Page 6 of Sergei
My fingers trembled as I pushed my hair back from my face. Breathing hurt. Moving hurt. I could barely think, but I still managed to glance toward the hallway.
The door to his office was closed.
My heart didn’t speed up. It didn’t do anything.
It just sat there in my chest like a dead weight as I turned and quietly made my way to our closet. I grabbed my suitcase that I’d hidden behind our winter coats and pulled it out. It still had dust on it. I’d promised myself I’d never use it. I had my family to think of and swore I’d find a way to survive this—to survive him.
But it was a promise I couldn’t keep. Not anymore.
I’d already filled it with clothes Alek wouldn’t notice were missing, along with several pairs of shoes, and the envelope of money I’d been saving for the past few months. It wasn’t much. I wouldn’t be able to get far, but I didn’t care. Anywhere was better than here.
I left my phone and my wedding ring on the dresser, along with a note that simply said,I’m done. I placed them where I was sure he would see them, then made my way down the hallway, one slow step at a time. Every movement sent a dull throb through my ribs, but I didn’t let it stop me. I kept going. I had no choice but to keep going.
The sound of his voice grew louder as I got closer to his office door. I could tell by his tone that something was wrong. He was growing angry, and whoever he was talking to was going to pay for whatever had happened. If I was still here when he ended the call, it would be me who would pay.
I reached the garage door, and I’d just wrapped my fingers around the door handle when I heard Alek abruptly stop yelling. Fearing he had ended his call, everything inside me went still. Panic crawled up my spine like a shadow reaching for my throat, and all I could do was stand there and pray that this wasn’t the end.
I held my breath, and my heart started to race.
The silence was deafening.
I just knew he was about to storm out of his office. And that would be that. My chance to escape would have come and gone.
Then, mercifully, he started yelling again.
I exhaled a shaky breath as I entered the garage and rushed to the SUV. I tossed my suitcase in the back before sliding behind the wheel. I pushed the button to open the garage door, then started the engine and slammed my foot on the gas. The tires screamed against the concrete floor as I tore out of the garage and down the long drive. The iron gate was still open. I drove through it and didn’t look back.
I made it to the main road, and for one terrible, beautiful second, I felt weightless.
Free.
But even as the cold night air blew in through the cracked window, a dreadful thought sank its claws in deep. Even if I managed to get away, even if I drove until there was nothing left but an empty highway, they would find me, and they would kill me.
At that moment, I didn’t care. I was willing to take the chance because there was no way I was going back to him. Not now. Not ever.
I didn’t drive far.
I couldn’t.
There were trackers on the car, and there was no doubt that Alek would use them to hunt me down. I had no choice but to abandon it, so I had to get rid of it. As soon as I made it into the city, I turned down a narrow side street and parked behind an old dumpster. I turned off the engine and gathered my things, but I left the keys in the ignition.
Someone would steal it. At least, I hoped they would. It would buy me extra time, and right now, I could use all the time I could get. I started down the alley, but I was moving slowly. I couldn’t help it. Every step made my ribs throb, but I pushed forward.
I pulled the hood of my coat up and kept my head down, doing what I could to blend in with the shadows. I walked, block after block, and I kept glancing over my shoulder, making sure I wasn’t being followed.
By the time I reached the bus station, my feet were numb, my head was spinning, and I was struggling to breathe. I stepped up to the ticket counter and slid several folded bills towards the cashier.
“One-way to Chicago,” I said in barely a whisper.
The lady didn’t even look at me. She simply printed the ticket and pushed it towards me as she announced, “Gate 7. They will be loading in a few minutes.”
“Thank you.”
I clutched the ticket in both hands and sat down on a wooden bench near the gate. I stared at the faded map on the wall, tracing the line that would take me halfway across the country. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was making a huge mistake.
I hadn’t spoken to my sister in almost a year, and even then, it wasn’t by choice. Our parents were killed in a car accident. While investigators said it was a freak accident and a weak brake line had gone unnoticed, we knew the truth. It was a hit, and I believed in my heart of hearts that Alek was behind it. He would never admit it, but he wanted to make sure I had no one to turn to.
I don’t think I carried my suspicions alone. I think Mila thought the same about Alek, which is why she’d taken such strong measures to keep her distance from me. She didn’t call. She didn’t write. She didn’t email or text. She simply pretended that I didn’t even exist, and up until now, I played along.
