Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
“I gotta go get ready then!”
“Where are you going?” I ask when Asher stands and starts to walk away.
“I’m going to Virginia to be with my new daddy. Don’t you want to go with me?”
“Yes, but I don’t think I can,” I tell him honestly. Going back to Virginia is too dangerous. I can’t help feeling like I’m forgetting something. Why is everything so hard for me to grasp right now?
“Yes, you can, Mommy. All you have to do is wake up.”
My brow creases as he tells me that. What’s Asher talking about? “What?” I question, not understanding at all.
“Wake up, Mom. You need to wake up before my dad takes you away from me and Ford forever,” he says, leaning over so he’s the only thing I see in my vision.
I blink. My heart starts beating rapidly in my chest. “Asher?” I whisper as his face starts fading.
“Hurry, Mom. You’re running out of time,” he says, before completely disappearing. I look around and my living room goes completely black. “Asher!” I scream.
I feel this tight pain as something yanks my hair and I realize my eyes are closed. I force them to open and immediately wish I hadn’t when I see Benny looking down at me. He pulls me up into a sitting position on the bed—just by the hold he has on my hair. I want to fight him, but I’m feeling way too weak. Reality is quickly coming back. I’ve been here at least two days—everything seems to be running together. They’re not feeding me. I get water once a day, but I’m starting to think there’s some kind of drug in it that makes me sleep.
“Are you dreaming about our son?” he laughs. “How sweet and just in time, because I just found out where you’ve hidden our boy. I’m going to go pick him up. I thought you’d like to come with me.”
He found Asher?
“I warn you, though, Grace. If you give me any trouble, I’ll kill you and leave you lying on the side of the road like the trash you are. You know I’ll do it, too. You’re nothing. In my book, you deserve to bleed out on the asphalt just like those two idiots who tried to kidnap you. Do you understand?”
I nod my head slowly, trying to ignore how dizzy I am. I’m terrified. I have to be there when he goes and gets my son. If not, he will express his anger on Asher. I have to keep my wits about me. I need to do anything I can to make sure Asher isn’t harmed in all of this.
“Just don’t hurt Asher, Benny. He’s innocent in all of this. Please. I’ll do whatever you want as long as you don’t hurt him.”
Benny laughs mockingly. “If I knew having a kid would make you so easy to handle, I would have knocked you up immediately after I married your ass,” he taunts. He picks up a dress from the nightstand and throws it at me.
“Go to the bathroom and clean up so you don’t scare our son. Once we get him, I’ll give you a chance to explain why you thought you could ever keep my son from me.”
Benny starts laughing—the sound almost maniacal to my ears. I watch as he walks out the door, and only once he is out of sight do I crumble and let my tears overtake me. They stream down my face as I sob. My body is shaking, but I still immediately start getting dressed. I can’t afford to upset the man worse. I need to do whatever I can to make sure Asher is safe at all times.
I just hope I can stay healthy enough to help, Asher. That’s my only goal at the moment. Right now, I don’t think I could protect my son from a fly. Maybe I can ask Benny for food. If it was just me involved, I’d rather die than ask Benny to help me. I would swallow my pride any day and every day if it means my son is safe from this monster.
I’d do anything for him.
21
FORD
I pull the covers up to Asher’s neck, bending down to kiss his forehead. It’s an action I used to do all the time for my Lyla. I don’t think I realized how much I had missed it until this moment. I wonder if Grace might be open to having more kids in the future. I’m getting older, but one more to spoil wouldn’t be a bad thing. I shake the thoughts away because I know I need to get Grace back and somehow win her over and agree not to kick me to the curb first. That’s not going to be easy. I’m fully aware of that.
“You promise you’re going to bring Mommy home soon?” Asher asks me.