“And your mom did this to you?” she asks, catching me off guard with her question, making my body go solid in response.

Licking my lips, I turn to look at her. “She did.”

“Does she live near you?” she questions softly, looking me over.

“About twenty minutes away, with my aunt.”

“So…your daughter’s father?”

“He’s dead,” I say, feeling tears fill my eyes at the thought.

Hope isn’t my biological daughter. Edward, my brother, and his girlfriend, Bonnie, were hit head-on by a drunk driver. Both died on impact. Hope survived with only a few scrapes. I was granted custody of her the next day on my ninetieth birthday, when she was just four weeks old.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers quietly.

“It was a long time ago,” I say, wrapping my arms around my waist, trying to keep myself together.

“Do you have a job back home?”

My body stiffens further and I feel my eyes narrow. I know people make assumptions about me all the time because of where I live and how I grew up, but I went to school and got my hairdressing license right after highschool and have been on my own since then. I’ve worked hard at making a life for me and Hope, so her future will be brighter than Edward’s and mine. I know that’s what he wanted for her, and for me.

“I do hair,” I reply, just because I don’t want to be rude after how nice she has been.

“I know this is going to sound completely outlandish, but have you ever thought about moving and starting over somewhere else?” she inquires softly.

Sure, I had thought about it, but as a single mother, I was only able to save a few dollars here and there. Having a child isn’t cheap, and I refuse to use government assistance. My mother did it for years, even though she could have worked. “I’m only asking, because this is a nice place to live, a good place to raise a child.”

“Maybe someday,” I mutter, feeling uncomfortable.

“I was a single mother for awhile,” she says, surprising me. “I know how difficult it is to raise a child without having people around you can lean on. Not that I’m saying you don’t have that, but—”

“All I have is me,” I cut her off. Yes, I have a few friends, but no one I can trust. Not really, anyways, and family…I don’t have that either. It’s always been just Hope and me.

Her eyes go soft and she stands from the bed. “You could move here. My friend owns a salon in town. He’s always looking for help, and Jax already said you could stay with him until you got on your feet. He’s hardly home anyways.”

Stay with Jax?

Yeah, no thank you.

“We would all feel better knowing you’re here—at least until the other guy is caught.”

Oh, God. How did I forget about him? I don’t know if he knows where I live, and what if something happens to Hope? Closing my eyes, I rub my forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

“I know you want to keep your daughter safe, and my son will make sure of it.”

“I don’t know.” I open my eyes. This is too much to handle right now.

“Sometimes you have to jump off the ledge with both feet, honey. I know this is a scary time to be making big life changes, but I believe everything happens for a reason, and maybe…just maybe…you’re supposed to take a chance on something new.” She reaches out, rubbing my arm.

My grandma before she died told me, Devour life without chewing, and pray that you don’t choke. Could I do that now? Take a chance and pray for the best? “Are you sure your friend needs help?” I hear myself ask without even realizing it.

She smiles then nods. “I’m positive.”

“Maybe I have a concussion,” I mutter, surprised I’m really thinking about doing this. It’s not like me to take unnecessary risks.

“I’ll be here for you whenever you need me, and I know my husband and daughter will do the same, along with Jax.”

Oh, God. Jax. I’m not sure what to do with him, but I need to keep Hope safe, and the farther I get away from my family, the better, not only for her, but for me as well.

“Okay,” I state.

“Okay?”

“Yes, I need to make sure my daughter is safe,” I explain softly.

Her arms wrap around me in a hug and she mutters, “I promise things are going to be better now.”

I’m not so sure about that. I feel like I just went from the frying pan into the fire.

Chapter 1

Jax

“Thank you again for taking me.” Pulling my eyes from the road for a brief moment, I look at Ellie. Her head is resting against the window, her legs pulled up onto the seat, tucked near her ass, and her arms are wrapped tight around them. One thing I’ve noticed about her over the last few hours is she’s always wrapping her arms around herself or tucking her body into a tight ball. It’s like she’s forcing herself to stay together.

“I told you I got you, baby,” I say gently, wanting more than anything to take her hand in mine, but every time I touch her, she freezes up like she’s waiting for me to strike out at her, and I would be lying if I said that didn’t piss me the fuck off. It does; it feels like a slap in the face every time it happens.

“I know,” she whispers, and the tears I hear in her voice cause a sharp pain in my chest.

Fuck.

“This is the turnoff.” Her feet go to the floorboard and her hands to the dash as she sits up taller, moving her face closer to the windshield. We drive up a long dirt driveway with forest and the occasional broken down car on each side. When we make it to the top of the hill, a singlewide trailer comes into view, with junk cars and garbage piled up out front.