Page 1 of Breaking Bristol

PROLOGUE

Bristol

I stood next to Shane as we boarded the cruise ship, his muscular body crowding mine. My aunts, uncles, and cousins had arrived earlier, so they were already on board. My parents were in front of us, and my mom kept turning to look at me with a sparkle in her eyes and an elated smile on her face. “I’m so excited.”

“Me, too.” I was an expert at faking it, so when I smiled back, I could tell she believed me. And because I knew what Shane expected of me, I turned my attention to him since he had to always be the center of my world. To no surprise, he was staring at me. I hid the repulsion that slithered through me at the intensity of his dark eyes. “Thanks for letting me go and thank you for coming with me.”

His jaw clenched and the fingers around my waist dug in, but he caught himself and loosened his grip. Since I would be in a swimsuit, he couldn’t leave marks on my body, at least not new ones. I had plenty of scars that would be a permanent reminder of this time in my life. A time I was praying would come to an end in the next couple of hours.

In the two years I’d been with him, I didn’t realize it was happening, but he’d managed to isolate me from my friends and was starting to do the same with my family. My mom and dad knew he was abusive, but much like most domestic violence situations, there was nothing they could do until I was ready to leave. My parents tried as best as they could to talk some sense into me and offer their support, but I was too blinded by Shane’s charm, his empty promises, and fabricated remorse. The highs were wonderful, and the lows were miserable, but the apologies were addictive.

I knew better, but I found myself in a cycle of toxicity that I was too afraid to end. I had tried to leave him so many times that I lost count, but then he stopped trying to charm his way back and began punishing me. It was when he threatened to kill my mother, in detail, that I finally decided enough was enough.

At the same time, Mom and Dad thought a big family cruise to get me away from him was a good idea. They wanted to help me come up with a plan to leave him, and I pretended to agree with them. I knew Shane wouldn’t go for it, but I still pleaded with him to let me join them on vacation. He agreed, as long as he could come with, much to my parents’ dismay.

And it wasn’t because he wanted me to go and have a good time with my family. He agreed because the week earlier, he’d broken a rib, and whenever things got that bad, he cried to me about how sorry he was and then treated me like a princess until I healed.

But this was my chance.

So, with the help of Shane’s younger brother, I started planning. Scotty was nothing like Shane, and I knew Scotty hated him for all the bullying and torture Shane and their father had put him through growing up.

Scotty was in cybersecurity, so we could communicate through emails that he made disappear. I’d never been more nervous because our ideas and schemes finally came to fruition.

Today was the day.

We all went through the tedious process of checking in and boarding, and once we got on the ship, we checked out our rooms and then walked around together. The excitement from my nieces and nephews provided a welcomed distraction. Shane didn’t keep his hand off me and didn’t speak to anyone unless talked to directly. And I continued the facade that I was thrilled about the trip.

It was almost time to depart. Now or never. “I need to go to the bathroom.” I gave Shane’s arm a squeeze.

His dark brown eyes bore into mine, looking for a reason to tell me no. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

“Okay, thank you.”

I gave my parents each a big hug and said we’d be right back, hoping they didn’t pick up on my anxiousness. Shane leaned on the wall directly outside the bathroom, pulled me against him, and kissed me. “Hurry up.”

Nodding, I hurried as I went into a stall, then frantically dug through my oversize bag to find what I was looking for. I twisted my brown hair up and put on a hat that had a blond wig attached. Afterward, I took off my shirt and bra to reveal a strapless bikini top, then removed my leggings and donned a pair of rolled up shorts that were shoved in the bottom of my purse, along with sparkly pink flip-flops that Shane refused to let me wear because he said they were trashy.

My heart hammering in my chest, I grabbed the smaller clutch in my bag, the sunglasses, then went to the mirror and took out a tube of lipstick. My fingers trembled as I applied the bright red color to my lips, but I made it look presentable. I found four women chatting excitedly in the crowded bathroom. As they were about to leave, I maneuvered myself between two of them and then walked out, looking up and to the side at one like I knew her. Luckily she seemed a little tipsy already, so she didn’t mind me.

As soon as we rounded the corner, I didn’t look back.

I ran.

CHAPTER 1

Bristol

One and a half years later.

The flashing lights sparkled as I sat on my couch with a cup of hot chocolate, mindlessly watching the same Christmas movie on repeat. I had a five-foot tall pink Christmas tree in the corner decorated with the same white lights I strung around my house, which was really a log cabin.

It had been about a year and a half since I’d lived in Warrenville, and aside from missing my family, I liked it here. I wanted to call home a million times, and I lost count of how many nights I fell asleep crying because I knew my mother was doing the same. She always worried, but once Shane entered my life, I saw the concern and fear on her features as if written on her face in permanent marker.

I wanted to tell her I was okay and assure her I was safe. But I left to protect them as well as myself and I refused to risk that just because I yearned for them. I had no clue what Shane could do, but he had money, and I knew he’d spend every last dollar to find me. I also knew he’d enlist the help of his father, who was a senior partner at the law firm they both worked at.

I moved into an old hunting cabin in the middle of the woods owned by an older couple who no longer used it. They welcomed me with open arms and made me feel right at home, as did the students and staff at the elementary school where I worked.

I learned that word traveled fast in a small town because on the first day at my new place, I woke up to a knock on my door from Beau and Georgia Bradford. Beau was a cop, and he and his wife came to introduce themselves and gave me their numbers in case I ever needed anything.

---