Page 18 of Angels and Skulls
“I see you’re not able to …” He makes a crude motion with his hands.
If only his constituents knew who they voted for. Or maybe they do, and they simply don’t care.
I couldn’t hide the disgust on my face if I tried, but luckily for me he doesn’t notice.
“Since this is goodbye, I’m sure you’ll agree it would only be right to leave me with a parting gift.” He reaches over, places his hand on the back of my head, and pushes it toward his lap.
Are you kidding me? I just gave birth to his child, and this is the way he …
My mind slips away as soon as his musky scent hits my face.
Today I’m helping Mom pick tomatoes in her garden. I can hear the mower on the other side of the house as Daddy cuts the grass. The sun is warm on my face as dragonflies zip over my head.
Dragonflies have always been my favorite insect.
My ears perk up when I hear a dirt bike down the block. My mama gives me a knowing look.
“I’ll be home by supper time,” I plead.
She tips her head to the side, checking to see that my dad is still busy. “Take those tomatoes in the house and wash up first.”
I rush over to her and hug her around the neck. “Thank you!”
When I get to the corner, Raffe’s waiting for me. He gets off his bike and hands me a helmet. “Wanna ride down by the creek?”
I nod, taking the helmet from him. My daddy would kill me if he knew I was getting on a dirt bike, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
I hug my friend around the waist, squealing happily when he gives it a little gas.
The asshole pulls my hair, lifting my head when he’s finished. I sit back, taking several deep breaths, because I feel like I’m going to throw up.
Rudy kindly reaches behind the seat, handing me a bottle of water. If it wasn’t for Rudy and Lily, I wouldn’t have survived this long.
I glance out the window, rolling my eyes when I see he isn’t dropping me off at home before heading to the airport.
Great.
The asshole leans over and kisses my cheek when we arrive at his destination. “It has been fun,” he tells me, giving me one final glance before slipping through the sliding doors of the building.
Rudy opens my door. “Hop out for a minute.”
I watch as he places a pillow on my seat. “My wife always sat on a pillow after …” He averts his gaze from mine.
“Thank you,” I say, settling on the soft cushion. “That’s much better.”
He nods and goes back to the front seat, directing the driver to take us home to the mansion.
I spend a few days making sure Lily has everything she’ll need to make the escape we planned. I feel bad I’m not going with her,but it will only put her in danger if I do. She has a better chance without me. Besides, I’d never risk them coming anywhere near her.
But now it’s time for me to go. I’ve got to get out of here beforetheycome for me.
Rudy’s eyes follow me as I jog down the stairs. “Going for a walk?”
“Yep,” I say, shielding my eyes to look at him.
He knows I’m up to something, but he doesn’t draw attention or stop me. “Alright,” he says simply.
“I’ll catch you on the flip side.” I salute him before quickly turning away.
