It wasn’t the best advice, but it was something. So I shrugged in response.
“Secondly, why don’t you go find this chick? Christie. I know you don’t want to ever see her again, but she can’t be difficult to find. You could track her down. Talk to her. Figure out what the story was with her. You could finally put an end to all of it. Get some closure or whatever the fuck they call it,” he continued.
Now, that was advice I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else.
Fifteen
Elsie
Isabelle left soon after we finished our coffees. She said she needed to get her hair done and she’d check up on me soon. I told her she didn’t need to and I’d be fine, but I figured she’d check on me anyway. She was just that type of person.
I wondered if the Doherty brothers even knew how lucky they were to have a sister like her in their lives.
As much as I was grateful she'd stopped by, I was also happy to see her leave. I knew I had to make a quick decision on what I’d do. Isabelle would tell Tristian eventually that I had my doubts about staying, so if I was going to leave—it had to be now. Before anybody from the family stopped me.
I had nothing to pack and nothing to take with me. I didn’t even know where I’d go to get far away from Aldo. Was he even looking for me anymore?
It had been several days and there wasn’t any sign of him or his thugs anywhere. Maybe he had bigger fish to fry than me. Maybe they wouldn’t even notice if I slipped out of this apartment, and eventually slipped through the cracks.
If I could go somewhere. Maybe even get to a different state. I’d have to get a new identity, get a job or find some way to make some money. It could be done.
I didn’t need the Dohertys. I didn’t need Tristian. Maybe I was just kidding myself by believing I’d be safe with them.
I felt bad about looking for money in Tristian’s apartment, but I knew I had to take some cash with me. Even just enough to get me across state lines.
I found very little of it in his bedroom, but I stuffed it into a jacket pocket. I also felt bad about taking Isabelle’s clothes she’d so generously lent to me, but I only took the ones I wore.
I gave myself a quick once-over in the bathroom mirror and then I was gone.
My heart thudded in my chest as I ran down the stairs and out to the street. Maybe, if everything went right, I’d never have to see another Doherty ever again. I’d never see Tristian again.
The man I’d allowed myself to almost fall in love with.
I blended into the busy streets of New York. Pretty soon, I’d become nameless and faceless. I should’ve felt free. I should’ve finally felt like I had my life back, but that wasn’t the way it felt.
I was sad to go.
It ached my heart to realize I’d never see Tristian again. In his own way, he’d been good to me.
I kept my head down and headed in the direction of the nearest subway. Honestly, I didn’t know where I was going. New York confused me, even the suburban towns like this one. I didn’t belong here and I hardly ever visited these places until Aldo brought me.
But it was busy and that gave me some comfort, knowing I’d easily hide amidst the myriad of faces.
I probably wasn’t headed in a helpful direction because I hadn’t come across any sign of a subway yet. And I was too afraid to stop and ask for directions. What if someone recognized me? From what I could tell, everyone around here knew the Dohertys. I didn’t know who worked as a spy for them and who’d tell on me.
So I just kept going, hoping I’d eventually get somewhere I could take a bus or a subway from.
But then I felt eyes on me.
It was that sixth-sense feeling that sends shivers down your spine when you know someone is watching you but you can’t see them.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to look. But there were so many people around me. People everywhere. I actually felt foolish standing in the middle of that crowd, looking around. Not even knowing what I was looking for.
Nobody looked suspicious. Everybody looked suspicious.
My heart beat even faster in my chest and I felt close to faint.
I turned back around and hurried forward, digging my hands deeper into the pockets of my jacket.
Even as I turned corners and slipped in and around people, I felt those eyes on me. Burning holes into my back. I looked over my shoulder again and I couldn’t spot anyone specific. I convinced myself I had to be imagining it.
Unless it was Aldo.
Maybe Aldo had watched me this whole time and his men were waiting for the perfect opportunity to jump me. This was it.
I had foolishly left the comfort and safety of Doherty territory. Now I was in no-man’s land. They could pick me up and kidnap me again. Keep me prisoner forever, under even harder security this time.
I shuddered with fear at the thought of facing Aldo again.
I’d always considered myself strong. My father considered me strong—but what happened to him? What happened to Mom?
I heard the shots being fired. The bullets that killed them both. Blood splattered everywhere. Their bodies slumped to the floor.
My feet carried me forward now, but I didn’t know where I was going. People stared at me. Tears flooded down my cheeks that I hadn’t even been aware of.
My father. My mother. Both dead at the hands of this evil bastard who was coming to get me. I’d be dead soon too. He wouldn’t spare me.
And I didn’t know if
