Break

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Annie

“I know, baby, but I’ll be back. Mamma always comes back.”

“I don’t wanna stay here without you or Tayler. I get scared.”

“Baby, if I had a choice I would. You know I have to go out and work. I’ll be back, soon.”

Annie kissed Ethan on the forehead and then looked at the rest of the group sitting around the living room of their shabby house. They would watch over him, whether Ethan liked sitting with them or not, they’d keep him safe. Annie made sure she had the drugs she was supposed to deliver secure under the backseat of the Mustang. Her mind kept wandering to Tayler. She hadn’t come back from her run the day before, and Annie couldn’t help but imagine all of the terrible things that could have happened to her.

If she could make her drop off fast enough, she could maybe make a loop over to where Tayler was supposed to have been the day before. Annie urged her car forward a little faster. When she showed up to where she was supposed to deliver, she was pleased to see that her dealer was already there. Annie nodded through the pleasantries as she tried to hurry the guy along. When the deal was finally done, Annie jumped back in her car and gunned it over to Tayler’s drop site.

She had forty minutes before she had to be back at the house, which only gave her roughly ten minutes to look for any signs of Tayler. Bright yellow tape greeted her when she pulled into the parking lot.

“s**t!” Annie exclaimed as she got out of the car.

Annie darted around the parking lot, but everything she could see led her to believe that the police had Tayler. If the police had her, even if they released her she was a dead woman. No way he would let her live after knowing she had been with the police. No matter what type of torture tactics he had subjected them all too, he would never trust her word. That also meant that Tayler’s family was more than likely dead as well. Annie wasn’t sure what to do, but an approaching truck grabbed her attention.

Annie was on the opposite end of the parking lot than her car, so she started to run towards it. Just before she made it to her car door, a giant figure leaped from the truck and stood in her way.

“Annie.”

The sound of his voice reached into her soul and awakened parts of her that had been dead for years. Annie couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She reached her hand out to touch him to make sure he was real. When her hand touched the warmth of his face, she stole it back against her mouth.

“Dru,” she sobbed.

“My Goddess, Annie. It’s you. It’s really you!” Dru said over and over again.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, realizing she was on a time clock.

“I’m here to investigate a drug deal. What are you doing here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you, for years.”

“Tayler. You have her?” Annie asked, grabbing Dru’s forearms.

“Yes, she’s in police custody. She’s safe, and now so are you,” he said, pulling her body into his embrace.

“No, I can’t stay. I have to leave. You have to release Tayler!”

“Why? No, you’re not going anywhere. I have you now. We’re together.”

“We can’t be. Not now, maybe not ever.”

“What do you mean?”

Annie fumbled for her car keys. Her heart felt like it was going to split in two. Every night she had dreamed of being with Dru again. Every single night she laid awake remembering their night together. Then every day she would wake up and see him reflected in their son’s face. All the things Annie had been through, and all the bad things she had been forced to do, had all been so that one-day Ethan and Dru would be reunited. She would pray for that reunion a little harder every day.

Dru grabbed her arm as she tried to walk past him. Annie wasn’t sure how she was going to get away from him. There had to be some way to get him to let her go. If she didn’t show back up, Ethan would be in danger.

“There’s someone else, Dru,” she whispered, hiding her face from his.

If he saw her face he would know she was lying. He would be able to see how badly it hurt to tell him such a hurtful lie. When his hand dropped from her arm, she had to catch the sob in her throat that threatened to give her away. She brought her hand over her mouth to help stop her from telling him everything. Then she jumped in her car, and as she drove away she looked in her review mirror. All she could see was a giant bear, and all she could hear was his roar of anguish.