Page 89 of Love and Memories

Bella let out a satisfied hum. “Wow. I didn’t realize how badly I wanted bacon.”

“Still no sausage?” Sausage was the one thing she’d been craving, but every time she tried it, her body rejected it.

“No sausage, but maybe bacon will do the trick.”

A notebook lay open on the side of the table, and a quick glance confirmed it was Bella’s handwriting. “Did you remember anything else?” She’d been writing down everything she could think of since her memories started returning, and she’d filled up a good chunk of the notebook.

“Actually, I remembered something about how I escaped. I still don’t know why I left, but I know a man named Bill helped me. He lived close to the clubhouse, and he was the only person I was allowed to see. He used to walk down the street every morning, and we would wave to each other. Sometimes, he’d stop and ask how I was doing.”

“Did he know about what went on there?” Travis asked.

“I must have told him at least something because he drove me out of town.” She propped her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. “I don’t know if I’ve put all of the pieces together yet.”

“You think he could have been the one who ran into you?”

She lifted her head. “No. I trusted him. He was a good man. He was probably in his late fifties or early sixties. I remember riding in a car with him and it was dark. I was… terrified. I don’t really know why, but I guess because I was finally making a getaway.”

“Could someone have followed you out of Omaha?” It was an option he didn’t want to believe, but he had to be prepared for the worst.

“I don’t know, but I’m worried about him. If he helped me get out, they could have found him.” She took a deep breath and rubbed her hands down her thighs. “I don’t want to think about what they would do to him. I called Camille to ask if she’d look for him. He might be able to help me fill in some of the gaps in my memories.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” He reached for the notebook but didn’t move it. “Do you mind if I read some of it?”

“Go ahead. I need to make some copies for Camille later today too.”

Travis read the last few pages as he ate, and the food sat in his stomach like a heavy rock. Some of the things she wrote aboutwere gruesome and violent. Her daily life was filled with fear and shame.

How had she survived five years of the abuse? Before that, it had been her dad doing the abusing. Even now, the words she wrote about the past held no hope for peace or rescue.

“I’m so glad you’re out of there,” Travis said.

“I just hope it doesn’t come back to find me. The men in that club have resources you wouldn’t believe. Law enforcement gets paid to leave them alone, they hire mercenaries, and nothing is off-limits to them. Laws are nothing more than empty words.”

“I know how to play by the rules, but I also know when to go off script. This isn’t my first run-in with the lawless.”

Bella squirmed in her seat. “What do you mean?”

“Did you know Gage killed a man earlier this year? The guy kidnapped Hadley.”

Bella dropped her fork, and it clattered against the plate. “Are you serious?”

“I was there. He did what he had to do, and I would have done the same. I don’t condone murder, but when someone you love is in danger, nothing is off the table.”

She took a deep breath and rested a hand on her belly. Her pregnancy was just starting to show, and her hand drifted to the protective spot often. “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“Me either, but I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe. Do you understand?”

Bella nodded slowly. “Yeah. I do.”

She rested back in her chair, slumping her shoulders. “I don’t think I could eat another bite.”

Travis picked up her plate and quickly whisked it away. Sometimes, the smell of food made her sick. “Are you ready to pack up?”

“Sure. It’s not much.”

Travis arranged the boxes and bags in the bed of his truck, and Bella locked the cottage door as she stepped out.

“I know I was only here a few months, but I’m going to miss this place and living with Anna.”

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