“What did he look like, Jodi?” Free asked, his voice low.
“I don’t know, I barely got a glance at him before he was in the loft. Darkish hair? Kind of thin build. What do I do? Should Mom and I walk over there—”
“No!” both Travis and Free exclaimed at the same time. “Stay in the house. Don’t fucking leave the house, Jodi!”
Travis dug his phone out of his pocket, calling Roxy’s number. It rang and rang, then finally went to voicemail. He hung up, cursing, and called again, but still no response. He twisted in his seat, pulling his duffel bag up and into his lap, the hoodie he’d draped over it falling to the floorboard between hisfeet. A flash of orange caught his eye, and he bent down to pick up the crumpled mass of paper, and it felt like he was wading through quick sand, his mind slowing as it registered.
Unfurling the neon orange post it, his eyes scanned the two notes that had been crumpled together. Fear, rage, agony, terror all rolled through him at the words scrawled there.
Neal was here. He had found her. And he knew about her gun, possibly had taken her gun from her, leaving her completely at his mercy, completely unprotected…
“Turn around!” he bellowed, terror seizing his chest. He held up the note, his hand shaking. “Fuck!It’s Neal. He’s there. I fucking left her there, and the bastard found her fucking gun! She knew he found her and she made me fucking leave her unprotected!”
Free was already executing a very illegal U-turn, tires squealing on the pavement. “Jodi, do not fucking leave that house, do you understand me?” Free snarled through the phone. “No matter what you see, what you hear, do not leave that house. Lock the doors. Have your mom call the police, now.”
Within heartbeats—though it felt like an eternity—they heard Seren’s voice as she spoke with 911 dispatch. Seren called loud enough for them to hear, “Free, they’re sending a deputy out. She says Deputy Beckett is only three minutes away, but Chase can’t get here that quick—”
“We’ll be there in ten,” Free said calmly, far more calmly than Travis felt, pressing his foot down on the accelerator harder. The pavement flew beneath the tires. “We’re on our way. Don’t answer the door, don’t go outside, please, sweeheart.”
Travis hated that they were leaving Roxy alone with Neal, but he understood the fear radiating off of the other man, that innate need to protect his pregnant wife and mother-in-law.
“I’m coming, Roxy,” Travis whispered, sending prayers up. Something he hadn’t done since before his mother was killed.
Forty-Five
Washing her face in the bathroom sink, Roxy stared at her puffy eyes in the mirror. The tears had been hard and brutal, the ache in her chest as she watched Travis leave killing her inside. She’d let herself cry, and then when she was able to calm herself enough, she’d gone into the bathroom to wash her face of the salty tears that had covered her cheeks. Her throat hurt from crying. She hated this.
Now that Free was gone, and she’d seen Levi leave shortly after, she had to go. She needed to re-pack her suitcase. She would only take the one bag, needing to get as far away as possible before Neal came for her. She needed to get away from Blue Haven, away from Jodi and Serenity and everyone here that was good and kind.
Leaving the bathroom, she had just crossed to the suitcase she’d left lying open on the couch when the door to the loft opened behind her.Travis? Had he come back?She whipped her head over her shoulder, but dread filled her like an icy bucket being dumped over her.
“Jesus, I thought he’d never get the hint.”
Tears stung her nose, fear clogging her throat at the sound of his voice. The sunshine that had highlighted Travis as they’dstood outside as she’d pushed him away had disappeared, hidden by those dark, ominous storm clouds that had moved in rapidly. The wind whipped in through the open doorway that he remained standing in, the chill from the coming storm rippling up her spine. Or maybe that was just the bone deep fear settling in as those dark eyes tracked over her from head to toe and back again. He closed the door behind him, and Roxy attempted to steady her racing heart, to take deep, even breaths.
“You did good,” Neal murmured gently as he stepped slowly toward her across the small space, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. The feel of his fingers on her skin made her stomach revolt. How had she ever thought she could love him? How could he ever think she would love him after everything he’d done?
The pain in Travis’s eyes as he’d walked away… he would never forgive her. But at least he was safe.
Her phone began to buzz where she’d left it on the counter, but she was too far away to answer it. She’d never get to it before Neal stopped her anyway.
“You did good, Rox,” Neal said again near her ear, his breath making her shiver in revulsion. “He’s still a dead man for putting his hands on you, but you did good. At least you don’t have to see it happen this way.”
Her heart fell into her stomach as fear and dread swamped her, making her vision blur. The tears slid down her cheeks, and she reached out grasping the front of his shirt as she shook her head vehemently. Her phone started ringing again, but she blocked out the buzzing sound, concentrating on Neal. Her voice wavered precariously as she pleaded, “No, Neal, I sent him away, you don’t have to hurt him, please—”
Anger flashed in his eyes as his fingers clamped down on her wrists painfully. “I really do, Rox. Because even if you sent him away, you’re still in love with him, and that’s inexcusable. Hetouched you.You let him. You let him kiss you, and defile you… I can’t let that go.”
Tears slid down her cheeks and she shook her head. “No, please, Neal—”
His fingers tightened around her wrists until she cried out. “I told you what would happen if you ran, Rox. I warned you. And you didn’t listen. I warned you what would happen if I had to find you.”
“Neal, please—” Roxy begged, more tears slipping down her cheeks, over her lips. His grip on her wrists became painful, and she cried out again. “I’ll go with you. I promise, I’ll go. Just let him go, I’m sorry, baby—”
One hand released her wrist, and before she could blink, white hot pain exploded in her face. Slumping to her knees, she swayed, her vision tunneling before returning. He knelt in front of her, fisting her hair in his fingers tight enough to make her scream. Scrabbling at the punishing hold on her hair with her fingers, she sobbed.
She was going to die. She was going to die, and she had hurt Travis, and for nothing. All of it had been for nothing. Despair choked her as he forced her head back so that she was staring up at him.
“You lie,” he snarled through clenched teeth. “You and I both know that’s a lie, Rox. Don’t fucking lie to me, you stupid whore. You spread these fucking legs for anyone, don’t you? God, I should have fucking known better! You’ve always been like this. My love was never going to be enough for you, was it?!”
