I turn and head down the street, walking away from Elsie and her new school. It takes considerable effort not to turn back around and snatch her out of school, take her back home where I can protect her, but Tonya is right. Elsie deserves to be in school, to be around other kids, to have some sense of normalcy. She’s been desperate for it. Everything will be okay. Besides, my new job is within walking distance of Elsie’s school, a mere four blocks from it. It’s one of the many reasons I’d picked the school in addition to their reputation.
But the paranoia comes back the further I get from Elsie.
The feeling doesn’t disappear as I walk into the foyer of the Frederick Business Building and head for the elevators.
It doesn’t disappear as I ride up to the twenty-first floor.
It doesn’t disappear as I clock into my first official day of work. . .
Two
Ava
The smile plastered on my face is mostly for everyone else’s benefit rather than my own. This new job is a godsend, and while I’m well overqualified for the position, the pay is more than enough to cover expenses. The meeting room is like any other, a single large oblong table in the center, about two dozen chairs surrounding it. I’m early to the meeting, mostly because I want to make a good first impression. The chatter rises as the chairs are filled, until Mr. Gary enters and they quiet.
“Good morning, everyone,” Mr. Gary announces. He tries too hard to sound booming, and considering he’s at least five years younger than me, it makes for a comedic effect that no one else seems to think is funny. Maybe that’s because I’m the oldest person in this room. Nothing makes you feel older than the younger generation spitting slang words of welcome that you’ll have to Google later. “As I’m sure you’ve noticed, we have a new member with us this morning. Ms. Ava Hutcherson is our newest Head Marketing Ninja. Snaps for Ms. Ava!”
Everyone snaps their fingers, and I flush, waving at everyone. “Just Ava is fine,” I reassure them. I already feel old. Adding “Miss” in front of my name will only make that worse.
Marketing Ninja, as if calling it a silly name will make the job more fun. Granted, this job is needed and this company is known for a great workplace atmosphere, but I’d much rather be in Public Relations than in marketing. Marketing isn’t exactly my forte, but I took plenty of marketing classes in school. I much prefer to be behind a computer, deep in handling drama and issues that arise, even if it was stressful. Marketing is much more people-facing and there’s a lot more creative work that goes into it. But at least this job is better than the last one. I’d been a glorified barista at the last place, hired to be a secretary and made to make coffee constantly for the entire office. I’d had to change my last name in order to start working, in the hopes that it would make it harder for Ric to find us. Poor Elsie hadn’t understood why our last name had to change, but once I’d explained things, she’d accepted it. To Elsie, though Ric is her biological father, at the age of eight, she already understands that he isn’t her dad, not after everything he’s done.
If you cry and wake up Elsie, I’ll bring her out here and beat her, too. Shut the fuck up! Shut up! I flinch at the reminder of the sting of pain, at the feeling of a palm across my face. Those memories have stopped bombarding me as much, but they still trickle in every so often. It’s difficult for them not to. I’d lived in that house for nine years. Nine years of fear and pain.
“Ava?”
I jerk and glance up, meeting Mr. Gary’s eyes. “I’m sorry. What?”
“We were just welcoming you to the team,” he says kindly, far more understanding than any boss I’ve ever had. “We’re excited to hear about your plans for our marketing department.”
“Of course,” I reply, nodding. “I’m excited to dive in.”
There are a few looks from the other marketing team members, as if they were gunning for the job and some outside bitch swooped in and took it. I can’t blame them. Not really. But I’m more than qualified for this position. I’ve been a marketing manager before, back before Ric made me quit working. Calling it something different doesn’t necessarily make it any different.
I’m not here to make friends, though. They can hate me all they want. The pay is good, good enough for me to afford the private school for Elsie she deserves and the rent of the small duplex we’d moved into. It’s a well-protected school Elsie now attends and I’d made sure to get them to promise Elsie couldn’t be released to anyone else but me and Tonya. After showing them the simple temporary restraining order paperwork, they’d agreed without looking at the expiration date. Only someone approved can pick her up. Still, I worry for Elsie while I’m away.
“I’m happy to be here,” I say when they continue listing off my qualifications. “And I’m excited to get to work.”
“Right. Down to business,” Mr. Gary continues. “As we were discussing last week, we’ll be working with Fox Industries on our upcoming project. Dagen Fox, the CEO, will be handling the approval personally and he’s a huge client. So, we need to impress him, people.” He looks pointedly at me, since my role will play a huge part in this project. I’d had only one day to go over things, but it’s enough. This project is a massive undertaking. But that’s not what has me tensing in my chair at the mention of it.
I know Dagen Fox.
I know Fox Industries well even. Not because I know him personally, of course, but because Aria Tech has a partnership with them that Ric never stopped bragging about. He also hates Fox with a passion, always threatened by the man and talking about him like he’s the Joker to his Batman. Fox Industries is a big client for this firm, the billionaire CEO more than worth his weight in the security sector. Ric always has his hand in everything, and Fox Industries is a testament to that. It makes sense that Ric, with Aria Tech’s programs he’s stolen over the years, would approach the major company. Of course, the program Ric stole from the man before I left is perfect for a company like Fox Industries. Word on the street is that Ric shopped the program to Dagen Fox and he’s currently trying to seal the deal. Fucking bastard. But there’s nothing to be done about it now. No one would believe me if I claimed it was stolen and I have no business sticking my nose anywhere Ric could learn my whereabouts at.
The familiar company name makes me skittish, the urge to run strong in my veins at the mention of it and the ties I know it has to Ric, but we’re safe here. We have to be. Just because Fox Industries is in this city doesn’t mean that Ric can find us here. He doesn’t have to meet with the man personally. I’m on the opposite side of the country, far away from him and his fists. I’ve taken every precaution. Nothing links me back to my old life, nor does it link to Elsie. We’ll be fine.
We have to be.
Three
Ava
I get back home around six, just in time to prep some dinner. In celebration for both Elsie’s and my first day, I made our favorite, spaghetti and meatballs. I’d even prepped the meatballs in advance to save some time. Now that I’ll be working full time and Elsie is in school, I don’t have as much time as I’d have liked to prepare meals, but planning ahead helps.
“So how was school?” I ask as I slide the meatballs into the oven. “Tell me all about it.”
“It’s the middle of the year,” Elsie shrugs. “They’re learning division.”
“Ah,” I sigh. “So, you’re ahead again.”
