Plain Jane & the Bad Boy

Chapter 1

"Please, please, please don't wake up," she muttered, even as Vivi let loose a whine from the backseat. So much for pleading. Driving always worked getting her to sleep, driving without the potholes, that is. And a car with decent shocks, brakes, muffler, shit everything.

What Sabrina's wallet could afford and what she was accustomed to no longer coincided. That's what happens when the man funding your life gets a prison sentence. The money that bought her designer clothes, a Mercedes, and a four-thousand-square foot house was never hers. And that money came with a steep price.

The house, the car, the jewelry, all were hocked to keep Vincent out of jail. A useless effort since the state prison in Atlanta was now his new home.

Another whine from the backseat, this one louder than the last. Sabrina risked a glance at her precious cargo nestled in her baby carrier and met clear blue eyes and a gummy smile. "Just a few more miles and we'll be home. Our new home. So, don't cry, okay?"

At ten months old, Vivi was a happy baby, usually, especially after her bout of colic ended after her first three months. However, ignore her at your own peril.

"Be good for Mama, just a bit more," Sabrina pleaded, though knew Vivi's cooperation would last as long as her butt was dry, and her belly wasn't empty. After four hours in the car, both were unlikely.

A whimper confirmed it. Any second now, a full meltdown would happen, and once Vivi started, she'd go for hours.

Sabrina sighed, exited the state road, and pulled into the first gas station. By the time she'd parked, Vivi's cries had reached ten decibels. She hustled to the back and freed her squirming offspring from the carrier.

"I know, Vivi. I'm hungry, too." Vivi calmed enough for a quick diaper change but fussed when Sabrina didn't whip out her boob fast enough. "All right. All right."

Vivi saw lunch and smacked her lips and kicked her legs. Sabrina winced when her daughter clamped on and began feeding. That first bite always hurt, but the steady suction of Vivi's little mouth had a soothing effect. Sabrina leaned back into the hard cushions and relaxed because this would probably be the last chance she had today.

She wanted to be at the house by 9:00 a.m. The clock on the dashboard just changed to noon. Hours behind schedule, she should be happy she was upright and functioning. Plus, she'd never been on time a single day in her life. Why start now.

Two weeks overdue, Vivi took after her mama. "Don't you, baby?" Sabrina ruffled Vivi's brown, silky locks, earning a milky grin. Took after her mama but looked like her father—the son of a bitch. She loved her daughter but hated the resemblance. Be kind, God, and let her grow out of it.

The puckered flesh on her back itched and she scratched the skin, which made it worse since she couldn't reach behind for a good scratch. Sighing, she rubbed her back against the rough material of the seat. The fraction of relief she received would have to be okay.

A grin broke across her face. Actually, everything was okay, because today was the start of their new lives. A life without abuse, and terror. Without men in leather cuts on motorcycles showing up at all hours of the night whenever they wanted and staying 'til morning. A life without sex on demand, whether she wanted it or not. A life where no meant no, and she had a choice. A life where he wouldn't knock her up on purpose because it was time she had a kid, or another kid, then another.

Her nipple popped out of Vivi's rosebud mouth and she didn't go chasing after it. "All done?" A shift and a jiggle got her boob back in her bra. A couple of pats on Vivi's back produced an epic burp. "Good job, baby." Back in the carrier she went. Those clear blue eyes stared at Sabrina, ready for the coming pep talk.