The idea of forcing her to go with him flitted through his thoughts.
No, I won’t do that to her. I’d be no better than the men who’ve kept her under their thumb.Sighing, he flicked a sticker from the robe.If I swallowed my pride, I could ask for her help.
He kicked a loose rock out of his way and watched the long grass in the field sway with the wind.
Would she want to be saddled with him? Opening the portal meant leaving her world behind. He didn’t know if he’d have the knowledge or power to return if she changed her mind. No, he wouldn’t subject her to that future.
She didn’t deserve a man scarred with baggage—both physical and emotional. His little princess needed someone strong, who wasn’t too weak to face the world, who lived in the present instead of clinging to the past, who could admit when he was wrong. He’d give her this world and forfeit his beloved planet in the name of freedom—in the name of surrender.
“Have a nice life, Princess.I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
Chapter 29
Sacha
Sacha’seyesdriftedtothe rear-view mirror. Her home looked like a foreboding prison. The farther away it moved into the distance, the lighter she felt.
Fin’s words hurt, but her father’s actions wounded her soul far worse.
How could he, consumed with such hate, kill his spouse, her lover, and then torture an innocent teenager?
The world was cruel, and her father was but one of many who propagated the evil. But his brand of malice was especially sickening, because his vicious actions had murdered her mother,and then supported his daughter’s way of life like nothing had happened. Everything she’d ever owned, bought by the blood and tears of his victims, was tainted by his cruelty.
She shook her head. This was her chance for freedom, and she’d make the best of it, on her own, without his blood-stained money.
Pulling into the parking garage of the Chicago bus station, she exited the SUV. She didn’t know if it had a hidden tracking device or GPS system, but she wasn’t about to take her chances and have him or his men haul her back to the Ninnette prison—or worse, back to Lorenzo if the mobster was alive.
No, I’m going to buy the first ticket out of here, as long as it’s hundreds of miles away, and start fresh.
Freedom called, and she yearned for its escape.
The lines moved quickly, and she stepped to the cashier. “When’s your next departure?”
An older man, with graying hair and droopy eyes, met her stare. “Cline, Texas, departs in ten minutes.” He yawned.
Texas, huh? Hell, anywhere is better than here.
“I’ll take it.” She handed him an ID she’d stolen—along with a credit card—from one of the housekeepers and prayed he didn’t look at it too closely.
His sleepy gaze barely skimmed it before entering information in his computer and handing it back.
A quick exchange of money for a boarding pass, and she found herself sandwiched next to a woman with two small children.
Several passengers gave her odd looks when their gazes traveled down the wedding dress. She’d wanted to pack a bag but couldn’t chance Pops and his men waking up while she dawdled under their noses.
With the background of screaming babies and the ripe odor of unwashed bodies, she leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. Fin’s face swam in her mind, and a knot of sadness rolled in her stomach.
Stop thinking about him. I’m free from Pops, free from Chicago, and free from Fin.This is what I wanted, right?
Shaking her head, she took in the passenger who sat herself in the aisle seat.
The harried mother repositioned a small child into her lap, accidentally jabbing an elbow into Sacha’s side. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Sacha smiled.
The little boy, about two or so, wiggled on her lap and cried. The woman handed him a sippy cup of juice. He stilled with its tip plastered to his mouth.
“So, where you headed?” The lady’s warm gaze flashed to the dress and her eyes narrowed. “God, I hope not to your honeymoon.” Her lips scowled. “If he’s making you take the bus, dump his ass right now. Better to rip the scab away now than to let the wound fester over the years.”
