This was how I could claw back my freedom bit by bit and rid my life of Jon and all the pain he had caused me.
With my other hand, I pulled down his pants, a small sigh of relief escaping me when I realized that Jon was wearing boxers. At least I wouldn’t have to touch him bare handed.
“That’s it,” he urged, his hand sliding over my shoulder as if he wanted to force me to my knees. “Give me what I want.”
Oh, I was going to give him something, but it wasn’t going to be what he was thinking. Meeting his gaze head on, I reached my hand down and cupped his balls, seeing the delight flare in his eyes. “What do we have here?” I asked lightly as I gave him a solid caress.
He reached for me, but I didn’t give him a chance as I squeezed my hand tightly, feeling the delicate organ crunch and roll in my grip.
“What the fuck!” he roared, his face contorted with pain.
My heart racing, I let go but crashed the heel of my palm into his nose, getting him off balance to the point where he fell to the floor, the entire studio floor vibrating a moment later.
I took off, out the door and down the stairs, and didn’t bother to look back. Neither injury was going to be enough to keep him down for long, and I needed to get out of here as quickly as I could. I needed to put some distance between us immediately. Jon had resources, and I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to use them. And now that I had provoked him, there was no telling what he would do to me if he got his hands around me again.
The SUV was sitting in the parking lot when my foot hit the last stair and I yanked the door open, sliding into the driver’s seat just as I saw him hobble down the stairs.
Oh God. I pushed the start button and nearly shouted in joy when the SUV started up, throwing it into reverse and peeling out of the parking lot before Jon could get all the way down the stairs. The SUV bumped over a curb, but I corrected it and barreled down the street, my chest heaving.
I had gotten away. Now I had to find my way back to Gavril. I had no cell phone, no money, no way of contacting Gavril right now, but that was the least of my concerns.
Jon wasn’t going to stop until I was back in his possession, and when that time came, I didn’t think he was going to be as accommodating. I had humiliated him, and he would be out for revenge.
Clutching the steering wheel, I navigated the SUV through the series of twists and turns, finding myself in a small neighborhood with tree-lined sidewalks and cookie-cutter houses. Unless Jon had a tracker on this vehicle, he wasn’t going to find me easily.
I rolled through a stop sign before the gas light started to flash and the SUV shuddered to a stop, forcing me to pull in front of one of the houses.
What was going on?
I tried pressing the start button, but the SUV did nothing but sputter and die again.
No. No. No. No! Please!
Anxiety spiked through my body. I had gotten a little way away, but was it enough?
How could I get back to Gavril now? Did he know I was missing? Would he have become concerned when Anatoly hadn’t checked in to let him know we had arrived safely?
I was carrying his child. Surely he wouldn’t just turn away, especially not after what had transpired between us before he had sent me away.
After trying to crank the car for the third time, I slammed the heel of my hand on the steering wheel and threw open the driver’s side door. I couldn’t stay here. Every second I stayed in one place was another second that Jon came closer and closer. If I wanted to survive, then my best bet was to get far away from the SUV.
I looked down the street, the smell of gasoline heavy in the air and a trail of dark oil on the street from where I had come. The curb had damaged the gas tank, and I was lucky to have gotten as far as I did.
With one more glance back the way I came, I started out in the opposite direction, jogging when I could to get a few streets over before I started thinking of my options. I needed help. I needed a phone, something to get me away from this place.
I needed to put some more distance between me and Jon, to get somewhere safe.
I needed my husband.
I was breathing heavily by the time I thought I had gotten far enough away and looked for houses that had lights on before finally picking one that was meticulously maintained on the outside. Even if they called the police, I would be better off than I was out here on my own.