She felt dizzy and wondered about her blood pressure. Her anxiety was through the roof.
‘We have to leave. Now.’
They were still in The Ceilidh Place and Ava couldn’t believe it. They were sitting ducks.
‘And go where?’ Heather said. She was staring at Sandy, she hadn’t taken her eyes off them since she got the message through Lennox.
‘Anywhere,’ Ava said, waving her hand at the window. ‘You don’t understand, I can’t stay here.’
Heather sighed. ‘We can’t run forever.’
‘Just watch me.’ Ava felt hot, leaned heavily against the desk.
‘Ava, this can’t go on indefinitely. You have to face him sometime or you’ll never be free.’
‘You don’t understand.’
‘I know controlling men, we all do. But you’re not on your own. You’ve got us.’
Ava shook her head. She knew there were plenty men just like Michael, thousands treating their wives and girlfriends like dogs, slaves. But this was her personal heartbreak. Michael spent years destroying her sense of herself, her worth. She wasn’t going to get dragged back to being an empty shell of a woman.
‘Where are the truck keys?’ she said.
‘Ava.’
‘Either you come with me, or I go myself.’
Heather pointed at Sandy in the sink. ‘What about Sandy? Lennox?’
Ava shook her head. ‘We’ve brought them here like they wanted.’
‘We’re not finished.’
Ava folded her arms across her chest. ‘You’re not finished. You still have some weird thing to do with Sandy. Maybe Lennox isn’t finished, he just wants what they want. But I’m finished. I have to think about my wellbeing. I have to leave.’
Heather chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment. She stood, went to her bag on the floor, pulled out the keys and a roll of money.
‘You might need it.’
Ava wanted to cry. Stupid hormones. She hadn’t expected Heather to agree so easily. She took the keys and money, tears in her eyes.
‘Scotland runs out, Ava,’ Heather said. ‘There’s only an hour or two north of here, then what? Orkney? Shetland? Norway?’
‘Maybe.’
‘You’ll always be looking over your shoulder.’
‘That was always going to be true. I’ll forever be scared he’ll turn up. That’s what he’s done to me.’
She hugged Heather, felt herself crying then pulled away, didn’t want to stay in Heather’s arms in case she never left. She walked out and downstairs, nodded to the woman at reception then left the hotel.
The sun was low but the air was still fresh and bright. Two bulky bikers with sleeve tattoos and beer guts sat at an outdoor table with pints. They glanced up as she turned towards the truck.
‘Ava.’
Ice in her veins. The voice loud and confident behind her, those two syllables in his mouth making her flinch. It was too late. The truck was fifty yards away, might as well be a million miles.
She didn’t want to turn round, as soon as she saw his face, this was real.
‘Ava.’ This was quieter, closer, assured and controlled.
Ava pushed the point of the truck keys out between her knuckles and turned.
Michael was twenty yards away, walking calmly towards her. He had all the time in the world, knew she wasn’t going anywhere.
‘Darling.’
He held his arms out to embrace her and she stepped back, raised her fists, showing off the truck keys.
He paused. ‘Honey, I’m here to take you home.’
‘I’m not going with you.’
‘I’m here to look after you. Your mum wants you to be safe. We’ve been worried sick.’
‘Don’t mention her,’ Ava said, voice shaking.
His face was so familiar yet so alien, like she’d never really known him.
‘We’re your family,’ he said. ‘Come home where we can look after you.’
‘That’s not what you want. You want control.’
‘We love each other, Ava, come on.’ His eyes widened and he put on an innocent face. ‘You’re confused and upset. It’s the hormones.’ He looked at her stomach. ‘All this is a mistake.’
‘No.’
He heard her tone and his face hardened.
‘Honey, I can make all this go away,’ he said. ‘The police, what happened at the beach, the underage schoolboy.’
‘That’s not what happened.’
‘It’s what everyone thinks. But I can tell them you were unwilling and confused.’
‘Fuck you.’
‘If you don’t come home right now, you’ll end up in prison.’ His voice was flat. ‘Of course, you’ll never see the baby, I’ll make sure of that.’
He was suddenly right in her face, taking her arm, and she saw her own fist swing round and catch his cheek, the edge of the key slicing the skin, blood bubbling to the surface. He didn’t stop, gripped her other arm tight, knocked the keys from her hand and began dragging her, his grip burning her skin.
She lost balance and tipped forward. She spotted the bikers watching from their table.
‘Rape! Help!’ She looked straight at them. ‘This man is my stalker, he’s going to rape and kill me. You have to help.’
They jumped off the bench and strode over. Michael turned to her and the hatred in his eyes burned like the sun. He kept hold of one of her arms and held a hand up to the guys.
‘She’s my wife,’ he said. ‘She’s confused.’
The bigger of the two in a cut-off Motörhead T-shirt shook his head as he reached them. He was a foot taller than Michael and several stone heavier. Bald head and bushy beard.
‘Let the lady go,’ he said. ‘She doesn’t want to go with you.’
Michael was still pulling her. ‘This is none of your business.’
‘It’s our business now.’
They blocked Michael’s way and he tried to step around. Motörhead threw a punch into Michael’s stomach and he doubled over. The other guy brought his fist down onto the back of Michael’s head sending him to the ground. He lay there curled up, trying to suck in air as he rocked in the gutter.
Ava rubbed her wrists, the skin red.
‘Now on your way,’ Motörhead said to Michael. ‘And don’t come back.’
Michael got to his knees and stared at Ava, ignoring the two guys.
‘I’ll be back,’ he said. ‘With the police to have you arrested.’
Ava touched her throat and smiled at Motörhead and his mate. Then she turned to Michael on the ground.
‘Fuck off.’