Page 17 of Safe Haven

The reason Audrey reached out for help was because she was afraid for her life. Worried her ex-husband would try to make her disappear, or at the very least cause her bodily harm. I want to believe she’s simply trying to calm herself down and off the edge by hoping this is something it isn’t, but the way she asked seems off.

Audrey presses her lips together, breaths coming quickly as her eyes move between mine. “There’s something I probably should have told you.”

“Audrey? Are you coming up?” Dane interrupts again

Fucking Dane. I definitely hate that guy.

I press my own mic. “One of us will be up in just a minute.” Turning back to Audrey, I give her all my attention. “What should you have told me?”

Moisture collects at the corner of her eyes, unshed tears shimmering in the overhead fluorescent lighting. “I took something with me when I left Trevor.”

“Okay.” I bring a hand to her face, catching a tear with my thumb as it breaks free. “What did you take?”

“I was just trying to protect myself. I thought if I had something to use against him, he would be less likely to come after me. I thought if he was worried I could ruin him, he would just leave me alone.” Audrey starts talking faster and faster. “And I can’t just let him get away with what he’s doing.” Her voice wavers. “Someone needs to stop him, and I might be the only one who can, so I made a few phone calls. I thought they were anonymous. I thought I could just plant the seed and it would grow without me.”

“Audrey.” I say her name softly, bringing my other hand to her face, cradling her cheeks as I angle it toward mine. “What did you take?” I say the words slowly, enunciating each one.

She pulls in a shaky breath, swallowing hard before admitting, “A memory stick.”

“Okay.” I smooth my thumbs over her skin, trying to soothe her. Trying to help her calm down. “What’s on the memory stick?”

Audrey barely whispers, “Proof of all the awful things he’s done.”

This is like pulling teeth, but I get it. It’s probably difficult to admit the man you married is a terrible person. “What has he done?”

A bitter little laugh breaks through her lips as another tear slides down her cheek. “Whathasn’the done? He’s embezzled money from any business he’s been a part of. He’s used his connections to take down anyone who doesn’t do what he wants. He’s paid to have people hurt.” Her chin wobbles. “And…” Audrey closes her eyes, squeezing them tight.

“And, what?” Whatever it is has her nearly hyperventilating, the hands clenched in my shirt holding so tightly her fingers have to be numb. “What else did he do?”

“It’s why I left. When I knew I’d rather die than stay with someone like him.” Her voice is barely audible when she admits, “He was trafficking underage girls.”

SIX

AUDREY

I CAN’T BREATHE. I’m going to suffocate.

“Slow breaths, Audrey.” Maddox’s forehead drops to mine, his eyes slipping shut. “Close your eyes and breathe with me.”

He makes it sound so simple. Like I can simply feed air into my lungs. I can’t. Not after admitting I chose to marry a man who turned out to be capable of such unspeakable acts.

I’ve never said it out loud before. Never admitted the full extent of what Trevor did to anyone. Not even the police hotline I called months after leaving. I gave them everything else. The theft. The violence. The coercion and laundering.

But I couldn’t make myself say the last part. It was too shameful.

I was hoping if I gave them enough they would start looking and find it on their own. That once they started investigating Trevor, they’d come across the same things I did.

But nothing happened. No one seemed to be looking atanything. They were just going to let him get away with it all.

Then someone started following me. That man out there now, the same one who came to my door this morning, drives a car that is suddenly everywhere I go. And there’s only one person who could have sent him. I knew I was screwed well before this morning. Because it has become clear that Trevor is untouchable.

And I am not.

“Audrey.” Maddox’s voice sharpens. “I can take care of this, but I need you to breathe, because I’m not leaving until I know you’re okay.”

That gets a reaction out of me, and breathing isn’t it.

I hold tighter to him, my voice pitching with panic. “You’re going to leave me?”

---