“Me neither, so how about we get this over with and move on with the rest of our lives?”
He lets out a deep sigh.
“As you wish,a mhuirnín.”
He places one last kiss on my lips before turning and leaving the house. I listen as his motorcycle starts, then the sound fades away.
This is it. You can do it. He can’t hurt you anymore, not after this.
He is used to the weak Jane who left him, not the new one in her place. I won’t let him push me around anymore. I will fight back.
Setting the gun between two books on the bookshelf, I hide it. The knife I keep sheathed and stick it in my waistband. I don’t know if I can use the gun, but I have no problem waving a knife around to buy time.
It doesn’t take him long to get here. I have no idea where Tank is, but Evan is pounding on my door not five minutes after Mac leaves.
“Jane, open this door, you fucking bitch.”
I wince, going to the door. I unlock it and open it.
He pushes his way through, slamming it shut. Then he whirls to face me. I know the look in his eyes. He is itching to start a fight and hurt me.
Moving away from the door quickly, I place myself across the living room from him.
“What are you doing here, Evan? Why couldn’t you just let me go? I wasn’t asking for money or anything from you. All I wanted was to be free,” I tell him.
He scoffs. “Free? You will never be free from me. Since you were fourteen years old, I have owned you. I still own you. You can’t think that I would let you disappear and take my children with you.”
“Children? Do you even care about them? When was the last time you asked about school? Spent one-on-one time with either of them? You don’t love those kids, and you don’t love me either. We are possessions to you. Fancy little toys to put on a shelf when you aren’t playing with them. Well, I am done. No more. Your biggest mistake was touching Tanner. I might have stayed with you until you killed me if you hadn’t. I was willing to takethat abuse, but Tanner doesn’t deserve that. Frankly, neither do I,” I spit out at him.
I can see his hands clench in anger.
“Oh, you think that you don’t deserve it? You are a pitiful excuse for a wife. You raised those children to be weak. Tanner thought he could stand up to me. Show me disrespect. I refuse to allow that in any child of mine. Now I am going to take them back, and I will raise Tanner and Emily the right way. Emily will be the perfect obedient wife for whatever man I deem worthy, while Tanner will grow up to be just like his old man.”
Tears start to prick my eyes at his words. It’s my worst fear. He wants to take them back from me and ruin their lives for good. I refuse to let him.
“No. You are wrong. Those children are strong. They have had to endure more than any child should simply by being born with your DNA. Don’t worry. It won’t be a problem anymore. They have a new father now. One who loves and cherishes them. You won’t hurt them again.”
He strides across the room, grabbing me before I can escape. I struggle in his hold, even though his hands are bruising my arms.
“You think that biker can save you? Henry is already working on getting them arrested for good. I don’t even have to do anything shady. They are shady enough on their own. Hell, the one out front who is supposed to protect you took money to let me inside. Does that sound like men who care about you?” He snorts. “I was going to keep you alive. Maybe use you for a few more years before your untimely demise, but I’m bored with your antics. You need to be punished for leaving me and taking my children with you. Do you have any last words? Because you won’t be leaving here tonight.”
I spit in his face, making his face blaze with anger. “Do whatever you want to me, but you will never find them. They arealready so far gone that you will never catch up to them. Even if I die here tonight, they are finally free.”
He slaps my face, making my head dizzy as I process the pain. Then he pins me to the wall, his hand on my throat.
I try to call out the safe word, but I can’t. Not with him cutting off my air supply. My fingernails dig into his arms, trying to stop him, but it’s no use.
It’s now or never.
Reaching into my waistband, I pull out the knife. He is so focused on my face that he doesn’t even see the threat. He underestimated me.
Pulling it out of the sheath, I slam it into his arm, making him drop it.
“You fucking bitch!” he screams out, holding his arm.
I don’t hesitate.
“Anchovies.”
