Chapter 48 Daphne

I wait for the waitress to continue, the car in reverse, ready to bolt if necessary.

"You forgot your wallet."

I exhale, put it in park, and get out of the car. "Thank you so much." I take it from her and return to the car. It takes everything I have not to tear out of the parking lot. I take deep breaths and drive away, wondering if my heartbeat is ever going to return to normal.

When we get back to the house, I look around to make sure no one is outside before we exit the car and go in. After locking the door and pulling down the shades, I sit the girls down.

"We have to stay inside until we leave. I know I said we'd leave in the morning, but now it's too risky to drive during the day. I'm going to sleep now and we're going to get back on the road as soon as night falls. We've got another thirteen-hour drive ahead of us, and we can only stop for gas and bathroom breaks."

"Are we going to get arrested?" Bella's eyes are huge, and she looks at me with raised brows.

I pull her to me. "No, sweetheart. You didn't do anything wrong. We just need to get to our next stop and wait there until Meredith tells me it's safe to stop hiding."

Tallulah clenches her fists. "I hate him! I wish you'd never married him."

I release Bella and take Tallulah's hand. "I don't."

Her face is red, and she narrows her eyes. "Why not?"

"Because then I wouldn't have the two of you. No matter what your father has done, I can never regret marrying him because he gave me the two most precious gifts in the world."

Tallulah scoffs. "That's such a load of bullshit!"

I recoil in surprise.

"Don't talk to Mom that way," Bella says.

"If you'd married someone else, you'd love those kids just as much and they wouldn't have a psycho for a father." She shakes her head. "And now we're on the run like criminals while he gets to act like the good guy."

"I understand you're angry. But I stand by my statement. I don't believe anyone is born by accident. And yes, my judgment was wrong when it came to him, but there's no point in regretting something that can't be changed. Regret is a wasted emotion."

Tears spring to Tallulah's eyes and she throws herself into my arms. "I'm so stressed out."

I hug her tight to me, rubbing her back. "I know, I know. We're going to get through this. Just hold on a little longer."

After a few minutes she pulls away. "Come on, let's go watch TV and let Mom rest."

I go into the bedroom and lie on the bed, but sleep eludes me, my mind racing. Grabbing the burner phone, I navigate to the Gmail account and open it. There's a message in the draft folder.

He just left with Jax. I told him nothing, of course, despite his attempt at browbeating me, even threatening to have me arrested for aiding and abetting. That's when Randolph came downstairs and told him to leave. Randolph's mere presence was enough. Jackson knows the pull my husband has in this town. I'm seeing Howard this afternoon and I'll let you know what he says about the recording. I'll write more when I know more. Be careful, Daph, and put a message in the drafts to let me know you're still safe.

I start a new message. I'm halfway there. Amber Alert out now so I'm going to drive through the night instead of waiting until tomorrow. Plan to arrive around noon tomorrow.

I put the phone down and close my eyes. I need to sleep if I'm going to drive straight through. I think back to when I was younger and had a hard time falling asleep. My sister, Julie, used to lie next to me and count backward from one hundred. I'd be out by the time she got to fifty. I picture her now, pretending she's with me, and listen to her voice as I slowly drift off.

We leave the house at seven thirty, just as the sun sets. I hand Tallulah and Bella baseball caps.

"You need to wear these when we stop for gas and bathroom breaks. Don't look at anyone, try to keep your head down."

Tallulah grabs it from me and rolls her eyes. Bella takes hers and puts it on. The girls are restless; they're not used to having to sit in the car for hours with no tech to distract them. Meredith packed books for them, but it's getting dark, and I can't keep the interior light on in the car. I turn the radio on and find a station with music I hope they'll like and brace myself for another marathon session in the car. I was able to sleep for a good five hours, but I'm still exhausted. The only thing fueling me is adrenaline and caffeine, but I keep telling myself I can do this.

"Wanna play I spy?" Bella asks her sister.

"No. It's a stupid game. Besides it's getting dark."

"It's not stupid. You're stupid."

"Shut up!"

"Girls, please."

Tallulah sighs. "This sucks."

They continue to bicker, and I do my best to tune them out. Hopefully Meredith will have good news for me after she meets with Howard and shares all the information. The girls finally settle down, and to my surprise both fall asleep again. I suppose it's the stress, but I'm grateful for the quiet. I have to keep myself from speeding, because the last thing I need is to get pulled over, but it's torture, and the temptation to go faster on the quiet roads is strong. Slow and steady, I tell myself. Slow and steady. My thoughts shift and I wonder what all this is doing to Tallulah and Bella. There's no question that this trauma will leave its mark. Is therapy going to be enough to heal them? All I've ever wanted was a family. To be a good mother and wife, and to raise strong, kind children. And yet I ended up marrying a sociopath and spending over ten years in an abusive relationship. What does the future hold for my girls? How will this nightmare manifest in their choices? The possibilities are terrifying. Such are the tormenting thoughts that keep me company the entire journey.

Two bathroom and gas stops and fourteen hours later we finally arrive. I pull down the long driveway and park the car. There's a truck in the driveway and I assume it belongs to her—the woman who's provided the car, the houses, and the instructions.

"Now where are we?" Tallulah asks as she and Bella follow me to the side door.

"Texas."

"Why—"

The door opens and a blond woman I've never seen before, dressed casually in jeans and a blouse, smiles atme.

"Daisy Ann?" I say.

"Welcome. I've been waiting for y'all."

We follow her into the house and I'm about to thank her for her help when there's a pounding on the door. I look at her in alarm. She turns and opens the door.

"Well, it's about time you arrived."

She opens the door and in walks a smiling Jackson.