Page 36 of Unbound

“You’re a fucking whore—you know that? Only a whore would do what you’re doing. What are you gonna do when your family finds out about what a tramp their daughter is?”

He sees the way my face falls at his suggestion, and his cruel smile returns. “Listen, I just think it’s only right for you and me to go back to Texas and see what they want to do with you. You can’t just run away from your problems forever.”

I bite my bottom lip, sinking back against the chair. My face drops toward the carpet.

I didn’t get to say goodbye to him. He’ll have no way of knowing what happened to me.

Michael took my phone while we were in the car and threw it out the window, destroying my last chance of me potentially being able to text Sterling my location.

Either way, I don’t know if I would have done it. This is my mess. I don’t want him to have to deal with it. He’s helped me out enough. I made these choices, and now I have to live with them.

I know that’s what my parents will say. They’ll probably make me marry Michael, which will be impossible, considering I’m already married.

My stomach is cramping. I place my hand over my belly, worried about the cramps. I know it’s from anxiety, but still, I’m concerned for the baby.

I am so screwed. How do I get away from him?

My survival instincts are kicking in. Maybe I just need to pretend I missed him until I find a window to escape.

“I’m sorry, Michael. You really … you scared me. I ran because I was afraid. You hurt me.” I whisper the last part, tears starting to dribble down my cheeks. I suck in a ragged sob, trying to get my emotions in check.

I’ve already resigned myself to my fate, to this being my reality. I have no choice but to face the things I’ve been running from, including my abuser.

Now, I have to focus on survival.

I release a slow exhale, attempting to regulate my breathing. Michael walks up to me, jerking me up by my arm. He shoves me into the bed. I try to protect my stomach, rolling off to the side and onto the floor.

“You stupid fucking bitch! This is all your fault! Don’t try to turn this shit around on me. You made these choices. You did this shit. You had a chance to get rid of it, and you didn’t want to. I have a right to be angry that the mother of my child is a fucking whore!”

I brace myself for the potential impact of him kicking or hitting me, curling around myself to protect my baby boy.

Boy? I don’t know what I’m having yet.

For whatever reason, I instinctively feel like I know what it is in this moment of strong maternal instinct kicking in. Michael grabs my arm to yank me back up. Everything shifts when the door flies open with a bang against the wall.

I gasp when I see Sterling and Duke burst through the door and slam it shut behind them.

I’ve never seen Sterling so enraged. His scar is an angry red, his face flushed. He immediately grabs Michael by the shirt, jerking him up off the ground.

“That’s my wife. You’re about to find out what happens to people who hurt someone I love.”

I don’t even have time to react to his confession as I gape in shock at the scene before me. Sterling throws Michael into the wall across the room, busting a hole in the Sheetrock. Michael yelps.

“What the hell, man?!” He throws his hands up to block his face as my husband starts throwing punch after punch into his abdomen.

When he reaches down to start protecting himself there, Sterling grabs him by the neck, jerking him forward before smacking his head back against the wall. Michael starts to cry.

Duke helps me up off the floor, pulling me away from where Sterling is beating Michael. My throat dries up, and I shut my eyes when I hear the sickening crunch of bone breaking.

“Are you okay?” Duke asks.

I nod, clinging to his arm. He opens the door to the motel room and ushers me outside.

“Let’s go.”

He leads me over to Sterling’s truck parked across the street. My vision is blurry as tears well up in my eyes. He opens the back door and helps me up inside.

“Listen, I’m going back in there. Lock the doors and don’t open up for anyone except us—you hear me?”