Chapter One

I was looking forward to kicking my shoes off and enjoying a hot shower as I hastily unlocked the door to the small apartment. To most people this little apartment does not look like much, but to me it is perfect. The outside is inconspicuous being above an older coin laundromat most people don’t even realize that there is an apartment above them. Stepping inside the door I quickly turned and locked the three locks on the door behind me. I quickly kick my tennis shoes off at the door and set my bag down. Since the apartment is essentially a studio, it does not take but a few steps to get into the kitchen. I like the fact that it’s an open area, less places for someone to be hiding. Reaching for my only mug to make some tea I was startled to hear the shrill ring of the landline telephone.

The phone was installed here before I moved in. No one should have this number though. No one should even know where I am. I tried to tell myself that it was a telemarketer, or a wrong number but I could not shake the sheer panic and fear that had crept into my mind and body. Knowing that my anxiety would not stop until I knew who was on the other end of the line I reached out and picked up the old receiver.

“Hello” the word hung in the air in what felt like an eternity until finally the one voice that I never wanted to hear again spoke.

“Did you really think that you could run from me little bunny?” His voice was low, dangerously low. I knew this tone of his voice all too well. He was enraged, and my body already started shaking involuntarily. “I told you before that I would always find you. You belong to me.” My stomach rolled, and I could feel the bile creeping up in my throat as the flashbacks started flittering through my mind.

I never responded to him. As if my body was acting on autopilot, I hung up the phone, hearing the audible click was satisfying. I quickly walked to the bag I had placed by the door and rummaged through to the bottom to find the hidden cell phone that I was hoping I would never have to use. There is only one number in this phone, and I quickly pushed dial.

“Conrad’s pizza home of the heavenly slice, how may I help you?” The person on the other side stated.

I had to clear my throat before I could respond “Angels shouldn’t have clipped wings.”

“I understand hold just a moment.” The man that had answered pressed a few buttons and before I knew it, I could hear June’s voice through the phone,

“Are you safe?” June was straight to the point, but in her line of work I assume she had to be.

“No, I think he knows where I am he called the landline phone that was here. June he is going to find me.” I couldn’t stop the hysteria that had entered my voice at this point. Tears were freely flowing down my face as I took a quick look around and started grabbing what few clothes I had left, and my shoes throwing everything quickly into the bag. In the blink of an eye, I was right back to three months ago.

Three months ago, I made my escape. I left everything, and everyone I had ever known and fled. Vex had beat me to the point that he had no choice but to take me to a hospital. He drove three towns over though and lectured me the whole time. The cover story was that I had been doing laundry and slipped and fell down the basement stairs. At one point he punched me to make me repeat the story back to him because I had blacked out from the pain.

It was obvious that no one believed the story that I had fallen down the stairs. After assessing my injuries, the doctors determined that I had a fractured cheek bone, two broken ribs, a sprain wrist, and several lacerations. Vex stayed close as I was assessed, and the doctors worked to ease the pain and stitch up the larger lacerations. The only time that Vex could not stay glued to my side was when they demanded x-rays to see how badly broken my ribs were.

The nurse that took me down to x-ray had to ask a series of questions as she gathered things to do the pictures. I held it together until she asked me if there was a possibility of pregnancy. My blank stare must have been enough to answer for me as she handed me an empty cup and pointed to a closed door. The thought of bringing a child into the violent, chaotic world that I was barely surviving in was terrifying and I could not help the sobs that escaped as I did what I had to do in the small bathroom. My cries alerted the nurse that there was something seriously wrong with my situation.

Without any words between us being exchanged I handed her back the now full cup, and she picked up the phone and pressed a few numbers before asking someone to come to the room. I had originally assumed she was calling someone to brig Vex in and I cried even harder.

Vex never entered the room though, instead it was a rather large woman with kind eyes and a warm smile. She introduced herself as Jenny.

Jenny was warm and kind as she comforted me on the hospital table. When I could finally speak, she asked if it would be ok if she asked me a few personal questions and I nodded my head yes. Jenny had looked over my medical file quickly and the doctors had noted that I had several abrasions in various stages of healing. I was also underweight and vitamin deficient.

“I’m not going to beat around the bush here darling. Your injuries are consistent with domestic abuse. Is the man that brought you here the one putting these marks on you?” Jenny’s voice was kind but there was a hint of steel in her voice when she mentioned Vex. My body reacted on its own when I shook my head yes confirming that he was the person that had made my life a living hell.

“Are you ready to leave him?” Her question stunned me. I can’t recall the last time I had thought of leaving Vex. He was too well connected, and I had no money, no job, and no way to get away from him. I didn’t even have a family that I could run to, and the few friends that I had all but disappeared once Vex got his hands on me. Thinking about the impossibility of leaving him brought around another round of sobbing.

With shaky breaths I explained to Jenny why I could not leave. How I did not have a family, or friends to run to. How I had no money, no job, not even a car. Jenny listened patiently while I poured my heart out.

“Jenny her lab work is back, and I think you should look over the results” the nurse that had called Jenny handed her another folder. I watched Jenny’s face as she read the contents and somehow, I knew I was about to learn something that I did not want to know.

“You are pregnant.” Jenny’s voice was soft at first as she let me digest the new information. I was starting to feel numb. Like my body was just shutting down on its own. As a little girl I had always wanted a big family with lots of kids. I wanted the white picket fence and the little yappy dog in the front yard. Having a child with Vex though was the complete opposite of that dream.

“So, I am going to ask you again, and keep in mind that it is now just not only you that you have to worry about. Are you ready to leave him?” Jenny’s voice was still kind but there was more resolve behind her words now. I shook my head yes.

“Carrie, I want you to call June. Tell her it is a service center pick up.” Jenny told the young nurse and she nodded that she understood.

“I am going to have to give you a lot of information very quickly, and June will answer any other questions that you have when she picks you up. We can help you escape, but you have to understand there is a cost to the service we provide.”

My eyes flitted up to Jenny’s full of confusion. “I already told you I don’t have money” I barely whispered.

“The cost is not money. The cost is that you have to disappear. You cannot come back here; you cannot go back to your hometown. You will never be Abigail again. You can not contact anyone, and I do mean anyone that you knew from before this point. You will be given a new name, a new set of identity cards, and you will be given a new place to live. Our network has several business owners that we partner with to essentially set you up with a new life. Is this something that you are wiling to do?” Jenny’s eyes looked hard into mine as my mind raced trying to keep up with all the information, she had just given me.

“You can really get me away from him, and help me get a job?” I could not help but ask her. Her words sounded like dream come true, and I had already learned that fairytales were not real.

“As long as you follow our protocols, then yes I am confident that we can get you away from him and give you a second chance at life.”

I was surprised that I had unconsciously been rubbing my stomach while taking in all of this information. “I will do whatever has to be done to keep my child away from that monster.”