CORAL - Forever (A Romance Trilogy, Book 3) (59 page)

Why isn’t he doing something? – I don't understand?

“Ah, yes. I suppose you want paying,” Kane says to Stuart,
who nods once in return.

“YOU!” I bellow. I look across at Tristan, he’s in complete
shock, I don't think he can believe it. Stuart glances at Tristan, then looks
down at me, his eyes showing no remorse.

“Money talks.” He simply says. I instantly realise that’s
how they got in, why the alarms haven’t gone off and why they have got to Tristan
and I so easily – He led them to us!

I don't even think about it, I launch to my feet to attack
him. I go for a gut punch, but Stuart smacks my arm away, grabs me by the
throat and slams me up against the wall. He’s so much stronger than I am. “For
once in your life, why don't you shut the fuck up.” He squeezes my throat
tighter, crushing my wind pipe. “Always whining.” He adds, his jaw clenching.

“Let her go.” Kane snaps. Stuart releases me and I fall to
the floor, choking and gasping for air.
How the fuck didn’t I see this?
Stuart of all people, Stuart!

Kane hands Stuart a black briefcase, and reaches his hand
out to shake. Stuart hesitates, then reaches forward and takes Kane’s hand.

“Disappear.” Kane tells him.

“I have every intention of doing just that,” he says.

“Mother Fucker!” Tristan roars, trying to free himself
again. “I trusted you...I trusted you!” He yells, still trying to free himself.
Stuart winces slightly as he glances at Tristan, then turns and stalks out of
the room

I shake my head in denial -
This is not happening!
It’s
all a dream, a very bad dream. I start to really panic now, with Stuart
gone...what the fuck are we meant to do? I shake my head in disbelief. That did
not just happen...this is just a bad dream...a very vivid, frightening dream...

“Now where were we?” Kane says, smiling cynically as he
looks from me to Tristan. Then he opens his suit jacket and pulls out a gun.
It’s a big black gun, like Mel Gibson uses in Lethal Weapon – I instantly stop
breathing.

Kane smiles, loads the gun, clicks what I think is the
safety and points it at Tristan.

“NO!” I scream in panic, my hands held up. “Not him,
please...please. Kane!” He turns and looks down at me. “If you want to kill
someone, kill me, not him. I’m begging you...”

“NO CORAL!” Tristan roars again, still thrashing wildly. I
cannot allow Tristan to die, no way, not ever – I try to think of something to
do, something to get us out of this!

Kane laughs again. “How very brave of you Coral, to want to
give your life up for another’s? Hmm...I wonder?” He points the gun at my head.
“Eenie.” He turns and points it at Tristan. “Meenie.” Then back to me – Bastard
is toying with us – “Minie.” Back to Tristan. “Mo.” Finishing with me.

I squeeze my eyes shut. “Tristan I love you.” I shout out,
and stay still, waiting for the inevitable to happen, but nothing does happen,
so I look up at Kane.

He is laughing again, enjoying his game. “Just playing, that
part won't happen yet. I have plans for you,” he says and kneels down in front
of me.

He reaches forward, making me flinch, and runs his finger
down my cheek. I want to slap it away, but I don't know what he’ll do if I
enrage him. But his finger touching me turns my stomach, making me want to gag.
I fight back against the bile rising into my throat. My whole body starts to
shake with rage. I want to kill him, I want him dead.

I grit my teeth. “Just get on with it,” I snap. Not wanting
to know what he’s going to do, or what his plans are. If they are what I think
they are, I will just disappear, blank it out like I did as a child. Either
way, it does not matter, because I am reconciled with my fate – My life for
Tristan’s, always.

“Something to remember you by,” he adds, then looks to the
two men next to Tristan. “Go get the kit,” he says with a jerk of his head.
Kit?

I watch the two men leave the room.

Kane walks over to Dillon and unties his arms. “Time to do
your part Bro’ you should enjoy this, just like old times.” My stomach turns
again. Kane yanks Dillon forward until he’s stood at Tristan’s side, keeping hold
of his arm, Kane looks down at me, smiling widely.

“You do remember, don't you Coral, what we all did together
as kids? I want to see that again, I want to see him’- he jabs his finger at
Dillon- ‘Fuck you all over again, we just need the camera’s. This room will
make for an excellent scene, don't you think?”

Dillon hangs his head, he looks like he may throw up. I
think I’m going to throw up too. I stare down at the floor, blinking in horror.
Tristan is thrashing about again, if he doesn’t stay still he’s going to topple
over in the chair, and he’s so close to the water...and I won't be able to save
him.

“Keep still,” I shout at Tristan. He stills, but he’s
breathing so heavily, so deeply. He grits his teeth, squeezes his eyes shut and
screams out, almost like he’s howling in rage.

Kane continues. “So, we’re going to make a nice little
porno, and then we’re going to do something else. You see, sex sells Coral as
I’m sure you are aware of, but nowadays it’s nowhere near as lucrative as snuff
movies, and this is good practice for me. You see, I’ll be taking over the
family business when I disappear.”
Snuff movies?

I glare up at Kane, I try not to let him see it, see that
his words have affected me, but I can't help it. My heart is going like the
clappers, so I‘m breathing like I’ve been running up a hill, literally gasping
for air....I don't want to die, not like this. I want to die an old woman in my
bed, safely wrapped up in Tristan’s arms. I stare down at the floor again...shaking
my head in disbelief. This is about to happen, I’m probably going to be gang
raped, then have a bullet put through my head – unless they decide to torture
me first – I swallow back more bile.

“Now, you’re not going to disappoint me, are you Coral?” I
swallow hard, and try to concentrate, but my head feels so woozy. Tristan is still
howling with rage. I glance up at him then look across at Kane. “Answer me!” Kane
snaps.

“I’ll do whatever you want,” I croak, feeling utterly
defeated. Maybe, if I do, they’ll let Tristan go, but somehow I doubt that –
Tristan,
why did you investigate, why!

“Oh I know you will,” Kane says, his voice dark and menacing.
He releases Dillon, bends down in front of me, and reaching forward he cups my
chin in his fingers. His touch makes me gag, but I try my best to keep very
still, and keep him focused on me, because Dillon has silently bent down behind
Kane and has picked up the iron barbell that held the weights on Tristan’s legs
– this maybe our only chance.

“Can I ask you something?” I ask as timidly as I can,
blinking up at Kane – I’m just giving Dillon more time, so he can position
himself correctly.

“What?” Kane asks, cocking his head to the side. Right at
the moment, Dillon whacks the barbell across Kane’s head. He groans in pain, then
his eyes roll into the back of his head, his body going limp – He almost falls
on top of me as he hits the floor, but I manage so slide out of the way – I
watch as he crumples to the floor, the gun falls from his hand and goes
skidding across the floor. I look down at him, he’s lying face down, blood
oozing out of his head. I think he’s dead. I look up at Dillon.
What’s he
going to do?

“I won't hurt you,” he says and lunges for the gun.

“Get the door!” Tristan shouts.

I launch to my feet, run over to the door, slam it shut and
lock it. Hoping that will keep the other men from getting to us – unless they
have guns too? I run back over to Tristan, trying to free him. Dillon has the
gun pointing at Kane, it’s shaking rapidly in his hand, he begins to cry out in
rage.

“You bastard, you mother fucker...” He shouts, bouncing up and
down jabbing the gun at Kane.

“I think he’s dead,” I tell him. “Dillon?” He doesn’t look
at me or answer me.
Shit!

I run back over to Kane, reach down and check for a pulse –
nothing. I turn back around my hands held up and look Dillon square in the eye.
“Dillon, he can't hurt you anymore, he’s dead, ok, he’s dead.” Tears pool in
Dillon’s eyes. The gun continues to shake in his hands. “It’s ok,” I tell him.
“It’s ok.”

A deafening bang makes me crouch down and cover my ears. I
spin around and see a hole in the door handle. Fuck there getting in –
Tristan!

I run back over to him, trying to free him, but I can't rip
the tape of him.

“Coral, go!” He shouts.

“No!” I growl back. I hear police sirens in the distance.
Please
be coming to us!
Another loud bang and the two men burst through the door –
I don't have time to think about it, I just do it.

“Breathe!” I scream to Tristan and push him into the pool and
launch myself in with him. I wrap myself around him and we quickly sink to the
bottom of the pool. I hear more muffled bangs going off above me, but I keep my
eyes locked on Tristan’s one good eye.

I give him the ok sign and he nods. If there’s one thing
Tristan and I can do well it’s hold our breath longer than the average person,
one of the many advantages of being a good swimmer. And right now I thank god
that we are!

I hear shouting, and what I think is fighting going on above
us. Then I see an arm, a very bloody arm fall against the edge of the pool, and
slip into the water. The blood instantly mingles with the water, turning it
red, and I know from that arm that it’s Dillon –
God, please let him survive
this!

It suddenly goes deathly quiet above us. I look at Tristan
and then at his legs, I need to get him out of this now! I give him the thumb
up, letting him know I’m going up to the surface. He shakes his head at me, I widen
my eyes as if to say we don't have another choice.
Jesus, he’s arguing with
me now?

He’s going to run out of air soon and I can't drag him up,
he’s too heavy, not with all this weight strapped to him –
Fuck!

I frown at him and thumb up again. His eyes close in
resignation, then he nods once. I have no idea what’s going on, or who’s up
there, so I’m going to have to be as quiet as I can. I lean towards him, kiss
him hard on the forehead, then swim to the edge of the pool. I slowly come up to
the surface, blowing all the air out of my lungs as I do.

When my face breaks through the surface of the water, I take
a silent, deep breath in, just in case I need it. Then I silently pull myself
up so I can scan the room. Kane is still there, Dillon is still breathing, but struggling,
and I can see the guy that tried to attack me is lying on the floor by the
door. I whip my head around, looking for the other man. He’s not in here, but
that doesn’t mean he’s not in the house.
Damn it!

I need a knife or scissors, something to cut Tristan free
with, and the only place I’ll find that is upstairs in the kitchen. Tristan is
going to run out of air soon. I need to do this now!

I swim to the shallow end and run up the few steps, my bare
feet slipping as I try to get grip. When I’m out of the water, I yank my skirt
right up to my thighs and just go for it. I run out of the room, take the
stairs two at a time, belt it down the hallway, come skidding into the kitchen,
grab one of my Global knives and a pair of scissors – just in case I need them
– and turn to run back out –
Fuck!
The guy I slammed my hand into is
just stood there, blood oozing out of his nose, and down his lips.
Really
bad timing!

“Move!,” I threaten. He pulls his lips back over his teeth,
I can see what he’s going to do, he’s going to lunge at me.
Ok fine!
He
wants to do this, bring it on! My only priority is Tristan, and if I don't get
back to him, right now, he might die. I can't fuck about with this, I need to
take this guy down – Immediately!

I take a step back against the kitchen cabinets and beckon
him forward. He lunges toward me, as I thought he would, I sink down into a
crouch and shove the knife up into his belly. The feeling of his soft flesh
against the razor sharp blade turns my stomach and I gag, blood starts pouring
out of him. He staggers back, his hands on the knife, a look of shock on his
face.

No time!
I jump back up, grab another knife, dash
around the other side of the breakfast bar and run, like my life depends on it.

I almost fall down the stairs, twice. I’m running so fast to
get to Tristan. I sprint down the hall, skid into the room, run to the edge of
the pool and just dive into the water. Tristan isn’t moving, or looking at me –
No!

I swim down to him, kicking my arms and legs as hard as I
can so I can reach him. I grab hold of the chair, pull myself round and slice
the tape open with the knife –
Thank god, it worked!

I pull myself around and slice the tape on both his legs, I
push the weights off him and they float down the bottom of the pool. Then I
slice the tape binding his feet –
He’s free!

I yank Tristan into my arms, with my feet firmly planted on
the floor, I bend down into a squat and with as much force as I can, I launch
myself up so I can get him to the surface. The moment my face breaks the water,
I get him on his back, hold his chin up and swim to the steps.

As I reach them I stand up, grab hold of him under his arms
and try to pull him up, but he’s so heavy, a dead weight in my weak arms.

“Come on!” I scream as I pull and pull, and pull. His body
is still half in, half out the water.
No!
I need him lying flat. “Come
on!” I scream again, and with one last screaming effort, I manage to pull him
up onto the floor, stumbling onto my backside as I do. I lunge forward and check
his pulse – No heartbeat!

“No! Tristan!” I immediately start CPR, pumping his heart
hard. One, two, three, four, five. “Come on, breathe...breathe...” Mouth to
mouth! I take a deep breath, push his head up, pinch his nose and blow as much
air as I can into his lungs. Back to his heart, pumping again. “One, two...come
on, come on!” I scream, still pumping. Mouth to mouth again, back to the heart.
“You’re not dead...you’re not dead...” I croak, fear gripping my very being –
He has to survive! Mouth to mouth, back to the heart. “Don't you leave me!” I
screech, tears pooling down my cheeks. Mouth to mouth, back to the heart. “Come
on Tristan...breathe, breathe...” More breath, back to his heart. “Come on!” I
scream in panic. “You’re not dead...you’re not dead....You can't leave me!”
Tristan gasps a loud rasping sound, then turns on his side and starts vomiting
water.