Page 34 of Breaker

My heart leaped in my chest. We were getting closer! As soon as I knew where she was, I would go and bring my wife home. But I’d need backup, but I didn’t intend to let Robert Murray walk away. That bastard had hurt someone for the last time. It would be tricky, since he was out on parole. We’d just have to make it look like he skipped town, or even left the country.

“Damn,” Surge muttered. “Found the vehicle. But it looks like he abandoned it. I’ll have to call Wire for help. Maybe he can use facial recognition software to hit a wider range and spot her. We won’t stop until she’s back home.”

“Thanks, Surge,” I said. I walked out, needing to get some air.

My Juni was out there somewhere, alone and afraid, at the mercy of a monster. And I had failed her. I clenched my hands into fists at my sides. This wasn’t over. I hadn’t failed her yet. I’d find her, no matter what it took.

Or I would die trying.

Chapter Fourteen

Juniper

We’d been on the road for what felt like forever. At some point, he’d ditched his car and stolen another one. Then about another two hours down the highway, he’d done it again. If he was trying to not draw attention to himself, I thought he might be going about it the wrong way. Wouldn’t someone notice a bunch of stolen cars?

Not that I’d complain. If he got caught, then I could go home! But I refused to sit here and not do a damn thing to free myself. I’d run away before, even when I’d had nowhere to go. Now I needed to get back to the Hades Abyss. No matter how bad things had looked, I had to believe Breaker was still alive. If he wasn’t, then… No, I wouldn’t even think about it. I’d trust in his strength and that he’d managed to pull through. Was he already looking for me?

“Uncle Robert, please. I really need to use the bathroom,” I pleaded, my voice trembling slightly as I fought to keep my desperation in check.

Robert’s eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering in their depths as he studied me intently. After a long moment, he let out a reluctant sigh. “Fine. Make it quick.”

He pulled into a rundown gas station, the flickering neon sign above casting an eerie glow over the sparse surroundings. My heart pounded in my chest as I stepped out of the car, a potent mix of fear and determination coursing through my veins.

I glanced around quickly, taking in the desolate landscape. The gas station seemed to be the only sign of life for miles, its weathered exterior a testament to the harsh passage of time. The air hung heavy with an unsettling stillness, broken only by the distant hum of the highway. But I did notice one thing. A security camera. I had no idea if it was actually working, but with some luck, it would be.

As I made my way toward the restroom, I knew I had to act fast, to seize this fleeting opportunity for escape. My mind raced with fragmented plans, desperate ideas born from the primal need to survive.

The restroom door creaked as I pushed it open, the dingy interior a stark contrast to the crisp night air. I stepped inside, my breath catching in my throat as I assessed my surroundings. The cramped space offered little in the way of comfort or security, but it was a momentary reprieve from Robert’s watchful gaze.

With trembling hands, I reached into my pocket, my fingers closing around the cool metal of a pen. I had managed to swipe it earlier when he hadn’t been paying attention to me, a small act of defiance in the face of my uncle’s oppressive control. It had been poking out from under the armrest in the center console. Now, as I withdrew the pen and grabbed a paper towel, I felt a flicker of hope ignite within me.

I had to be quick, knowing that every second counted. With hurried strokes, I began to scrawl a message on the rough surface of the paper towel. My handwriting was shaky, the letters blurring together in my haste, but I poured every ounce of my desperation onto the page.

Please help me, I wrote, my heart hammering against my ribcage.I’m being held against my will. My name is Juniper Kelley. If you find this, please contact the Hades Abyss MC.

I folded the note with trembling fingers, tucking it carefully behind the toilet. I left enough sticking out, I hoped someone would see it. It was a long shot, a desperate plea cast into the void, but it was all I had. As I straightened up, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay ahead.

With one last glance at the hidden note, I stepped out of the restroom and back into the suffocating grasp of my uncle’s presence. The flickering neon sign above the gas station seemed to mock me, a cruel reminder of the freedom that remained just out of reach.

But even as fear threatened to consume me, I clung to the faint glimmer of hope that had taken root in my heart. Somewhere out there, Breaker was looking for me. And I had to hold on, to endure whatever lay ahead, until I could find my way back to him.

As I climbed back into the car, Robert’s gaze burned into me, his suspicion palpable. But I met his stare with a newfound resolve, a silent promise to myself that I would not let him break me. I had taken a small step toward freedom, and I would keep fighting, no matter the cost.

The car engine roared to life, and we sped off into the night, the gas station receding in the rearview mirror until it was nothing more than a distant memory. We drove through the night, the darkness broken only by the occasional flash of passing headlights. I stared out the window, my mind racing with thoughts of the note I had left behind, wondering if it would find its way into the right hands.

“You think I’m stupid, girl? I know you’re up to something. I can see it written all over your face. You didn’t talk to the man behind the counter at the gas station. So what did you do?”

I swallowed hard, my fingers curling into the fabric of my jeans. “I’m not planning anything, I swear.”

“Save it,” he snapped, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel. “You’re just like your mother, always scheming, always thinking you’re smarter than everyone else.”

The mention of my mother sent a pang of grief through my chest, mingling with the fear that already consumed me. I wanted to defend her, to tell him that he was wrong, but I knew it would only make things worse.

Instead, I turned my gaze back to the window, watching as the trees blurred together in a sea of shadows. I thought of Breaker, of the way his arms had felt around me, the safety and love I had found in his embrace. It seemed like a lifetime ago now, a distant memory that I clung to like a lifeline.

As the miles stretched on, the silence grew heavy between us, broken only by the occasional crackle of the radio. I could feel Robert’s anger simmering beneath the surface, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. I had no idea where he was taking me. Breaker had said my uncle was out on parole. Wouldn’t someone notice he’d left town?

I closed my eyes, letting the steady rhythm of the car’s motion lull me into a fragile sense of peace. I would endure this. I would survive, no matter what it took. And when the time was right, I would find my way back to the man who had stolen my heart and given me a reason to keep fighting.

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