Runaway Love - Jodi Flanagan (best finance books of all time txt) 📗

begged for her not to leave, to not give in to these mad men. I was ignored.
A few minutes passed, and I heard nothing through the house. I heard no footsteps, or talking, I heard nothing but the slow ticking of the clocks. I tried to the door knob. To my surprise, the door opened.
We all filed out, taking great care to listen very carefully for any signs from the intruders. The house was deserted. In a half hour, we all took showers, and mom called the police. Mom called my name and I left Taya’s room, and went downstairs. The cops were here, and were asking me questions on what happened. I told them the truth, that she went willingly and that she knew them. I also told them that her other foster families’ deaths was not accidents but murder. The cops jotted down my statement and then left after saying a few more things to my dad. I couldn’t go to sleep; I was too worried about her to fall asleep. It felt like my heart was getting ripped apart. I loved her. I loved her, and I knew that she loved me, and my family. If she didn’t then she wouldn’t have done what she did. My thoughts were still circling around her when sleep claimed me.
The next day, mom let Katie and I stay home from school, and the next. When we had to go back to school, all my friends had already heard what had happened. Even Sam was upset, well, he was upset because she was gone and he couldn’t get in her pants. I can’t lie and say that Sam’s reaction didn’t’ piss me ff. It took all I had not to beat Sam to nothing. However, I knew that getting in a fight with Sam wouldn’t help me find Taya. Now that the cops were called it shouldn’t be long, I even gave them the latest picture of her. I wanted to go and find her by myself and challenge the bastard who took the girl that I loved, but I had no way to find her. I just couldn’t get her out of my mind. It was going to drive me insane. Memories of Taya swarmed my brain. The first time I saw her, the first time we kissed, her laugh. I missed and loved her more than any other girl I knew. The phone rang, taking me out of my daze.
Chapter 9
~Taya~
I woke up naked in Michael’s arms. I smiled, as I recalled what happened last night. It definitely made the top three favorite nights I had ever experienced, that was for sure. I had an overwhelming urge to call Damien. I suppressed it long enough to get free of Michael’s grasp, and off the bed. I even took a nice long hot shower. But he was still on my mind. I went to the hotel phone, and stared at the phone. I remembered their number by heart. I could picture myself actually calling him, hearing his voice. The thoughts of talking to Damien only got sweeter and sweeter the longer that I thought about it.
I started dialing his number. I just hoped he was alright. It rang a few times then I heard his voice.
“Hello?” He said gruffly.
“Damien?” I whispered.
I didn’t want to wake Michael. He would have a fit if he knew I was calling them. Damien asked where I was, what was going on, and some other questions. I ignored his questions.
“Damien, I miss you. Are you all alright?” I whispered, carefully watching Michael’s breathing pattern.
“We are worried out of our minds! Where are you? I haven’t been able to get you off of my mind. I miss you too, and Taya?” He really missed me, it startled me.
“Yeah?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what was on his mind at this moment.
“I love you.” It took a moment for those three words to sink in. When they did I wanted to jump in happiness. I loved Damien the first time he kissed me. I was just denying myself what I wanted because I feared for his death.
Michael stirred, “Listen Damien, I am fine I just wanted you to know. And, I love you too, but I got to go. I miss you and Katie, but you are better off without me living there. Bye for now.” I hung up. I got up and walked to the other side of the bed and started kissing his neck, cheek, and lips. He started to wake up more. He opened his eyes and smiled when he saw me. Thirty minutes later, we were all back on the road.
Something was wrong. He wasn’t talking to me. I felt like I was invisible. I tapped his shoulder and he just shrugged my hand away. I feared that he found out that I called Damien. Eventually, we stopped. I looked out the window, we were at a gas station, and we all took a few minutes to go to the restrooms. I was being watched like a hawk; Michael had made some of his guys wait directly outside the women’s restroom. I didn’t care. I was going to cooperate with them at all. After what happened last night at the hotel room and how I was being treated now, Michael would be lucky if I even looked at him for the next few days. Let alone do what he asks.
When I was done with my business, Michael actually spoke to me for the first time in like three hours. It was only if I wanted something to eat, but it was words that were directed to me. I wanted to answer him, I wanted to kiss him, and many other things, but I had more pride and honor to do that. Therefore, I didn’t answer him. He asked a few times, and I ignored him. I checked out my ruined manicure, and just shrugged away when he tried to touch me. He got frustrated and waved Ethan over. Ethan asked me the same question, and I answered him. Michael looked at me, with anger in his eyes.
“Taya, what would you like to eat?” he asked, his gaze narrowing. I knew he demanded an answer, but I couldn’t give that to him. If he was going to ignore me for three hours, I can do just the same to him.
My response was walking over to Ethan and looping our arms. “Hey Ethan, what can I have to munch and drink?” Ethan looked from me to Michael, with a frightened glance. I saw his worried expression and dismissed Michael. “Oh, don’t worry about him. I am through with him, rather he likes it or not. So what can I get?” Ethan looked at Michael, and Michael shrugged. Ethan escorted me into the store. Once Michael was out of earshot, he turned on me.
“What was that all about? Do you want Michael to kill me? He has killed for a lot less!”He said, his anger taking over me.
“Ethan, calm down. He won’t do anything to you. He will most likely strangle me, and accuse you of sleeping with me. Even though that’s not logically possible since I haven’t been left alone with you. Even now, we aren’t left alone. Nate is in the corner of the store, and Frank is in the front of the store.” Ethan nodded, and then looked out the window at Michael. “So why are you doing this?” I smiled and walked down the chips aisle. I picked out some Salt and Vinegar chips before answering him. “He is ignoring me, and I hate being ignored. Do you know why he is acting like this?” I went to the fridges, he followed close on my heels, I stopped in front of one of them and grabbed a cola.
“He got information from a contact. Apparently that kid at the house really likes you. He told the police everything, including the old stories about your childhood, which automatically linked Mickey to you. Now the police did some digging up information on him. His dad found out and, well, his dad was upset that he talked to you.” I gaped, “The cops talked to Charlie?” He nodded. “No wonder he is pissed.” Ethan looked confused so I explained further. “His dad hates me with a passion. I never knew why.” I shrugged and we both headed for the cashier.
Chapter 10
Back in the van, Michael was starting to talk to me again. He was requesting information on Damien, which I wouldn’t give. He got frustrated and gave up for a few minutes than went at it by a different angle. He tried to get me talking about the other family members, but I still wouldn’t budge. I wouldn’t speak, wouldn’t look at him, I even leaned away when he tried to touch me. I just kept my head down, and quieted my mind. They were persistent I had to give them that. They didn’t give up for what seemed to be an hour. Someone even tried tickling me, but I was too far gone in my thoughts.
In my mind, I was back at my real home; with Abbey, mom and dad. I was back to the times when I was actually happy. I thought of my last Christmas with them. I was forced awake by Abbey’s fists on my door, like an annoying alarm clock that didn’t have a snooze button. I woke up smiling, and went downstairs. I got what I wanted; a camera, one of the professional ones, and Katie got her dolls. The picture in my mind changed from that Christmas, to the accident. I felt like someone punched me in the stomach, I felt my warm tears running from my eyes.
I snapped back into present time, just to see Michael close to my face, with a concerned expression. I wiped away my tears, and shifted away from him. I huddled myself in the corner of the van; distancing myself from the guys, and cried out my pain from losing Abbey, and my parents. It felt like I lost her all over again. I sat in the corner, quietly cried until we reached anther hotel.
I clung to Ethan, trying desperately to stay away from Michael. He was my only link to my past. If he was gone, my memories would quit haunting me. That was just a theory. Michael let me sleep in Ethan’s hotel room, because every time that he made an effort to reach for me I would cry out and hid behind Ethan. He met my gaze, and I guess that he saw the raw pain, and suffering that I felt on the inside, because he stopped reaching for me.
Once Ethan and I were in the hotel room, I ran for the bathroom. I took a nice hot shower, and cried the entire time. When I started to get dizzy from all of the steam, I got out.
I hated this whole situation, I hated the pain, I hated the guys who kept me here, when all I wanted to do was run from it all. Ethan was on the bed, spread out, and his eyes were closed. I walked over to the other bed and sat down. Ethan looked over, “So, why did you want to stay with me?” I looked him, his green eyes shining bright. “Michael brings back hard memories. I don’t want to face them right now.” With that I gave him my back, and slept.
I dreamed of Abbey. Her eyes shining, her laughter, her smile, was all taunting me. I sat upright, someone was touching me.
Chapter 11
I bolted upright,