see sense. Everyone tries to take you away from me, but I have you now. I’ll take special care of you. I promise you that.” He lets go of my hand again and concentrates on the road. All I can think about is Jake and how distressed he will be once he finds out I’m gone. Will he even know who took me? Shit! This is—by far—the worst day of my life. I thought Alan was bad, but Tony is in a completely different league of his own.
Once we are on I-495 heading south, I start to contemplate how I’m going to escape this. I have no one to help me, and no one knows where to find me. Do I try to jump out of the car when we stop at a set of lights? Do I try to see if I can flag someone down somehow without being noticed by Tony? My head’s awash with decisions and possible outcomes of my decisions. Whatever choice I make could mean life or death. In the end, I decide it’s best to see if an opportunity arises where I can get myself out of this mess. Maybe once we’re there, I can gain his trust enough to escape and run to the nearest house—or person—I can find.
We get on to the I-95 south towards Powhite Parkway. Lord only knows now where I’m going. The journey seems to go on forever and ever, and the farther away we travel, the more the panic sets in.
“My English rose, what is the matter? Are you afraid of me?”
I jump at the sudden sound of his voice and try to calm myself. “I’m just nervous. I don’t know what to expect. I’ve never had someone want to take care of me the way that you do. What is it you feel for me? Is it love?” I know full well it isn’t. Love wouldn’t be as sick as this.
He looks over briefly and grabs my hand. “I have loved you since the very first day I met you. I have tried to be patient and wait for you to come to me, but it obviously seemed necessary in the end for me to come to you. All your life you have had men abuse you and treat you with disrespect, and you deserve better than that. This is the start of our life together, and I know you probably don’t love me as much as I do you, but in time I think you could learn to love me. I will be a good husband to you and a great father to our children. I promise that to you. All you have to do is promise me that you’ll try, and then the rest is up to me. Will you try for me?”
It’s then I realize that I have to attempt to push my fear away somehow and try to make an Oscar-winning performance for Tony. If this is what it takes to survive, then this is what I have to do. Survival instincts kick away my fear as I try to relax.
“I will. I promise.” I smile sweetly at him, and his face lights up. For a moment he has the most angelic look about him. It is so hard to comprehend that what seems to be the most charming and gentle person is really just a façade … something he displays on the outside, and he is actually a really fucked up monster underneath.
26
After what seems like an age has passed, we veer towards VA-76, still heading south. I imagine that if I were to be here under normal, less frightening circumstances, I would probably be enjoying how beautiful this area is. The trees seem to go on for miles, and the fields are awash with an explosion of colors. It does seem like an ideal spot to live and raise children—with someone else anyway.
“We’re almost there. I think you’re going to love it.”
My curiosity is piqued. “Is this place we’re going to yours?”
We pull onto a driveway which goes on for a while before a house starts to emerge in the distance. The white house looks quite picturesque. It even has the white picket fence to match. Its size is moderate, but then again, it’s surrounded by acres upon acres of land.
“This house and the land around it are ours now. I inherited it from my father when he died just over a year ago. I have dreamed of bringing someone out