The Hardest Part (29 page)

My eyes closed and I could feel myself drifting into the darkness. Just before I completely blacked out, Mike's face popped into my head. The smile he wore the last time I saw him flashed into my mind. Mike died because he wanted me to live. He knew the danger he was putting himself in, but he did it anyways, so I could have a better life. He risked everything for me.

I could feel Jake's hands squeeze down tighter and an overwhelming sense of anger I'd never felt before filled me. My eyes flew open. I brought my knee up in a swift movement and made contact with his groin. Immediately, Jake released me as he hunched over in pain. I gasped for air and fell back against the wall behind me.

"
You dumb bitch. You're going to pay for that." He stumbled back a few more steps and moaned loudly.

Once I caught my breath, I took a couple steps forward and struck him once in the nose with a sharp, quick thrust, following it up with an elbow to his chin and finally a kick into his ribs. He doubled over, stumbling a few steps, and then collapsed to the ground, gasping for a breath. I knew all he had to do was find his voice and call for Jason and Eric. They would burst through the door and I would be dead in seconds.

Adrenaline shot through me as I looked around the room, looking for a way to get out. Running toward the front door, I looked out the peephole and saw Eric and Jason standing off to the side. Another loud groan came from behind me and I whipped around to see that Jake was finding his balance again. He was looking me dead in the eye with more hate than I'd ever seen in him before.

"
I'm going to enjoy what I'm about to do to you." He seethed.

Sprinting to the bathroom, I slammed the door behind me and locked it. I glanced up, seeing the tiny window above the toilet, knowing there was only a small chance I would actually fit through it. I would have to try or I would die. I had a feeling I would be dead in a few minutes either way.

The banging and kicking on the door started, and I knew he would have the door kicked in soon. Standing on the toilet, I pushed open the window, took a step onto the top of the toilet and reached for the fire escape about a foot away.

"
Open this door, Emily. I'm going to get in there one way or the other," he yelled. Then the kicking began again.

I looked back to see the door giving way and knew I only had seconds before it was open. The window was too small to fit my shoulders through, but maybe if I could stretch my arms out forward, it would buy me a couple of inches on either side. I reached forward, trying to grab hold of the fire escape in front of me, hoping to pull myself through, but I couldn't reach.

Jake had almost won his attack on the door; I could hear the wood splitting. I reached farther, feeling my muscles stretch to their limits. I screamed out in pain and frustration. The tips of my fingers barely brushed the metal of the ladder, but it still wasn’t enough to grip it.

Another kick and I heard a loud crack. I glanced back and saw Jake’s hand moving toward the lock on the door. A surge of fear ran through me and I pushed harder, reaching farther than I thought possible. Finally, I was able to grab the metal with one hand and then the other. Pulling with everything I had inside me, I felt my body move toward the ladder just as the door flew open.

"
You think you can get away from me again?" Jake grabbed my legs and began to pull me back inside, causing one of my hands to slip off the bar. I kicked my legs and screamed as loud as I could, hoping someone would hear me and come help.

Jake gripped my legs and pulled me back harder. I held on tightly with my left hand, still reaching to grip it again with my right. My entire body screamed out in pain as I felt the tug of war going on inside me, like I was being torn in two.

Ignoring the pain, I continued to kick, hoping to get him off me. I continued to reach to get a better hold on the ladder. With my next kick, I felt one of my legs spring free from his grasp. I glanced back, coiled my leg back as far as it would go, hoping to gain as much force as possible, and then let it go, hitting him directly in the face. He stumbled back against the wall, yelling and screaming for Jason and Eric. It was now or never. I had to get away. Reaching again, I grabbed the bar with both hands and pulled myself through the small opening. Our eyes met for just a moment before I took off down the fire escape.

The next few seconds were a blur as the blood coursed through my veins. I flew down the ladder and jumped off the railing before it even reached the bottom. I knew every second counted. At any moment, Jake and his men would be coming around the corner and I wouldn’t be able to fight them all off. I hit the ground with a thud and felt the jarring impact move up my legs and spread into my back. I stumbled forward and ran as fast as I could. The streets were empty, dark. Running as fast as I could, I scanned for anyone to help me, for a cab. I would've settled for any sign of human life at that point. Yet there was no one.

Every few seconds, I looked over my shoulder, expecting to see the three of them chasing after me. Deep down, I was thankful that they weren't back there, but I couldn't help wondering where they were. I glanced back again; the street was empty. There was no way he would give up that easily.

I took a left at the next street and saw my saving grace… a cab parked on the opposite side of the street. But I had no money. I didn’t even know where my purse was or if I even took it out of the restaurant.

EMILY

T
HE CAB
pulled up to the main entrance of Reed's building.

“I’ll be right back with your money.” I ran inside and the moment I locked eyes with Samuel, his eyes grew wide and he clumsily grabbed the phone in front of him.

"
She's here, sir. Yes, of course." He slammed the phone down as I approached his desk, completely out of breath.

"
Mr. Alexander has been so worried about you," he said. "Is everything all right? You don't look so well." His voice was soft and sweet; it sounded like Heaven.

“Can I borrow a few dollars to pay the cab?” My voice was strained and I was still out of breath. I’m sure I looked like a complete weirdo, but I didn’t care. I was alive. Reed was alive. That’s all that mattered right now.

Samuel immediately dug into his wallet and handed me a twenty.

After paying the cab, I came back in and leaned up against the counter for support. The emotions from the last hour proved to be too much for me. I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror hanging behind his desk. My hair was a ratted mess. Red marks were evident around my throat and black streaks ran down my face from smeared mascara. I looked like a freak show.

A small whimper crawled up my throat, but I forced it back down. I had nothing to cry about.

Still, a shiver ran through me as I remembered the complete and utter fear when I realized Jake had found me. The absolute heartbreak thinking that Reed was dead. All the blame I had put on myself. The terror when Jake had me in his grasp, and the few seconds when I didn't fight back. I thought I had fallen back to my old self—the weak and pathetic person who wasn't strong or brave enough to fight back to save herself.

"
Let me help you, Miss Anderson." Samuel hurried around his desk, grabbed me around the waist, and helped me to the elevators, holding them open for me until I was safely inside. I practically collapsed once the doors closed. I leaned my head against the wall, trying not to let myself lose it now.

I needed to get Reed and get him out of here. Jake had been watching us together; he told me that. If he wasn't running after me, he must have had a plan, and I feared he would be coming here next. He knew where I would go and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that he would be coming after both of us now.

When the doors opened, Reed stood in his lobby, pacing back and forth. When he glanced over at me, the worry and pain his face held melted into something even worse: horror.

"
Emily," he breathed out, wrapping his arms around me. "God, what happened to you? I've been climbing the walls here."

"
I'm sorry." Tears were spilling out everywhere now, even though I tried hard to push them away. "I'm sorry," I choked out again. "I'm so glad you're okay. You're really okay." I looked at him through my teary, blurred vision.

"
Emily, what's going on? What happened to you?" I was pressed against him, holding him tight, but he pried me away and held me at arm’s length. "God, Emily, what happened to you?" he asked again, clearly shocked by my appearance.

"
I'm fine. I'm just glad you're okay."

"
You're not making any sense. Why wouldn't I be okay? You have to start talking to me. You have to tell me what's going on?"

Wiping away my tears, I pulled myself together. I knew I had only a few minutes to explain everything and then we had to get out of here. Jake could already be on his way or even worse, he could already be here, waiting for us outside.

"
When you took the call at the restaurant, I got a phone call." I paused, hesitating. I wasn't sure where to even start explaining. Taking his hand, I led him to the couch and sat down.

"
Reed, there are so many things I haven't told you… about my past, why I came to New York. You just have to trust me and listen because we don't have much time."

"
Don't have much time? What the hell is going on, Emily?" He jumped off the couch and began to pace the living room, back and forth, while running his hands through his hair.

"
Do you trust me?" I asked.

"
What kind of question is that? Of course I trust you."

"
Then please sit down. I'll try to explain it to you."

He sat down beside me again.

"
I was in a relationship before I came to New York, with a man named Jake Terrell. It was a pretty bad one. I had a friend that helped me get away from him. He gave me money. He gave me a new last name. He put me on a bus and told me to start a new life. I came here and for the past few months, I've been trying to live a normal life and forget about my old one. But he's found me. He's here. He was at the restaurant tonight. He's been watching me and watching you. He
—
" I paused, trying to compose myself. "Earlier at the restaurant, he told me he would kill you if I didn't leave with him." The last few words that came out of my mouth were nothing more than a mumble. "Then, after he had me, he had me think that he killed you anyway. I thought you were dead, Reed. I thought he killed you because of me."

My emotions began to spiral out of control. My head fell into my hands as I waited for Reed to say something.

"
Hey," he finally said, wrapping his arms around me. "Emily, you're shaking."

"
I'm just so glad you're okay," I said softly.

"
I'm fine. You’re fine. You're here now. I've got you."

I shook my head.
"I've been so stupid."

"
Why didn't you tell me before? I could've helped you. I could've kept you safe."

"
I'm sorry. I just wanted to forget about him. I thought it was dangerous for you. I was stupid.”

He squeezed me tighter.
"It's all going to be okay. Let me call Robbins. I'll have him come back over. I've had him out looking for you. I came back here to wait for you, hoping you'd come back. Don't worry. We'll get Peters and Warren and a few more men and then we'll call the police. It's all going to be okay."

He was trying so hard to be optimistic, but he didn't know what Jake was capable of. Jake would stop at nothing now. He wouldn't stop until I was dead.

"
It's not okay," I said. "It will never be okay." I looked up at him. "You don't understand. He will never stop. He will always be out there. I got away from him once, but now he's just going to be even angrier. He'll kill me now for sure, and you and Lexi and everyone else I care about. I know it. He'll never stop until I'm dead. We have to get out of here. We have to call Lexi. We have to warn her about him." I couldn’t stop my rambling.

He pulled away from me and held my shoulders, forcing me to face him.
"Listen to me, Emily. He won't hurt you again. I won't let him. I promise."