Page 3 of Einar (The Brigands of Ruk #2)

Chapter Three

ROWAN

It’s Thursday , a day that has become synonymous with pain, degradation, and betrayal. I must say I hate Thursday ; it’s the worst day of the week by far. Most folks hate Mondays , but not me. They are a day of reprieve after my weekend, which begins most of the time on a fucking Thursday .

As I lay here in bed, basking in the early morning sunshine streaming in through the bedroom window, it feels like a lifetime has passed since I talked to Ruby on Tuesday . After my punishment, Robert roughly woke me up as he slid into bed that night, telling me that he would allow me to stay in bed all day the next day, Wednesday , to “recover and think about what I had done to earn my punishment.”

How kind … Not !

Thankfully , Robert was far too busy today with his political duties to watch over me, and the help isn’t permitted in our bedroom while he’s out of the house. That has certainly worked to my advantage, since I look and feel like death warmed over. Not to mention this quiet time has allowed me to once again try to find a way to escape this hell without endangering my sister further.

During the early years of our marriage, Robert had duplicated my phone on various devices that only he had access to; specifically, his smartphone, tablet, and laptop. For whatever reason, roughly eight months ago, he removed that other tracking software, only monitoring my phone calls now.

If he was still tracking my phone on any other level, he would have already confronted me about the text I sent to Ruby yesterday. Since I haven’t seen or heard from him since Tuesday night, it’s safe to say that he’s unaware of what I’ve done. Thankfully , his side of the bed was cold and empty when I finally got out of bed yesterday morning, and again this morning. Although , I did hear him in the hallway earlier instructing the staff to leave me alone, only to be interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.

As he was walking away, I heard him say that he will be out of the house for an hour, maybe two, this evening and that they could do as they wished with me. The only person he would grant that kind of carte blanche power to is his best friend, Mark . This means he’ll be gone for part of the festivities, and Mark is not nearly as intelligent as Robert . I close my eyes as his words sink in; the one moment I’ve been praying for is finally in front of me. Just when I know I can’t take it anymore, this path is laid before me. I know this will be my one and only chance to escape. If I fail and get caught, Robert will surely find a way to dispose of me secretly.

Maybe there is a higher power, and I’m finally getting a bit of good luck after all the years of shit. Robert alienated me from everyone I loved years ago. Any friends I had before our marriage are nothing more than a fond memory now. Robert , at that time, gently told me that they were not quite up to his level in society, and I needed to start cultivating new friends with the wives of his business associates.

That endeavor did not go well, much to Robert’s aggravation. None of Robert’s closest friends were married and the more respectable congressional representatives wouldn’t allow their womenfolk to associate with me. They knew something was amiss with Robert , they just didn’t know what, so they took extreme measures to ensure that their women were never left alone with myself or Robert .

It’s still early enough in the day that I won’t see Robert , or anyone else for that matter, for several hours. Trained dog that I’ve become, I know Robert’s schedule for his Thursdays . I should be left alone until midafternoon or early evening. It just depends on when the festivities are to start, something I’m never allowed to have any input in.

What it did though, was make it easier for me to make preparations for tonight. I know my sister is coming to get me, as evidenced by her dot on the map getting closer to me as the day progresses. This being the case, I don’t have any time to lose. I must get everything in place well before she gets here and before I’m summoned.

Throwing the covers back, I carefully ease my battered body out of bed, testing my mobility as I do. Excluding my ribs, eyes and lips, the rest of me is in fairly good shape, even if I am covered in bruises in various states of healing. However , the slight wheeze at the end of my breaths is moderately concerning. My regulatory medicine isn’t relaxing my bronchial tissue like it’s supposed to. This breathlessness, while annoying, is my normal asthmatic response when my body has suffered too much.

I make myself go through the motions today as if it were a regular Thursday . I can’t afford for anyone to guess what I have planned, not if I want to succeed. Especially since I never know who is on Robert’s payroll and who truly feels sorry for me, as all the workers always look the other way when I approach them. With that in mind, I select a dress that Robert will find appropriate for me to wear this evening. That’s to say, only he and his filthy companions are the ones who would find dresses like this to be appropriate outside of the bedroom.

That chore done, I move on to the small collection of comfy clothes I’m permitted. Just as I am rummaging through the drawers, a small, soft, black bag with white writing on it catches my eye. It’s the little cloth bags that you get at large events, for grab bags and such. I remember keeping this because it’s one of the few happy memories I’ve had over the last few years. A rare occasion that Robert let me out of the house to go do something I enjoyed, and I had taken full advantage of his good humor. The literary event had been a bit of a drive down to Tennessee , and the traffic awful, but it was one of the most wonderful experiences.

So .

I feel it’s totally appropriate that this little bag, representing a rare happy moment, will be the one I chose to hide the clothing needed to make my escape. It will work perfectly for what I have in mind. Snagging my favorite baggy hoodie, a pair of leggings, a sports bra, undies and a pair of socks, I take a second to think about what I’m missing. Ohhh … I’ll need shoes as well. Looking amongst the vast array of designer heels, I spot one pair of Coach ballet flats. Grabbing them, I roll them up inside the bundle of clothing I’ve gathered and walk back into the bathroom.

Finished with that, I peek around the edge of the closet doorway into the bedroom. This next part is even more important than a set of getaway clothes. Ruby and I are going to need cash and things to sell in order to get away. When I see the coast is clear, I crawl to the back of the closet. I peel the carpet up in the furthest corner away from where Robert walks in every day to choose his suit and shoes. I’d found the loose carpet by accident one time when Robert locked me in here for a couple of days.

Under the carpet, I’d found a small hole. Something that may have been cut for a water or gas line at one point in time before the house was remodeled. Over time, I worked to make the hole large enough to fit a small duffle bag. I’ve managed to steal roughly seventy-five thousand dollars right out from under his nose. The safe on his side of the closet doesn’t have a camera pointed at it and he’s so arrogant he never thought that someone would dare to steal from him.

Reaching down into the dark hole, it takes me a second to find the soft material of the duffel bag. A sigh of relief escapes me the second my fingers graze the bag. Carefully , I pull it out and replace the carpet, ensuring it looks exactly the same as it always has. Easing the zipper open, I peer down, making sure the money and my extra medicine is exactly as I left it. Rising slowly to my feet, I reach out with one hand against the wall, bracing myself as a wave of dizziness hits me.

Both bags in hand, I exit the closet, making my way over to the vanity, and the copious amounts of jewelry to be found there. Picking through the array of expensive items, I choose midrange pieces that are not unique enough to stand out at a pawnshop but are worth enough that it’ll make us money.

Task completed, I creep to the bathroom.

I give my reflection a brief glance in the mirror as I walk through. My multihued blue, green, and gold eyes reflect my suffering. They were what had caught his attention and the first thing he complimented me on when he made his approach. Releasing my gaze from the mirror, I pace over to the toilet stall.

The toilet is in its own little room, complete with a door. Easing into the small space, I quietly close the door and click the lock in place. My heart is beating so hard and fast I’m afraid it’s going to beat right out of my chest as I take the tank lid off the toilet and position the little blue bag where the straps are down in the tank reservoir. Using one hand, I hold the bag in place while carefully putting the lid back on with the other.

After securing my getaway clothes, I take the bag of money, extra medicine, and jewelry and shove it into the decorative toilet paper holder. I always thought the little cabinet was a gaudy thing. Far too large and ostentatious, but it’s enabling me to hide the money I need to escape, so I can’t bring myself to hate it anymore.

I close the little door and make sure the latch on the toilet paper holder is secure before standing. The roll that’s on the holder attached to the wall is full, so there’s no reason for anyone to go into the small cabinet and consequently find my bag. Forcing myself to keep up appearances and just in case, I flush the toilet, pausing to make sure it’s going to refill, before I exit the bathroom.

Glancing down at my phone, the “ Find my location” is already up on the screen and it’s easy to see that Ruby is on her way. At the rate she’s driving right now, she should be here mid-evening.

“ One more time, Rowan . You can do this one more time. Ruby is coming to get you. Just get past tonight, once more, and you won’t ever have to suffer a man’s attentions ever again.”