Page 60 of Something to Believe In
"I need to feel safe in order to sleep and rest and be creative. So do you. What do you suggest we do in the meantime?"
"I honestly don't know. I've thought of nothing else. Your safety is my primary concern. In my head, I've thought of being away from here, but here we have a support system. Moving to the outskirts of town sounds peaceful and serene, but we’d be secluded and away from services, such as the police. The police are nearby in town; however, it is not secluded or peaceful. I'm not sure what the best answer is."
She nodded her head. "I know."
A nurse entered the room. "Doctor Thompson said you're able to go home. Since they didn't admit you, you won't have to do a lot of paperwork. We just need your insurance information to file with them."
She realized she didn't have her purse. Turning her head toward Axel, she asked. "I don't have my purse. Or my backpack. Do you know where they are?"
"Livia said she'd take care of it. I'll text her."
Axel tapped on his phone, and Maddyn took a deep breath. She opened her eyes and looked at the nurse. "Can I bring it in tomorrow? Let's make sure you have my address and phone number so you can reach me."
The nurse nodded and smiled. "Of course. We understand the circumstances. You can certainly bring it in tomorrow. In the meantime, why don't you get dressed?"
The nurse left the room, and Maddyn sauntered to the narrow cabinet to gather her clothes. Pulling her jeans from the hanger, she stared at the cut leg and frowned. They weren't her favorite pair of jeans, but it sure pissed her off looking at them all cut up. That fucking Lacey had worn through her last nerve. She took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bed. Axel was texting with Livia, and she pulled on her tattered jeans. Maybe she'd keep them and wear them to show Lacey she'd made it through. She'd start a new trend. Reaching back, she untied the hospital gown. She went back to the closet and slipped her shoes on. Hopefully, when she left the hospital today, it would be the last time she saw it for a long time. Never would be too soon.
She turned to Axel, and he grinned. "Ready?"
"Yep."
"Where are we going?"
She bit her bottom lip. "Let's go home to your place. I don't want to give that bitch the satisfaction that she's chased me away. We'll give our living situation a bit of time to decide what we want to do. In the meantime, tomorrow..." She glanced at her watch and saw it was about one in the morning. "Today, I'm moving in with you."
Axel stepped up to her and wrapped her in his arms. "That's my girl."
She hugged him tightly, grateful for his support. She wasn't letting the Laceys of the world win.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Axel lifted the box Maddyn filled and carried it downstairs. She'd packed only what she wanted to bring with her; the other items she'd called an estate sale company to come in and take away.
She'd given her notice that she was leaving, and he was incredibly proud of her when she told management that she couldn't stay because her downstairs neighbor was so incredibly rude and played her music too loudly for thought. Management was sad to see her go.
As he carried the box down to the dented-up SUV, he still needed to notify the dealership about it, when he saw one of the apartment management team tape a note to the downstairs neighbor's door.
Zeke, Sean, Tony, and Jami were helping them move. Livia was packing things up with Mads, and everyone was excited. A new start. A good start.
When he entered the apartment this time, they all stood looking around. Mads glanced his way and smiled. "That's it. The estate sale company will pick the rest of this up tomorrow."
"Excellent." He smiled at her.
Jami turned and said, "Let's go unload this, then head to the Barn. I'm buying dinner tonight. Jace will deliver!"
He clapped his hands. He wanted time alone with Mads, but their celebration last night ended early, and they all needed to bond and relax. Now that Mads was living with him, they'd have their time together. It would be that much more special after a proper celebration with their friends.
They exited the apartment and drove to his house. Their house, as it would now be known. He honestly didn't care if they stayed there or not. It was clear that as they became more famous, security would be key. They had the money for that. He'd always enjoyed Jami's farmhouse and barn. Up on the bluff, overlooking the water, was safer in his mind than just out of town. It would be difficult for anyone to traverse the bluff to get to them, and the security cameras all around the rest of the house would alert them if someone tried to get in. He'd see what Mads thought about that; he already knew of the perfect place.
Driving toward home, he followed Maddyn; the others followed him. They had a regular convoy. He noticed a white car with a smashed-up front end up ahead, coming toward them. His stomach twisted. Tapping the call button on his steering wheel, he called the police.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"Police are looking for Lacey Armhurst. She's coming toward me on Hospital Road."
"Stay with me while I dispatch police."
The car wasn't driving recklessly, but he knew it was her. His gut tightened as he watched Maddyn driving in front of him, and he wondered if he should pass her and get out in front. Would that set off Lacey and alert her to his presence? What if she hit Mads, head-on?
