Chapter 12 — Colorado Bound

The house was only up for sale for just a few days when someone offered more money for the house than I was selling it for. Within a month I had found us another house in Woodland Park, Colorado. It’s a beautiful three bedroom house up in the mountains surrounded by trees with no neighbors for about a mile. If you don’t know where the turn off is for the driveway you will pass it up.

I haven't told anyone where we moved to except for my sister. I didn't tell Braylon where we moved to. I didn't want him to think that our house was his house also. This house is my, Ethan's, and Emma's sanctuary. Ethan has recovered fully from his injuries and has even made some new friends at his new school, he has even started playing football again. Emma has also blossomed in her new school; she has joined their baseball team back at her old school. She thought sports were just for guys but her new friends have changed her way of thinking.

As for me I got a job as a columnist at a local newspaper. It's pretty easy. I just write whatever I want and they publish it. It seems to be a hit. People (mostly women) come up to me in the street telling me how much they like my column. The kids have started saying that I am a small town celebrity. So all in all this move has done us a world of good.

Braylon found out where I moved to thanks to his biddies in the police station. I found that out one day when I returned home from grocery shopping. He was sitting on my front porch drinking a beer from my refrigerator. "Son of a bitch," I yell as I drive up my long driveway. "How the fuck did you find out where I live?" I seethe hotly as I climb out of my car. He looks at me as he smiles a devious smile. "Awe Mel you should know by now that I have friends in high places."

"And I take it, these friends said it was ok for you to break into my house and help yourself to my stuff," I say pointing to the beer in his hand. "No, I got thirsty, so I let myself in. Besides, you're my girl, so it's not breaking and entering," Braylon replies with that same devious smile. I sit down in a chair wondering to myself what he is up to or has he flipped his lid. “Yes it is breaking and entering since you don’t live here plus you were never given a key,” I explain calmly. Even though my heart was about to beat out of my chest. “Let’s just agree to disagree,” He scoffed. Just looking at him he looked like he was coming unhinged by the minute. “Braylon is everything alright,” I ask, becoming increasingly concerned with mine and the children’s safety. I slide my phone from my pocket hiding it to where Braylon can’t see me texting Ethan to leave the house and take Emma with him and to not text me back just to go get help. I hear him start his car in the garage before he raises it up and heads out. Braylon gives me a questionable look and says “Where are they headed off to in such a hurry?”

“They have after school activities they are running for,” I answer praying that Ethan gets help her fast.

“So you never answered me is everything alright with you. You seem upset about something,” I inquire.

“ I just got fired. Can you believe that all these years and they fire ME. Claiming insubordination what a crock of shit. Then best of all my wife kicked me out of my house for coming home drunk,” He vented hotly. “I’m sorry your wife,” I ask, trying to sound surprised. “You never said you were married? What the hell Braylon,” I fumed. I stood up so fast I knocked my chair backwards. I knew that those acting lessons I had taken years ago would come in handy. The best part was the look on his face as he realized he had told off on himself. “U-Umm, Well technically we are in the middle of a divorce,” He lies. “Oh really then how did she kick you out of the house because if people are in the middle of a divorce they are usually living in two separate places. You know what Braylon I think you need to get your cheating ass off of my property and never return,” I declare as the police pull into my yard with my children in tow.

Braylon snorts as he sees them “After school activities huh. You're such a lying slut you probably did try to kill your husband and ended up killing his slut,” He fumes. Just before he jumps up and gets his hands around my neck squeezing as tight as he can. The policeman pulled him off of me but not before I faint from lack of oxygen.

When I finally wake up I'm in a hospital bed with tubes coming out of me. Ethan is on one side of my bed and Emma is on the other. "Oh mom you're awake," She cried. Her eyes were red and puffy as if she had been crying for days. Ethan squeezed my hand as he gets up from his chair and says "I'll go get the nurse."

Emma kept her hand tightly wrapped around my other hand. “I was so scared you wasn’t going to wake up,” She cried. I squeeze her hand lightly. “I’m going to be just fine because you and your brother saved me by getting the police as fast as you did,” Emma bends down and kissed my cheek. “I love you mom,” She says.

The nurse and doctor come in followed by Ethan who was hanging onto every word they said as they looked me over. If they said a word he didn’t understand he wasn’t afraid to ask what it meant. “Let me put it this way your mother is going to be alright. She was very lucky that you got the police to her as fast as you did. Too long without oxygen she could have died,” The doctor explains. Ethan looked like he was fixing to pass out and sits down then looks up at the doctor. “He almost killed my mom,” He asks. More to himself than to the doctor. “Yes he did,” The doctor confirms. “I'm going to kill that son of a bitch,” Ethan quietly growls. “No you're not Ethan,” I scold him. “Braylon is in jail so everything will be fine. I’m just ready to go home to rest."

As if the doctor knew who I was talking to he responds, “Well your oxygen levels are back up and everything else looks good I don’t see any reason to keep you here any longer. I’ll have the nurse bring in your discharge papers."

“Thank you, doctor,” I say as he walks out of the room. I look over at Ethan. “I cannot believe that you would say that while the doctor was in here. Now if anything happens to Braylon they are going to see you as a suspect,” I yell at him shaking my head in disbelief.

The door opens and in walks a nurse with light blue scrubs on carrying my discharge papers. “Dr Johnston said that if you experience any of these symptoms to immediately come back to the hospital. Dizziness, shortness of breath, or fainting. Do you have any questions,” She asks as she hands me the paperwork. “No,” I reply. “Okay well then you are free to go,” She says cheerfully.

The officer they had posted at my door follows us to the car and watches it as we depart the hospital parking lot. Nothing was unusual until we get close to the turn off for our driveway. A policeman was sitting in his patrol car then we see a couple more in front of our house along with an unmarked car. “Umm mom what's going on,” Emma asks. “I’m not so sure sweetie but I’m fixing to find out. You two stay in the car,” I order. Of course being my children Emma and Ethan get out just as I do. “Ah, Ms. Michaels, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you."

"What is going on Detective?" I ask him knowing that something bad has happened. He looks at me square in the eyes and says "Braylon has escaped we think he might be headed here to your house."

"How the hell did you idiots let him escape! You just arrested his ass only a couple of hours ago? You know what no I don't want to know you guys better get your shit together and catch his ass," I demand. Emma, Ethan, and I go inside our house to gather up some clothes, along with other things we might need for a couple of weeks—until our incompetent police force can catch Braylon. The only place I could think of taking the children to knowing they will be safe is to their grandmother's house. I opt to staying in a bed and breakfast down the road. I didn't have a good relationship with her when I was married to Kirt and it hasn't changed any since the divorce.

After I drop the kids off I head to the bed and breakfast. I got everything set up then I called Braylon’s wife Jennifer to set up a meeting at a local diner to discuss Braylon. “I’m so very sorry I didn’t know that she was married when I got with him and after I had found out I broke it off and even moved hoping he didn’t find me. But unfortunately he did and tried to kill me,” I declared. “The police arrested him and somehow he escaped from the jail from what I was told."

Jennifer sits quietly taking in everything that I said. “Melissa, it’s not his first time he has cheated on me numerous times and I did nothing but never has he tried to kill one of his mistresses. Granted he has beat me until I lost consciousness,” She shared. “The only thing that I can come up with is that we have to find him and kill him before the police find him. What do you think?” I look Jennifer square in her eyes and nod my head in agreement.

With that we set out together looking for the asshole who tried to kill us and give him a taste of his own medicine. Jennifer decides to call Braylon to see if he will meet her somewhere so we can confront him. Braylon agrees to meet at a bar close to their house at five. Thankfully that gives us enough time to come up with an idea on how to trap him and make him confess.

Jennifer and I go to the bar an hour before she is supposed to meet up with Braylon. She rented two black cars with blacked out windows. One for her and one for me. Jennifer calls Braylon when it came time for them to meet to tell him to come out to talk to her in the dark alleyway. When he came out both Jennifer and my car blocked his escape. We stepped out of our cars at the same time, the stunned look upon Braylon's face was priceless. "Hello dear," Jennifer sneered. "You remember Melissa, don't you?"

"Um yea, Hello Melissa nice to see you again," Braylon stammered. "You seem surprised that I'm here," I say with a smirky smile on my face. "How do you know my husband Melissa," Jennifer asks me. Baiting Braylon to see if he would deny or actually admit his wrong doing. "I met him when he arrested my ex-husband for murder then we started seeing each other. Unfortunately he never told me he was married so when I found out I ended it and moved to Colorado hoping he wouldn't find me, but he did and then tried to kill me. Isn't that right, Braylon?" I ask harshly. Jennifer who already knew what had happened between Braylon and I stared at him waiting for him to answer. "Okay, Okay, Yes it's true I did have an affair with her and yes when she ended it I tried to kill her fortunately her kids saved her. So what you two are going to turn me into the police. I will get out again and then I will come for both of you and finish what I started," Braylon snarled at us. I looked over at Jennifer who was looking at me. "We're not going to turn you in," I tell him smiling. I pull out a small vial I had in my pocket. "I'm just going to give you this and you will die all by your lonesome," I laughed. "The thing is Belladonna doesn't show up on any tox screen."

Braylon didn't pay attention to Jennifer sneaking up behind him with a tire iron. She was just strong enough to knock him out with it. I opened his mouth and poured in the liquid belladonna down his throat.

I grab the glass vile then head back home. Jennifer stays behind to finish up her part. She goes into the bar and sits for hours pretending that he stood her up.