Chapter Two
Cora didn’t like lying to people. Unfortunately, sometimes she didn’t have much of a choice.
Today she had met up with Addison, just as she said she would.
They were out shopping for baby things. Or rather, Addison was.
Cora was trying to maintain a strict budget, something she was an expert at but it had become even more crucial now she didn’t have Nate giving her any money.
Her husband used to give her exactly to the penny what she would need for gas or groceries and Cora had to give him the receipts to prove that she didn’t keep anything back for herself.
Cora didn’t know how she was going to repay Ben for the use of his credit card, but it was the only source of money she currently had and she didn’t want to overspend on it.
This meant she was only using the card for strict necessities.
She supposed she ought to be looking for a job. Yet what did a woman do who was a college dropout who had raised two boys and was about to have another baby which would likely prevent her from maintaining any meaningful hours since she was a single mother.
“This is so soft,” commented Addison as she fingered a nursing blanket.
“It’s beautiful,” agreed Cora. She looked at one wistfully then set it back. The price was staggering.
Addison could afford anything she wanted for her child in this designer store.
She was a Ramesly and not under investigation by the FBI.
Her accounts hadn’t been frozen in the recent investigation because she was only viewed as an employee of Ramesly Hotels.
However, since Gerrit had gone into rehab, Addison had stepped up to help Henry with the running of the hotel.
It also helped that Addison was married to Lincoln Waters, direct competitor to Ramesly Hotels and a multi-billionaire.
Lincoln was older than Addison but it was easy to see that he adored his young wife. From what Cora had seen, there was complete love and trust between the couple. They were expecting their first baby a few months after Cora was due with hers.
“Aren’t you going to get one?” asked Addison.
“I’m just looking today,” murmured Cora.
“You don’t have much longer to look,” noted Addison. She gave Cora an uncomfortable look. “If you would rather not shop for the nursery, we can do something else. It’s almost time for lunch if you’re hungry.”
“We still haven’t gotten those magazines you wanted for the designer. We should grab those. Besides, we were having fun,” smiled Cora as she deflected Addison’s question. “What are your colors again?”
Cora gently steered the conversation, successfully getting Addison to purchase some items and getting the much wanted magazines for her designer who would help her with the nursery she was setting up.
Addison was a very lucky young woman.
Cora pushed away any thoughts of envy. She was lucky too, in her own way. Henry was paying for the roof over her head and she had Ben funding her spending money. It was just a little frustrating to be in debt to them but she had no choice at the moment.
Maybe she could become some amazing entrepreneur start-up person. Cora smiled at the thought. She had no idea what she might be an expert at. She had no specialized knowledge or abilities that people would pay for.
She was a widow and mother.
The paperwork for the house had come through according to the lawyer. The money had been placed in Nick’s trust fund, as per Nate’s will, and she couldn’t touch it. There was nothing left to sell of any real value. Her jewelry had been the first to be liquidated by the estate.
Cora had nothing of value except her three boys. She had to figure out a way to take care of them.
A figure looking over the baby mobiles caught her attention and Cora sucked in a breath.
FBI agent Kepler. How she despised that man and his constant pushing questions. He haunted some of her nightmares. She dreamed he arrested her for the death of her husband even though she hadn’t killed Nate.
She hadn’t told the truth of his death either, the guilty voice in her head reminded her.
Addison was happily chatting to the clerk about patterns. Cora squared her shoulders and approached the FBI Agent.
“Mr. Kepler,” she bit out. “I am busy. It would be a better use of your time to harass someone else.”
Bill Kepler blinked at her. “Found some backbone, Mrs. Ramesly? I would tone down your ire . You are on slippery ground.”
She folded her arms over her very pregnant belly. “I am shopping with my sister-in-law as you no doubt have noticed. Whatever is going on, it can wait.”
Cora turned, heading back towards Addison when Agent Kepler’s words stopped her.
“We have the results of the autopsy back. Your husband did not die of a heart attack,” revealed Kepler.
Cora’s mind unconsciously flashed back to the day Nate died.
Nate would be jogging. He had exactly forty-five minutes more before he would come home, shower, and go to work.
It was Tuesday. Nate liked to make Gerrit take the morning and he went to work in the late morning because he would jog.
Cora looked at the clock. She had lots of time.
She didn’t need to panic, she reminded herself.
Grabbing the suitcases, she pulled the boys' clothes and favorite toys first. A book for each. Just a few outfits. She would buy anything needed with Ben’s credit card.
Her youngest brother-in-law had simply handed her the credit card one day and told her he thought she might need it.
Cora had hidden it away and now it would be very useful.
She pulled the two cases behind her to the garage before putting them in the SUV, leaving the hatch open.
Okay, she needed to grab her case and some snacks, Cora reminded herself.
She had already gotten the passports out of the safe.
She would take Nate’s with her and throw it out the window somewhere along the route, not that she expected it would slow him down.
Nate could take a private jet and be wherever he wanted in the world without proper identification.
There were perks to being that powerful and rich.
Cora’s mind laughed. There weren’t as many perks for her.
Well she was done. She was getting her boys and getting out.
Earlier this week she had rearranged the dental appointments for Oliver and Nick to next week.
However, she had left them the same with the school office so the staff at Livingston Academy wouldn’t think anything of her picking Nick and Oliver up from school.
Cora didn’t want the dentist calling Nate when she and the boys didn’t show up or the school accidentally questioning her or calling Nate for verification.
Cora needed all the head start she could get. Hopefully Nate would assume today was like any other day and head to the office unaware that his wife was leaving him. If successful, she might have seven to eight hours of a head start.
She might just break free.
Cora had enough of the abuse. The mental, physical, and financial abuse. It was past time she should have left. She should have left the first time Nate touched her in anger.
However, now she had to leave. Nate was threatening their unborn child. He only wanted two kids, not the third. He had told her to get an abortion or he would make sure himself that it was done.
Nate delivered on his promises.
So she had eaten less, half starving herself so she didn’t grow in the pregnancy, while planning her escape.
Cora threw her suitcase in the SUV, pressing the button to close the hatch. They were all small suitcases. They didn’t need much, just to get away from Nate.
Going back inside the house, she pulled the bag of snacks and drinks out of the fridge before turning to the counter to get her purse.
Stopping, she stared at the purse.
Where were the passports?
She had put the passports right there, beside her purse so she wouldn’t forget them. Frantic, Cora set down the bag of snacks and moved her purse. They weren’t under the purse. What about inside?
She shuffled through the items inside her purse, fear clutching at her chest, making her breathing short and shallow. Where were the passports?
“Looking for these?”
Cora’s entire body stilled . Nate’s voice had been low and calm. Anyone who didn’t know him well enough would believe he was simply asking a reasonable question.
Cora knew better. She knew the calm came before particularly wicked storms.
She would have to figure out a plan b. She could only do that once she escaped him.
Grabbing her keys and clutching her purse, Cora ran for the garage door. She knew she wasn’t likely going to make it but there was no way Nate was going to let her leave. This time he really would kill her.
She made it to the garage, stumbling down the step at the door before Nate grabbed her hair, dragging her back. Cora twisted, bringing up her keys, stabbing at his face.
Nate cursed, letting her go as he wiped blood from his cheek. He looked at her in surprise before fury came over his features.
Running to the SUV, Cora opened the driver side door only to have Nate smash it closed on her wrist. Pain exploded up her arm and her fingers went numb, releasing their grip on her purse which fell to the floor inside the vehicle. Gasping, Cora cradled her arm as Nate turned her to him.
“Did you think you could leave me?” he thundered in her face, his own turning a red purple color in anger. He grabbed her hair, slamming her head back into the car.
Cora whimpered. She hated that she whimpered. It gave him more power over her but she couldn’t help it through the pain.
“You aren’t good enough to wipe my feet with and you think you get to leave me?” ranted Nate.
He was going to hit her, she knew. It wouldn’t be the first time but it would be the last, she decided. Cora sharply brought up her knee as hard as she could, right where it counted.
Almost on center but not quite.
Nate bent over, pulling away from her and letting go as he cupped a particularly sensitive area of his anatomy.