Part 7 (1/2)

”You okay?” he asked. His voice was gentle, his face worried. ”You never sleep in this late.” He placed the palm of his warm hand on my forehead.

I swallowed. My heart was still thumping so hard, I feared he might hear it. ”I have a headache.” Hopefully he wouldn't read the lie from my face.

”Poor baby.” He pulled his hand away and rubbed the forefinger and thumb of his right hand together. ”Your forehead is all drenched. I'll get you something for the pain.” he stood up and walked to the door.

”Thanks,” I said softly to his retreating back.

The expression on his face had reminded me of the Jude I used to know, the man who had loved me and swore to protect me. He'd kept his promises. He had protected me from the world. But he hadn't protected me from himself. I no longer knew which Jude I'd get from one minute to the next, the angry rapist or the caring husband. His moods changed in the blink of an eye.

While he was out of the room, I tried to figure out what to do next. If he stayed home the whole day, I'd never be able to leave. I'd have to wait until Sunday to make my escape. But I swore to myself that this weekend would be my last in this house, in this bed.

He returned to the room with a white pill and a gla.s.s of water in one of his favorite crystal gla.s.ses. I sat up in bed and he placed the medicine gently on my tongue and handed me the water. I swallowed it in one gulp.

”That's my baby.” He smoothed my damp hair from my forehead and kissed my cheek. ”Things will be better from now on. I know I'm hard on you sometimes, but I'll make it up to you. Just do as I say, okay? Be a good girl.”

I nodded and handed him the gla.s.s. I no longer knew what it meant to be a good girl to him. Just one mistake, no matter how minor, and punishment would follow.

”Say it,” he said, his lips curling into a smile, revealing his white, perfect teeth. ”Say you'll be good.”

”I promise.” Deep down, I made another promise to myself. I'd leave him before he laid a hand on me again.

Jude didn't leave my side all day. Even when he worked on his laptop or took business calls, he stayed in the same room. When he asked about Lin's absence from work, I told him I wanted us to spend some time alone together. He smiled and told me that was a fantastic idea and seemed pleased.

Although he seemed to believe me, I still walked on eggsh.e.l.ls all day, afraid he'd find out about the money. At one point, he went into his office to get something and fear that he discover that the money was missing crashed into me. I was in the kitchen at the time, and when he returned, I was holding a knife, pretending I was about to cut an apple. In truth, I was ready to ram it into his chest if he even thought of hurting me. He didn't. Instead he sat at the kitchen island and frowned over something on his laptop screen.

While he worked, I distracted myself by reading a novel, listening to music, and watching a movie. But my mind was far away. All the while I was working on my plan, perfecting it. I'd already texted Diana to let her know tomorrow could be the day. She wrote back to say she would be there when I was ready. I deleted all our text messages in case Jude got to them.

In the evening, he hired Mike Luo, one of the most well-known chefs in town, to cook dinner for us, a meal that could have been delicious but tasted like paper in my mouth.

To my relief, Jude didn't make love to me when went to bed. Instead he just held me until he fell asleep. On a subconscious level, did he know? Did he suspect that in a matter of hours I'd leave him?

Sometime around midnight, I checked on the money to make sure it was still there and before I fell asleep in his arms, I prayed he would have a reason to get out of the house tomorrow.

He didn't and my plans shattered.

Sunday afternoon, he also didn't leave the house, and he chipped away another piece of me when he discovered I had my period.

My plans of leaving his life before he abused me again crumbled. But I wasn't giving up on the chance to protect myself from him.

Monday brought me the luck I had hoped for. Jude got a mid-morning call that needed his immediate attention. One of his hotels in Madison had caught fire the night before and left extensive damage. He left the house, saying he'd be gone all day. I told him I'd be out shopping. Before he left, he pressed a wad of cash into my hand and kissed me.

When I was sure he was gone, I called Diana, who was off work to be with her boys during their school holiday. She was ready to help me.

I didn't have much time. Jude had the habit of returning home earlier than planned.

Apart from a few pieces of underwear, I didn't take any clothes with me. If Jude decided to come home early, he'd be quickly suspicious. I needed him in the dark for as long as possible.

Luckily, Jude had taken Nolan with him and hadn't objected when I said I'd drive myself to the mall. Maybe he was finally confident in the power his beatings had over me, that the fear he'd instilled in me would dissuade me from doing something stupid.

I called a taxi and walked out of the house without saying a word to Lin. The last thing I wanted was for her to read something from my face or between the lines of my words. When all was said and done, she was Jude's employee and her loyalty was with him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.

Diana waited for me outside her apartment on the outskirts of town. She looked nervous, and I understood. I wouldn't have dragged her into my mess if I had someone else to turn to.

But I didn't plan on staying with her for long. I planned to leave town as soon as possible. Being in the same town as Jude once he found out I'd left would be dangerous. I'd be gone by midnight.

”I'm so sorry,” Diana said while she prepared one of the guestrooms for me.

I'd never been to her place before. For a struggling single mother, she lived in a surprisingly luxurious apartment building with six bedrooms, three marbled bathrooms, and a state-of-the-art kitchen. From what she had told me in the short time we'd been friends, she barely earned enough to keep her children in school. I'd even considered going behind Jude's back and giving her a bit of money to help with her urgent financial needs.

”You have a really nice place.” I sat down on the bed and laid my money-filled purse on my lap. ”I thought ...”

She shrugged and busied herself with the pansies in a vase on the windowsill. ”We moved in here three weeks ago.” She paused. ”Antonio finally decided to pay up.” She turned back to face me with a smile. ”I'll go and make us an early lunch. It should be ready in an hour. Get yourself settled in and come and join us downstairs.”

”I'm sorry, but would you mind if I took a short nap?” I leaned against the pillows. ”I'm exhausted.” My body felt like lead and my mind was so clouded my thoughts were a mess inside my head. I felt as if I hadn't slept for years. I had to clear my mind before it caused me to make mistakes.

”Okay,” Diana said and headed for the door. ”I'll put something in the fridge for you. You can eat when you wake up.”

”Thanks, Diana ... for doing this.” What would I do if I didn't have her?

She smiled and nodded.

When she left the room, I made a call to a car rental company, and I managed to convince the owner to drop the car off at an address three blocks away from where Diana lived, instead of having me pick it up. He also agreed to payment in cash. I'd intentionally contacted a company that a quick search on the internet revealed was struggling financially. Beggars can't be choosers. Of course he agreed, especially when I offered to pay him a little extra for his trouble.

In a few hours, I'd be back home in Serendipity. I'd heard there was an inn that was known to be a small haven for people running away from their problems. When I called the Drawbridge Inn, the owner first claimed they didn't have a free room. When I injected raw emotion into my voice, she paused for a long moment and then told me someone had checked out while we were on the phone.

Everything was going as planned and I had no reason to believe that Jude would find me. Serendipity was small but not tiny. And he'd probably think I'd choose another town and not a place close to my heart. But right now I needed the comfort that only the familiar offered. Even though I had no family or friends there, it had been home to me.

But I also knew he'd do everything to make sure I was found. He had both the money and the motivation. If only I could go to the cops. But that was not an option. The skeletons inside my own closet had to stay hidden at all costs. I got myself into this mess, and I'd get myself out of it.

With my eyes closed, I listened to the laughter of Diana's little boys drifting up the stairs. For a moment I envied her what she had. I had always wanted to have kids, but with a man I loved and trusted. Amazing how a fairytale could go so horribly wrong. Thank G.o.d I never had any kids with Jude. It would have been that much more complicated to leave him.

I tossed and turned for an hour, watching the clock. Eventually, I gave up on sleep and decided to do something productive. I disappeared into the bathroom where I opened the brown carryall tote bag Diana had left there for me. I rolled my long hair into a bun and pulled on the wig cap, followed by the wig. The short, jet black bob with bangs totally transformed me. Next, I applied the fake eyelashes and caked my face with makeup. When I gazed back into the mirror, I saw someone else, someone I used to know. Myself, when I worked at Allure. I had never wanted to become my mother, but sometimes the things we despise most are the ones we attract.

On the night I would never forget, my desperation had led me to follow a rich, hairless client with a potbelly and beer on his breath to the Serendipity Devine Resorts. How was I to know that a few hours later my life would change forever?