Chapter 2 - Flight into the Cold
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"Please... stop!" I begged, my hands scraping against the floorboards as I tried to crawl backward.
"You don't tell me what I owe you!" Declan snarled, raising the driver higher. "You are nothing without me!"
He brought the club down again. I threw my body to the left. The heavy metal head missed my ribs by inches and shattered the glass display cabinet behind me.
The explosive sound of breaking glass broke the spell of terror that had frozen my limbs. The negotiation was over. There was no husband left inside this monster—only a predator.
Run.
I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the sharp pain in my hip, and sprinted toward the foyer.
"If you run, you'll regret it, Maya!" Declan roared behind me. "You hear me? You won't have a dime left!"
I didn't stop for shoes. I didn't grab my purse, my phone, or my coat. I threw open the front door and plunged into the icy rain.
My bare feet slapped against the wet asphalt as I sprinted down the driveway. Every shadow looked like Declan giving chase. Rain drenched my hair, blinding my vision, but I kept running until I reached the main avenue.
A yellow taxicab pulled up to the red light. I banged frantically on the passenger window.
"Please!" I sobbed, the driver rolling down his window in alarm. "Please take me away from here!"
The driver took one look at my bruised face and bare feet. "Get in, lady!"
I collapsed onto the back seat, shaking violently as the warmth of the heater hit my face.
"Where to?" the driver asked, looking at me through the rearview mirror.
"Dorchester," I managed to choke out between ragged breaths. "Take me to my mother's house in Dorchester."
May you like
As the cab sped away from the gated neighborhood, I pulled my knees to my chest. The threat echoed in my head over and over again. You'll regret it.
I had left behind my home, my clothes, and my security. But as I watched the city lights blur through the rain-streaked window, I realized staying would have cost me my life.
