Page 70 of The Viper

“I’m coming to you.”

I look to Eliza, who’s now truly afraid for her life. Not because Dominic will do anything to her, but because he’ll tell Adrian where she is, and Adrian will drag her back home. And if that happens, I’m sure Eliza won’t survive. “How far away are you?”

“I’m about five minutes from you.”

I hang up and look to Eliza. I should’ve known he’d know where I was. “You need to leave, now.” Eliza is on her feet in a matter of one heartbeat. “Hide until the morning. I’ll go to the bank and withdraw everything I have and we’ll run. Both of us.”

“No.” Eliza shakes her head. “I have to do this on my own.”

I take her hands into mine, and squeeze them. “We do it together. But for now, you have to leave.”

Eliza steps in for a hug. “I’m sorry, Rose. I should never gotten you involved.”

“Promise me you’ll hide until tomorrow. I’ll go to the bank as soon as they open.”

“I promise,” she says. Her body trembles against mine. She gives me a kiss on the cheek, turns, and runs out of the gas station.

I watch as she disappears into the darkness, my heart breaking for her. “Are you okay?” the attendant asks as I sit and stare through the window. My leg is bouncing and my heart is racing. Her hand on my shoulder surprises me. “I’ll call the cops.”

“No, please, don’t. I’ll be fine.” In truth, it’s not me I’m worried about. With a thumping heart and a twisting in my gut, I take the coffee cups and head outside. “Thank you,” I say to the woman, who’s now back behind the counter. I tip out the rest of the coffees and place the cups in the trash before heading around the back to the car.

The headlights of a car approaching shine straight onto me. “Rosa,” Dominic calls when it pulls up beside me. I wrap my arms around my torso, lower my head and walk to the car. He’s out of the car and places his suit jacket over my shoulders. “Rosa.”

I turn to look at him and catch the blood down the front of his shirt. “Are you hurt?”

“No.”

“Whose blood is that?” I look at the suit jacket to see if it has blood, but it doesn’t. I stop walking and turn toward him. “Whose is this?” I point to the angry red stain splotched on his shirt.

“it doesn’t matter.”

“You’re not hurt?” He shakes his head. “Good, because I’m not sure I could’ve dealt with any more pain tonight.”

He looks around and takes his cigarettes out of his pant pocket. “Where’s Eliza?”

“She’s gone.”

“What happened? Where did she go?”

“He beat her. Her eye...” I bring my hand up to touch mine, then move it down to my mouth. “Jesus, her eye is swollen shut. And she has a split lip, and bruising. So much bruising.”

“What did she say happened?” He puffs on a smoke as he listens.

“She said she was asleep and he went into the bedroom, choked her, and started beating her.” I lean against the BMW and look down at my feet. “Why is he like this, Dominic? Why does he want to hurt her so much?” Dominic looks over to Marco and lifts his chin, as if he’s silently giving an order. Marco pulls his phone out of his pocket and brings it up to his ear. “What’s going on?”

“Where is she?”

My skin prickles and I shake my head as I push off the car. “Nope, no fucking way. If you’re telling Adrian where she is, there’s no way I’m going to tell you anything about her.”

“Rosa, this...”

“It’s fucking Rose.” I walk around Dominic and open the driver’s door, and he slams it shut before I can get in. “I can’t believe you.”

“Give me the keys.” He holds out his hand waiting for the fob. I take them out of my pocket and slam them in his hand. “Get in the car.”

I walk around to the passenger side and slide in. My pulse is speeding as I cross my arms in front of my chest. Dominic slides into the driver’s seat and starts the car. “I can’t believe you’re prepared to hand her over to your fucking asshole brother.”

He flicks his cigarette out of the car and takes off with so much force the car goes sideways on the gravel out to the road. “I had no intention of giving her back to him. Not after what I saw this evening,” he replies with bitterness.

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