by K. C. Crowne
Graham,
You weren’t honest with me. I can’t blame you completely. We hardly know each other. And that’s why I must leave. I wasn’t completely honest with you either, and I don’t know who I can trust right now except for myself.
I’m sorry, but I won’t be fooled again. I just can’t risk it.
Goodbye.
Emmy
Fooled? What the hell? I had no earthly idea what she was talking about. But then I saw it. The letter was placed on copies of checks I’d written to my half-brother, Jack.
“She couldn’t have gotten far. The gate isn’t up, and Mason is watching the video feed,” Sam reiterated. “And she doesn’t have a car.”
“Talk to Mason. See if he can find her on the cameras,” I said. I headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Sam asked.
“I’m going to find her.”
“And what if she doesn’t want to come back? You can’t force her to stay.”
No, I couldn’t force her, but I wasn’t going to let her leave.
Emilia
We have people everywhere, Emilia. Even in Liberty, the last message I got from Antonio read.
My heart stopped. I’d received the message right before making my escape. It had crossed my mind that maybe I should stay, but part of me wondered…what if Graham and his brothers were connected to Antonio?
No, Emilia, that’s crazy. It’s absurd. Even if they are involved in illegal activities - which you don’t know for sure - to think they could work with someone like Antonio… no. No way. I kept telling myself that, but I knew I could only trust myself.
If Graham was acting, he was damn good at it. He’d also made a convincing stripper, I reminded myself.
I felt like I was losing my mind. I couldn’t figure out what to do.
But the truth was, I didn’t know Graham and his brothers well enough to trust them with my life and the life of my child. I just didn’t. The copies of the checks to Jack was enough proof of that.
I’d dug through Graham’s closet for something I could wear. There wasn’t much - most of his pants were out of the question for sure. I had hips and thighs, but he was massive, and they’d fall right off of me, even with a belt. There was nothing in there. I went to the dresser.
The first one was filled with boxers and socks. I grabbed a pair of socks and closed it. Then I moved to the next one and hit the jackpot.
I grabbed a pair of grey sweatpants with a tie around the waist. I slipped them on, tightening the string until it couldn’t tighten anymore. They were still fairly loose, but they’d have to do. I picked up the sweatshirt he’d loaned me and replaced the shirt I was wearing - the dirty one I had worn the day before - and wore Graham’s sweatshirt instead. It went down to my knees and made me feel so safe and warm - just like his arms had.
I’d swallowed the lump in my throat and gathered my dirty clothes. I’d opened the bedroom door, and as he promised, Sam was right outside.
“Hey there,” Sam said, standing.
“Hey, sorry to bother you, but you offered to wash my clothes for me?”
“Of course,” he said. “I’m happy to.”
“Thank you,” I said, handing the clothes to him. “I appreciate it, Sam. I’m going to get some rest, so I may be asleep when you get back.”
“I’ll be right downstairs, and only for a second. Mason has an eye on the cameras, watching the front door and this hallway, so if you need anything, just wave or call out.”
“I think I’ll be fine, but thank you,” I said with a small smile.
I watched as Sam walked down the hallway, and then I went back into the room. I only had a few moments, and it was clear I wouldn’t be able to get out the front door. Mason was most likely looking for people coming in, however, not people exiting.
I went over to the window and glanced out. I’d had plenty of experience climbing out of windows from growing up under my dad’s roof, and this one wouldn’t be too difficult. The window opened to a lower level roof, and a tree butted up to it that would help me the rest of the way down. I had already looked at it earlier, when I first saw the checks. The windows had bars on them, but they could be opened from the inside - and I’d already figured out how to do that.
“This is it,” I said to myself.
My eyes fell on the desk and I had one final thought - there was a plastic baggie on Graham’s desk with crumbs of what seemed to be a sandwich of some sort. I grabbed it and wrapped my phone in the plastic. Better to keep everything dry. I would eventually need to get a burner phone, but for now, I only had this one, and I needed to stay in contact with Liv.
Liv was waiting for me at the end of the road with a rental car in her name. She used her husband’s credit card so it would be harder to track, or so I hoped. I promised to pay her back one day once my life was back to normal - if it ever got back to normal.
I remember the phone call clearly. “Don’t worry about paying us back, Emmy. You’re family and your safety matters more than money. We’re not hurting financially.”
She was right. And at one time, neither was I. But the tables had turned.
“You are family, Liv, and that’s why I promise to make it up to you. You’re the only person I can count on right now.”
Tears had filled my eyes when I talked to her, but she comforted me. God, I had missed her all these years, and who knows when I’d see her again. If I stayed here and let Graham and the others catch Antonio like they promised... No, they would never be able to take down the Lombardos, I told myself. And who knows what kind of trouble I’d be dragged into in the meantime.
I wouldn’t be tied to another man I didn’t know, and since I couldn’t hide the pregnancy forever, I’d eventually be tied to Graham. And while at one time I’d relished the idea of that - I was scared now. What if he was like my dad? Or other men that had seemed so normal and nice at first?
I had taken a deep breath and opened the window. It took me a few minutes with the bars, and I made a lot of noise, but hopefully Sam was still downstairs with the laundry. I’d given them no reason to suspect I was leaving. They wouldn’t be looking for me, especially not leaving through this back window.
I climbed out of the window, and my foot slipped. The rain wasn’t as heavy as earlier, but the roof was slippery. I held onto the ledge as I got my footing. I slid down to my butt and pushed my way down the roof. I couldn’t risk falling.
It seemed to take forever to reach the edge of the roof, but once there, I let my legs hang off the ledge. I closed my eyes and thought about the layout of the house. I was right above the kitchen. Most likely, no one would be there. Mason would be in the office. Sam was either in the laundry room or by my door. Did he have to pass through the kitchen? I had no idea. I didn’t know where they did laundry. I didn’t know the house that well.
But I decided to take a chance anyway.
I grabbed onto the large branch that overhung the roof and swung myself onto it. From there it was a short, six-foot drop to the ground. I held my breath and let go, landing softly on the muddy ground below.
I sighed deeply, but it was too early to feel relieved. I had to keep going.
The front gate wasn’t only closed but being monitored. I also knew from conversations with the guys that the place was fenced in. I didn’t know how high that fence might be, but I prayed I could climb it. I ran to the woods, hiding amongst the trees and hoping Mason wouldn’t see me.
They were likely monitoring the entranceways mostly and areas closer to the house. That should buy me some time.
The rain had let up for a few minutes, but then the sky opened up and the downpour commenced. I pulled the hood of Graham’s sweatshirt over my head even though it did little to protect me from the rain.
The rain made it hard to see, which was also an advantage for me. The cameras were less likely to see me, hopefully. But I also couldn’t see very far in front of me. I had to be careful where I stepped, but I also had to hur
ry. I wasn’t sure when Graham would be back or how much time I had.
Graham… I had trusted him. I thought I knew him. But clearly, I knew nothing about him. And now wasn’t the time to let my guard down.
The truth was the only person I could count on was myself. That much was clear.
I saw the fence ahead and stopped in my tracks. The fence was likely very tall, but I couldn’t really tell because it was mostly underwater.
“Shit,” I cursed to myself, freezing in my spot mere feet away from the rushing flood waters.
I remembered the moment on the bridge. How close I had come to being swept away. If it hadn’t been for Graham…
I could hardly breathe as I was overcome with panic. I’d had only a few panic attacks in my life, but this was certainly going to be a doozy.
Breathe, Emilia. Just breathe. You’re safe.
I was far enough away to be out of danger for now. But I knew flash floods were unpredictable. I had to get to higher ground.
The road leading to the house was on higher ground, though I wouldn’t be able to walk along it in case Graham drove by. I’d get close and try to stay amongst the trees. I could hurry through near the front gate and then rush toward the end of the road where Liv was waiting for me with a car.
I can do this, I told myself. One foot in front of the other.
I walked toward the road and got close enough that I could see it but far enough away to hide amongst the trees.
Just ahead, I saw the gate. It opened and I ducked behind a tree. A pickup truck drove down the road. It wasn’t Graham’s truck - it had to be Eli. He had gone out with Graham earlier. I was concentrating so hard, I nearly screamed when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, keeping it in the plastic baggie I had grabbed from the house earlier.
It was Graham.
Dammit. He was probably home. He might be looking for me.
I had to hurry.
I ran back into the woods. There had to be another way across.
Graham
I stood out in the pouring rain. My truck was parked at the gate, and as far as Mason could tell from watching the video surveillance, she hadn’t left through the gate. If she went anywhere, it would have been over the fence.
But where?
The easiest path would be through the woods; it was a straight shot from my window to the front. I took off in that direction.
“Emmy!” I yelled, hoping she could hear me through the rainfall. “Emmy, it’s not safe out here!”
The river was flooding along the property line, and torrents of water rushed right beside me. I wouldn’t doubt that the small bridge at the gate would be washed out before long. The weather was worsening, the flooding get bad, and Emmy was out here somewhere. Without a car, which meant she was on foot in the pouring rain with the water rising around us.
The water was violent as it crashed into the earth beside me. The dirt crumbled under my feet. One wrong move and I might fall into the rapids, swept away without a hope of saving myself. What if that happened to her, I thought to myself. My heart ached, but I told myself to push on. I was terrified I wouldn’t find her and what that might mean for her.
“Emmy!” I called out again.
I walked along the river, scanning for any sign of her. I called her name, and with each step, panic filled my veins. I'd done many search and rescue missions in my life. I’d saved and lost people throughout. I always managed to remain calm in the moment.
But not this time. Emmy was different.
I couldn’t lose her.
You might have already lost her, I thought to myself.
No, I couldn’t give up. I would find her and I would bring her home and keep her safe.
I reached the end of the property line and still no sign of her. I turned back toward the road, and every step filled my heart with dread. I saw movement several feet in front of me at the water’s edge. She was clearly looking for a way to cross when she saw me.
We both stood frozen, staring at each other through the lashing downpour. “Emmy!”
I rushed toward her, my heart flooded with relief and happiness. She was alive. She wasn’t as happy to see me, clearly. She took off running away from me.
Time seemed to move in slow motion as her foot slipped at the edge of the river. The soil under her feet gave way. She screamed as her feet slipped out from underneath her. I lunged forward and reached her. Her hands were scrabbling at the loose soil that gave away with each grasp. I grabbed her hand just as her feet came within inches of the water.
“Graham,” she sobbed.
“It’s okay, Emmy. I got you,” I soothed, pulling her up the embankment. My heart was racing, and I wouldn’t be content until Emmy was back on solid ground. She was on her hands and knees at first, and I knelt next to her. “Are you okay?”
“I think so, yes,” she mumbled, not meeting my eyes.
“Here, let me—” I offered her my hand.
“I can stand on my own,” she said, resisting my help.
I remained close, ready to catch her in case she fell, but she pulled herself to her feet. She was shaking, but she managed to stand. And that’s when I lost it. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest.
“Don’t you ever do anything like that again, you hear me? I was so scared, Emmy. I thought I lost you.”
She stilled in my arms.
“Emmy, I thought I lost you,” I repeated more urgently, pulling back enough to look her in the eyes. I lifted her chin up to meet my gaze.
“Graham, I’m sorry, but I can’t stay,” she said softly.
“Yes, you can! It’s a misunderstanding. All of it, I promise,” I said earnestly, hoping she’d let me explain.
“How can I trust you? I hardly know you.”
“You do know me. You’ve seen the real me, Emmy.”
“Have I? Then why are you sending money to Jack Wiley?”
“Because Jack’s our half-brother,” I confessed. “And those checks you saw? They were his part of the inheritance from our father.”
“But—he killed his dad,” she stammered.
“No, he didn’t… It was all a mistake. The man that died wasn’t even his real dad, and he didn’t do it. Glen was involved with some dangerous men, just like you, Emmy, and we helped him. Just like we’re going to help you.”
She stared at me for a long time, judging my words. “How do I know that’s true?”
“Well, for one thing, you can Google it once we’re back at the house, and if you dig deeper than the first few hits on Jack, you’ll see that he was completely exonerated and you can read the whole story. You don’t have to take my word for it. But you’ll have to trust me enough to go back to the house.”
I wished she trusted me, but I couldn’t force it. She’d been hurt by the one man who was supposed to protect her above all else, and I knew it would take time for her to trust me.
But I saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“Do you trust me, Emmy?” I asked.
“I do… I mean, I believe you, Graham. But I can’t afford to be wrong. I’m afraid and it’s not just my life I have to worry about now.”
“What do you mean?” I cocked my head to the side.
“No more secrets between us, okay?”
Emilia
The look on Graham’s face - the way he was relieved when he saw that I was okay. The pain and panic in his voice when he called for me. All of this made me want to believe him.
No, it made me believe him.
And I knew I had to tell him.
“I’m pregnant, Graham. I’m carrying your baby.” I let it all out, and as soon as I did, I began to panic.
Graham stumbled backward, almost as if he’d lost his balance. “Did you just say you’re—”
“Yes,” I reiterated. “But you don’t have to worry about a thing. I’m prepared to raise the baby myself,” I told him, holding my head high with pride.
“No,” he said, shaking hi
s head. “No way are you raising our child alone. What kind of man do you think I am? Wait, no, don’t answer that right now.”
“I think you’re a good man, Graham,” I told him, my voice softening. “I was scared, which is why I ran - but I believe you.”
His lips curled into a small smile. “Thank you, Emmy. I promise to make it up to you, to prove that I am who I say I am. We do not work with bad people.”
I wrapped my arms around my chest and hugged myself tightly. I was freezing from the rain, which wasn’t letting up.
“Come on,” Graham said, reaching for my arm to lead me back. “Let’s get you inside and into some warm clothes. We have a lot to talk about.”
He ran his hand down my arm and took my hand in his, and I followed him back to the road.
“I’m sorry,” I said after a few moments.
“For what?”
“For everything. For not telling you about the baby sooner, for running away, for not trusting you…”
“Stop,” he said, stopping and turning to me. “You have nothing to apologize for. You were scared and protecting our baby, and that’s all I could ask for.”
Our baby.
Hearing those words filled me with warm and fuzzy feelings.
He squeezed my hand reassuringly, and we continued walking to the truck. He helped me inside and turned the heat up high.
“I need to tell Liv what happened,” I said mostly to myself.
He cocked an eyebrow at me.
“I asked her to rent a car for me, she’s waiting at the end of the road,” I told him sheepishly. “God, I put everyone through so much.”
“We’ll take care of you, Emmy. You and the baby will be just fine,” he promised softly.
The gate opened, and he drove toward the road instead of heading back to the house. We reached the end of the road, where Liv was supposed to be waiting.
“What time is it?” I asked when I didn’t see her. I checked the clock on the dashboard and frowned. “She was supposed to be here five minutes ago.”
