Page 42 of The Awakening
“Do the police have any leads?” Rob asked.
“No, nothing. I gave Danny thirty minutes, then I’m heading out with the chopper to look. I better call the airstrip.” I heaved myself to standing, but Tyler pushed me back onto the couch.
“I’ll do it. Sit.”
“We haven’t had any threats recently. There would have been some chatter if there had been any attempts,” Dad said as he sat down beside me.
The minutes ticked by, and I was getting more anxious by the second. I stopped my leg from bouncing and checked my phone at least once a minute, hoping to hear from Ellie.
“I’m not waiting any longer. Let’s go.” Dad stood and headed for the door. My brothers and I followed.
“Bring our girl and grandbaby home,” My mother called after us.
Mom was right. Ellie belonged here, and I had been an idiot to doubt it.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ellie
Just over the Oklahoma border, Ray pulled over. I thought maybe it was the perfect time to jump out. Running wasn’t my forte right now, but I was sure I could outsmart him.
As I went to grab for the handle, a shadow came across the window. I looked up into the face of my brother John. He pulled the door open. “Get over.”
I slid over, and my stomach lurched at my proximity to Ray. There was no escaping now. Looking over at John, I hoped to see something of brotherly love or even compassion, but there was nothing but a blank expression.
Ray sped off, and I felt like I was shrinking into nothing the further from Texas we were getting. Think, Elyse. How do you get out of this? Nothing was coming to mind. It was as if I had lost all ability to think rationally.
John leaned on to the side of the door and closed his eyes. That was their plan. To drive the entire way without stopping. Maybe I could pretend I was in labor. I wasn’t due for a few moreweeks, but I could convincingly pretend, and once they took me to the hospital, I could get away.
That was it.
“We aren’t stopping, except for fuel. If you go into labor, you’re delivering this kid in the truck,” Ray snarled. It was as if he could see inside my head. Was I really that predictable?
The hours passed, and I was never alone. I could see the headlines in the local paper.
Ellie Morton Ran Away from Her Life.
All sympathy would be given to Gavin when people found out his “wife” had run off with another man. A man whose baby she had been carrying. I was sure every woman in town would fawn over Gavin, and there would be no shortage of interested parties to fill my place. What place had that been? Friends with benefits? Legally, we were husband and wife, but that could easily be done away with by an annulment. Gavin could make a case that I had tricked him into marriage.
“So what have you been doing on your lengthy vacation? Playing the dutiful housewife?” Ray’s laugh was evil.
Closing my eyes, I shook my head.
“No, housewife isn’t up your alley, is it. Whore? Have you been whoring around with that man? Your body sure loves pregnancy. I can’t wait to get my hands on you again.” Ray took his eyes off the road and gazed at my breasts.
“Ray, cut it out. While I don’t condone her decisions, she’s my sister.” Wow. John was still willing to acknowledge me as family.
“What do you care?” Ray spit out.
“I said knock it off.” John raised his head and looked over me at Ray. This could be the undoing. Maybe John wasn’t as determined as Ray was to get me home.
The silent drive was nerve-racking, I had been grippingly my hands so tightly, my fingers had started to go numb, and I wassure the inside of me cheek would be raw for days from chewing on it.
Just before we left Oklahoma, Ray and John switched spots. I was tired. I wanted to close my eyes, but I was afraid to. What would Ray do if I let my guard down? My ex-fiancé rested his head on the doorframe, his breathing changing, and he started snoring.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I looked out the window and watched as we crossed into Colorado. Making a mental note of the time, I tried to keep things straight in my head, blinking fast to keep myself from nodding off.
“Sleep, Elyse. You need to. I will make sure he behaves.” John’s words were quiet, like he was trying not to wake Ray up.
