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Back The Runaway Heiress Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE FOR MEG TILLY AND HER NOVELS
  3. TITLES BY MEG TILLY
  4. Dedication
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
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  25. 20
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  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  69. Excerpt from SOLACE ISLAND
  70. 1
  71. 2
  72. 3
  73. 4
  74. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  75. What’s next onyour reading list?

She was sticky, with a stain down her front, and she smelled of root beer. However, she wasn’t going to be deterred from her plan. She would slip into the post office on the way to her room at Ma Green’s boardinghouse. Hopefully, the promised separation agreement documents from her mom and dad’s old attorney and family friend, Phillip Clarke, had arrived. Sarah would then take them to the public library, get them signed, notarized, and mailed back before the post office closed for the night. Once the separation agreement was signed and notarized, the clock would start ticking. And in a year from today she would be free. Free. Kevin would no longer have power over her. Legal or otherwise.

So why was she feeling so jumpy? The taste in her mouth, slightly bitter, acidic. Her gut felt queasy. Perhaps the mayonnaise on the chicken sandwich she had eaten at lunch break was off? You’ve got to stop obsessing like this, she told herself sternly, even though her pulse was racing. You’re probably having an anxiety attack. Kevin’s four states away. Most likely he’s at the precinct, steamrolling over some unlucky soul. Sarah turned onto N. Galena Avenue, shaking her arms to try to dispel the tension, and that’s when she saw him.

Kevin. Close-cropped hair. Built like a tank. Brutal sledgehammer fists. He was leaning idly against his car, eyes trained on the post office door. A lit cigarette dangled from his fingers.

Kevin. She scrambled backward, desperate to get out of view. How did he find me? In her haste, she’d forgotten about the brick pharmacy steps and was airborne for a second before hitting the ground hard. Phillip must have told Kevin where I am. Sarah stumbled to her feet, her eyes hot, feeling as if her last tenuous thread to her beloved parents had just been severed. How could he have betrayed their trust like that? Betrayed mine? She turned, sudden hot tears streaming down her face as she ran. Ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding loud in her ears, the copper taste of blood in her mouth.

Della was heading into the diner when Sarah burst into the alley, wild-eyed, desperate, jelly-kneed with fear. “Help me,” Sarah croaked, her voice barely a whisper. “Please. I need a ride.”

1

Three years and ten months later . . .