Page 109 of Theirs to Take

“Right, see you in the morning,” she said, standing from her desk and grabbing her bags. She seemed nervous, almost scared, and he wondered what kind of news she had gotten from home and if it was something that he should tell Alex. For now, he planned on watching her to make sure that she was okay, and if something came up, then he’d tell Alex.

Carrie

Carrie walked to her car, carefully checking her surroundings for anything out of the ordinary. In the past week, she had foolishly let her guard down. She thought that running away to America would be enough distance between Alastair and her, but she was wrong. The text message that she received just minutes earlier up at her desk proved that to her.

Apparently, it didn’t take her small town back home long to start gossiping about her once she left. Alastair had gone around town, asking if anyone had seen her, and he had somehow pieced together that she ended up at the pharmacy where fucking Mary Brun told him that Carrie was there last week purchasing pregnancy tests. It surprised her that Alastair was smart enough to piece everything together from there, but his short and not-so-very-sweet text message let her know that he had. “I know that you’re pregnant with my baby and running won’t stop me from finding you,” was all that he wrote. It was enough to terrify her and had her running out of the office like her ass was on fire. She’d need to go home, pack and find someplace new to lay low, but the question was—where? She hadused her golden ticket to get to the states, but she didn’t have any more rich cousins laying around and there was no place she’d be able to hide. Carrie needed to make some hard and fast decisions, or she was going to have to deal with her ex, and that couldn’t happen. He’d drag her back to Scotland and then, she and her baby would never be free. It’s the reason why she ran as soon as she found out that she was pregnant. She was foolish enough to get tied up with a man like Alastair, but she wouldn’t let her child suffer with a father like him. They would never be safe, and she wouldn’t allow that to happen.

She knew that going home was her only option. Even if Alastair found out where she was hiding, he’d take some time to get to the states. She had a couple of days before she’d have to move on and tonight, all she wanted to do was find something to eat and sleep. The pregnancy was really wearing her out and all she wanted to do was sleep anymore. She was sure that tomorrow morning when she had a fresh perspective after a good night’s sleep, she’d be ready to figure out her next move.

Carrie drove home to her adorable little apartment that her cousins had rented for her. It was going to hurt them both if she simply disappeared but getting either of them more involved in her mess wasn’t something that she was willing to do. She had already put both Alex and Rod in danger by showing up on their doorstep and asking them for help. They were powerful men but so was Alastair. He would use all of his resources to track her down, and when he found her, he’d be sure to make an example of her cousins for helping her.

It only took her ten minutes to commute back to her apartment and when she finally climbed out of the elevator to go into her place, she found Mina standing in the hallway waiting for her. “Some guy’s been beating down doors around here, asking for you,” she warned.

“Shit,” Carrie whispered. “What did he look like?”

“Big guy, long, dark hair, beard, and a ton of tattoos. He also had a Scottish accent,” Mina said.

“Yeah, that’s my ex. He can’t find me,” she whispered. Mina pulled her by the hand into her apartment across the hall. “What are you doing?” she asked. “I don’t want to drag you into my mess.”

“I’m the one doing the dragging,” Mina said. “And I had an ex like that guy. I get it.” She shut and locked the door behind them and pulled out her cell phone from her jean pocket.

“What are you doing?” Carrie asked.

“I’m calling the cops and telling them that some Scottish lunatic is disturbing the peace around here and bothering everyone in my building.”

Carrie gasped, “If he finds out, he’ll kill you.”

“I can take care of myself, Carrie,” Mina insisted. Carrie liked her new neighbor and hated to put her in this position. Mina was the first person in the building to show up at her door, a basket of homemade muffins in hand, welcoming Carrie to the neighborhood last week. She was incredibly homesick, and Mina was a little ray of sunshine, so she invited her in, and they ate the basket of muffins while getting to know each other.

Mina called in their unwanted intruder and thanked the person on the other end of the call. “They will send someone out to take care of your ex. Have you thought about getting a restraining order against him?”

“I didn’t know that was possible since I’m not an American citizen,” Carrie said.

“All people have rights in America. If this guy is causing you trouble, you need to get a restraining order,” Mina said. “I’ll help you with that in the morning. Tonight, you should sleep here. Once the cops cart him off, I’ll run over to your place with you to grab some of your things.”

“Do you think that’s really necessary?” Carrie asked.

“I think that it will help the next time he shows up here to cause trouble,” Mina said.

“Assuming that there is a next time,” Carrie said. If she had her way, she’d be out of there by daybreak.

“You’re thinking about running, aren’t you?” Mina asked. “What does this guy even want from you?”

“He wants to punish me for leaving him, and he wants my unborn child,” Mina said, covering her hand over her still flat tummy.

“You’re pregnant?” Mina asked.

“Only about six weeks gone now,” Carrie said. “I just found out two days before coming here. Alastair is a drug dealer and when I found out about the baby, I just couldn’t stay with him. I knew that I’d have to not only leave town but leave Scotland. He’s a powerful man, and he won’t stop coming for me or the baby. My father called my cousins and they agreed to take me in, but they don’t know anything about the baby or my ex. They think that I just need a fresh start.”

“Well, you do,” Mina insisted, “why not just tell them what’s going on? If they were willing to help you before, they will still help you once they know about the trouble that you’re in.”

“Or they’ll be pissed that I brought trouble to their doorstep. I’ve put their families in danger and that’s something that I can’t take back now that Alastair knows where I am,” Carrie said.

They heard the sirens before they even looked out the window. Carrie stood there, watching the street five floors below, holding her breath, waiting for them to bring Alastair out. When they finally led him from the building wearing handcuffs and put him into the back of the police cruiser, she finally felt as though she could breathe again. Alastair looked up at the building and for just a second, Carrie was sure that he could see her, even if that was completely ridiculous.

“How long will they keep him?” Carrie asked.

“Probably overnight,” Mina guessed. “But we’re not taking any chances. You’re staying with me. Let’s go over to pick up a few of your things while we can.”

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