Runaway Love

Panic filled my chest. Josh, he'd found us and he was here. I had no way to escape. I tried to release my seatbelt, but it was stuck.

"Sean, he's here. Josh is here and caused an accident. I'm stuck in my seat." I rushed in a whisper.

"Keep your phone connected with us, and on you." He demanded as I heard him give orders to Oliver.

Feet filled my vision. Panicking, I put my phone in my purse, and clung to my bag as my life depended on it. Josh's face dropped down and filled my window. I gasped, and he reached in with a knife.

I groaned as Josh cut the seatbelt that was keeping me suspended upside down, and I fell, crashing to the roof of the car. I did my best to not land on my belly. Another contraction pulled at my abdomen and did my best to breathe evenly. I looked at Sam. He was unconscious with blood running down his face. My eyes fell to his hips, his gun.

Quickly I reached out and undid the buckle and pulled it from the holster. I slipped it into my purse as Josh's arm reached for my arm. His bruising grip grasped my arm and pulled me out. I could feel the broken glass cutting my knees as I moved across it. He pulled me out and upright. I moved my arm through my purse straps and grasped the car to steady myself.

"I've been looking for you, it's time you came home." Josh snarled and dragged me away from the car.

Panic filled me. I heard doors slam and realized I was in a trunk. I searched in darkness, feeling through my bag for my phone and the gun. Both were still there. I took a steadying breath and felt my babies move. Another contraction tightened my belly. I breathed in and out through it. I had to fight. I had to get out of this so I could hold my babies. I wasn't going down without taking him with me, I couldn't let him have my babies.

We drove for what felt like forever. I wanted so badly to get my phone, but I didn't want to take the chance of him catching me with it. I took a deep breath, trying to keep track of turns and time between them. It was useless. My panic was making my ears roar, and I couldn't focus. A sharp kick from one of the girls brought me back to the present.

They were alright, they were alive. I reached down and set my hand on my belly. I could do this. Stay calm, and focus on the goal. You can do this, I told myself. I felt the car pull to a stop, and brightness filled my gaze.

I blinked at the glare of the sun but didn't have time to recover as I was pulled. Some part of me remembered to pull my purse with me. Josh barely gave me time to get on my own feet before he was pulling me into a warehouse. I tried to slow him down.

He spun on me and I heard the crack of his hand hitting my face before I felt the familiar burn. He turned back around and started hauling me back into the building. I walked behind him, trying not to increase his anger. Praying that if he was just a little calm he might be reasonable and at least not harm me or the babies while we waited for Sean and Oliver to arrive with help.

It was dark in the building and cold. I blinked quickly, trying to make my eyes adjust to the sudden decrease in light. Josh kept pulling me. A contraction spread over me, and was so strong and painful it doubled me over. I stopped walking and held my belly.

"What's wrong with you?" Josh snarled as he turned and towered over me.

I took a few steadying breathes before raising my head, and trying to straighten out as the pain slowly faded.

"I'm in labor. We were on our way to the hospital when you crashed into us." I said, sharply.

I watched his face for any emotion, but none showed. I decided to keep going.

"Please, we have to get to a hospital. Your girls are going to be delivered today. If we can just get to help, I won't tell them about this. I'll just say I crashed while driving and you could get me there in your car faster than an ambulance would have. Please, for the girls." I plead.

Josh stood still but didn't say anything. He grasped my arm and roughly settled me on a chair, where he tied my hands together behind my back. He saw my purse and threw it in a corner. I waited but never heard a clatter of the gun or my phone falling out. He seemed unconcerned with my bag, so I prayed Oliver and Sean could get the signal. Josh started pacing in front of me.

I shifted my weight and took note of how wobbly the chair was. I tried to feel for the knot in the rough rope that bound my arms. I found an end gave it a tug. I tried to mask the relief as the rope moved. Josh was never good with knots and only knew a few. I held onto the end but didn't tug it, waiting for my chance.

Another wave of pain crashed over me. It started low in my pelvis and worked it's way to the top of my belly under my ribs. I groaned and tried to focus on my breathing, but a wave of nausea passed over me and I heaved, puking to my side. Josh stopped his pacing and looked back at me I recognized the enlargement of his pupils and the glazed expression. He was high, and dread filled me as I realized there would be rationalizing with him. I waited until he turned his back, muttering to himself.

"Please Josh, we can't lose these girls. We have to get to safety, to a hospital." I pleaded with him.

"Lose them? You mean kill them, like you killed our last baby." He seethed.

I grimaced as I realized I'd made things much worse instead of buying time. Working quicker, I gripped the end of the rope more tightly as he resumed his pacing. I gave the end of the knot a good tug and felt it loosen enough I could slip my arms out. Looking to ensure he was still facing away, I pulled my arms forward, and I quietly stood. He looked over his shoulder and growled at me.

I took a step back around the chair, placing the chair between us. He lunged and I side-stepped just in time I heard his body hit the ground with a groan. I scrambled trying to get out of his reach, but his hand grabbed my ankle tripping me. I turned quickly, so I fell on my side instead of my front.

I gasped as the wind was knocked out of me and I tried to draw in a breath. I felt his hand move up my leg as he crawled toward me more. I kicked at his hand and feeling him let go I scrambled to my feet. Without turning to see where he was, I ran for the door we came in from and my bag.

My hand was only a few inches from my bag and the door when he tackled me from the side. I landed on my back with a thud. My head hit the concrete floor and my vision turned spotty. I blinked rapidly trying to clear my vision.

His weight disappeared from my body, and I rolled to my side. I curled around my belly, as another contraction washed over me. I groaned and focused on breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. I felt another gush of fluid as this contraction subsided.

Josh stabilized himself and turned to look at me. His face wore a dark grin. I stood and faced him. Neither of us moved while I tried to orient myself to where the door was. I spotted it and lunged for my bag, I cried out in joy as my hands wrapped around the cloth of my purse.

I grabbed the gun and pushed myself to a standing position. I took a deep breath and aimed at him. I froze for just a second as I realized he had a gun aimed at me. I took another breath and started to pull the trigger, but a shot sounded out too fast for it to have come from my weapon. I kept pulling, light filled the room and I heard shouting as my gun went off.

A burning pain raced through my left knee. It crumbled under my weight and I fell to my other knee. My vision swam, and I landed with a thud on my back. I felt hands touching me, and a familiar voice drifted over my ears. "Stay with me, sugar, don't close your eyes."

I tried to keep them open, but I was powerless in the task and they drifted shut. Pain filled my thoughts as part of my brain recognized the sound of clothes being torn. Then I heard nothing as darkness overwhelmed me.