Page 44 of Wife Number One

Rebel winked at me. “I’ve got three men whose rooms I get to pick from. It’s hardly an inconvenience.”

My cheeks heated at the implication.

Rebel slung her arm around my shoulders. “I’ve missed making you blush. More of that in the morning, okay? After you’ve slept for ten hours.”

The thought of staying here that long filled me with fear. The sun would be up soon, and I wanted to be gone soon after. “We need to leave early. As early as possible.”

Rebel’s mouth pulled into a frown. “I really want you to consider staying. We’ll get restraining orders out against Josiah and Dad and anyone else. We’ll make sure there’s always a guard here…”

The very thought of all of that sent chills down my spine. We’d be sitting ducks. No piece of paper was going to keep Josiah from getting to me.

Five years as wife number one without a baby to show for it had taught me he never gave up.

Even when I begged for him to stop.

There was no begging anymore. No pleading for his forgiveness. No going back. If he found me, I was dead and Hayley Jade would be sold to the highest bidder.

“We have to leave,” I insisted.

Rebel didn’t seem happy, but she finally nodded. “I’ll transfer money to your account now. And more anytime you need it. As much as you want to get you as far as you think you need to go. As long as you promise me you’ll buy a phone and keep in contact. I’ll never forgive myself for not insisting I see you when Dad said you didn’t want to be in contact with me anymore.”

I grabbed her hand. “I would have lied, even if you had. Please. Don’t feel bad. There’s nothing you could have done.”

Rebel gave a reluctant nod and then stood to hug me. She held me so damn tight I almost broke down in her arms again.

It had been so long since someone had hugged me.

But I pulled myself together and moved down the hallway to where my daughter slept. My heart broke as she made tiny, scared whimpering noises in her sleep.

I wanted to hug her to my chest and hold her the way I once had. Soothe her fear and mine too.

I could only pray that one day she would let me.

And that I could hold on and keep her safe, long enough for that day to come.

14

KARA

Iwoke to bright sun streaming through the gauzy curtains. It spilled across the pretty guest room, lighting up the pale walls and white ceiling. I blinked a few times, trying to clear the grogginess from my eyes, and took in the slightly wilted plant in the corner. A set of wood-stained drawers designed for holding clothes sat beside it.

I twisted to my side, reaching a hand toward Hayley Jade.

Panic flooded my system. I sat up so quickly my head spun, and a scream of terror lodged itself in my throat.

I scrambled out of bed, yanking the door open and sprinting down the hallway. “Hayley Jade!” My voice came out croaky, with sleep or panic I wasn’t sure which. I ran, frantically searching every side table, every corner, looking for the little girl’s blond hair and pale skin. “Hayley Jade!”

“In here,” Rebel called from the sitting room we’d talked in the night before. “Sorry! We didn’t go far because I knew you’d be worried, but the kids all get up so early…”

I stopped in the doorway I’d stood in just last night and stared at my sister in the middle of the room, surrounded by children. Including Hayley Jade, who sat quietly in a corner, playing with a Barbie doll.

My heart beat too fast. It took my brain too long to comprehend she was still here. Safe.

Playing.

Oh my God, she was playing!

I twisted to my sister who gave me a small smile and a shrug. “She heard me with the other kids and came out here on her own. I know it probably scared you but—”

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