Page 8 of Jay Bird

The safe beneath the television was already slightly open, and Willow stood there for a moment, staring at it, then back toward the bedroom as if waiting for some part of her to tell her to stop. It didn’t. She didn’t hesitate. Crossing the office in a few quick steps, she pulled the safe door wider, and her breath caught when she saw the stacks of cash inside. There was more money than she had ever seen in one place.

For three years, Chen had stolen everything from her. Tonight, she was taking something back.

She grabbed several bundles and shoved them beneath the waistband of her shorts and panties, arranging the torn fabric as best she could to conceal them. Walking through the house carrying stacks of Chen’s money would raise questions she couldn’t afford to answer.

Before leaving, Willow hurried back into the bedroom, locked the door from the inside, then pulled it closed behind her as she stepped back into the office.

She took a breath, then another, steadying herself as best she could, and finally walked out.

The two guards were still stationed in the hallway, both men turning their attention to her as she approached.

Willow wanted to cover herself, but she forced her arms to remain at her sides. They had seen women leave Chen’s rooms bruised and bleeding before. If anything, looking exactly as she did would make her story more believable.

“Boss says he doesn’t want to be disturbed,” she said, hoping they couldn’t hear how hard her heart was pounding.

One guard glanced at her torn blouse before giving her a knowing smirk.

“Looks like you kept him busy.”

Willow’s first instinct was to punch him, to wipe that smug expression off his face and make him feel even a fraction of what she was going through. But she forced herself to swallow it down, lowering her eyes instead, because anger wouldn’t get her out of this alive.

“He’s in a mood. I would stay out of his way if I were you.”

The smile disappeared from the guard’s face, and Willow felt a small, sharp flicker of satisfaction.

Willow forced herself to walk away at a steady pace, even though every instinct in her body was screaming at her to run. She didn’t let herself breathe properly until she had finally rounded the corner and was out of sight. Only then did she risk a glance at her watch. She had about ten minutes, maybe fifteen.

If the routine hadn’t changed, the guards stationed near the side kitchen entrance would make their final sweep of the property before the shift change. That usually left the door unwatched for five to ten minutes.

It wasn’t much, but tonight it had to be enough. With that thought pressing hard in her chest, Willow hurried upstairs.

Every step sent pain radiating across her back, but she ignored it. She could hurt later. She could cry later. She could fall apart when Lily was somewhere Chen could never reach her. Right now she had to move.

She slipped into her bedroom and found Lily still fast asleep, her small body curled peacefully in the bed as if nothing in the world could touch her.

Willow quickly stripped off what remained of her top and shorts, biting down on her lip as the fabric brushed against the wounds across her back. She pulled on a loose T-shirt and lounge pants, then stepped into sneakers and grabbed a lightweight jacket.

There was no time to clean the blood from her face or inspect the damage Chen had done.

She grabbed Lily’s diaper backpack and checked it quickly. There were pull-ups, wipes, two changes of clothes, snacks, two books, and a small blanket. She walked over to Lily and carefully extracted Ellie from Lily’s small hands and shoved the stuffed elephant into the bag.

She tucked the bundles of cash beneath the diapers and clothes, zipped the backpack, and eased it over her shoulders.

Pain tore across her back, and Willow closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe through it.

Then she went to Lily, who stirred when Willow lifted her from the bed, making a sleepy little sound before immediately settling against her chest.

“Shh.” Willow kissed her temple. “Go back to sleep, bug. Mommy’s got you.”

Lily tucked her face into Willow’s neck, still half-asleep, and Willow instinctively tightened her hold, as if she could somehow shield her from everything in the world just by holding her a little closer.

She checked her watch. She needed to move.

Willow opened the bedroom door and peered into the hallway. When she saw no one, she slipped out and headed toward the rear staircase, moving as quickly as she dared with Lily in her arms.

The house seemed impossibly quiet. Every tiny sound made Willow’s heart jump. A door closing somewhere in the distance. The hum of the air-conditioning. The creak of a stair beneath her sneaker.

She kept expecting someone to call her name, bracing herself for the moment a voice would cut through the silence and stop her in her tracks. But no one did.