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Safe Harbor

Chapter 1

Carol held her breath and heard her heart pounding in her ears. She lay flat against the stained mattress and prayed for the sweet sound of that rickety old pickup pulling into her drive. She turned to look at the clock, and the bright red numbers flashed 12:52. Eight more minutes.

She knew that by ten, Ed would be home from the bar. She knew that by eleven, he'd be passed out in front of the television with spilled glass of whiskey at his feet. She knew that by midnight, he'd be up to take a piss before going back to finish whatever movie he'd put on to lull himself to sleep. He never came to her anymore. She was glad of that. Her mother had warned her that Ed Peletier was bad news, but she hadn't listened. She'd been eighteen and thought she knew everything she needed to know about the world and love and herself. Three years later, she was staring up at her ceiling wondering how the hell she'd been so wrong.

"At least you didn't marry the bastard."

Carol frowned and rolled onto her side, feeling a twinge of pain in her stomach. She closed her eyes and took a breath, listening to the soft hum from the TV downstairs as she silently counted down the seconds in her head.

"I hate to say I told you so."

"Then don't. Just come get me."

"I can't do that."

"Mama, please."

"If your daddy was here…"

"Daddy's dead, mama."

"And you never even came home for the funeral."

"You know why."

Carol groaned in frustration and sat up, throwing her legs over the side of the bed. 12:56. She stood and toed her shoes on one at a time before crossing the room and grabbing her packed bag from her corner chair.

It's been a long time coming.

The steps creaked under each step she took. There was no way around it. She'd wanted to get out without a sound. She'd wanted to avoid a confrontation. She was tired of the relentless arguing, the shards of a broken relationship that could never be mended. She was tired of crying, of screaming, of remembering alone while he drugged his brain with booze and sex with different woman every night. She could look past the affairs. It had only bothered her the first few months, but she'd come to accept it. She'd come to welcome it, because it only meant she had time to plan, time to figure her way out. It only pissed her off that her mama and daddy had been right the whole damned time, and she was defeated. She'd loved and she'd fought and she'd lost and she'd sworn that the next time, she'd get out before she could get hurt. It's just the way it had to be.

She paused on the last step as gravel crunched and popped as a truck pulled in the drive. She sighed heavily, and her stomach lurched as she realized what she was about to do.

The table lamp was on, and the TV was stuck on an infomercial. Ed was passed out in his chair with a stubbed out cigarette in the ashtray perched precariously on the edge of the table. She could smell the stench of spilled whiskey and smoke still clinging in the air, and she took a step toward him.

Don't do this, baby girl.

Her mama's voice was thick in her head. She couldn't help herself. As much as she wanted to slip out in the night, she knew Ed was still loaded and wouldn't be able to chase after her even if he could. At least this way she could say she looked him in the face and said her piece before she left for good.

This is a bad idea. Just walk away, Carol. Just walk away.

She took a step closer, and she could hear him snoring softly as his fingers twitched in his lap.

"Ed. Ed, wake up." He snorted, startling, but he didn't open his eyes. "Ed, I'm leaving." She took another step toward him, and it was then that she saw the pistol tucked in the side of the chair.

"Don't worry, darlin'. I'll save the last bullet for you."

She froze, feeling as if the wind had been knocked from her. She remembered the flicker of hate in his eyes and the smell of booze on his breath. She remembered how she'd scolded him for buying the gun in the first place, and how he'd compromised and kept it locked away in the closet upstairs. And she remembered how one night, he'd threatened to blow her brains out because some guy had smiled at her at the mall, and he'd sworn she was cheating. And then she'd thrown his own cheating ways back in his face, and he'd threatened to end her. His threats were nothing compared to the bruises he'd left on her, nothing compared to the shame she felt each time the ER doctor asked her what really happened. He wasn't the man she'd fallen in love with. He wasn't even close.

"Goodbye, Ed."

She turned then, grabbing her jacket off the coat rack by the door, and then she was gone, letting the screen door slam behind her in her wake.

The truck was parked at the end of the drive, lights off just as she'd asked. A soft drizzle dampened her face and she shivered as she saw someone lean across the cab and open the passenger door.

"You get all your shit?" came the low grumble from the driver's seat.

"Yeah," she murmured.

"You got my money?"

"I've got your money, and you'll get it as soon as you've dropped me off someplace public where there's an ATM."

"Smart," he said with a chuckle. "Well, get it, sugar tits."

"Charming," Carol grumbled, sliding into the passenger's seat.

"Hey, you're the one runnin' from your husband. I'm just the kind stranger offerin' to get you the hell outta town. Wasn't that the deal?" She shot him a look as he turned the lights on and started backing out of the drive.

"He's not my husband. Now drive."

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled. "Just one stop before we hit the road."

"That wasn't part of the arrangement."

"Don't worry. I just have to pick up my baby brother." Carol flinched, and she started to reach for the door handle. "Hey, now. Don't worry. Daryl wouldn't hurt a fly. I'm just pickin' him up from work. This time tomorrow, you'll be on a bus to who-knows-where, and you won't never have to see this place again."

"Good," Carol murmured, folding her arms across her chest and shivering as Merle Dixon turned off of Vine Street and headed for the highway.

...

"What the hell, Merle? You couldn't pick up your 'date' after you take me home? If I knew you needed my truck for that, I woulda never let ya borrow it."

"She ain't a date," Merle pointed out, slapping his brother on the back. Daryl eyed him. Given his brother's proclivity for paying for a good time, he wasn't certain what to believe. He narrowed his eyes, gazing at the young woman watching him nervously from the truck. No, she certainly wasn't Merle's type. But she was beautiful. "Told you I was doin' some work tonight."

"What kind of work?" Daryl asked. "And I swear to God, Merle, if this is gonna get your ass thrown in jail again, I'm not bailin' you out."

"Relax, baby brother," Merle snickered. "This pretty gal hired me to drive her outta town."

"That's it?" Daryl asked, voice thick with disbelief.

"Yeah. That's it."

"So you ain't runnin' drugs or…"

"I told ya I put that shit behind me. Guess I still ain't got your trust, huh?" Merle grinned at his younger brother and shook his head. "You ride along, and I'll prove to you I'm on the up and up. She's gettin' away from this prick she's been livin' with. She just needs a ride outta town."

"And instead of doin' it outta the goodness of your heart, you're makin' her pay ya."

"Guy's gotta eat," Merle said with a shrug, patting Daryl's shoulder. Daryl shrugged away from him and grabbed his coat off the back of one of the bike's he'd been working on. "You comin', or are you gonna sleep in the shop tonight?"

"Nah, I'm comin'," Daryl grumbled. "Just gotta lock up. Be out in a minute." Merle nodded and headed back to the truck. Daryl made quick work of making sure the shop was locked up and ready for business tomorrow morning.

When he headed out and approached the truck, he saw the young woman tense as Merle said something to her. He must have told her to scoot over, as she did so quickly to make room for Daryl. Daryl paused, meeting the woman's gaze, seeing the way she seemed to relax a little when she looked into his eyes. Merle snorted and honked the horn, startling Daryl from his thoughts.

"Ain't got all night, Darylina. Get in or stay out. Either way, this truck's leavin'." With a frown, Daryl climbed in and slammed the door. Carol jumped, and Merle stepped on the gas, letting the tires squeal against the wet pavement as he took off.