38. Isabella
38
ISABELLA
B ella stared at Anna’s parents' massive home as they entered through the gates at the end of the drive. The mansion stretched out on both sides and up to the pale-blue sky. A paved path led to the stately front with tall windows that looked out over the sprawling land.
For the most part, Bella had avoided the main house when she’d lived with Anna in the cottage on the same property. The mansion always radiated an untouchable air that made Bella instinctively look away.
Anna sighed as she parked by the front entrance. The archway around the doorway was bigger than the entire front of Bella’s cabin at Silver Falls Ranch.
The drive from Cody had been quiet, but the meeting with the wedding planner had been anything but. After the quarreling between Anna and her mother, the peace of the ride was more than welcome.
Bella reached out to touch Anna’s arm. “Are you okay?”
Anna nodded quickly. “Of course.”
“It’s okay to be upset.”
Anna stared out the window at her parents’ house. “No, it’s not. I have everything I could ever want and more. I should never be anything but happy.”
Bella squeezed her friend’s arm. “I understand your frustration today. Your mom invited fifty extra people to your wedding, and you don’t even know them.”
Anna’s chin fell. “I know she said she would pay the extra cost, but my wedding is just a networking event for her. I wanted a simple celebration, and now it’s so big and unnecessarily expensive. It’s not the way I want to start my marriage.” She shook her head. “But does that even matter? I should just be grateful and go about my business.”
“Your mom could have at least told you about it. The wedding planner wasn’t happy when she found out what your mom did either.”
Lifting her head, Anna pasted on a fake grin. “I’m happy. Everything is fine. I’ll just forget about it.”
“Your feelings are valid. You can–”
“It’s okay. Let’s just go. Mom will be angry if we’re late for lunch.”
Bella inhaled a deep breath, gathering her courage to spend the next hour with Anna’s mom. The woman had the ability to be nice. Bella had seen it before. But she never showed that side when Anna was around. Even Bella could see that the woman was never happy with her daughter.
Anna didn’t like talking about her mother or her soon-to-be husband. Was she happy with either relationship? If she was, the evidence was well hidden. Sure, Anna put on a smile through most bumps in the road, but she’d perfected the art of hiding behind a compliant face.
Bella followed Anna into the grand entrance, glancing back to see Nathan’s truck parked out front. Too bad he wouldn’t follow them inside and protect Anna from her mother’s harsh words.
Inside the stately mansion, a forest of tall, wooden columns held up the high ceilings and blended into the sprawling landscape outside the massive windows on the far side of the room.
Soft stirring sounds beckoned them into the dining area. The dark mahogany table surrounded by ten high-backed chairs was the focal point of the room, and the serving bar against the wall was filled with platters heaped with food.
Catherine Harris appeared wearing a different blouse and slacks than she’d worn to meet with the wedding planner an hour ago. An equally lavish pair of heels clicked across the hardwood floor.
“What took you so long?” Catherine asked. Now that they were alone, she did nothing to hide her signature scowl.
“We stopped to get gas,” Anna said as she stepped over to the serving bar. “Will anyone else be joining us?”
“No,” her mother said in a clipped tone as she lifted a glass of white wine to her lips.
Bella glanced at the mounds of food. It was enough to feed at least ten adults.
Anna picked up a fancy plate and reached for the tongs from a bowl of tossed salad. “Thank you for inviting us to lunch.”
“Yes, thank you so much,” Bella echoed. There were leftovers in her refrigerator, but the chicken covered in brown sauce smelled good enough to make her stomach growl.
When all three women were seated at the table, Anna bowed her head to say a silent prayer. Bella did the same, thanking God for once again providing her with everything she needed and more.
Anna’s mother let out an unmistakably exasperated sigh. “I see you’re still thanking an invisible god for the things your father and I have worked so hard to give you.”
Bella slowly lifted her chin and glanced at Catherine. There wasn’t a single wrinkle in her expression, no doubt the work of surgeries and fillers, but there was no doubting the contempt in her eyes as she glared at her daughter.
Anna raised her head and picked up her fork without responding, but Catherine wouldn’t be brushed off.
“It’s disrespectful,” Catherine added.
“My prayers are not disrespectful. I’m not forcing my beliefs on you, but I won’t stop praying.”
“You’re not forcing your beliefs on anyone? What about the prayers during the wedding? It might be held in a church, but a wedding isn’t some kind of religious meeting.”
“Actually, it is. Marriage is a special bond, and God is the witness to the vows we make to each other and to Him.”
Catherine’s hands balled into fists. “It’s embarrassing,” she spat.
Anna lifted her chin. “I’m sorry you find my faith embarrassing, but it’s the most important thing in my life. I won’t give it up.”
Catherine’s mouth hung open for a moment before she steeled her features. Her eyes narrowed, shooting invisible barbs at her daughter. “You can’t be serious. What about your family? Your fiancé? Your job? How can you degrade us that way?”
“It’s not degrading. In fact, it’s the best way to honor you. If I put the Lord first, everything else will fall into place,” Anna said.
Catherine stood, looming over the table toward Anna, and spat a curse at her daughter.
The words struck Bella with the force of an angry gale. She’d heard them before. Those exact words, directed at her.
Gunner. The image in her mind was as clear as day. New, yet old in a way she couldn’t explain.
Bella saw his face, stretched with hatred as he drew back his fist. She jerked as the blow hurdled toward her once more.
Gasping, Bella stood from her seat. “Excuse me.” The words were little more than a whisper as she fled the room and found the guest bath. Closing the door and locking it behind her, she rested her back against the door and shut her eyes.
There he was again, materializing before her, reaching out from her memories. The pain in her face was new and fresh, twisting her stomach into a hot knot.
Her throat burned through screams as he grabbed her wrists, pinning her down. The quick pain on the back of her head as it connected with the floor.
Each breath came hotter and quicker as the past took hold of her. She kicked as he beat her into submission, stripping her of her clothes and…
Bella covered her mouth as a wave of nausea jerked her insides. He’d raped her. The pain and anger was alive again, the suffering that turned to submission as he took her and abused her body and mind.
Her back slid down the door until she crumpled to the floor. It all made sense now. Gunner no longer had any reason to keep her alive. His angry words echoed in her mind. Promises to kill her, violently and without restraint.
Her shoulders hunched inward as she wrapped her arms around the baby inside her. The innocence born of pure evil.
No. Her daughter had no blame in this. Her baby was her reason to remain strong.
Resting her shaking hand on the floor, the cold shot up her arm, jolting her back to the past.
Her swollen face staring back at her from the mirror in the small bathroom. The sting of each tear that slid down her bloody face. The kindling in her chest as she held in the scream that wanted to rip out of her.
Her other palm touched the floor, triggering another flashback. Tending to her own wounds in the bathroom, she’d made a choice. Enough was enough. She could choose to fight for herself or let him win by default. Either way, she was in danger, and the threat would haunt her until her dying day.
Gripping the lid to the toilet tank, she’d positioned the cold porcelain in her shaking hands. It was heavy just as she’d hoped. She swung it from one side to the other like a batter at the plate. The movement was slow, so she’d have to sneak up on him.
Had she done it? Had she really done it as she remembered?
Yes. The impact of the heavy object as it connected with Gunner’s head. The vibrations up her arm that wracked her entire frame. The way his body had crumpled to the floor.
The nausea was back, and she sucked in quick breaths to ward it off. She lifted her hands from the floor and studied her palms. They were clean, but the vision of them covered in blood flashed in her mind.
That was how she’d escaped. That was why she’d made it as far as she had.
She’d killed him and ran for her life.