Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
“Honey, I’m so sorry about that,” Heather said, putting a hand on her.
It was easy to be with this woman. Willow Fork, for all its problems, was making her soft. She leaned against her friend, reveling in all the affection she could get because the world would be cold again soon. “I got out. Eventually.”
“I can’t imagine how much that cost you.” Heather was quiet for a moment. “How did he take the divorce?”
Normally she would feel like she was on a sheet of ice that had cracked under her feet, but she was sure Heather was merely being kind. It was right there, the impulse to talk to someone about what she was going through. How many times had she longed for someone who could help her work through the problem? Maybe if she was careful she could get some advice. “Not well. He’s the reason I had to move.”
“I was wondering about that. Does he know where you are?”
Nic shook her head. “I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Are you worried he’ll try to hurt you again?”
“I’m worried he’ll try to kill me.” Now she wasn’t talking about Micah. She also wasn’t lying. She definitely worried that Ted would kill her if only to keep his own culpability in his brother’s murder under wraps. “I’m afraid the whole family took exception to me leaving.”
“In a kill you way?” Heather sounded horrified.
“Well, they were an intense family. What I didn’t know at the time was that they have ties to some nasty people. Like criminals. They look like the perfect American family from the outside, but when you scratch the surface, there’s so much corruption.”
“Seriously? Like what kind of crimes?”
“I don’t know if the business was used for crimes, but I know my husband had mafia ties that had to do with his gambling,” Nic said with a sigh. “Ted told me he took a lot of money from the company. Enough to get the attention of the feds. He did it to try to pay off the people he owed. Not that I could prove it. If I could have, I would have gone to the cops. Instead my choice was to get a divorce. It was scary, but I’m on the other side now.”
She would never be on the other side.
“It doesn’t sound like you are,” Heather said quietly—almost cautiously. “You’re still making decisions based on what could happen. Do you think they’re looking for you?”
“I hope not, but if they are, I’m ready to defend myself.” Nic lowered her voice. “That’s why I freaked out last night. I thought…I don’t know what I thought. There’s no way they know where I am.”
Heather was quiet for a moment as though processing the information. “Okay, I’m going to ask a couple of questions, and I don’t want you to get scared. I’m asking because I can help you. I’ve helped women get out of bad situations before.”
Despite the words, Nicole felt her anxiety tic up. “I thought you said you had a business with your husband. What do you do?”
“We have a business guiding nature hikes and river rafting and pretty much anything else you can do in the mountains,” Heather replied. “But one of my coworkers is also a paramedic, and where I’m from they take training classes that help them identify at-risk people. Women, kids, old folks. It would not be the first time I helped a woman who needed a way out. Do you have secure ID?”
She knew this was the moment she should walk away, but she didn’t fucking want to. Nic was tired of being so alone. If Heather knew how to do things, why shouldn’t she reach out for help? Could she get through the rest of her life never talking to another person about what was really wrong? “I started out with a couple of IDs, but I’m down to my last one. The one I have right now was very expensive. It’s got some tech on it that makes it harder to use for facial identification if someone takes it. I have to find someone in Austin who can help me if I need to change names again.”
“I’ll find a name for you. Of who can help you. Not a new name. You should pick that.” Heather was taking this news like a freaking champ. “There’s a network of people who help women leave bad relationships. I can put you in contact with them, but Nicole, you should think about talking to your men.”
She shook her head. That was one piece of advice she couldn’t take. “I don’t need that kind of drama. I assure you if they knew the truth they would run as fast as they can. No. It’s better to keep things light between us.”
“That young man didn’t look like he was keeping things light when he hauled you away. He looked serious about you.”