Stay with Me (Brook Hollow 2) - Page 1

Prologue

Mia Sanders banged on her friend’s door as hard as she could. Her chest hurt so bad, making it hard to breathe. Her head was throbbing and made it hard for her to focus on finding safety. Blood dripped down her face but at least it didn’t get in her eyes. She was so cold her teeth were chattering. She had run out of her apartment so fast and had not bothered to grab a coat. It was mid-September but the night air was cold and frigid, indicating winter was arriving early this year.

“Please be home. Please.” She cried desperately while continuing to bang on the door of her friend’s apartment. She saw a light in the window. Gwen had to be home. She had nowhere else to go.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the door opened. The brightness of the interior lights blinded Mia. She put her hand up as a shield and squinted her eyes. “Gwen. Thank God.”

“Mia?” Gwen Henderson, her longtime best friend, gasped loudly. Mia practically fell at Gwen’s feet. Gwen caught her and dragged Mia to the couch. Mia heard the door close and the lock click in place. She finally felt safe for the first time tonight. She let the warmth seep into her cold body. Mia had run the three blocks to her friend’s home.

“I might get blood on it,” Mia protested, still breathing heavy and trying hard to not pass out. She could see the spots forming in front of her eyes already.

“Who cares?” Gwen muttered angrily. “Did that asshole do this to you again? I swear, Mia, he is dead.”

“Who is dead?” The male voice came from the kitchen area, but Mia had her eyes closed. She recognized Gwen’s boyfriend’s voice, Mitch Lewis. Mitch was a nice, normal caring man who adored Gwen. “We talked about this, babe. No killing,” he joked.

Mia knew the moment he saw the injuries on her face. He cursed, using the words she wanted to use. Brenda, her longtime foster mother, however, had always taught her that ladies did not use profanity. Even if Brenda was no longer around, Mia hesitated using such bad language.

“Shit. Who did this?” Mitch snapped through gritted teeth.

“Frank, the asshole,” Gwen answered for Mia. Mia felt a wet cloth touch her forehead and flinched. She grabbed it and held it to her forehead. She opened her eyes and looked up at Gwen. Gwen’s blue eyes were filled with tears, but her cheeks were red from anger. Her blonde hair was pinned on top of her head with strands escaping the headband.

Mia sniffed, feeling embarrassed. She couldn’t even see surprise on her friend’s face. This happened much too often. Mia couldn’t hold Gwen’s gaze. She felt to blame for all of this, after all, she was dumb enough to pick the wrong guy to date. “I don’t know what else to do, Gwen. I have filed restraining orders and filled out police reports. His uncle just hides it, or helps him get away with anything he does wrong. I have used all my savings up moving to different apartments, but Frank always finds me.”

Gwen sat next to Mia on the couch and grabbed her free hand and squeezed it. “This is ridiculous. Frank and his uncle have gone too far this time.”

Frank’s uncle was a detective in a downtown New York precinct and always got Frank out of whatever trouble he got in to. Franks parents owned an insurance agency, and believed their son could do no wrong.

Gwen tilted Mia’s face up to the light. She frowned at Mia’s swollen eye and the gash on her forehead. Gwen turned to her boyfriend. “Get my first aid kit from my closet.”

Mitch nodded grimly and left the living room. Mia heard him rumbling around in Gwen’s bedroom.

“Thank goodness you are a nurse, Gwen,” Mia whispered. Her whole side of her face hurt from Frank’s punches. Mia had broken things off with him six months ago when she realized Frank’s drug use was increasing. He promised her so many times he was going to quit soon. His behavior was becoming more and more violent. He had started pushing her and slapping her. Then he came home with a hickey on his neck and that was the last straw for her. Frank was spoiled and cruel. He refused to let Mia make a life without him. Mia cursed the day she met Frank DeMarco and fell for his smooth lies. He was handsome and s

uave, but his heart was as cold as ice. Why hadn’t she seen that sooner?

Mitch returned with a large, white plastic case, handing it to Gwen. Mia kept her eyes closed as Gwen tended to her face injuries. The silence in the room was filled with tension. Mia breathed through her nose to calm her pulse rate back down to normal. Now that her adrenaline was fading she felt exhausted.

“Where else?” Gwen sounded close to tears. Mia opened her eyes and looked at her friend. Frank had kicked her side repeatedly until she broke a beer bottle over his head. She had taken the opportunity to run out the door of her apartment, leaving him cursing and dazed. “My ribs hurt but they are not broken, Gwen. I can breathe.”

Gwen nodded and closed the case. She set it on the floor and looked at Mia. “My dad has a sister in Brook Hollow, Missouri. I’ve talked to him about your situation. Becky is willing to take you in and give you a job. You can’t keep going through this.”

Mia’s heart felt heavy and fear filled her up. She had lived her whole life in New York City. She had grown up in the foster care system and met Gwen in middle school. The two girls had become instant friends. Gwen’s parents had shown Mia love and care all of her life. Gwen was all Mia had. Traveling hundreds of miles to a strange town all alone did not appeal to Mia. Then again, neither did fearing for her life. She had changed her cellphone number so many times, but Frank always found out the number until Mia had thrown her phone away completely. She had moved and changed jobs several times, but Frank always managed to show up. Her savings account had dried up and she couldn’t break the lease and move again. Going to the police was also out of the question.

“What if he finds me in Missouri, Gwen? I don’t want to cause trouble for your aunt,” Mia said, feeling frustrated and scared.

Mitch handed Mia two small pills with a glass of water. “Just over the counter painkillers,” he assured her.

Mia swallowed the pills and leaned her head back against the cushion of Gwen’s couch. Now that she was safe, tiredness took over. Her body was sore but she would live.

“We’ll make up a fake last name. Becky knows what is going on and she offered her help,” Gwen said with determination. “One of these days Frank is going to kill you. I’m scared for you, Mia, so please do this for me. I’ll wait a few weeks then I will visit you.”

“Promise?” Mia whispered, feeling her eyes get heavy. This seemed to be her only choice. She was out of ideas.

“Promise,” Gwen stated firmly. Those were the last words she heard before blacking out from exhaustion.


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