TWENTY-SIX
Madelyn
For the first time since I left David a week ago, I’m alone.
Holden and Jaxson both had to work the bar tonight, and both of my sisters both had some type of plans. They tried to cancel, not wanting to leave me on my own, but I insisted I’d be fine. Honestly, it’s a relief to have a bit of time to myself. I’ve been lucky to get five minutes alone for the last week.
It’s not that I’m not grateful for everything they’re doing for me but having someone by my side almost twenty-four hours a day gets to be a little much. I shouldn’t complain; I know I’m extremely blessed to have such a loving and supportive family.
I’ve spent the last week trying to get my shit together and get my head on straight. Without anyone knowing, I managed to get an appointment with an OB/GYN. I’m still keeping the baby a secret. Maybe that’s not the right thing to do after the secrets I’ve already kept, but this is a little different. I don’t want to say anything until I can be sure that nothing is wrong. I’ve already lost one baby to a trauma. Between David’s heavy-handed abuse, and the stress, panic attacks, and fainting, I need to make sure everything is okay with the baby before I spill the beans.
I won’t be able to hide it much longer anyways. I don’t know how far along I am, but I’m starting to show in an obvious way. Thank goodness my appointment is in three days.
Next week will be my week of truths.
I’ll be making a visit to the police station so I can file for a restraining order against David. It shouldn’t be hard to get when I show them the documentation of his abuse. That particular file should also help me during the meeting I have scheduled with a lawyer to file for divorce.
I also have plans to tell my parents and Grams the ugly truth about my marriage, and the nightmares I’ve survived at the hands of the man who vowed to love and cherish me. I don’t plan to give them too many details, which is part of the reason I’ve waited so long. My bruises are fading, and it will be easier for me to talk to them without the evidence of his abuse all over my body for everyone to see. It’s not going to be an easy conversation to have, but I can try to lesson everyone’s shock.
The final truth will be the real reason I finally had the courage to leave. The little miracle inside of me. As happy as I am to be pregnant, I can’t help but wish the baby’s father were anyone but David. I’ll love my little one regardless, though. Evil is bred, not born.
After a long, relaxing soak in the bath, I slip on a pair of Holden’s baggy sweatpants, a sports bra, and a form-fitting tank top. I’ll grab a hoodie to hide my bump later before Holden comes home, but for now I want to be comfortable.
I’ve been holed up in this apartment since the day Holden and Jax brought me here.
I’ve never been more thankful that David never wanted to spend much time with my family. It’s because of this that he doesn’t know where my brother lives. I haven’t left the apartment for fear of him catching me out in public. I feel a sense of safety within these four walls, but the fear of my husband is still very real. I don’t take his threats lightly, so I haven’t tempted fate.
I scrounge through the fridge looking for something to eat, but nothing looks remotely appetizing. Morning sickness severely limits my food choices. Not finding anything that doesn’t make my stomach churn, I decide to order Chinese food. I’ve eaten it several times this week, but it’s one of the few things that I can manage to keep down.
I call and place my order, then head to the bathroom to wash my face and tame my wild hair while I wait. Fifteen minutes later, there’s a knock on the door.
Grabbing my wallet, I head to the door, doing a little shimmy shake along the way. What can I say? I’m pregnant and excited about getting some Bourbon chicken and fried rice in my belly. I check the peephole. Seeing the guy with restaurant’s red logo hat and a bag of food in his hand, I open the door as I dig for the cash in my wallet.
“Twenty-seven, thirty-five, right?” I ask, counting out the bills.
“Oh, it’s going to cost you much, much more than that, sweetheart.”
His voice sends a shiver of dread down my spine and I stand frozen in terror.
He found me.
David stands before me, a smirk on his face, black eyes full of violence.
Gasping, I move to slam the door, but my shock cost me precious time. It’s too late.
With a menacing snarl, he pushes me backwards, sending my body crashing to the floor. He steps forward and closes the door behind him, locking us both inside. I scramble backwards across the floor, but he’s faster than I am and grabs a fistful of my hair, using it to yank me to my feet.
Crying out from the pain, I struggle to free myself from his grip. David slams my head against the wall, splitting open my eyebrow on the corner of a picture frame. Blood gushes from the wound, dripping down my face and into my eye. He unceremoniously releases me, and I hit the floor again with a yelp.
Before I can move, his boot connects with my hip. A flash of pain radiates through me and I fight the urge to cry out, biting down on my lip so hard I taste the coppery tang of blood. He enjoys it more when I cry, and I don’t want to give him that. He kicks me again, this time hitting my ribs. The sound of my bones snapping fills the air in the apartment.
Instinctively, I curl into myself, wrapping my arms around my stomach.
Big mistake.
When no more hits come, I turn my head only to see David staring at me, watching me with a curious gaze. Crouching down, he brushes my blood-soaked hair from my forehead.
“Tsk, tsk, Madelyn.” Shaking his head, he grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. “You’ve broken all the rules, haven’t you, my love?”
A whimper is my only response.
“You weren’t supposed to leave me, Madelyn. I told you what would happen if you tried.”
Standing, he grabs my bicep and yanks me to a sitting position. I scream at the pain radiating from my broken ribs. I pull my knees to my chest, trying to protect the baby as much as possible. I’ll do whatever I can to protect the life inside of me. I’ll fight for both of us.
When David crouches down again, I kick both feet out, hitting him square in the chest. He goes down, giving me the opportunity to get away from him. Pushing through the pain, I stand and try to make it to the bedroom. If I can get to my phone, I can call for help.
I can hear him shuffling behind me, but I don’t look back.
A clicking sound catches my attention, and David’s words stop me in my tracks.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Turning my head to glance behind me, I gasp when I see David standing with a gun pointed at me. Eyes wide, my body trembles with fear. He has a gun. Where did he get a fucking gun? I can’t protect myself from that. I need to try a different tactic.
“David, please. Please don’t do this.”
He throws his head back in maniacal laughter, shaking it back and forth as he brings his attention back to me.
“It’s much too late for pleas, dear wife.” He takes a measured step forward. “I came here to bring you home, to give you another chance, but it seems we have a bit of a problem,” he says, waving the gun toward my stomach.
“I can’t have my fucking wife pregnant with another man’s baby...even if she is a whore.”
I take a step back as he takes another forward.
“I’ve never cheated on you, David. I haven’t touched another man. The baby is yours!” I cry.
Another step back.
“You’re a liar!” he screams, coming completely unhinged. “Don’t you fucking lie to me!”
One hand waves the gun wildly, the other tugs at his hair.
“That’s not my baby, Madelyn. I don’t want any fucking babies!”
I move to take another step away from him, but it doesn’t matter.
A loud bang—like a car backfiring—pierces the air as a searing pain rips through my abdomen. A second bang follows the first, this time, the pain tearing through my shoulder. My body drops to the floor with a thud.
I manage to move my hands to cover my belly again, but it ends there.
I can’t move.
I can’t speak.
As I lie here bleeding out on the floor, I struggle to take a breath.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
My vision goes dim at the edges, and I fight to keep my eyes open.
I watch David pace back and forth across the floor in front of me, both hands—one still holding the gun—pulling frantically at his hair.
I see his lips moving, but I can’t understand what he’s saying through the buzzing in my ears.
Suddenly, he stops and stares at me.
His eyes are black. Empty. Void of all emotion.
It’s the most frightening thing I’ve ever seen.
I hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance.
Blood clouds my vision and I try to blink it away, but it doesn’t work.
I hear another bang, then nothing.