Chapter 17

A few weeks had passed since she'd seen Ezra, and she wondered if her eyes had been playing tricks on her. Maybe she hadn't seen her ex at the end of the bar. The guy had gotten up and walked out, not looking back once. She hadn't seen his face, at least not with him facing her. It could have been someone who looked like him. Since that day, she'd seen four guys who looked enough like Ezra that she had to do double and triple takes. Thank goodness she hadn't called James. He would think she was paranoid if she called every time she thought she was in trouble.

Living in Savanah was much different from London. There was no Tube or trains that would go everywhere in the country. Instead, what little public transportation they had was unreliable at best. But there were so few people that traffic wasn't bad like London. Her flat was close enough she could walk everywhere. The only times it was uncomfortable was when pouring rain hit, soaking her shoes and socks thoroughly, even if she had an umbrella.

She missed James. Missed him so much it hurt when she breathed. After a few weeks, she decided to head to the library and look for him on social media. Having the freedom to go wherever she wanted and do what she liked was such an odd concept after living with Ezra for years. Just being able to sit in the library and look up anything that crossed her mind was dangerous and fun. The first night she looked for James, she found little. She tried both James Douglas and that other name he was using in London, James Johnson. Neither name came up with any accounts.

She didn't have a photo of him, so she couldn't do an image search. That evening, she left feeling unsuccessful but came back another day when she had time off and began searching for information on Ezra. That netted her more information. If she'd been aware of the realities of his life or anything real before she'd met Ezra, she wouldn't have gone with him…or would she have? It was hard to tell.

What had led her to pick Ezra? He'd overwhelmed her with gifts and excitement. She'd seen his dark side, but the light had drawn her in. He spent money on her, which she had never experienced. Staying in a hotel with room service had tricked her into thinking she could live with the downside of Ezra. She'd over-rationalized everything, convincing herself the little things didn't matter, but they hadn't really been little things. The man had easily manipulated her.

Like him using her to get information, that had been fun the first few times but after thirty different occasions she picked up on what he was doing. When he started getting her to chat with young girls, that had been the one line she wouldn't cross. He'd beat her one night after she'd told the girls to run. Everything went downhill fast after that. There'd been signs she should have picked up on, but she'd ignored them .

With James, there weren't the same signs. Or maybe she was making that part up. She felt sure James wouldn't treat her like Ezra had. Her ex had not only hurt her physically, he'd pushed her away from confidence in herself, leaving her a husk of who she'd been.

After her time in London with James, she'd gained back some of her old self, or she felt she had. Living in Savannah was lonely, but so much better than being under Ezra's thumb. Eventually she would find friends and make a life for herself. At least she had the opportunity to have a life here, unlike when she'd been in England.

Work wasn't too bad. The tips at the bar had off weeks, making it hard to steadily grow her savings, but she was accumulating some money. Nothing like what she'd had before leaving the US with Ezra.

She didn't want to spend all her time beating herself up for going with that jerk to England, but she'd made such a huge mistake. Freedom was more important than any relationship she could ever have. Even with James, having freedom would be important. Not that they had any sort of relationship, but if the possibility was there, she would jump on it.

The bar was packed when she arrived and got to work before her shift was supposed to start. The tips were good, which made the work that much easier. There were four bridal parties and then two groups of golf guys who weren't too bad. They at least kind of behaved.

Close to closing, the crowd thinned a little, but when last round was called, she passed out more drinks than usual. She was wiping down a table by the window when she felt a prickle of awareness on the back of her neck. She glanced up, trying not to be too obvious, as she stared out the window at the street outside. To get a good look, she had to move closer to see outside so her face was past the overhead light. She blinked, scanning the tree-lined street. That was when her gaze locked with a man standing under a streetlight, his lips turned up in a wicked smile. No question, it was Ezra.

All the other lookalikes to Ezra were obviously other people before. This was the real deal. Ezra in flesh and blood. Her mouth went dry as fear slid through her.

Ezra had really found her. How long had he been watching? Did he know where she lived and how she got around town? It was too dangerous to go back home, but she had to grab her things, her passport, and the all-important money she'd saved. She couldn't leave here without her money.

She spun and moved to the back of the bar, her hands shaking like leaves on trees in a storm. If he caught her, she would never escape.

It was past time for regrets. She should have left Savannah the first time she thought she'd seen Ezra. Doing this on her own was too hard.

After grabbing her tips, she took off out the back door and raced down an alley, then around the corner, making sure no one had followed. When she was sure she was in the clear, she slowed and grabbed her phone. Would James even want to help her?

She had no other options. After a moment of staring at James's contact information, she pressed the button to call, praying he answered.

The phone rang twice, and in those few seconds, fear hit her hard. She kept looking around, making sure Ezra hadn't followed. Soon, he would realize that she'd taken off, but hopefully, he didn't know where she lived.

The line clicked, and James answered. "Hello?" The familiar voice sent relief through her.

"James, it's me. Danika." Silence hung over the line, and she rushed to fill the space. "I know I should have called for help earlier. Maybe it has been too long. But he found me."

"Where are you?" His voice sounded urgent, as if he was taking her seriously.

"I'm in Savannah, Georgia."

"Are you safe right now?"

"He didn't follow me from the bar, but he knows where I work. I can't stay here."

"No, you can't."

Danika squeezed her eyes shut against the sting of tears. "I thought I'd escaped, but he found me. I don't know what to do."

"Do you need money?"

"No, I have some saved up."

"Get on a bus or a train to California. LA or San Diego. Call me when you get here. I'll come get you. Just stay safe, and don't let him know where you're going."

Danika nodded, though she knew he couldn't see her. A sob rose, but she stuffed it down. "Thank you. I'll get on the road now. I know where the bus station is, I'll see what I can do."

"Be careful. Make sure you aren't followed."

"Thank you. I hate to drag you into my problems."

"You're not dragging me into anything. I want to help."

Danika allowed herself a small smile, the first genuine one she had felt in days. However long and lonely her road had been, at least now she wouldn't be going it alone. "I'll call when I get to California."

"I'll be waiting. And Danika, we'll keep you safe."

"Thank you."

She ended the call, feeling relieved for the first time in a long time. The only time she'd felt safe was when she'd been with James. Maybe Ezra would still get her, but with James helping her, she would have a chance of making it.

There was no way she could leave without swinging by the room she rented. She had to pick up her cash and clothes. As she walked down the cracked sidewalks and through the tree-filled squares, she stayed on alert. Every noise sent her heart racing. Few people were out at this time, so it would have been easy to see Ezra if he was following. She spied no one behind her. Still, fear stayed close.

Maybe, by some twist of luck, Ezra didn't know where she lived, only where she worked. What kind of connections did he have? Could one of the men she'd seen before been Ezra? Why hadn't he made himself known then?

After packing her clothes, she pulled up information on her phone, seeing that a train to New Orleans would leave soon, and she could be on it. She called for a cab and prayed she made it on time.

Ezra hadn't found her yet, and maybe heading to California would throw him off. Once in New Orleans, she would figure out what to do. If she could lose Ezra now, he might not pick up the trail again. Worry blasted her. James was smart and strong. If anyone could beat Ezra, it was James. But would he actually help her? She was a mess and was bringing that mess to his world. He could turn her away, and she wouldn't blame him. No one deserved the crap Ezra put her through, certainly not James.