Page 27 of Tripp

If he knew where I was, wouldn’t he have already tried something? Manny wasn’t the type to just watch. Right? I was so conflicted. The divorce, it had been quick and easy. Painless. I knew, after what had happened at the junkyard, that was because of Tripp. He’d made sure he left me alone, but now…something had changed.

“Your precious daughter. Does she know her mama is a fucking bitch?”

He knew where my house was…I could deal with that, it had an alarm, but he was talking about my child. My sweet innocent baby. Nope.

She was always off limits. I’d kill him for looking in her direction. Anger and panic were riding side by side right now.

The mama bear crazy train was full speed ahead.

I pushed my hips out and jerked my arm down. I didn’t think about the consequences. Or the pain involved with dragging my entire arm down the wall. “Fuck!” The pain—oh, it had nothing on the fires of hell racing through me.

“You stay the fuck away from my daughter!”

He came at me, and I had enough of my wits left to brace, grab his arm, and use his momentum to flip him over my back.

The thud his body made when it hit the concrete made me smile.

“You stupid bitch!”

I took off toward my truck. I had to get inside. I’d be safe in the cab. I could call for help.

I got the door open and dove in. The door was almost shut when he grabbed it. When it flew open, I could see the rage in his eyes. I had not only poked the bear, I’d royally pissed him off.

Good. We could be pissed together. I screamed, kicking out. My feet hit him square in the chest. It happened so fast, he wasn’t ready. He stumbled back, falling over his own feet. I was able to shut the door and lock it before he could grab it again.

“I’m going to kill you, bitch! You hear me?”

I fumbled to find my keys. I patted my pockets. I was shaking so hard it physically hurt. My heart was racing, head pounding, and now the tears started. I dropped the keys and as I ducked to reach for them, the window shattered.

The alarm started blaring, and I screamed. This was all too damn much. I waited, but he didn’t make a grab for me. I wasn’t pulled out of the window. I sat up, putting my back to the solid window behind me. I looked around, but he was gone.

I tried to get a grip on my cell, but it fell between the seats. Fuck it.

I fought to get the key in the ignition and start the truck. When the engine purred to life, I burned rubber leaving that parking area. The smoke and squealing of my tires drew some attention, but most looked the other way. If I had not made it to the truck—no one would have helped me.

That revelation made my heart hurt. Though, on the other hand, I got it. People nowadays—lord, you didn’t know who had a knife they’d slice you with or a gun that would end your life.

I couldn’t hold that against them. I wouldn’t. What I would do, was get my ass to the Sheriff’s Office. I had to report that I’d seen him and where.

Maybe they could use the new street cameras to find him…to stop him.

He’d been following me.

He knew what vehicle I drove.

He knew where I lived.

He’d threatened?—

A sob broke free as I sped down the road. I slowed, not wanting to hurt someone else just because I was upset. If it wasn’t for the bleeding mess that was my arm, the throbbing pain in my shoulder, and the panic rolling through me, I’d swear this was all a bad nightmare.

I managed to get my cell phone between my fingers and pulled it up from the floor. I hated the ‘no man’s land’ that was the space between these seats. I tried to get the screen to unlock, but my face wasn’t being recognized. I threw it on the seat and took the next left.

I hadn’t seen a car behind me, but was he there? How had I missed him all those other times?

Halfway up the street I could see the kids playing in the park. Out in the open. God. He could run up and snatch her, and they’d not be able to stop him.

I pressed my foot to the accelerator, my tires squealing as I made it in the parking lot and slammed on the brakes. Heads turned, the noise getting everyone’s attention. I frantically looked around. I saw kids but not my baby. Where was she?

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