My purse rested beneath my chair, and my hands trembled so violently that I nearly dropped my phone while pulling it out. I did not stop to think. I simply dialed the one number that I knew would answer immediately.
“Luke,” I whispered when the call connected, feeling blood warm against my lip. “Please help me.”
Victor leaned close to my ear and spoke in a dangerously quiet voice. “Hang up now, or you will make this worse.”
My brother Luke answered on the second ring.
“Julia?” His voice instantly turned sharp when he heard my breathing. “Where are you right now?”
I tried to speak clearly even though my jaw throbbed. “Silver Magnolia Restaurant in downtown Raleigh. Victor hit me.”
For a brief moment there was silence, the kind that felt like the entire world holding its breath. Then Luke said firmly, “Stay on the phone with me and do not hang up. I am calling emergency services right now, and if you can put me on speaker it will help.”
Victor’s hand tightened painfully on my shoulder as he demanded, “Who are you calling?”
I did not respond. I held the phone tightly while sweat made the screen slippery in my palm.
Across the table Patricia shook her head with practiced disapproval. “Julia, you are embarrassing the family,” she said coldly. “You should feel grateful that Victor tolerates your attitude.”
My cheek pulsed painfully. I looked toward Renee, who had turned pale while staring at me with wide eyes, her hand hovering near her mouth. Behind her my supervisor, Douglas Whitaker, appeared shocked and uncertain, trapped between professional training and simple human fear.
Harold Langford clasped his hands together like a preacher delivering a sermon. “This situation is spiritual,” he announced loudly enough for nearby diners to glance toward us. “Only God can save you.”
Luke’s voice reached me through the phone again, steady and intense. “Julia, listen carefully. Do not let them isolate you. Move closer to staff or other people. Is anyone nearby who can help you?”
My legs felt unstable, but I forced myself to stand upright. Victor tightened his grip.
“Do not walk away from me,” he warned.
“Let go,” I said.
Danielle stepped closer while raising her phone. “You are acting insane,” she said with a bright smile that felt disturbingly unnatural. “This video will look terrible for you.”