief to his eyes. A part of me wondered if it was for show, and I could almost hear the publicity team reminding him to at least shed one tear.

  It was terrible of me think it, but I couldn’t help myself.

  I flipped through the photo slideshow, not to be morbid, but so that I could glimpse my entire family together again. Mama and Papa, my living grandparents, uncles and aunts, sisters and brothers. And finally, my nieces and nephews.

  It was sad that I had to die to feel loved.

  Or if not love, then a level of caring that I hadn’t experienced before.

  Well… I hadn’t experienced before now.

  My stomach twisted as I thought of last night, of how Xander had deliberately stroked those positive affirmations into my body. Physically. Mentally. Almost spiritually.

  Love.

  He said that I was loved.

  I was glad that he didn’t see my face as he said it. The word that had triggered his orgasm had triggered my worry.

  Could love born of lies be real? Would the weight of untruths keep it from soaring, making it impossible to maintain the altitude necessary to navigate relationship plunges and ascents?

  I looked at the iPad again. Looked into the faces of my family, my past.

  Create your own future, but never, ever speak of your past, of this night or where you came from. To anyone. Ever.

  It was wise advice, I knew.

  But it freed and shackled me simultaneously. It was so confusing.

  Swiping my thumb over the glass, I came face-to-face with Prince Vitalievich. Those dark eyes stared at me, into me. That cruel set of his mouth. I shivered and swiped the screen, only for him to be there again. This time with a headline that startled me.

  Massive Reward for Missing Princess.

  Not dead. Missing. Adrenaline flooded my system.

  With shaky fingers, I tapped the screen and stared, unbelieving, as the prince continued to insist that I was alive, going so far as to shake his fist at the camera. My heart beat harder as I read the amount he was willing to pay for any information on my whereabouts.

  Why?

  My mind screamed the word. What would he gain from it?

  His pride?

  If he discovered me, would he shove me in front of cameras, yelling, “See! I told you!”

  I was already shaking my head even as I said, “No,” out loud, heard it whisper across the quiet room. He would never allow the world to know he had a runaway bride. It would be far too humiliating.

  So… what would he do?

  Staring into his nearly black eyes, I thought of two options. One, he could tell the world that I’d been kidnapped, and with his wealth and influence would be able to set it up to make it look like one. My stomach churned. Would that include killing my “kidnapper?” Would that be part of his vengeance on me? I wouldn’t put it past him.

  My mind whirled as bile surged into my throat.

  The second option could be that he would find me then simply steal me back, hide me away. He had used the reward as bait with no intention of paying his helper. They would never have to know I’d been recovered, and the prince might even pretend to hunt for me while I was shackled in some cell that could never be found.

  With that type of reward, no stone would be left unturned. I would be hunted to the end of the Earth… risking the lives of anyone who helped me.

  “No,” I whispered. “Please don’t let this be so.”

  Would God be so very cruel as to let me escape, then as I had my first taste of freedom take everything away?

  I covered my face with my hands. Yes, he could be that very cruel.

  If thousands could die from a shift in the Earth’s crust or the enormous wave that followed… why did I think I was so different? More deserving? I knew the answer. I wasn’t.

  Lowering my hands, I thought through my options. They were so very limited, my brain processed them in seconds. Not them. It. I had one option if I wanted to keep Xander and the children safe.

  I had to leave.

  And I had to do it now. T
his morning.

  Woman to woman, Maddie. Your roots are starting to show. You might want to touch them up.

  Danielle Ford knew. Or maybe she only suspected, which was the same thing. One phone call to the “Find Madeleina” hotline was all it would take.

  Pushing to my feet, I tossed the iPad down on the chair. Practically running to my bedroom, I barely noticed that it was growing lighter outside. I had no time to look.

  Tears streamed down my face as I pulled my suitcase from the closet. It didn’t take long to pack everything I owned and change into a pair of shorts, tank, and lightweight cardigan that felt like a warm hug as I slipped it on. Except the toiletries that were in Xander’s bathroom, I was done. I’d have to leave them. There was no other choice.

  I was sobbing uncontrollably as I zipped up the case and found a pen and paper in the nightstand. The words blurred as I wrote the most difficult letter of my life. Even if I tried to explain, they still wouldn’t understand, so I didn’t try. Instead, I kept it simple…

  Xander,

  I’m so sorry, but I must go. Thank you from the farthest depths of my soul for bringing me into your life, giving me a home and love. I will cherish this time with you forever. Please understand that I would never leave if I had any other choice. I love you.

  Kylian and Kenzie,

  You’ve brought me so much joy. I will miss your faces, miss being able to watch you grow. Please take care of CeeCee and take care of each other. I love you each very much. And remember to build your house from the stones others throw at you.

  It was done. There was no other reason to linger.

  Picking up the bedside phone, I called for a taxi and was assured one would arrive within the quarter hour. I’d meet it by the road.

  Pulling my purse strap onto my shoulder, I grabbed the suitcase, picking it up instead of rolling it so it wouldn’t make noise. My legs were like a combination of water and lead, making it difficult to walk. I walked anyway. I had to. Yet another escape, but this time not for me. I was doing this for them.

  As I stepped into the living area, I felt him before I saw him. The electricity of the room changed, I felt it on my skin. Wearing only boxers, his hair stood straight up in the air. He was so very beautiful, and he stole my breath just as he did when I first saw him that day in Central Park.