Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
ALORA
“What?” The arm strangles me hard from behind.
I see our reflection in the oven door. They’re dressed fully in black and wearing a balaclava and goggles.
A weird tape recording of a man’s voice plays; it’s been doctored and isn’t familiar.
It repeats the same line from before. “Move a muscle and I’ll blow your fucking head off. ”
What the fuck?
I fight.
I fight hard as I’m held from behind and we struggle for control. We hit the cupboard and then stumble forward and hit the fridge, it rocks to the side. “What do you want?” I cry. “Just take it, take everything.”
What the hell is happening?
“Help,” I cry as I struggle. I can feel myself being overpowered.
They’re too strong.
“Philippe.” I fight back harder and lash out; the person stumbles back and I run for the knife drawer.
Crack.
I’m hit on the side of my head from behind with the butt of the gun, the blunt force knocking me to the floor.
“Philippe,” I cry as my vision blurs; the room begins to spin. “Help me,” I whimper.
Try harder.
“Philippe,” I call again, but my voice is weak, an echo into the silence.
A sharp stab goes into my neck and I try to kick out and pull away as something is injected into me…. I raise my hand and try and pull the needle out but my hand is held away. The same recording plays again. “Move a muscle and I’ll blow your fucking head off.”
No….
“Help me,” I whimper as the room begins to spin. “Edward….”
Unable to move, my head flops to the side and time seems to stand still, sound is muffled and the blurred room begins to spin.
On the diagonal, I see someone in black go to the shelving unit and somehow open it. A staircase appears….
My eyes flutter as I fight for consciousness.
What the hell is going on…what is that staircase….am I dreaming?
Is this a nightmare?
The person walks back over to me and kicks me hard in the stomach, intense pain radiates through me but I’m paralyzed, unable to react.
No…. No…. I can’t open my eyes and sound begins to fade.
Pain…darkness….
Nothing.
EDWARD
Pacing back and forth, I throw down another glass of scotch. I keep going over and over tonight in my head.
I see the pain in Alora’s hurt face and I close my eyes in regret. She didn’t deserve that.
Fuck.
I drag my hand through my hair, why didn’t I just tell Alora that she came here?
To be honest it wasn’t even a conscious decision, after she left I didn’t think about it again.
We had such a hectic week without a moment to spare.
Alora and I met with an architect and were excited and talking about our new house and then Alora was obsessed with wedding crap and she was talking about that every night. I was preoccupied with work stuff too.
Isadora never entered my mind.
Not once.
I link my fingers on top of my head as I continue to pace. I can’t stand not being with her.
I feel like I’m about to lose my fucking mind here.
With a shaky hand I pour another glass of scotch and take a large gulp. I slosh it around in my mouth and feel it burn all the way down.
Calm down.
I continue to pace back and forth like a caged animal.
Alora’s alone.
It’s not safe…I’m going over there…. Her parting words come back to haunt me. “We have no future if you can’t respect my boundaries. I am not a prisoner here. I am allowed to think for myself.”
Fuck….
If I go over there and force entry into her house…I’m going to fuck this whole relationship if I’m not careful.
I’ve already fucked it.
Just call her and say good night. With my heart in my throat I dial her number.
Hello, you’ve reached Alora Sorenson. I’m sorry, I can’t take your call right now.
Leave a message and I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Have a nice day.
“Doe,” I say softly. “I just wanted to see that you got home safe and to say good night.” I hold on the line as I try to articulate my thoughts.
“I promise you on my life…. It isn’t how it looked.
I love you, I would never jeopardize what we have.
” I keep pacing. “Even now I can’t hang up the phone.
I can’t stand the thought of even one night apart,” I murmur.
Fuck…. I’m pathetic.
“Can you call me back, please?” I ask. “I need to know you’re okay.” I hold on the line again, willing her to pick up. “Speak soon, I love you.” I hang up and let out a deep exhale.
What if she ends it over this?
She wouldn’t…would she? My anxiety picks up again and I call Philippe.
“Hey.”
“Did you get home safe?” I ask him.
“Yes.”
“Where is she?”
“She went inside about half an hour ago.”
“Is she in bed?”
“Her upstairs bedroom light is on now, so I’m assuming she’s in the shower or getting ready for bed.”
That’s why she didn’t answer my call.
“Okay.”
Hopefully she’ll call me back when she gets out of the shower.
“Keep your eyes and ears peeled.”
“Of course, boss, there’s nothing going on here, it’s dead quiet.”
“Okay.” I think for a moment. “Did she say anything on the way home?”
“No, she kept to herself. Cried a little.”
My stomach twists.
“Boss….” He cuts himself off mid-sentence.
“What is it?”
“May I speak out of turn?”
“Of course.”
“Do you not think it’s odd that Isadora turns up with a TMZ crew trailing her?”
Hmm….
I was so distracted by Alora being angry I didn’t put the pieces together.
Of course.
My eyes flicker red and my grip tightens around my phone.
“Isadora set me up.”
“That would be my guess, sir.”
I feel adrenaline surge through my bloodstream. “Thank you, Philippe.” I hang up and throw the phone hard at the wall.
“That fucking woman,” I growl.
She told me I would pay…. And here I am paying.
I down my glass of scotch as fury heats my blood. “You’re messing with the wrong man, Isadora. Your time will come.”
AN HOUR LATER.
I can’t stand this, I can’t relax until I know she’s okay. She’s probably crying right at this minute over me. I call her again.
Hello, you’ve reached Alora Sorenson. I’m sorry, I can’t take your call right now.
Leave a message and I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Have a nice day.
Ugh…her phone is still switched off. She really doesn’t want to talk to me at all.
I hang up and call Philippe.
“Hey, boss.”
“What’s happening?” I ask.
“All lights are off, she’s asleep.”
“Can you walk around the house and do a perimeter check please?”
“Now?”
“Now. I’ll wait on the phone while you do.”
“Okay.”
I wait on and listen to him walk around the house. “Check every window is locked.”
“Of course.” I hear the side gate open and then his footsteps on the pebbles. “I’m in the backyard now.”
“Anything off?”
“No. The blinds are open downstairs.”
“Why would the blinds be open? She never leaves them open.”
“She’s otherwise occupied, I guess.”
“True.” I think for a moment. “Is everything alright inside?”
“Yeah, I’m looking through the windows right now. Everything is normal. Nothing to see.”
I listen with my heart in my throat. “Nobody is in the backyard?”
“No, boss, of course not. The only way to get in here is to scale up a cliff or over the neighbors’ twelve-foot fence. We’re parked in the driveway and are doing perimeter checks every half hour. I’m telling you, everything is fine. Alora’s asleep and you should try and relax and get some too.”
“Okay.” I think for a moment. “Maybe I should come over and stay in the car with you?”
“Then it’s just more people to guard. Get some sleep.”
“You’re right.” I nod. “Call me if anything happens.”
“Of course.”
I hang up and walk out into the deck, I watch the lights of Monaco twinkle in the distance. A deep anxiety swirls deep in my psyche and I feel so unhinged without her by my side. One night without her and I feel like I’m falling apart.
Who even am I?
ALORA
Swish, swish…. Swish, swish…swish, swish.
Metal clangs in the distance, a hard sound, familiar and yet unknown.
Swish, swish…. Swish, swish…swish, swish.
I doze, somewhere between reality and hell. It’s dark but the area appears to be lit by a flashlight, where am I?
My heavy eyelids battle to open and I gag, whatever is in my mouth is so big that I can hardly breathe.
Help me….
I look around as I try to get my bearings. I go to wipe my face only to realize I’m tied down; dragging my eyes up to my wrists I see huge bolts have been drilled into the floorboards and I am spread out and tied down by my hands and ankles.
I pull to try and loosen them but I can’t move an inch.
Swish, swish…. Swish, swish…swish, swish.
What the fuck is that noise?
Where the hell am I? My eyes dart around, suddenly panicked. What’s going on here?
I look to the side of me and there on the floor is a blue cloth tool kit rolled open and in it a set of stainless-steel hunting knives.
Swish, swish…. Swish, swish… swish, swish.
What the hell is that noise?
I look over to the corner to see a person dressed in black, wearing a black balaclava and some kind of goggles. Sharpening a knife on a honing rod. They swipe it back and forth making the swish sound as they stare at me blankly.
Oh my god….
My breath hitches in fear as tears roll down into my ears.
No.
Panic screams through me and I struggle to break free. I try to yell around the gag in my mouth but no sound comes out.
Help me! Help me!
Swish, swish…. Swish, swish…swish, swish.
I screw up my face as I fight and struggle and pull on the ropes and try my hardest to break free.
The person in black calmly kneels down beside me and seemingly studies my face.
I frantically shake my head.
Please don’t do this!
They slowly run the tip of the blade down my cheek and then hold it to my neck, they stare at me for a long time. Emotionless and cold.
I shake my head, frantically hoping for a miracle.
Please, God.
Please don’t let this happen…help me!
Please help me.
“Prescott will pay.” They cup my face in their hand and brush their gloved thumb over my bottom lip. “With your life.”
I shake my head frantically as I scream around the gag. I kick and fight with everything I have.
“It’s time to die.”