31. Riley

31

Riley

When the door was kicked in, I knew they found us. Before I could move, the man slugged me in the face. When I woke up, the cops were there, and Haley was gone. I had to go back to that bastard’s house and get Haley.

I’m surprised they didn’t kill me. I could only hope these police weren’t bought off like the ones I called in Chicago.

I explained what happened, and they thought I should hire someone to help me. How would I do that with Jonah having control of my money? I was just an ordinary girl who happened to be great at fishing. Fishing was my bread and butter.

Fishing has saved me from a life of hell. Even when I was young, I loved fishing. Now, I make money fishing, or I did until the devil took me to his house.

I was born and raised in Farmington, Oklahoma. I was in foster care most of my life, so I fished to escape my group homes. I lived in the same town near a large lake, and after doing my chores, I walked to the lake and fished.

No one cared where I went or what I did as long as my work was done. As soon as I turned eighteen, I was alone, which was fine with me. I’ve felt alone all my life until I married Gavin. The people didn’t want you because the government didn’t pay once you turned eighteen.

I entered some fishing contests and won most of them. I fished off the bank when the other fishermen went on their boats. I knew right where to fish because I knew this lake.

I had one friend, Charlie. He was an old man who fished as much as I did. When he couldn’t drive anymore, he gave me his old truck and boat. I was in seventh heaven. The truck had a camper on the back, and I fixed it up and stayed there most of the time. It had everything I needed.

Fishing contests helped me pay for books in junior college. I went two years before I met Gavin Reeves. He told me he had no family. Now I knew why he told me that. Who wanted to admit that the devil was your father?

We were married, and we were happy. Haley was born when I was twenty-four; she brought me so much joy. We were celebrating our sixth anniversary when a man walked into the restaurant and shot Gavin, and then he left. Gavin lived long enough to tell me to take Haley and hide.

After I stopped screaming, I was in shock; I couldn’t believe someone had killed Gavin for no reason. He never did anything to anyone. It was hard explaining to Haley that her daddy was never coming home because he was now in heaven.

I packed us up and moved close to where I grew up. I had money; I was surprised that Gavin had as much money as he did. He never spent a penny of it. We were married for six years, and he never told me about having money. We lived from paycheck to paycheck.

When that man showed up at our house, I knew why Gavin had told me to hide. His father came into our home and demanded that we live with him. When I said no, he slapped me so hard it knocked me down, and my ear was bleeding. Haley started crying. I was scared that he would hit her.

“You will be beaten if you don’t listen to what I say. I’m nothing like that wimpy son of mine. If my granddaughter didn’t need her mother, I would kill you right now.”

Right then, I knew he would kill me when Haley was old enough to do everything for herself. “Did you kill Gavin?” That’s when the bastard slugged me, and I fell. Haley was screaming at him to leave me alone. Before I could get up, he picked her up and spanked her.

“You get your fucking hands off my daughter. Do you hear me? Put her down,” I screamed as I charged him. By now, Haley was crying uncontrollably. I grabbed Haley’s arms and pulled her away from him. “I will kill you if you ever touch her again.”

Every time we tried to escape, he beat me. I swore one day we would make it. This time, we stayed hidden for two months before they found us. We were in California, far from Chicago, how did he find us? Now, it was up to me to get my daughter.

It seemed to take forever before I was back in Chicago. I took a taxi until I was a mile from his house; I bought a red wig and oversized glasses and waited until dark before going to his house. Someone grabbed me from behind. I slammed my head into his chin and stomped on his foot.

“Stop,” a low voice growled into my ear. “I’m here to help you. Your daughter is with my friends.”

I stopped instantly and turned around. The man bent his head and took my hand. “Stay with me,” he said. His voice was low; I could barely hear him. We walked down the road for twenty minutes before he opened a truck door. “Get in. ”

I didn’t know if I was making a mistake, but I had to trust someone. I was tired of being with evil people who only wanted me dead. So, I got in the truck. And there was a massive Germain Sheperd in the back seat. “Tell me where my daughter is?”

“She’s with my friends. We need to get out of here. When we get to a safe place, we’ll talk. That’s Bear. He and your daughter are close friends,” he said, ignoring me for the rest of the ride until we hit the freeway. He kept looking in the rearview mirror.

“Enough of being quiet. I want to talk to my daughter right now. Or I’m going to jump out of this truck.”

“So, you’re going to kill yourself if I don’t start talking. That’s not smart.”

“You don’t know what the fuck I’ve been through the last two years. Waiting for that bastard to kill me. Where is my daughter?”

“She’s safe with my friends. Haley got away from the man who took her, and I hid her in the store I was at. Then I took her home with me and called my friends to take her with them while I found you. She thought for sure her grandpa would kill you.”

“What did she tell you?”

“She thought the man who hit you might have killed you too. She told me about the fake names and the real names. She was worried because she said her grandpa beat you to death.”

“Call River,” I said out loud.

“Hello,”

“River, I have Haley’s mom.”

“Thank God, even I was starting to worry.”

“Where’s Haley?”

She’s playing on the beach with the dogs and Kat. Let me get her for you.” It got quiet. And then we heard River talking to Haley.

“He let her play on the beach with dogs and a cat? What if she got swept away by the tide?”

“The dogs and Kat. Kat is River’s wife.”

“Oh.”

“Hey, sweetie, your mom is on the phone.”

“Mommy,” Haley said and started crying and had to stop talking. “I thought Grandpa killed you.”

“Baby, we will never worry about Grandpa hurting us again. We will move far away from him. I will make sure he never finds us. I’ll see you soon, sweetie. Mommy loves you.” She looked over at me. “Where is she?”

“She’s in California. We will drive there. It’s too dangerous for us to fly. I haven’t slept in a few days. We have to get a room in the next town.”

“I can drive; I don’t want to stop. I need to see my daughter.”

“How long has it been since you’ve slept?”

“What does that have to do with anything? I’m not sleepy.”

“I am sleepy and can’t sleep when someone else is driving.”

“Are you saying that because I’m a woman?”

“Hell no! I’m saying it because I’m always the one who drives.”

“That’s crazy. I assure you I can drive as well as you can. I’ve been driving since I was sixteen. I don’t mean to brag, but I’m probably a better driver than you are.”

I chuckled. “I doubt that. I had to investigate your father-in-law to find his address. And some things about Gavin came up. Who shot him?”

“His fucker of a father had him killed because Gavin left home at eighteen and refused to speak to him. Gavin never told me about his family. His father told me everything about the family. I’m sure he’s angry because Haley got away from that guy. She is so smart. I’ve taught Haley street smarts.”

“Yes, I noticed that about her.”

I started shaking, and then I began to cry. I cried until he started patting my back; I tried to talk to make him understand why I was crying. I was crying because my baby was safe. She was alive, and so was I. That bastard didn’t kill me and take my daughter away from me.

The dog in the back seat licked my cheek. I chuckled before I reached back and hugged him. “Thank you, Bear. I needed that kiss.” I sniffed, and then he handed me some tissues. I blew my nose. “I guess I am pretty tired. Maybe I do need some sleep. Could we stop at a Walmart? I need some clothes and a few other things.”

“You can’t use any cards and throw your phone out the window and into the water as we go over the bridge. They might be able to track your phone. I’ll lend you the money for whatever you need.”

“Thank you. I guess that’s how he always found us; he tracks my card, maybe even my phone. That’s why Gavin didn’t spend any of his money. He knew his dad would trace it. I don’t know why I never thought that before. He took my money, and then he gave me a card.”