I ignored Blake as he drove me home. He tried to speak to me but I wasn't giving in. How the hell did he expect me to talk to him after what he had done to me? The only problem was that Blake knew exactly how to get under my skin.
"So, we'll pack your meager little things and we'll head home this weekend."
"What? No." I sputtered.
"Jamie. Stop being a little bitch and just do what I say. You were a whole lot easier to handle when you didn't get your little mid-life crisis." Blake grumbled.
"Blake. I am not leaving! I don't want to be with you. I want to break up." I said firmly.
Blake didn't even respond, he just pulled the car over and started wailing on me with his fists. I tried to shield myself and tried to open the door but it was locked. The beating couldn't have lasted more than ten minutes. By the time it ended, my head was nodding up and down as I tried to keep awake. I could feel and smell my blood running from my sore nose.
He dropped me off at the corner and more or less pushed me out of his car and took off as I fell to the ground. I slowly got up and like a crippled old man I slowly walked home. When I entered the house mom and dad were panic-stricken when they saw me. They fussed and tended to me but I assured them that I wasn't seriously injured.
"I can't stay here." I mumbled. "I have to leave."
"What's wrong? Who did this to you?" Dad asked.
I just shook my head and refused to tell them. I would only repeat that I had to leave. As if nothing had changed from the time I was a child, they sent me upstairs while they talked about what would be best for me.
Come next morning after I had showered, they had sat me down at the table during breakfast and told me what they had thought my next move should be.
"Your uncle has agreed to take you in. He owns a ranch over in Montana and is in need of some labor in exchange for your boarding." Dad explained.
"Montana is pretty far from here." I commented.
They both nodded and told me that it was far enough that nobody would know where I was at. I started to think about how moving would help me. I mean, Blake found me. Well, of course he would look towards home first. But he still found me. And he has that private investigator.
"It will only be temporary until this whole situation is resolved." Mom said.
"I can't drive all the way to Montana alone. What if the people who did this to me tried to hurt one or both of you guys?" I asked worried.
"We'll be fine. Besides, you won't be going alone. I've talked to my best guy and he's agreed to go with you and help you settle in."
"A babysitter?" I mumbled.
"No, an escort."
"Trust us. I have spoken to some very close friends of mine on the force and we're going to make it so you never have to fear for your life here ever again." Dad reassured.
I put my head down and started feeling a wave of emotions crash over me. I was relieved that I could get away, but scared for my parents. Blake didn't play fair, and who knows what Jackson would do? He was super angry when I first told him that I was leaving.
"Who's my escort? And I don't have money so-"
"It's all been taken care of." Dad said holding up his hand.
"When?" I asked.
"No time like the present." Mom said and got up quickly.
"Now? I can't, I don't- I-" I was pretty shocked. Right now?
"We want you to be safe, and if sending you away is the only way, then it has to be done quickly." Dad explained and got up as well.
I sat there for a few more moments and watched as mom and dad went about the house and soon brought my suitcase and a few more bags down by the door. Mom came over and made me eat my breakfast really quick. By the time I was done dad was on the phone and mom was hugging me and telling me everything was going to be okay and I should only be gone for a week or two.
Dad then got off the phone and came over and hugged me. He then handed me his hunting knife and told me to never be afraid to defend myself. When I showed a bit of reluctance, he pushed it back to me and told me that my only goal for right now was to come back to them safe and alive. I nodded and put it in my pocket when someone knocked on the door.
I kind of hid behind the wall in the kitchen and dad went to the door. He opened it a crack and then opened it wide.
"Quickly. Thank you for taking him." Dad said.
"No problem." The voice replied.
I peeked over and sighed when I realized that I wasn't in any immediate danger. I wasn't one hundred percent sure that I wanted him to be my escort and know what has become of me for the last few years, but if dad trusted him the much, he must be okay and have grown in the years.
"Jamie Lynn. How are you? Never mind. Lets get going then shall we?" Levi said as he grabbed my bags.
"Its only for two weeks okay? You are going to be okay, and then we'll send for you. Your fathers friends are already close to catching the homophobes." Mom explained.
"It wasn't a bashing." I said as mom put a hat low over my face.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Blake, his friend. I don't know Dante. They- they're not very nice." I stuttered.
"Jameson. You have to leave now while people are still asleep." Dad told me as he put a sweater over me.
"Don't worry. We'll get everything sorted out." Mom promised as she kissed my cheek.
"What about baby?" I asked.
"I'll go get her." mom said as she went to grab the cute little pup.
Dad then gave me a big hug and then escorted me outside while checking the streets first. I felt like I was a politician who was being moved from location. Mom came and handed me baby and kissed me again as I walked to Levi's truck. When I was seated in Levi's truck dad came in and gave me an even longer hug and then gave Levi a hard look,
"Make sure he's safe, or its your funeral."
"Of course Tony. I have no plans on dying either." Levi said as he nodded to my dad.
Dad nodded and then looked at me one last time and stepped back and closed the door. He then watched as Levi pulled out of the drive and I stared back at him and mom as we drove away. When they were out of view I looked forward still in shock over the entire chain of events that happened over the past two days.
"How about some music?" Levi asked as he put on some country.
"Oh my gosh, you are such a country hick." I mumbled through my tears.
"Hey! Josh Turner is a good singer." Levi argued with a chuckle.
I rolled my eyes and smiled a bit. When we got out of the county line I took the hat off and relaxed a bit. I slid down and moved to put my feet on the dash when Levi voice his annoying opinion of how I was able to get comfortable,
"Hey. Don't put you feet on my dash! Ain't your mama teach you any better?" Levi asked as he used the sleeve of his flannel and started wiping the imaginary mark I left from my shoe.
"Who woulda thought a country boy would be more of a clean freak than a city boy?" I mocked as I sat up and grabbed baby who kept jumping on my leg.
"Well I earned my truck. I worked for every penny and I paid for this truck myself. I didn't have anyone to buy me a new car every time a bug got on the windshield." Levi stated.
"Blake didn't buy me a car. I bought it. Well, I paid for some of it but he helped me with the insurance and something else that I can't remember." I tried to defend myself.
"I bet you only gave him a grand and he said he'd take care of everything else?"
"Well, six hundred is a lot of money, and cars aren't that expensive." I reasoned.
"Not expensive? The lowest they go are like eighteen hundred."
"What?! No, Blake told me he got a good deal and that it was only twelve hundred."
"Well he's lying to you. How many cars did he buy you? Really?"
"He didn't buy me any car. He traded in our old ones and they gave us new ones. Y'know, like the iPhones or whatever."
"You can't be serious? You've got to be kidding me. Even you can't be that much of an airhead. I mean, shit, you were always getting the straight A's and stuff. I guess the real world really doesn't compare to school." Levi said as he shook his head.
"I'm not an airhead." I mumbled.
"Only an airhead would wear panties on swim day."
"That was one time!" I shouted in embarrassment.
Levi laughed and baby got excited. She started bouncing on me and then ran over to Levi where he let her look out his window. I grumbled and slid down in my seat. Levi then stopped laughing and got a look of concentration on his face.
"So. Blake beat the crap out of you huh?" He asked.
"....Yeah." I said after a moment of silence.
"Always knew he was a little messed up in the head. Ever since his sister- well you know."
I nodded and said that I was going to lay down for a bit and get some rest. I leaned my seat back and put my hood over my eyes and closed them tight. Levi went silent after that and turned the radio up a bit higher. It took a while but I finally got the sweet, much needed rest.
****
Whoo! I want to thank my online friend who reached out to me and told me that i'm not alone. she's the first to actually have a lot in common with me. she inspired me to start writing.
Please comment, vote, and follow me!
*Update*
I was looking through the table of contents on this story and it seems there is like eight of the same chapters on the bottom that say deleted. Its chapter 4 fight or flight. I don't understand whats going on. but there are only 19 chapters.
*update #2*
I've realized that Anthony was also the name of Jamie's dad so I had to change the mob bosses name.... Hehe.... His name is Dante.