Page 6 of Einar (The Brigands of Ruk #2)

Chapter Six

ROWAN

Easing through the gate, I find myself amongst some large bushes. Ruby’s old Civic is literally right in front of me. I start to step out of the shadowed edge of the shrubbery until the sound of the front gate opening halts me in my tracks.

Who’s leaving?

I smirk when Robert’s town car drives by as a tiny amount of triumph fills me. He was still in the house when I snuck out!

Victory is quickly followed by terror.

Robert was still in the house when I snuck out!

My stomach starts churning as I think about how close I came to death. If he had caught me … If Mark had decided to go find Robert …

I glance down at my phone. It’s 6:14 and my time is almost up. Peeking around the corner of the bush I’m hiding in, I see the taillights of his car turn the corner and disappear from sight.

Stepping out of the shadows, I quickly walk over to Ruby’s passenger side door and just as I’m reaching for the handle, the door opens. I quickly sit down in the seat and pull the door closed behind me. My fingers haven’t even reached for my seatbelt when it takes off.

“ Drive normally Ruby . None of them know I’ve snuck out yet. I told Robert’s buddy Mark that I needed to use the bathroom. He will be looking for me when I don’t return in a few minutes. Especially since I’m the unpaid entertainment for the evening. The moment Robert finds out they can’t find me, he’ll rush back home, setting his dogs free to find us.”

Eye’s soft with concern glance over at me and I can see she’s trying to peek around the hood I have pulled over my face.

“ How did you know I was out here?”

“ After I sent you that text yesterday, I started tracking you; preparing the best I could to get the hell out of there. Robert seldom leaves me alone with his friends. He enjoys watching too much, but I heard him tell Mark yesterday that he was going to have to leave for an hour or two and that he was free to play with me all he wanted. I stashed these clothes in the back of the commode and hid this bag in the toilet paper holder next to it. I knew I would only have a brief window to get out of there. If you hadn’t gotten here when you did, I was just going to keep walking until you got closer. All day long, I’ve been watching your location on my phone. I never should have waited this long, but I was scared to involve you.”

“ What aren’t you telling me, Rowan ?”

The sharp bark of her words makes me flinch a bit.

“ A lot, but it’s not something I can talk to you about yet. I need to work through this on my own. I made a mess out of my life, and I’ve dragged you into an impossible situation. One that could quite possibly get both of us buried in a shallow grave, but I knew I was only a few more punches away from a nervous breakdown. The safe place I had created in my mind to escape the things he was doing and allowing to happen to me, was no longer enough. I felt my grip on reality slipping, and I knew you were my only escape.

We need to ditch this car as soon as possible. You won’t be the first person he looks at, but it won’t take long to connect the dots.”

I reach over and pick up Ruby’s phone, before asking, “ Is there anything on here you can’t live without, passwords, bank info?”

“ Nope , wrote it all down when I took a pee break earlier and I withdrew all the money out of my bank yesterday before work.”

Nodding my understanding at her snappy reply, I roll my window down and toss both phones out of the car at the same time, and roll the window back up. I hesitate for a second before reaching up and pushing the hood off my head. At the sight of my face, I hear Ruby gasp. I see her open her mouth to start in on me but I can’t handle an inquisition. Not right now maybe not ever. I raise my hand in a ‘stop’ gesture before saying,

“ Not right now, Ruby . I promise I will tell you in time, but not now. I need you to be my big sister and get us the hell out of here.”

“ I will kill him!” The venom in her voice almost makes me smile. Maybe if it was another time, or another topic, I would. I’ve always envied my bold older sister.

“ You could never get close enough to even try. He’s untouchable, Ruby , take my word for it. If there had been a way, I would have already taken it. I’ve had years on the inside and couldn’t figure out how to make this nightmare end. But you just took his favorite toy, and he will be on the warpath to get me back. I won’t go back, Ruby . No matter what, do you understand what I’m saying?”

“ Loud and clear. As long as we’re together, he will never touch you again. I have an idea of where to go, but I need to find a way to get us there with what little cash I have.”

Reaching down, I slide the zipper open on the duffle bag before asking, “ Is this enough?”

I know what she sees. Cash lines the entire bottom of the bag, and she doesn’t even know about the jewelry inside yet.

“ It’s sure gonna help, baby sister.”

Exhaustion beats down on me, and I hunker into the seat. I don’t really feel like talking, and I think Ruby understands for once. The tears, when they come, almost catch me by surprise. I didn’t think I had any left. I can feel my sister’s eyes on me as the streams of water roll down my cheeks. I allow myself to set some of my misery free in a silent deluge of salt water, my eyes locked on the passing scenery, seeing none of it.

Even now, I don’t make any noise as I let my pain loose. Too many years of silence have left an indelible mark on my soul.