Charming Deception, Page 15.

“Jaks!” I scream. I glance out the window as I run to him. I straddle him and sit on his lap in the chair and put pressure on his lip wound with some tissues I find in my pocket. He says nothing, but his warm brown eyes caress me lovingly. And there was something else in his eyes I couldn’t quite read.  Something sad, maybe? Shame?  

“Werner, may I have a private moment alone with my husband, please?”

“What?” laughs Werner. “You’ve got to be joking! No. Absolutely not! No!”

“What do you think we’re going to do? Jump out the damn window? You want my continued cooperation, don’t you? I have no problem helping you. You could’ve just asked me instead of playing ambush at the drugstore. Give me a few minutes alone with my husband.”

“Five minutes, Mrs. Blake. And we will be standing right here outside the door.”

Werner closes the door. I kiss this beautiful man in front of me, reach behind him and untie him.

“Are you okay, honey?” he softly whispers to me and I just wait to hold him in my arms and rock him. He’s been smacked around, his lip is bleeding, and yet he wants to know if I’m okay.  

“Come on,” I whisper and lead him to the window.

“What are you up to?” he whispers. “What are we going to do?”

“Jump.”

“No, Sam. NO! This is crazy. We’ll break our legs. And then, they’ll drag us back into the warehouse and kill us.”

I grab his hand and jump, pulling him down with me. We landed on the awning below and slide down to the edge, jumping to the sidewalk.

“Samantha, have you lost your mind? And how did you even know there was an awning?”

“Run! I’ve been here before. There’s a great little vintage clothes shop up here on the left.” I take off running, cross the street, and duck into a small shop. Jaks follows me.

“We need help. Clothes. Disguise.”

“Cops?”

“No. Abusive ex-husband. The bastard just won’t leave me alone. And if he catches us, he’ll kill him, and he’s a very good man,” I say, nodding toward Jakson.

“In here,” says the sympathetic older woman who ushers us into a back room. She eyes Samantha.

“Size ten?” I nod and the woman disappears. In a few minutes, she comes back with an outfit for me and a long auburn wig, stretchy flats, and a big handbag.

“Now, you, you tall drink of water,” she turns to Jakson, “you’re going to be a problem.”

I go into the dressing room to change. Jaks follows me in.

“Do you have a credit card on you?” He nods and pulls it out to show me.

“Good. Give it to her. And I mean GIVE.”

He nods. “Got it.”

The woman comes back in with a long coat, baseball cap, sunglasses, and a Beatles tee shirt.

“This is the best I could come up with.”

“Thank you,” says Jakson, handing her his credit card. “We can’t use it anymore. It’ll be traced. Use it. Buy yourself something really nice. From us, as a little thank you for helping us. We truly appreciate your help.” Jakson slides into a fitting room and emerges looking very retro-cool.

“Here,” the woman jams some cash into Jakson’s hand. “Lunch money. Take good care of her. And good luck to you two.”

15.