Stitch by Jaime Lewis (ebook reader online .txt) 📗

what she went through, she wasn’t taking the stranger’s warning lightly. She didn’t want to be in the apartment any longer than she had to be.

She tried to clean up her face the best she could, but she was a mess. Her eye, cheek, and lip were all swollen and bruised. She changed into a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Her ankle was too swollen to wear regular shoes, so she opted for a pair of flip-flops. It would have to do for now. She pulled her suitcase into the living room. She also had a backpack that she used for work she would take with her and her purse.

She stepped wrong, and her ankle gave way, and she fell into the coffee table, causing some magazines and papers to fall off.

“Shit!” As she started to gather the items to place back onto the table, something shiny under the table caught her attention. She looked closer and realized it was a key. And not just any key; it was the key that Stitch had given her to his cabin. She grabbed it and threw it in her purse.

Suddenly, the heating system kicked on, and the popping sound made her jump. With every creak she heard, she became more terrified. Just as she went to stand, there was a knock on her door. She didn’t move a muscle and stared at the door. When the doorknob jiggled, her heart rate sped up. Were they coming back for her?

She panicked. She grabbed what she could carry, her backpack and purse, and as fast as she could move, she headed toward the window in her bedroom. She unlocked it, pushed it open, and was hit by a cold burst of air, but she didn’t let it slow her down. She crawled out onto the rickety metal fire escape, and slowly and carefully made her way down the eleven flights.

When she made it to the bottom, she started walking down the block and then flagged down the first cab she saw.

Once she was safe inside the vehicle, she told the driver to head to Newark Airport.

As the cab drove through the city’s quieter streets, Mia leaned her head back against the seat and tried to process what in the hell was going on. She thought back to everything, but she just couldn’t shake off a comment one of the guys made. The “boss” had sought her out.

A sickening feeling hit her gut. If she had been targeted, it was possible whoever was responsible for her abduction and beatdown could be tracking her. After all, someone close to the situation knew to warn her. Could they know her travel schedule and that she was going to visit her family? Tears hit her eyes. She couldn’t put her friends and family in danger. She could never forgive herself if someone were injured or worse because of her. Her head hurt even to think, but she was facing a dire situation.

Nobody would expect her to take a bus. She could pay cash and probably get away using an old fake ID she still had from college. She dug through her purse to see how much cash she had on her.  She counted two-hundred-twenty-seven dollars. Bus fares weren’t that much. She could surely afford a one-way fare. As she folded the money and tucked it in her wallet, she noticed the silver key she had thrown into her purse. It had landed in one of the side pockets. But the way it was positioned and stood out is what had caught her eye. Any other time she threw something into her purse, it fell into the deep black hole at the bottom and would sit there until she cleaned her purse out. This particular key had landed in the smallest side pocket, standing straight up, so when you open the bag, you couldn’t help but see it. She began to wonder if it was a sign. Could this key be the lifeline she needed to help her escape and ward off any danger to her family?

Stitch’s cabin would be empty right now since he was spending Thanksgiving at Ace and Alex’s. It’d be the perfect place to seek shelter until she could contact her brother. She’d look for one of those pay-as-you-go phones at the bus terminal.

With a plan in mind, she put it into motion. She tapped on the plexiglass, separating her from the cab driver.

“I changed my mind. Please take me to the Newark bus terminal instead?” She instructed the driver. With the nod of his head, he took the exit leading out of the city, and hopefully, taking Mia one step closer to safety.

Chapter Seven

Ace stared at his phone in shock as he read a text from his sister.  Literally, his mouth gaped open in disbelief.

“Ran into trouble, may not make my flight. I’ll call when I can”.

What the fuck kind of message was that? He had heard his phone vibrate with a text around three-thirty in the morning, but at that precise moment, he was balls deep inside his fiancé, and when he saw it was Mia and not work calling him in, he decided it could wait knowing she was due to arrive this morning. But now, he wasn’t sure.

The more times he read her words, the more pissed off he got. He dialed her number, and again it went straight to voicemail. He disconnected and threw the phone down onto the table, and ran his hands through his hair.

Alex looked over from the stove where she’d been all morning cooking. “What’s wrong, honey?”

Ace looked up as Alex walked toward the table. “I don’t understand Mia’s message.” He showed her the text message.

Alex’s eyes widened, and she even looked confused. This was so not like his sister.

“When she says trouble, does she mean like real trouble?” Alex asked, and Ace could see the worry in her expression. Hell, he was concerned.

He shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve tried