His Wild Attraction: A Billionaire Romance Novel (Wild Billionaire Romance Book 4)

Prologue Ellie

Six Months Ago

“Mommy? Where are we going?” Sammy’s sweet voice whispered in the darkness.

“Hush, Baby. It’s okay. Mommy’s here. We’re going somewhere safe,” I whispered, and gathered my son close to my body with my one good arm.

He was scared and upset, and my heart broke for him. A child should never see a father hurt his mother.

Gary was the man who’d vowed to love and cherish me. He was the man who insisted on starting a family right away.

But somewhere deep in my mind, I must have known he wasn’t a genuinely good person. Somewhere deep in my heart, I must have realized what he really wanted. And it wasn’t me. Or Sammy.

Fuck.

This was all my fault. Tears pricked my eyes, whether it was from the pain in my body or the crack in my heart, I wasn’t sure.

But I couldn’t let Sammy see my despair, so I sucked it up, and left the midtown condo where I’d lived with my husband with our son in my arms. I had a backpack slung over my shoulder with a few things I’d hastily thrown together.

My wallet. Sammy’s birth certificate. Some cash. A few articles of clothing for both of us, and our toothbrushes.

Our first stop was to the ER where a doctor treated my injuries and wrapped my broken arm in a hard cast.

I was lucky it was a clean break, and I didn’t need surgery. She was sympathetic and agreed to not argue about how I’d sustained the injury for my son’s sake.

Sammy was tuckered out and slept on the exam table beside me as I signed myself out of the ER.

Our second stop was at St. Elizabeth’s Shelter for Women and Children. I’d seen signs for the shelter posted all over town and knew where it was located.

I never imagined I would need such a facility, but I was so tired, and I had nowhere else to go.

No family left. No friends—Gary had made sure of that. And no support system.

I never finished college, and I didn’t have a job. Gary was like my father in that respect. They both had very outdated views of women.

Gary wanted his wife to stay at home and keep the house running neatly.

I didn’t mind that so much.

In fact, my joy of cooking was very real. The only thing that rivaled it was being Sammy’s mother. I would have been happy being a modern housewife raising our child, if only he’d loved me even a little.

Sammy was the only good thing to come of our marriage. My rambunctious boy was bright and sweet. Not that Gary was any kind of father to him.

I used to brush it off. Make excuses. He was a busy man. Older than me by almost fifteen years. Gary Peters worked for my father, and when we first met, he’d showered me with all the attention my father had denied me growing up.

My mother had died when I was young, and I was sure a therapist would have a field day diagnosing me. But I had no time for that.

No, this wasn’t the first time Gary had hit me, but it was the first time he’d left bruises.

I was so fucking ashamed of myself for allowing it to get this far. But I would deal with my emotional baggage later.

Sammy came first.

Always.

He was supposed to start preschool this year, but with everything that happened, I never enrolled him.

It was probably for the best. I would never have been able to explain these bruises, or the broken arm.

Fuck Gary.

Anger filled me when I thought of that piece of trash I’d married. I took a calming breath and clutched Sammy’s hand in mine. He yawned and pressed his head into my thigh, and I swallowed down my emotion.

My sweet, sleepy boy, you’re okay. I’ll make sure you’re safe from now on. I will never be weak again.

That was my promise to my son, and I would keep it. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for him.

“Hi, I’m Meredith. Welcome to St. Elizabeth’s. We’re so glad you’re here now.” A kind-looking woman with gorgeous red hair and green eyes came to meet me.

“I’m Ellie. This is Sammy,” I said, and she bent down and greeted my shy son with a smile.

Sammy hid behind my leg at first, but eventually he came out of his shell, coaxed by cookies and toys.

“Want to tell me about it?” she asked when he was distracted.

“Where should I start? With how stupid I am for letting myself be a victim?” I said, my self-loathing evident.

“No. You’re not stupid, Ellie. And yes, you were victimized, but that was a moment in time out of your whole life. You can choose not to be a victim. Coming here was the first step,” she said, her voice rich with sympathy.

“I never thought I would end up in a place like this,” I confessed, hating that I sounded weak and na?ve, and maybe even a little judgmental.

“Ellie, no one expects this or plans it. At St. Elizabeth’s, we believe everyone deserves to feel safe. It’s our mission to help families like you and Sammy move from a place where you lacked the basic security everyone is entitled to, to a place where you can breathe freely again. Let me help you both. Please,” she implored.

Meredith’s big green eyes filled with compassion, and more than that, I could sense the basic goodness inside of her. She wasn’t judging me, even if I was.

And she wasn’t pitying me.

That was important to me.

You have no idea how important.

It’d been so long since anyone had offered to help. Longer still since I felt seen. I sucked in a shuddering breath and felt the tears pricking my eyes.

She was right.

Gary was a monster. But I wouldn’t be his victim.

I couldn’t allow him to have that hold over me. Not when I had Sammy to think about.

So, on that bright spring afternoon, I told my entire story to a complete stranger, and sought shelter for me and my son.

And it’s the first best decision I made since leaving him.