by Vera Quinn
Surviving for Tomorrow
By
Vera Quinn
Surviving for Tomorrow
Copyright ©2016 by Vera Quinn
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
Cover by: T.E. Ridener @Double J Book Graphics
Edited by: Avril Stepowski
Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Dedication
Thank you to my husband, Charles. He is my better half, trust me. Thank you to my family who supports me.
Thank you to each of the authors who have taken their time to help me and welcome me. Thank you to Johnna Seibert, my great PA. She keeps me straight. Thank you to Avril Stepowski, she makes my work look good.
Thank you to Vicky, Tracey, Nicole, Kori, Shanna, Jessica, Joanne, Sherri and all of Vera’s Teasers for pimping my name, my teasers, links, and just everything. For being my sounding board and supporting me. You are the best.
Thank you to each and every one of you that read and review my books. You make my work worth the time.
Prologue
Have you ever feared that the last breath you took would be the last one you ever get? Woke up from a nightmare to realize your reality is worse? Learned to take a slap as if it is a love tap because what comes next is a hell of a lot worse? Know that your only reason to live is to protect the innocent child you brought into this messed up situation? Come to the realization that the man you thought would be your happily ever after is a monster and the one that will eventually end your miserable existence when he is finished punishing you for breathing?
I’m Gracie Roberts and this was my life. Until a kind person saw the signs of what was happening to me and decided to help. She helped me to plan. She gave me the courage to hope for more. She taught me how to skim money out of what I was given to be able to get away. The day finally came and she held my hand as I emptied my bank account and left with nothing more than a diaper bag and a backpack. She already had setup transportation, a place to live, and clothes for myself and my daughter.
She sent me back to her hometown and to people she knew would help, and if it came down to it, protect us. Good people. I am twenty-three years old with a one year old daughter and today is the first day of the beginning of my life. The day I learn to breathe without fear and stop just Surviving for Tomorrow.
Chapter 1
Gracie
I have been watching the miles pass us by from the back seat of a truck. The man driving, I had only met a day ago. All I know about him is his name is Kaden Samms, he is the sheriff of Wood County, he’s Jilly Frank’s older brother, and he is helping to save my life.
Jilly Franks was a nurse I met in the ER of the hospital I had to go to after another beating from the monster that used to be my boyfriend and is the father of my daughter, Shelby. Jilly saw the marks he left and the x-rays of my bruised and cracked ribs. It would have been bad enough if it was the first time she had seen it, but it wasn’t. She seemed to always be there when I needed assistance. She had witnessed me with concussions, a broken arm, cuts, more busted ribs, and bruised kidneys. All within the last year. Each time she would talk to me and try to get me to press charges, but I was afraid of losing my daughter. Still, she gave me advice I began to follow.
This last time I thought I was going to die and then where would that leave Shelby?
Jilly is a good woman with a big heart. She told me to start slipping money back to save. Find where our bank checks were and take one out. To pack a diaper bag for the baby and a backpack for me with clothes and important papers and stash them somewhere safe where they wouldn’t be found. When I showed up hardly able to walk with Shelby on my hip she wasn’t taking no for an answer. With the two cracked ribs, bruised kidneys, a body covered in bruises and choke marks on my throat she said enough was enough. I went back home without Shelby. I grabbed the bags and she took me to take out the money I had left from my parent’s insurance. Then Jilly hid us until her brother could pick me up and take us to the town Jilly and Kaden grew up in.
Jilly cried when we left this morning. I have no tears left. Those ran out a few months back. I watch Shelby sleep, and I don’t know how I will raise her by myself, but I will manage. My parents, Sally and Luther, never had much but they raised me with love. I lost them both within six months of each other the year after graduation. Mom had a stroke in her sleep and dad had a short battle with cancer. Right before I was nineteen they were both gone. They both had insurance, which surprised me, but I was alone for the first time in my life.
The house I just left is in my name. Left to me by my parents, but I would rather have my life than that house.
Kendall was my high school sweetheart, the only boyfriend I have ever had. We were great together until he moved in with me. He was always possessive, but once he moved in, he became obsessive with it. He made me quit the job that I had had since I was sixteen because he said no woman of his was going to be a waitress waiting on other men. He alienated me from all my friends. If one happened to come over, when he came home he was rude, and they finally quit coming around.
Then he all of a sudden decided it was time to start a family. I was hesitant, but he finally wore me down. Until I was five months pregnant, I couldn’t have asked for a more attentive boyfriend. I thought we had gotten to a place in our relationship where we were a perfect couple. That was a nice thought, for about a half a second.
The day I went for the sonogram to find out the sex of our baby the fairytale was over as soon as the technician said it was a girl. He was horrified we weren’t having a boy. He said all Giles men have boys for their first child. Then he went off that this was not his child, that I had to have cheated. I was so embarrassed. The technician was shocked.
I left that office with my head down. Things were never the same after that day. He came home late, if at all. He yelled at me and called me horrible names. Women would call our home, and I found lipstick on more than one of his shirts. When he did crawl home, he smelled of perfume and liquor. It came to a head the day before I gave birth to Shelby.
He had been out all night, and I had been feeling bad, and the shirt he wanted for work was not clean. He worked for his dad, and he always dressed to impress. He flew into a rage and backhanded me, and I fell into the edge of the kitchen counter. He left me there alone. I went into labor that night, and I tried calling him. A woman answered his phone. When she did give him the phone, he said he wasn’t coming home. I went to the hospital by cab, and that was the first night I met Jilly. She held my hand until I was taken to the maternity ward. Shelby came screaming into the world nine hours later. I was alone. Jilly was the only other person to hold Shelby in the hospital that night.
Kendall showed up the next day and dem
anded a DNA test and left. It was ok by me. I didn’t want him around me. Jilly took me home the next day and checked on me many times. She made sure I made it to the grocery store, and we had everything we needed. Four weeks later the DNA test was back. I told Kendall, Shelby was his daughter. He was livid. He came back home, but I paid for it every day he was there. I told him he could leave and never see us again and he wouldn’t hear it, he would have been disowned.
My hell began the night he came back home, and it progressed until the last incident. I noticed he was not the same man I fell in love with. Besides the violence towards me he had begun to drink every day. From the time he came home until he finally either passed out or went to sleep. He was jittery. He had begun to lose weight. He’d started getting money out of our bank account. He had insisted his name be on it, with what was left of my parent’s insurance money. He had dropped all his classes he had enrolled in at his dad’s insistence. He had lost all self- control.
Now I am just glad it is over. I signed the papers to sell the house at a real estate company, and I hope I never see that place again. I would have been just as happy to see it burn but I had to think of Shelby’s future.
Now here I am dependent on the kindness of strangers. I have eight thousand dollars, and I am headed to the unknown. The unknown is better than what I had been living with.
We have been traveling most of the day. We stopped long enough for us to eat and when I needed to change Shelby. Kaden is a man with kind, understanding eyes. I haven’t learned much about him, but he has tried to help as much as he can. He’s good with Shelby. I found out on our last stop he has twin boys. They are twelve years old, so he says he is a little rusty with babies. Jilly has never had children, so he has no nieces or nephews.
It’s getting close to sundown. We have been on the road for close to fourteen hours. We are coming into a small town. I see the city limits sign, and we are in Winnsboro. We have arrived.
“My wife, Laura, had the electric, and everything turned on for you. We just put it in Jilly’s name so no one can find your name tied to it. Jilly just this year had it all disconnected. She tried to come in to visit once or twice a year but decided it was time to sell. I’m glad you can make good use of it. Laura stocked your fridge and pantry full, but she will call tomorrow to see if she forgot anything. She set up a crib for Shelby and stocked up on diapers. My aunt and uncle are right across the street if you need anything. Jilly had her pick up one of those disposable phones too, and our numbers are in there if you need us. If you have plastic under no circumstances do you use it. From what you told us I don’t think your boyfriend will have the funds to find you.” Kaden is glancing in his rearview mirror as he talks. I keep nodding my head yes.
“Thank you, Kaden, for everything your family is doing for me. I really, appreciate it. I have the money for the groceries and phone. I can pay rent, too.” Kaden gets a deep, gruff voice I’m sure makes most people pay attention.
“Jilly said you need this and I trust her instincts. I will tell you up front, I did some digging on you and everything you have said checks out, so we are good. We just want to help you get to a safe place and get yourself established and then maybe someday you can help someone down the road.” He may sound like an old bear, but I know he has a good heart or he wouldn’t be doing this.
“I’m not worried about Kendall, it’s more his family. I think when Kendall thinks about it this will be a relief to him, but his mom will do whatever it takes to get Shelby. I just hope she doesn’t push him into doing something. Ever since we found out Shelby was a girl, Kendall has hated his own daughter. His mom is the only reason he came back after that. The thing about it is, I think he would try to harm us before he would hand Shelby over to his mom. He and his parents aren’t real close, but they like to keep up appearances. He’s afraid they will disown him, and he won’t get his share of their money when they die. His dad is into making the family name continue, so if Shelby had been a boy they would have signed over some land and built him a home for us on it. Since she is a girl, he won’t get it until they die unless he has a son. Kendall doesn’t want or like children, that’s what shocked me when it was his idea for me to get pregnant. That just means he share his inheritance when his parents die. I would just love to have my parents back, not want them dead so I could have their money. Kendall has changed so much in the last year, I don’t even know how we ever got to the point of living together.” Kaden is staring at me. “What?”
“That’s the most I have heard you say since we met and you said it all at once.” I smile at him, and he smiles back into the mirror.
“If you are going to help keep us safe then you need all the information and know all the people involved.”
“You’re right. Thank you for that. I won’t be around all the time, but you will have a number you can reach me. My aunt and uncle live across the street and they will help. I will have a couple of your other neighbors keeping an eye out for you, too.”
I feel a little better about the situation with that information. He turns into a drive and I see a big front porch that wraps around the house and has a swing on it. It’s beautiful. It’s not like mansion beautiful, but real homey beautiful. The grass is freshly mowed and it looks like the neighborhood you used to see in all the sixties sitcoms. Children playing in the yards and people sitting out on their front porches. Anyone would be lucky to live here. I look over at Shelby in her car seat and I see she is still peacefully sleeping. I just hope I made the right decision coming here. Jilly gave me the courage I needed to take this chance and the means to make it happen. So, I need to make this work and give my daughter the life she deserves because, no matter what, she will be safe. “Let’s get that little princess inside.”
He parks and gets out and comes around to my side of the truck. I already have Shelby out of her car seat and have grabbed her diaper bag and my backpack. I get out and stretch my aching legs. An older man comes walking across the road with two women trailing behind him. As I walk up on the porch I see Kaden getting our few belongings out with this man helping. The two women have come up on the porch with me. Shelby is squirming around in my arms trying to check out the two ladies.
“Hello sweetie, my name is Gladys Samms and that man out there helping Kaden is my husband, Charlie. We live across the road, and we are Jilly and Kaden’s aunt and uncle. This lady here is my best friend, Audie Sanchez. She lives right next to you on this side.” She points out the house to the left. “We are here to welcome you. Anything you need, please, just ask. We are here for you.” This lady looks like someone’s sweet grandma. I instantly feel at ease with her, but I don’t want to get too attached in case I have to run again.
“Thank you. I am Gracie Roberts, and this is Shelby.” Shelby is awake but playing shy. She usually takes a while to warm up to people.
“I’m right next door. If you need anything, just stick your head out the door and yell. I’ll come a running.” Audie smiles but then a mischievous look pops up on her face. “Ok, that’s not true. A few years ago, I would have come running. Now, I’ll walk real fast.” She pats me on the shoulder. I think I will like these two ladies just fine. Gladys takes the keys from her pocket and unlocks the front door. Then hands the keys to me. Audie and I follow her in, and Kaden and Charlie follow behind.
“Gracie, I hate to just drop you off and run but I have to get home. Seems like one of my boys has decided to take their ma’s vacuum cleaner apart and they can’t get it back together. Not an earth shattering crisis, but she’s fit to be tied. Aunt Gladys, Uncle Charlie, and Mrs. Audie will take good care of you and Shelby. I will be looking in from time to time. Aunt Gladys, did you get the cell phone for her and program our numbers in it?” Kaden is making sure I feel safe. I can’t ask for more than that. “I texted both Rebel and Brody so they will be keeping an eye out.” Kaden’s looking at his uncle as he says this. There’s an unspoken conversation going on, I just don’t know what it is.
&
nbsp; “I got the phone, and I already talked to Brody. He’ll be back home tomorrow, early, or late tonight. He’s finished up his hunt and headed home. He had to go all the way to Utah to find this one. He’ll be home for a little while.” Charlie’s eyes light up when he talks about this Brody. I don’t know who Brody is and I guess my face looks puzzled because Gladys answers my unspoken question.
“Brody is our son by love. We weren’t blessed with children, but Brody is ours in our hearts, and that is what is important. He lives on the other side of you. He hunts bad guys and turns them in.” Gladys' eyes show the love she has for her son.
“What she’s trying to say is he is a bounty hunter and he’s darn good at his job.” Audie fills in the blanks. “He’ll help keep an eye out for you and that gorgeous baby you have there.” Shelby is holding onto me tight not wanting me to let loose of her. I rub my hand down her back to let her know everything is fine and she relaxes her hold on me. “My son will be by here soon. Him or one of his club brothers. They’re all a little rough looking on the outside but they are good men if you don’t get on their bad sides.” I wonder what kind of club.
“Thank you, Kaden.” Kaden nods his head and leaves. I just want him to know how much I appreciate him.
“Gladys, you and Audie let the girl get in the house good and get settled. I’m going to make sure everything is locked up around here and go on back to the house. Don’t outstay your welcome here on the first night. Give the girl some breathing room but be sure and show her that darn alarm system.” Charlie is as kind as his nephew. It’s strange after so long of no one helping me, and now I have people who want to help. I am a lucky woman.
“Thank you, Mr. Samms. I appreciate all your help.” Charlie nods his head.
“Name is Charlie. No Mr. Samms.” He’s a man of few words I would say. He walks back out the front door.
