The Broken Road (The Broken Series) (9 page)

Habib
was mortified when he discovered what I had done, but instead of arguing with
me, he engaged in a rather heated debate with the person who had accepted my
cash. I have no idea what was decided between the two of them, since I couldn’t
understand the language they were speaking, but Habib remained courteous and
respectful to me as we said goodbye to Diwa and returned to his cab.

Habib
and I viewed two more apartments together. By the time we were done, I realized
what a gem that third apartment really was. I dug my cell phone out of my purse
and scheduled an appointment with Mickey so I could make a deposit and complete
the necessary paperwork the next morning.

When
Habib pulled up to the Holiday Inn, he insisted on dismissing the entire day’s worth
of cab fare. I tried to explain that I was being reimbursed for my expenses,
but he still wouldn’t allow me to pay him. I felt mortified that I had cost him
an entire day’s worth of work, but I feared I had injured his pride or
committed some cultural faux pas by paying for lunch. So I abandoned my
attempts to pay him and apologized for putting him in such a difficult position.
I assume he forgave me, because he agreed to drive me to the airport and
allowed me to pay the cab fare two days later.

Complete
chaos broke out when I returned to Montana. I had no clue how to organize a
cross-country move. Project deadlines were bumped up at work, and my social
calendar blew up. My phone beeped constant reminders for farewell parties,
luncheons, and dinner dates with friends and colleagues who wanted to see me
before I moved to Virginia.

I
would have liked to squeeze in a bit more hiking, but the air quality in Helena
squashed all hopes of that. The entire state was under a code red. The forest
fires were over a hundred miles away, but the air in Helena was thick with
smoke. Particles of wood and ash swirled around us like snow. Everyone was
discouraged from spending time outside. People walked to and from their cars
with bandanas tied around their faces.

It
was in the midst of this insanity that I received an unexpected call. “Kristine.
This is Habib. Are you okay?”

My
brows furrowed. “Yes, Habib. I’m okay. Why? What’s wrong?”

“The
forest fires… I just saw the forest fires on the news. Are you in any danger?
Are you sure you’re okay?” The pitch of his voice increased with each word he
spoke.

A
small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Habib didn’t realize how large the
State of Montana was. Still, it warmed my heart to know that he had thought of
me when he heard about the fires. “I’m fine, Habib. The air quality is bad, but
the forest fires aren’t anywhere near me. I’m perfectly safe. I promise.”

Habib
exhaled loudly. “Thank God.”

I
turned toward my computer and pulled up my flight itinerary. “I just purchased
my plane tickets for DC. Are you available to pick me up at three o’clock on
Sunday, July 31
^st
?”

“Yes,
of course. I’ll put it on my calendar.”

I
leaned back in my chair. “I’ll have my dog with me this time. I need to walk
him before we leave the airport, but I’ll keep him in the carrier while we’re
in your car.”

“That’s
fine. I look forward to seeing you again.”

I
smiled. “Thanks for calling, Habib.”

Just
as I was ending the call, my second line rang. I quickly switched lines.
“Senior and Long Term care, Kristine speaking.”

Tom’s
voice snaked over the line. “I want the umbrella.”

The
smile slid from my face. “Why are you calling me?” I hissed. I rose from my
chair and stretched the phone cord as far as it would go so I could close my
office door.

“I
want the umbrella back,” he repeated as if it were the most reasonable request
in the world.

I
sank into my chair. “The umbrella?
Really?
You want… the umbrella.” My
anger at this idiotic request threatened to consume me. I growled at him
through gritted teeth. “When I left, I walked away from the house, thirty acres
by the lake, three cars, and nearly all of the furniture. I took only my
clothes, the two pieces of furniture my father made, Cade, and my jeep…” and
evidently the umbrella that was stored in my jeep. “You got
everything
…
and now… ten months later…
you want the umbrella?
” I couldn’t help but
be pissed at this. All of the fear, anger, and frustration over how he had
treated me and what he had put me through washed over me in large overpowering
waves.

The
phone line fell silent. I was getting ready to hang up when Tom responded. “I
want to see you before you go.”

I
shot out of my desk and began pacing as far as my phone cord would allow.
“What? How do you know I’m going anywhere?” I reached for my garbage can as my
stomach clenched.

“Apparently,
this fellowship in DC is a big deal. I have no clue who you slept with or how
you landed the position, but it was all over the local newspaper.”  

Of
course, he would think that of me. Of course. He had assumed I left him for
some other man. He couldn’t possibly comprehend the fact that I left because he
beat me, beat my dog, and threatened to kill us both. “
I hate you
,” I
hissed. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

Again,
silence. Tom cleared his throat. Then he spoke in a low, threatening tone. “I
still have your great-grandmother’s jewelry... her wedding ring, the brooch,
and the necklaces that were handed down to you.”

I
fell back against the wall, then slid to the floor. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t
think. I couldn’t even breathe. He had her jewelry. How had I forgotten to take
it with me? How had I missed
that
? I opened my mouth to answer him, but
no sound came out. I swallowed hard and tried again. My voice was breaking…
I
was breaking.
Finally, I conceded. “I want the jewelry. I’ll meet with you
but only if you bring the jewelry.”

Tom
laughed maliciously as he made his next demand. “Tell me where you live.”

Fear
seized my heart, then pulsed through my veins. I shook my head. “No. I’ll only
meet you in public.”
Where,
I questioned frantically. The seconds ticked
by.
Come on, Kristine, think!
“Jade Garden. I’ll meet you at Jade
Garden,” I breathed. Tears pooled in my eyes as I began to tremble. The
realization that he could still wield so much power over me was devastating.

“Tonight.
Seven o’clock. Oh, and Kri? You’re not getting the jewelry unless you bring the
umbrella.”

My
head fell back against the wall. The umbrella would only cost ten dollars to
replace, but this wasn’t about the money. This was about control. Tom was
relishing the fact that he could still make me do something I didn’t want to
do. I would have to give him the stupid umbrella.

*
* * * * *

Tom
was sitting in a booth by the time I arrived at the restaurant. I shoved the umbrella
at him the second I approached the table. “Give me my grandmother’s jewelry,” I
demanded with false bravado. It took everything I had to tamp down my fear of
facing him.

His
eyes hardened. “Sit. Down,” he gritted out. “You’re making a scene.”

I
slid reluctantly into the seat across from him. I glanced around the bustling
restaurant. No one was looking at us. My eyes returned to Tom’s face. I
inventoried his pale skin, sharp features, piercing blue eyes, and the cruel
smile spreading across his thin lips.
What did I ever see in him?
A wave
of nausea hit me. “Look. I do
not
want to be here. We have nothing to
say to each other. I want the jewelry, and I want you to leave me alone.”

Tom
leaned back in his seat. “You know, Kristine… I just might move to DC too.” His
eyes turned calculating as he waited for my response.

Panic
shot through me. “
What?
”

The
waitress glanced at our table. I tried to calm down, but being in the same room
with Tom made hell seem like a cake walk.

Tom
smiled. He seemed pleased with my reaction. He leaned forward as he continued. “I’ve
gotten more involved with the church. I’ve become very good friends with the
priests and the bishop from the cathedral. We even golf together.” He smirked,
entirely too impressed with his ability to conceal from priests who he really
was. “They’ve been encouraging me to work things out with you… and I don’t see
how that would be possible if we were living on opposite ends of the country.”

This
from the man who refused to go to church with me?
The room blurred as tears filled my eyes. Tom was going to ruin everything. I stared
down at the table. I was completely incapable of looking him in the eye. “
Please,
let me go,
” I whispered brokenly. I reached for the bag of jewelry and slowly
rose from my seat.

Tom’s
hand snaked around my wrist, then squeezed painfully. He tugged me forward as
he forced me to look at him. His voice dripped venom. “I will
never
let
you go.”

I
held fast to the jewelry as I tore my wrist from his hand. I took a steadying
breath, turned on trembling legs, and silently walked out the door. I knew the
laughter that followed would haunt me for a very long time.

*
* * * * *

Kimme
snapped her towel at me as we headed for the sauna. “Why didn’t you tell me you
were going to meet Tom last night?  I would have gone with you!”

My
legs were shaking from the spinning class I had just suffered through. The spin
instructor was pure evil. “Because, Kimme, you had more important things to do
than babysit me,” I grumbled irritably. “You were exactly where you needed to
be… out at the fort with Dan. What you two are doing with those veterans who
are coming back from Afghanistan with PTSD is important.”

I
followed Kimme into the sauna. She scowled at me before collapsing on a long wooden
bench. “Still, you shouldn’t be alone with that man.”

I
perched on the bench directly across from her. “I wasn’t alone. We were at Jade
Garden.”

She
rolled her eyes at me. “You know what I mean. You should have at least told me you
were going. You have to promise me you’ll tell someone if you plan to see him again.”

I
knew she was right, but I had spent nine years keeping my mouth shut about Tom.
Old habits were hard to break. “I will, Kimme. I promise.” I stretched across
the warm wooden bench and closed my eyes. I breathed in the soothing tendrils
of steam and the smell of heated wood as I forced my thoughts away from Tom. Thinking
about him gave him a power and a place in my life I didn’t want him to have
anymore.

*
* * * * *

I
stared at the deep red roses sitting on my desk. My heart beat erratically as I
reached for the envelope. Most women enjoyed receiving flowers. I was afraid of
them… or more precisely… afraid to know who sent them and what was expected in
return.

I
took a deep breath as I pulled the card from the envelope. “Michael,” I breathed.
I should have known. Tom wouldn’t waste money on flowers, but Michael would.
Michael was an incurable romantic. He even
looked
like he belonged on
the cover of a romance novel with his blatantly lustful eyes, his perpetual
five o’clock shadow, and the thick dark hair that framed his face in perfect
waves. His French accent and his mysterious past were difficult to resist, but
he was entirely too consuming, self-important, emotional, and rude.

“Nice
flowers, Kri.”

I
looked up from the card. Ann was standing in the doorway to my office. “Thanks,
Ann. Why don’t you take them up front so everyone can enjoy them?”

She
gave me a curious look. “Are you sure?”

I
smiled reassuringly. “Yes, please. You’d be doing me a favor.”

“Okay.
Thanks, Kri. By the way, we’re the only people left in the office. I’m heading
out, so make sure the doors to our suite are locked when you leave. Don’t work
too late.”

I
handed her the roses. “I won’t. I have a few more things I need to pull
together for the staff meeting tomorrow, but I’ll be leaving soon.”

She
smelled the roses before disappearing down the hall.

My
eyes drifted back to Michael’s note. I recognized a few words, but I didn’t
know enough French to understand everything he had written. I sank into my
chair, turned toward my computer, and pulled up Google Translate.

I
looked at the card and slowly typed the message.
Je ne peux plus supporter
le fait d'être loin de toi.
S'il te plaît, laisse moi
la chance de te prouver que mon amour pour toi est véritable.

I
leaned back in my chair as I read the translation to myself. “I cannot bear being
away from you. Please give me a chance to prove my love for you is real.”

I
sighed sadly. Some small part of me wished I could love this broken man. I
tried to envision what life would be like with Michael. I shook my head, then promptly
pushed those thoughts aside.

By
the time I finished typing my notes for the staff meeting, it was nearly seven
o’clock. I flicked off the few remaining lights in our office suite and locked
the door behind me. I briefly contemplated the elevator. I typically avoided
elevators, having been trapped in them two too many times. I decided the stairs
were my safest bet.