CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

I try as much as possible to calm my racing heart as I tiptoe towards the front door. Tonight is the night I am escaping. It's been one week since I visited Franky. The original plan was to wait two weeks before running away, but we moved it up. I clean my sweaty hands on my dress before placing them on the doorknob. I gently turn the knob and hold my breath as I open the door. Please, God, don't make Thomas hear this door creak open tonight. I don't walk out once I have the door fully open. I wait to see if Thomas heard me open the door. After five seconds and no sound comes from inside his room, I step out. I give the two men standing by the door a little smile. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Thomas has bodyguards standing outside the suite.

"Going for an evening swim, ma'am," One of the bodyguards asks. I adjust my bathrobe around my body as I swallow saliva to loosen my throat a little before answering. I am praying he can't tell it's not a bathing suit I am wearing under.

"Yes," I reply, walking to the elevator. Thomas allows me to step out of our hotel room to swim in the hotel pool. One of his bodyguards always comes with me. I step into the elevator with the bodyguard, and we take it to the first floor, where the pool is.

My heart rate picks up a faster rhythm than before once the elevator arrives on the first floor. I don't even move from my spot as the doors open. Fear grips me hard as I think about our plan failing, and Thomas catches me trying to escape.

"Ma'am, are we going or not?" The bodyguard asks, bringing me back to earth

"Yes, we are" I take a deep breath and walk out of the elevator.

We walk towards the pool outside, but the fire alarm goes off as we approach there. He quickly moves to my side and walks us towards the closest exit. More people join us as we walk to the hotel's entrance. I try my best to lose him among the sea of people running towards the exit. I succeed in losing him in the crowd.

The second I step outside, I enter my sister's car, already waiting for me out front. She quickly drives us away from the hotel once I put on my seat belt. Franky was the one who pulled the fire alarm. It was the only way I could leave the hotel.

"I got everything we need." she pulls a bag from the backseat and places it on my lap. "Our passport, cash, clothes, and everything we need."

"Thank you so much, Franky, for doing this"

"You don't have to thank me, I am your sister," She steals a glance away from the road and places her hand on my cheek. I give her a soft smile and pat her hand on my cheek.

Franky drives us to the airport. Once we arrive, we don't waste time and run inside to get tickets. I am not repeating the mistake I made the last time I ran away from Thomas. I am not staying in the US. I am going to the Bahamas. The safest place for me and my child right now is outside the states. I am hoping Thomas won't find us.

"I can't believe this is happening," Franky says as we stand in line to board the plane. Franky is coming with me. Thomas will kill her if he finds her after I run away, and she said she couldn't let me raise the child alone. I couldn't be more blessed to have Franky as a sister. She quit her job and used all her savings to get us tickets. I pray to see the day I would repay my sister ten folds for this amazing thing she did for me.

"I just hope he doesn't find us."

"He won't. We are leaving the states, so it will be hard for him to find us. He will never find us."

"I pray so, Franky, because what Thomas would do to me if he finds me" Tears start to fill my eyes as I Imagine the horrors Thomas could make me undergo if he finds me.

"He won't," She gives my hand a warm squeeze and an encouraging smile.

***

Thomas

Thomas folds his shirt sleeves as the man in front of him tries to form words in his mouth. The man looks like he is about to pee in his pants as he stands in front of Thomas.

"What did you say, Alberto?" Thomas asks, fixing his ring properly on his finger

"I don't know where Miss Melina is, sir" Thomas lands a hard punch on Alberto's face, knocking him to the ground.

"Repeat" Thomas roughly grabs Alberto's collar and picks him off the ground. He makes him kneel before him.

'I los-s-tt Mis-s-ss Me-el-l-ina" Alberto stammers. He knows he shouldn't speak if he doesn't want to lose another tooth, but it won't matter. His death was set in stone the moment he realized he couldn't find Melina. Thomas throws another punch at Alberto's face, making him lose another tooth, but he doesn't stop there. He hits him again, which causes his jaw to break.

"Repeat" Thomas roars at Alberto, causing him to pee on himself.

"I-I –I lo-s-s-t Mi-s-s Me-e-li-i-na" Once he is done speaking, Thomas gives him three hard punches, two to the face and one to the ribs. His face is slowly becoming unrecognizable. The anger Thomas felt right now from hearing that Melina had run away was beyond words. He was like a hot volcano ready to erupt any minute. He couldn't believe she ran away and was pissed that she did right under his nose.

"Repeat!" Alberto repeats himself, and the cycle continues until Alberto's body gives out on him. His whole body is covered in blood. His face didn't even look like his because of how Thomas reformed it with his fist. Thomas broke every single bone in his body. Thomas pulls out his gun to give the bloody man an easy death but decides not to. He leaves him alive so he can slowly bleed to death.

"Leo," Thomas calls as he walks to his room. He takes off his blood-stained shoes and walks into his bathroom to clean up. He takes off his shirt and pants since they are soiled with Alberto's blood.

"Yes, sir" Leo stands outside the bathroom.

"Once he is dead, ask the boys to come in and dispose of his body."

"Okay, sir"

"Any luck finding Richard?" Thomas uses a towel in the bathroom to dry his hand, neck, and face after washing Alberto's blood off.

His IT analyst recently went missing. Thomas suspects the American government to be the ones responsible. Richard was one of the best in the world. Thomas suspects they arrested him and asked him to work for them if he didn't want to go to jail. He needs to find Richard if he wants to find Melina. Last time it took him six months because he didn't have Richard until a week before the day he found her. He doesn't even want to imagine how long it will take him now without Richard.

"No, sir"

"Fucking find him" Thomas walks out of the bathroom towards his closet. He picks out a new suit and begins to dress up.

"I will, sir."

"How is the search in the city going?" Thomas knows the second that fool opened his mouth and said he lost Melina. Leo must have immediately mobilized men to search the city for her.

"I have men checking every train station, bus stop, and airport for her."

"Good. Any movement in her sister's house."

"None, sir; I have men stationed there. Melina hasn't arrived, nor has her sister tried to go out."

"Did you make sure none of them alerted the sister of their presence" Thomas wishes to catch Melina by himself if she is at her sister's place.

"Yes, sir, I made sure of it."

"Good. Is the car ready?"

"It is, sir."

"Let's go" Thomas puts up his suit jacket and walks out of his room to leave.

***

All the sunrise apartment complex tenants ran into their houses as men with tattoos, and a dangerous aura walked down their hallway. Most feared the one without the tattoos. The aura surrounding him was dark and deadly. Some almost peed their pants as he locked eyes with them. That's how fierce his look is. As he walked to Franky's door, no one dared to block his path. He lifts his hand and knocks hard on Franky's door. Thomas impatiently waits for her to open it, and she doesn't. He knocks two more times, and she still doesn't answer. He steps away from the door and gives Leo space to break it down. Leo moves forward and breaks the handle with his foot.

Thomas steps into Franky's apartment, and anger consume him the second the light switch is flipped. His blood begins to boil, and his chest rises and falls as more rage fills him. He pulls his hand into a tight fist as his eyes take in the empty apartment. He couldn't believe how foolish he was. This was the second time she made a fool out of him. Thomas felt like ripping her head off her body right now.

I am going to kill you the second I find you, Melina. Nobody, nobody, I mean no single fucking soul on this motherfucking earth can ever make a fool out of me and live to see the next day, but you Melina have and not just once but twice. Oh, Melina, it seems you don't like your life because the second I find you. I will make you regret far greater than I did before that you ever met me. I will kill you from the inside out. When I am done with you, you will wish you were never born. Thomas vows as he steps out of Franky's apartment.

***

Melina

I wake up with a bright smile on my face for the first time in a long while. I stretch my arms and legs before dropping my feet to the ground. I look around the room, and Franky is nowhere to be seen. She must be downstairs making breakfast. It's been two days since we arrived in the Bahamas. We are staying in one of the places James bought if we had to leave the states for a while. One of his friends here helped us settle in. I know it's dangerous to involve myself with anything related to James, but I didn't have a choice. I needed to leave the states. The only properties owned by James were the ones I knew available. I walk to the bathroom and shower before going downstairs to have breakfast.

"Good morning Franky" I take a sit on one of the kitchen stools

"Morning Mel, how was your sleep?" Franky asks, placing a plate of eggs, toasted bread, and sausages in front of me.

"Good, how was yours?" I take a bite of the bread

"Any morning sickness today."

"A little," I threw up while in the shower.

"Sorry, I plan to visit the store today with Henry to get you some pills to help keep the baby healthy" Henry is James's friend that helped us settle in.

"Thank you, and what time is Henry getting here" The doorbell goes off as I speak.

"You're welcome, and if I am not wrong. He should be the one at the door," Franky turns off the stove and walks out of the kitchen to the front door to let henry in.

While enjoying my breakfast in the kitchen, I halt in my actions once someone speaks behind me. The tea mug shakes a little in my hand, and I almost burn myself. I turn around to confirm what my ears heard with my eyes. My eyes widen more as I set my sights on him. I feel so angry to see him after so many months. He is the reason I suffered at the hands of Thomas. He is the cause of all my greatest pain. I hate him more than anyone in this world right now.

"Hello Melina, it's been a while," James smirks as he stares at me.