Chapter One
Kara struggled to keep her eyes opened as she continued down the Interstate. She looked at the clock on the dash again. Damn! She was running late. At least she could sleep a bit in this stop and go traffic. What was the holdup? Kevin was going to be bad enough without her being late. Shit. How had she gotten herself into this? Oh, yeah. David. The asshole had been beating up on Angie, and she wasn't about to let that happen.
Watching her roommate come home with new bruises every week was getting old. She bought the "fell down the stairs" bit once, because it was icy. The clumsy bit only went so far, though. It'd excused the bruises on her arms, it'd even excused the bruises on her stomach and legs. But stairs don't cause black eyes. That put her over the edge. Angie was terrified, and Kara was PISSED. She'd called a shelter and Angie had left that same night. Kara packed her suitcase for her, and she was gone. At least she'd be safe, even if Kara never saw her again.
She decided to move two days later, when David paid her a visit. She'd been on the phone with Megan, filling her in on everything when he'd begun pounding on the door.
"Shit."
"Phelpers, what is it?"
"He's here."
"Oh, shit! Kara, don't let him in." More pounding.
"I know you're in there, Kara! I hear you talking!"
"I'm gonna talk to him."
"Dammit, Kara! No you're not!" Megan protested helplessly.
Fat lot of good she could do from California.
"I'm going now, Megan."
"Kara!"
"I'm going."
"Fine! I'm calling back, though, and if you don't pick up..."
"Deal. I'll pick up." And she'd hung up. As soon as she opened the door, he'd slammed her against the wall.
"Where is she?"
"I don't know. Somewhere where your sorry ass won't hurt her again." David gritted his teeth at her answer, tightening his grip on her arms.
"Where is she?" Shit. Kara blinked, holding the tears in. The guy had a damn good vise-grip, and, from what she'd seen, threw a pretty good punch as well.
"Put me down." Her eyes flashed defiantly. "I SAID, I don't know where she is." David tightened his grip again as the phone rang. Good old Megan.
" I have to get that. Someone's expecting me, and if I don't answer-" He released her, sneering.
"You WILL tell me, Kara. I'll be back later."
" The hell if you'll find either one of us here." She muttered. He stopped in his tracks, turning back toward her.
"What did you say?" Kara cursed her smart mouth. Why'd she have to open it?"
" I said, I'll be here."
She'd packed her bags that night and hopped in the car, leaving a message for Megan. She'd been on the road for the two days since, stopping only for the minimum amount of sleep.
"Hey, move it!" Kara's thoughts were disturbed by the angry yelling behind her, and she looked at the road again. Clear! She did a double-take at the scene on the side. Was that an- yes, it was. Animal Control and the police had finally succeeded in dragging the alligator of the roadway. She shook her head- she'd thought ice was bad!
Beep! Beep! Okay, whoever was behind her was pissed. She turned her radio up and stepped on the gas. The sooner she got to Kevin's the shorter the lecture. Yeah, right. She was in for the Brow Beating of her life. That's what she and Brian called it, anyway. The Boys commonly referred to Kevin's lectures as "facing the eyebrows", but she and Brian had always tried to be more original. She focused on her lecture escape tactics for the rest of the drive- she'd need them.