Chapter 2 - The Exit Strategy
Sadie practically flew into the cramped employee locker room.
Her hands shook violently as she counted the stack of bills Ronan had tossed onto her tray.
It was exactly five thousand dollars.
This was more than double the amount she needed to disappear forever.
She ripped off her tailored uniform and threw on her oversized gray sweater.
She scrubbed the rest of the makeup from her face, no longer caring who saw the bruises.
Tonight was the night she was leaving Ashport for good.
She slipped out the back alley exit, avoiding the main dining room entirely.
The cold night air bit at her bruised ribs, but the adrenaline masked the pain.
She walked three miles to her rundown apartment complex, terrified to spend money on a taxi.
When she reached her floor, the hallway smelled of stale cigarette smoke and boiled cabbage.
She unlocked the flimsy wooden door as quietly as possible.
The apartment was pitch black, meaning Carl was still out drinking.
She rushed to the bedroom closet and dropped to her knees.
She pried up the loose floorboard and pulled out the worn manila envelope.
Her hard-earned eighteen hundred dollars was safe inside.
She added Ronan's five thousand dollars, feeling a sudden surge of triumphant hope.
She grabbed an old duffel bag and began stuffing it with sweaters and jeans.
She did not pack anything Carl had bought her, wanting no memory of this hell.
Just as she zipped the bag shut, the front door rattled.
The deadbolt clicked open with a harsh, metallic snap.
The overhead lights flickered on, blinding her for a second.
Carl stood in the doorway, swaying slightly, a half-empty bottle of gin in his hand.
He looked at the duffel bag, then down at the thick envelope clutched in her hand.
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His bloodshot eyes narrowed into a dangerous, predatory squint.
"Going somewhere, baby?" Carl slurred, stepping into the room and locking the door behind him.
