Page 68 of Rue

It would be a last resort, but she hoped she could just walk them out. Sneak them out if it came to it.

The evening and then the night passed slowly as she watched out the window. Stress ate at her stomach, and the memories of his feet haunted her. They were so still. They hadn’t moved at all and that surely meant he was dead? They would have moved if he was still alive?

Her heart ached at the thought.

She hadn’t known it might be hard to do this.

She’d hated him, hadn’t she?

He was a monster. He’d raped her and hurt her and because of him, she’d lost her baby. Maybe not directly, but the stress he’d caused her.

He’d changed though, he’d changed so much. He’d stopped hitting, hurting, and yelling at her… he’d been sweet and loving in his own way. In his way, offering the heads of those he saw as her enemy was an affectionate gesture. They’d offended her and made her uncomfortable. Asked to see her naked. He’d punished them for it and showed her how he treated those who disrespected her. It was violent and abhorrent… but in his way, he’d done something nice for her.

Even since then, the way he made love to her, the way he held her and doted on her and smiled for her. It was almost… normal even. He kept everything violent away from her.

Looking down at the ring on her finger that she was used to now, she wiped away tears.

Had she made a mistake? Killing him instead of just running away?

Was she any better than he was? Killing as an answer to solve her problems?

Sailor made herself sick, stressing over all of it, worryingabout Geo and hoping he hadn’t suffered. She imagined again and again the look of betrayal he might have had when she pulled the gun and was glad she’d closed her eyes. She’d never get the memory out of her head if she’d seen the hurt in his eyes.

The next day was no better and her head ached from lack of sleep.

She waited until late afternoon to slip out of the apartment and go to the corner store with the cash still in her bag from that night. Everyone around her made her jumpy and stressed and she knew she needed sleep. She was starting to get paranoid, thinking everyone was looking at her. Looking for her.

What did that man's tattoos mean? Was he in a gang? Did he know Geo? What about that drug dealer? No, Geo didn’t mess with them. They still might know who she was, though.

Hurrying with her food, she went back to her apartment and locked the door, shaking from fear.

She knew she needed to sleep, but she couldn’t do it. Laying down scared her half to death. Even getting under her bed didn’t help. Wedging herself against the wall under her bed, pulling boxes and bags to block her from a casual glance, she was still too afraid.

Jerking, she banged her head on the bottom of the bed and realized she must have passed out. There was light coming from the front room and daylight from the window.

What time was it?

Chapter 35

That sound… someone was opening the front door!

Fear gripped her belly and she almost peed herself as the door was forced open, the chain lock breaking away from the door.

“Say?” Davon called in a whisper. “Say, I know you’re here, the chain wouldn’t have been locked otherwise! Say, come out! Hurry up!”

Sailor was locked up, she couldn’t even breathe! It was so stupid to lock the chain! He would have just used the key he’d gotten from her room and looked and assumed she wasn’t there! Now he knew for certain!

The bag in front of her face moved and Davon looked at her from the floor under her bed. Reaching in, he pulled her out and lifted her to sit on the bed as she shook her head.

“Hey! Hey, calm down, okay? It’s alright, Say! I came ta get you, it’s okay! I can get us outta here, okay? I borrowed my dad's car. I can get us to Austin, and I already got a job lined out! I can get you outta here, okay?”

Sailor only stared up at him, still horrified. He’d found her and he was no better than Geo. Another monster. But maybe she could use him? Use him and get away? He wasn’t as much of a monster as Geo or so well connected.

“I can’t get my mom and gramma till Monday,” she whispered, finally finding her voice.

“I know, Say, I called. It’s okay, I can come back for them or send for them once I start workin’, okay? There’s eyes on them right now anyway.”

Of course there were! Why hadn’t she considered that?

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