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Laney

When the door was kicked in, I knew they’d found us. The sharp crack of splintering wood made my stomach drop. Before I could move, a man slugged me in the face. Pain exploded behind my eyes, and everything went dark.

When I woke up, the cops were there—and Haley was gone.

I had to go back to that bastard’s house and get my baby.

I was surprised they didn’t kill me. I could only hope these police weren’t bought off like the ones I called for help in Chicago.

I explained what happened, but they advised me to hire someone to help me. How would I do that with Jonah having control of my money?

I was just an ordinary woman who happened to be great at fishing. Fishing was my escape, my bread and butter, and the only thing that kept me sane. Even as a child, it was my refuge. Growing up in foster care in Farmington, Oklahoma, fishing saved me from the chaos of group homes. I lived near a large lake, and after finishing my chores, I’d head there to fish. No one cared where I went as long as my work was done.

When I turned eighteen, I was on my own—fine by me since I’d felt alone my whole life anyway. After I aged out of the system, the government stopped paying, so I entered fishing contests. Most of the time, I won, even fishing from the bank, while others used boats. I knew the lake like the back of my hand.

An old fisherman named Charlie became my only friend. He fished as much as I did and gave me his truck and boat when he couldn’t drive anymore. That truck had a camper on the back, which I fixed up and lived in. It wasn’t much, but it had everything I needed.

Fishing contests helped me pay for books in junior college. I managed fortwo years before I met Gavin Reeves. He told me he had no family. Now I knew why he told me that. Who wanted to admit that the devil was your father?

Gavin and I were happy. When Haley was born, she became the light of my life. But everything changed on our sixth anniversary. A man walked into the restaurant and shot Gavin. He died in my arms, but not before telling me to take Haley and hide.

I was in shock, devastated that someone had killed Gavin for no reason. It was hard explaining to Haley that her daddy was never coming home because he was now in heaven. It broke my heart as I watched her crying. I packed our things and moved back to Oklahoma, closer to where I grew up. Gavin had left us money—more than I ever imagined. He never touched it; we’d lived paycheck to paycheck for years. Now I understood why.

When that man showed up at our house, I knew why Gavin had told me to hide. His father came into our home and demanded that we live with him. When I said no, he slapped me so hard it knocked me down, and my ear and mouth were bleeding. Haley started crying. I was scared that he would hit her.

“You will be beaten if you don’t listen to what I say. I’m nothing like that wimpy son of mine. If my granddaughter didn’t need her mother, I would kill you right now.”

Right then, I knew he would kill me when Haley was old enough to do everything for herself. “Did you kill Gavin?” That’s when the bastard slugged me in the face, and I fell. Haley was screaming at him to leave me alone. Before I could get up, he picked her up and spanked her.

“You get your fucking hands off my daughter,” I screamed charging him. “Put her down,” Haley was sobbing uncontrollably. I grabbed her and pulled her away from him. “I swear, if you ever touch her again, I’ll kill you.”

Every escape attempt ended the same way—with me beaten. But I vowed we’d get away one day. This time, we stayed hidden for two months before they found us. We were inOregon, far from Chicago. Yet somehow, he found us? Now, it was up to me to get Haley back.

It felt like forever before I made it back to Chicago. I took a taxi and got out a mile from Jonah’s house. Disguised in a red wig and oversized glasses, I waited until dark to approach. As I crept toward the house, someone grabbed me from behind.

I slammed my head into their chin and stomped on their foot.

“Stop,” a deep voice growled. “I’m here to help you. Your daughter is safe with my friends.”

I stopped instantly and turned around. The man bent his head and took my hand. “Stay with me,” he said softly. His voice was low; I could barely hear him.

We walked down the road for twenty minutes before he opened a truck door. “Get in,” he instructed.

I hesitated but climbed inside. I couldn’t keep dealing with evil people—I had to trust someone. So I got into his truck. In the back seat was a massive German Shepherd. “I want my daughter,” I demanded.

“She’s safe with my friends. We need to get out of here first. Once we are somewhere secure, I’ll explain everything. That’s Bear, by the way. He and your daughter are close friends,” he said, ignoring me for the rest of the ride until we hit the freeway.

As we drove, he kept looking in the rearview mirror.

“Enough of being quiet. I want to talk to Haley now,” I said. “Or I’m going to jump out of this truck.”

He sighed. “So, you’re going to kill yourself if I don’t start talking. That’s not smart.”

I nodded, tears welling up.

“You don’t know what the fuck I’ve been through the last two years. Waiting for that bastard to kill me. Where is my daughter?”

“Haley got away from the man who took her, and I hid her in a store. Then I took her home with me and called my friends to take her with them while I found you. She thought for sure her grandpa would kill you.”

“What did she tell you?”

“She thought the man who hit you might have killed you too. She told me about the fake names and the real names. She was worried because she said her grandpa beat you to death.”

“Call River,” I said out loud.

“Hello,”

“River, I have Haley’s mom.”

“Thank God, even I was starting to worry.”

“Where’s Haley?”

She’s playing on the beach with the dogs and Kat. Let me get her for you.” It got quiet. And then we heard River talking to Haley.

“He let her play on the beach with dogs and a cat? What if she got swept away by the tide?”

“The dogs and Kat. Kat is River’s wife.”

“Oh.”

“Hey, sweetie, your mom is on the phone.”

“Mommy,” Haley said and started crying and had to stop talking. “I thought Grandpa killed you.”

“Baby, we will never worry about Grandpa hurting us again. We will move far away from him. I will make sure he never finds us. I’ll see you soon, sweetie. Mommy loves you.” She looked over at me. “Where is she?”

“California. We’ll drive—it’s too risky to fly. I haven’t slept in a few days. We have to get a room in the next town.”

“I can drive; I don’t want to stop. I need to see my daughter.”

“How long has it been since you’ve slept?”

“What does that have to do with anything? I’m not sleepy.”

“I am sleepy and can’t sleep when someone else is driving.”

“Are you saying that because I’m a woman?”

“Hell no! I’m saying it because I’m always the one who drives.”

“That’s crazy. I assure you I can drive as well as you can. I’ve been driving since I was sixteen. I don’t mean to brag, but I’m probably a better driver than you are.”

I chuckled. “I doubt that. I had to investigate your father-in-law to find his address. And some things about Gavin came up. Who shot him?”

“His fucker of a father had him killed because Gavin left home at eighteen and refused to speak to him. Gavin never told me about his family. His father told me everything about the family. I’m sure he’s angry because Haley got away from that guy. She is so smart. I’ve taught Haley street smarts when no one was looking.”

“Yes, I noticed that about her.”

I started shaking, and then I began to cry. I cried until he started patting my back; I tried to talk to make him understand why I was crying. I was crying because my baby was safe. She was alive, and so was I. That bastard didn’t kill me and take my daughter away from me.

The dog in the back seat licked my cheek. I chuckled before I reached back and hugged him. “Thank you, Bear. I needed that kiss.” I sniffed, and then he handed me some tissues. I blew my nose. “I guess I am pretty tired. Maybe I do need some sleep. Could we stop at a Walmart? I need some clothes and a few other things.”

“You can’t use any cards and throw your phone out the window and into the water as we go over the bridge. They might be able to track your phone. I’ll lend you the money for whatever you need.”

“Thank you. I guess that’s how he always found us; he tracks my card, maybe even my phone. That’s why Gavin didn’t spend any of his money. He knew his dad would trace it. I don’t know why I never thought that before. Jonah took all of my money and gave me a card.”