Finding Angel Book 1

By Mya Wolf

Ava ran, she ran to save her life. She changed her identity. She finally escaped the monster after 10 years. Unexpectedly, a man name Harley ignited a spark within her. Just when she thought she could have a new life and let her guard down, the monster found her and he will take a casualty along the way. To protect herself and the only man she has ever loved, she must run again. No one will find her this time, not even Harley Black.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mya Wolf
• Release date: Apr 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201199920

Book preview

About the Author

For up-and-coming author Mya Wolf, writing has been a life-long passion. Yet, as with most fervent writers, her journey did not always start out this way.

Since her early twenties, Mya has been working as a nurse, taking care of those who need her most. However, her creativity needed an outlet, which is why she pursued her dream of putting the fantastical stories in her head on paper.

Apart from writing prolific tales of worlds beyond her own, Mya spends time with her wonderful son, and her husband in their home country, Australia. Mya also indulges in things that give her joy. Namely coffee, chocolate and fishing and tall, muscular, tattooed men with beards — in no order.

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Angel Series:

Finding Angel

Saving Angel

Iron Hart Trilogy

Vanquished Hart

Indomitable Iron

Iron Hart

Stand-alone

Wrath of The Devil

Chapter One

Sarah/Ava

One way ticket from Kansas to New York City, one hundred and twelve dollars on a Greyhound Bus. That is the cost of my freedom. Hours, 29. I have $5000 cash. No cards, just cash and a plethora of fake ID’s. I am now Ava Bennet age twenty one. Gone is Sarah Sawyer aged twenty five. I have a small bag of clothes, nothing personal. No photos, no phone, nothing. I hardly have any clothes. I was not allowed many clothes to begin with. I have a long black wig on to cover my blonde. Brown contacts to cover my blue. Baggy clothes to cover the bruises and my body. I have one number memorized. I have been memorizing this number for the past year. A payphone in an obscure part of Kansas, and only one person will answer. My sister Hannah is my liberator. She helped me pull all this together over the past year. We could not go to the authorities. He owns them. Somehow Hannah was able to obtain the fake ID’s, references, and a CV. She sold our mothers jewellery to save. She saved all her money from working. She really did the best she could knowing full well I was unable to do any of this....and more. As I sit on the bus to escape the misery and torture, I wonder what lies ahead. How will I do this? Can I do this? Hopefully, I am strong enough to pull this off. I know my nightmares will follow me no matter where I go. That I cannot escape. I have had doubts halfway through this trip. I keep telling myself being on this bus and leaving is way better than staying. You can escape the devil. He told me if I left, he would slit my sister’s throat. I do not believe him; he needs her to find me. Unlike me she is too ingrained into the community to go ‘missing.’ As I step off the bus in New York City, the overwhelming relief I feel is enough to put a small smile on my face. Before I set off, I have one phone call to make.

One ring.

Is it you? she asks.

Yes Hannah, its me. I’m here and I’m safe.

Oh thank god. Now go and start your new life. I love you.

I do not speak as I am too choked up with emotion. Hannah hangs up and I realise that the one small thread I was hanging onto to not lose it has unravelled. I will not hear her voice for another 4 weeks. I make my way to a cheap and nasty hotel, that Hannah had reserved for me. I am tired and hungry and most of all I want to sleep. As I get inside the room, I lock it with no intention of opening it for anyone. Removing the wig and contacts along with my disgusting clothes I look in the mirror. Who is that in the mirror? I have not seen my own reflection properly in the last ten years. I have massive dark circles under my eyes, my cheeks are sunken in, my skin is sallow. My collarbone is covered in bruises, fresh from 3 days ago. My ribs are protesting less than they were over a month ago, although I can still see the fading bruises. My eyes look lifeless, my hair is long and brittle. I do not even want to know what my back looks like, nor I think I can stomach to look. I turn on the shower and jump in. It’s my first shower in years without being watched. I sit down in the shower and finally release the tears. I can now let go. I can move on. I sit and scrub the last ten years away.

As I pick myself up off the floor, I feel determined to start my new life as Ava Bennet.

Chapter Two

Ava

10 months later....

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After 2 months of living on the street and washing in public restrooms, I finally have a place of my own. I managed to get a job waitressing on the Upper East Side making good money and even better tips. As luck would have it, my co-worker Amanda was left a small apartment by her grandmother. It was sitting empty, and Amanda knew I was looking for a place to live. She asked if I would like to rent it out. She did not know I was on the streets, but knowing it was cheap, rent controlled and fully furnished it worked for me. Being on the Lower Eastside is no problem for me at all. It is a place I can call home. Somehow I have managed to get myself into a cosy boring routine. A boring one, one I am more than happy with. No friends, just the two I work with, Amanda and Cheryl. They are both crazy party girls. They party every night, go out with rich customers, sometimes disappearing to some exotic island or country with said rich customers. Considering Amanda’s Dad owns the restaurant we work at they have a lot more leniency than most. The girls are always trying to drag me to a party of some sort, setting me up with guys I have zero interest in. It is not like I do not want to date; I do. I just need to find ‘that guy.’ The one with kind eyes and warm smile. Gentle touch that makes you want more. I want a man. I want a man that when he holds me it feels like home.

The restaurant is packed as I walk in. The hair on the back of my neck stands up. I feel as though someone is watching me, so I look behind to make sure he isn’t here. So far, so good. I see nothing out of the ordinary. Today is particularly busy in the restaurant considering its winter and everyone wants to stay inside to keep warm. Good for me, more tips. Both Amanda and Cheryl are here today and as usual they will badger me to go out tonight with them. Halfway through my shift and in my section a group of ladies are seated. They are extremely well dressed; no doubt designer clothes and purses with perfect hair and nails. Not one of them does not have diamonds dripping off them. This will not be a fun table but hopefully a well tipping one. As I make my way over to them, one of them looks me up and down and turns her nose up at me. I will take orders and deal with them. One thing I do notice as I get to the table is the heavy scent of their perfumes mixing. It smells like mothballs.

Are you ladies ready to order? I ask.

No and you are quite rude interrupting us, says nasty lady number one.

No problem, I say back with a fake ass smile.

My name is Ava, please don’t hesitate to wave me down when you are ready.

I go about fixing up a few of my other tables when I hear what sounds like clicking fingers. I look over to the ‘Nasty’ table and sure enough Number One is staring at me with an annoyed look on her scrunched-up face clicking her fingers. Lucky me. I am already on edge as it is, I can still feel eyes on me.

Took you long enough Myrtle, number two nasty lady barks.

My name is Ava.

Oh, like any of us care what your name is, says number one.

The disdain and hatred she throws my way is just enough to push me over an edge I was already delicately balancing on. I take their coffee order and head over to the barista. I handed over the order and asked Cheryl to cover my tables for ten minutes. I go out the back of the restaurant and bawl my eyes out. I do not even know why I am crying, is it really that bad that these women are treating me like this? I must move past this; I must stay tough and strong. Just smile and keep on moving and remember why I am here in the first place. I wash my tears away splashing cold water on my face, take a deep breath and go back inside. Thankfully, they have their coffee and are too busy talking and throwing around fake laughs to notice me. I keep going making the rounds and making sure to avoid them. When did I become such a wuss? I seriously need a drink to loosen up. I know I am safe, so it will not hurt to let this guard down, that is pretty much ironclad. One of the ladies clicks her fingers at me again to get my attention this time nasty lady number three.

How may I help you? I ask.

Check, now. number three spits.

Sure Ma’am, I say pretty much done with this.

As I hand over the check, I thank them for coming in and to enjoy the rest of their day and leave them with that. I must be nice otherwise they will break me; I will not go down that rabbit hole again. They finally left with one more nasty look directed my way. As I make my way over to the table to grab the check, I notice there was no tip except one of them wrote, ‘Horrible service completely useless and not worthy of a tip.’ No tip and a bad review of my job is not what I need right now, hopefully they will not come back.

Halfway through my shift I get the feeling I'm being watched again. Unfortunately, I am fairly good at honing that instinct after years of being watched, you just know when you are. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up once again. I quickly looked around to see if I could see him. I do not see him I do not even see anyone I would recognize, so I just go about my job cautiously telling myself over and over that I'm safe and he cannot find me. I think my nightmares from the night before are playing tricks on me. Paranoia at its finest. The feeling eases off eventually, maybe those women just threw me off a bit and I am being more sensitive than ever. Time to move on, finish this shift and go home. I am tired. I am done with this day; I have had enough and all I want to do is have a hot shower and sleep. Amanda and Cheryl corner me in the staff room as I grab my coat ready to leave. Oh, this is not a good sign. Ava, please please PLEASE come out with us tonight. You have been here for almost a year, and you always turn us down. You could do with some fun after those snobs today. Oh, bloody hell. Amanda is looking at me with wild excited eyes as I contemplate. Ok, I will go. I finally cave. I watched as they both squealed clapping their hands. Now I have no idea what I just got myself into.

There is an amazing bar around the corner called Jimmy’s, you will love it, states Cheryl. All I want is a drink to loosen my stiff shoulders. I do not even drink. I always wanted to know what alcohol tasted like, but I was never allowed. As we walked through the bar, I notice it is very Uptown, quite fitting considering where we are. Luckily, I have my nice jacket on, so it covers my uniform. So many men in suits, nothing I have not seen before working in this area.  A few women scattered here and there talking to the men. They look quite desperate but what would I know? As we sit at the bar and order we start talking about the day we all had. Both Amanda and Cheryl backed me up to the boss without my knowledge regarding my non tip tip. They explained to Joe how rude these women were and it was not my fault.  Luckily for me my reputation precedes me, and no further action will be required. Maybe these girls are friends after all.  Friends, there is a new concept.

So..tell us Ava, do you have a man? asks Cheryl.

No, no man, no boyfriend.

Why not? they both shriek in unison.

I cannot tell them the truth so where do I go from here? Ummm, I’m just really picky.

They both start laughing.

The girls order another round and what the hell? I will be fine. This drinking and chatting away with the girls is fun. Four or maybe five drinks in I am starting to get lightheaded, so I ask the bar man for a water. As the night continues, more drinks and dancing, Amanda has ditched us for a guy. Cheryl and myself are at the bar when she asks the most dreaded question yet one I have an answer for.

Ava, tell me more about yourself.

There is not much to tell. I’m from Jersey, only child and both of my parents passed away 15 years ago. So now after my grandparents raised me, I moved to the city hoping to start a new and exciting life here.

I’m so sorry Ava, I had no idea. Well now you have two new friends, and we are going to have a blast together. Her infectious smile and overall happiness tells me I am on the right path to a new and safe life. As we continue to chat a guy walks up to Cheryl and asks her if she would like to dance. She looks to me and I shoo her away. I need more water and less alcohol anyway. She gives me a little wink and tells me to get her