Chapter Twenty-Three

Damiano never came home last night. I was given a message by the housekeeper, of all people, that said the boss had important business and wouldn't be back for a couple of days. Interesting. None of my usual guards were there, but I still managed to sneak out to my in-laws' the next day because I had to get away. After what happened, I have a feeling everything is coming to an end. An end I don't want to face head on.

"It's nice to have you over, but it's clear you don't want to be here." Gracie can read how miserable I am, even though I've tried to keep a smile on my face.

"No, it's not that, Gracie. You're wonderful and perfect. It's just—"

"My brother is an asshole." Her face hardens, and she clenches her fists at her sides. When she's angry, she's like an adorable kitten.

"Girl, I thought he'd be my saving grace, but…" I break down crying, my heart tearing to pieces. "I'm nothing but his toy that he's waiting to dispose of."

"He cares about you," she says.

"Not enough, and not in the right way. This marriage is temporary and only until he finds my stepfather, but we don't even know if he's alive or where he's hiding. It could be days, or years. Then, he's going to end it like he promised before he sent me home from the club yesterday. I can't deal with it anymore. I deserve better."

She cradles me in her arms and whispers in my ear, "You do, you do." We sit like that for a moment when she says, "How about I help you escape?"

I pull away and stare at her, wondering if she's playing some game with me. "You would do that?"

She stands and paces. "He may be my brother, but you're also my sister, and he doesn't realize what he's losing. Maybe it will teach him a lesson in love."

I can only hope, but the man is set in his ways. "How can we do this?"

The first thing we plan on is maneuvering around his guards. With the amount of people coming and going less and less, I have a few guys not quite on me. Still, Gracie is almost just as guarded, but she has her parents on her side, and they're not as strict as Damiano. I head home and pack while she makes a few private shopping trips. My heart aches as I sit on our bed, thinking about never seeing my handsome, insanely frustrating husband again. My stomach turns and I rush off to our bathroom, violently retching out my lunch.

****

It's been three days since I left Damiano, and I find myself in a nicer motel than expected. Gracie did a great job. The money she gave me should last until I find a job nearby. Luckily, I still have my state ID and birth certificate with my maiden name and can use that to reapply for things once I reach a different state. The weather isn't as bad in Tennessee this time of year, so maybe I will end up in Nashville and far away from my soon-to-be ex-husband. Grace even managed to get me a disposable phone, so I don't have any traces of my past life. All I need to do is find a way to lay low for another week; maybe Damiano won't notice, and then I'll travel farther than Tallahassee.

I rest my head on the pillow, needing some relief from the past twenty-four hours. Running hadn't been easy physically or mentally, and now that it's done, maybe the ache in my chest can settle.

I wake up and take off running to the bathroom, losing everything in my stomach. Dropping back onto my haunches, I sit there to catch my breath. Damn it. I thought this feeling would go away after I left him, but it hasn't. Could it be that I'm coming down with something? Or could I be…pregnant? There is a huge possibility on that front. Damiano hasn't been careful at all, despite his protests about our short marriage arrangement.

Cleaning myself up, I get dressed and head out to the local pharmacy. It's a short walk, but even still, I have my hair tied up in a ponytail and covered up with a baseball cap.

With my shifty behavior in the store, I garner some attention from the clerks. I'm sure they think I'm going to steal something, but I quickly put what I need in the basket, including a few snacks to keep me locked up in the motel for the night.

"Find everything all right, miss?"

"Yes," I answer, trying to avoid the cameras, just in case Damiano had someone scanning facial recognition databases or some crazy shit like that. Not that I'm sure he's looking too hard for me. After all, he did want to get rid of me soon.

When she sees what is in my basket, a sense of dawning comes over her face, a motherly look of concern as well. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Thanks. You never know if it's a stomach bug or something, right?" I say, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

"Of course." She looks at my bare finger, and the sympathy is there again. She has no idea that I've tucked that five-carat bad boy away, waiting for the right time to pawn it. If I'm having his baby, I may need the money.

I pull out the money from my purse and pay for the purchases, quickly returning to the motel. As anxious as I was to get the test, suddenly I'm afraid to take it. A dread fills me. If I am expecting, doesn't he have the right to know his child? Would he want to? What would he do to me if he finds out I kept his child from him?

Stress makes my stomach roll several times, so I take the crackers I bought and snack on them. They ease my tummy a little, but only just.

Finally, my bladder makes the courageous decision for me. "Well, it's now or never." I head into the bathroom and open the packets, taking the motel's disposable cups and catching my sample. After two grueling minutes, I look and see that I'm not sick. Damiano stole my heart and left his baby.

Why can't he just want me? I gave him my heart and loved him foolishly. It was na?ve to think he was my hero, my dark prince, because I was so wrong. Tears fall until I pass out in bed.