Chapter 3

Brennan watched the guard disappear through the glass doors.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a brass key ring and a standard debit card. He held them out to Hazel.

The metal keys clinked sharply against each other.

"It's an apartment in the suburbs," Brennan said, his voice flat. "It's not much, but it's our legal residence now."

Hazel took the keys. The cold, hard metal pressed into her palm. It was the most tangible piece of safety she had felt in years. Her throat tightened, and her eyes burned.

Brennan checked his watch, his brow furrowing.

"A server crashed at work. I have to go debug it," he said, already turning away.

He walked out the side exit and climbed into the back of a waiting Uber. The car pulled away, leaving Hazel standing on the sidewalk.

She took a deep breath of the exhaust-filled city air. The panic from the morning was gone, replaced by a cold, hard resolve.

An hour later, Hazel stood before the wrought-iron gates of the Cook estate.

She pressed the intercom button hard.

The gates buzzed open. She walked up the long driveway.

Niamh opened the heavy front door. The housekeeper's face twisted into a nasty sneer the moment she saw Hazel.

"Where have you been?" Niamh hissed, reaching out to grab Hazel's arm. "Madam is furious."

Hazel stepped to the side, dodging the grasping hand.

She swung her right arm and slapped Niamh across the back of her hand.

The sharp smack echoed in the grand foyer.

Niamh gasped, clutching her stinging hand, her eyes wide with shock.

Hazel didn't even look at her. She kept her spine perfectly straight and marched into the living room. Her heels clicked against the marble floor like a war drum.

Mildred sat on the velvet sofa, sipping tea. Rudy Petrov sat across from her, his massive belly straining against his expensive suit.

The moment Hazel walked in, the room went dead silent.

Rudy's eyes crawled up and down Hazel's muddy legs. He licked his lips, standing up and rubbing his thick hands together.

"There's my little runaway," Rudy purred, taking a step toward her.

Mildred slammed her teacup onto the saucer. "Go upstairs, wash the filth off yourself, and apologize to your fiancé."

Hazel stood under the massive crystal chandelier. A cold, mocking smile touched the corners of her mouth.

Rudy reached out to grab her shoulder.

Hazel unzipped her coat, reached into her pocket, and ripped out the marriage certificate.

She threw it onto the mahogany coffee table.

The heavy paper slid across the polished wood and slammed into Mildred's teacup. Brown tea splashed violently across the table and onto the expensive Persian rug.

Mildred shrieked, jumping back. Her eyes darted to the paper.

The official city seal glared back at her.

Rudy's lecherous smile froze. He snatched the paper off the table, his pudgy fingers trembling. His face turned a dark, mottled purple as he read the names.

"I am a married woman," Hazel stated, her voice ringing clear and hard in the large room. "If you try to force me into a dress, it's a felony."

Benton stormed out of his study, his face contorted with rage.

"You ungrateful little bitch!" Benton roared, raising his hand to strike her.

Hazel didn't flinch. She tilted her chin up, her eyes blazing.

"Touch me," Hazel warned, her voice dropping to a lethal whisper, "and my husband will have the police here in five minutes. Think of the scandal, Benton. The press would love it."

Benton's hand froze in mid-air. The fear of public humiliation was the only thing stronger than his anger. He slowly lowered his arm, his chest heaving.

Rudy threw the certificate onto the floor in disgust.

"You people are liars!" Rudy spat at Mildred. He turned and stormed out of the house, slamming the front door so hard the windows rattled.

The loud bang shattered Mildred's plans. She collapsed back onto the sofa, clutching her chest, her face ashen.

Hazel bent down and picked up her marriage certificate. She brushed a drop of spilled tea off the corner.

"I'm packing my things," Hazel announced to the silent room.

She turned and walked up the stairs.

In the shadows of the second-floor hallway, Janice stood weeping silently.

Hazel walked over and wrapped her arms tightly around her mother's frail shoulders.

"I'll come back for you," Hazel whispered fiercely into her mother's hair. "As soon as I'm settled, I'll get you out."

Hazel walked into her bedroom. She grabbed a battered duffel bag and shoved her clothes and a framed photo of her mother inside. She yanked the zipper shut.

She walked back down the stairs, ignoring Mildred's venomous glare, and walked out the front door.

Standing in the sunlight outside the gates, Hazel reached into her pocket. Her fingers closed tightly around the cold brass key Brennan had given her. She started walking toward the bus stop.