28. Cedrick
If I die, at least I’ll leave this planet knowing that I did the right thing. That I saved the girl I love. And I’ll only leave with two regrets… the fact that she’ll never know how much I love her, and the fact that I won’t get to see our baby being born.
Those are also two reasons I have to make damn well sure I stay alive. Ellie needs to know that from the first moment I saw her with my father, I knew.
The man keeps the gun pressed against my head, and I’m doing everything I can to keep my cool. Panicking right now won’t do me any good.
“Listen, if it’s money you want, my father will pay any ransom.”
I hate showing my cards like this, giving this horrible person exactly what he wants, but if it’s between that and dying? I’ll choose the former.
“What am I going to do with money if I’m in prison for life?”
I speak firmly.
“He could potentially help you stay out of prison, if you can reform. He can do pretty much anything he wants. I’m sure that would be within his power.”
“Why would he do that?”
He presses the gun into me even harder and I close my eyes for a second, trying to muster all the compassion that I can for this brute. I try not to think of what he might have done to Ellie.
“Because I’m his son. And maybe what you really need is help, not punishment. And if help is what you do need, he has the power to monitor you if you’re beyond help. But that’s up to you.”
“What, send me to one of those hospitals where they just drug me up for the rest of my life? That’d be worse than prison.”
“No, not a hospital. Something else. Something we can agree on.”
“Why would you even want to help me? I could’ve killed your wife.”
Truth be told, I don’t want to help him. He’s assaulted multiple women and murdered a man.
He obviously isn’t sorry for any of that, considering he came straight here, hurt an elderly woman, and attacked a pregnant girl, then accepted her husband’s offer to be a hostage instead, when he could have just let both of us go.
This man doesn’t want to be helped, nor does he really deserve it. But I’m acting as a hostage negotiator, not His Royal Highness Prince Cedrick. I have a part to play, and I’m going to do my best to make it convincing.
“I’m a doctor. Helping people is all I do. And I know that things aren’t always what they seem. Maybe you coming into this market today was what needed to happen so you could get the help you need.”
“How do I know that you’re not going to turn around and do the exact opposite?”
“You don’t. You just have to trust me.”
The man scoffs.
“Maybe we can get someone here to draw up some papers…” I start.
“Stop talking!” He cuts me off, his grip on me tightening.
I look around, quickly finding Ellie. An endless stream of tears stains her face. She shouldn’t be here. She should leave, not only for her safety, but so that she doesn’t have to see whatever might happen to me.
She’ll never want for anything. She and my child will live an amazing life, with endless opportunities available to them. I know I won’t have to worry for her well-being.
I do wonder what would have happened if I’d just told her earlier on. Maybe during our honeymoon, or in the last few weeks. Maybe in the hospital, when the doctor gave us the news.
Maybe she wouldn’t have walked into this market today, and both of us would be perfectly safe. No matter what way I look at it, I come to only one conclusion. This is all my fault.
If something happens to me, I’ll probably never know if she feels the same way. The hope I did have of this man letting me go is dwindling. Maybe I need to take matters into my own hands.
Before I can finish that thought, one of the police officers approaches.
“Stand back!” the man shouts.
“Peter, I’m not going to hurt you,” the officer says. “I just want to talk.”
Knowing the criminal”s name doesn’t humanize him the way I thought. It only makes me angrier.
We all go through horrible shit, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to start killing people. I refuse to be another life that Peter takes.
While the police officer talks to him, I completely block out what he’s saying. I focus on what I’m about to do and run over the plan in my head a few times, just to make sure it makes sense.
I take one last look at Ellie. Her beautiful hair that’s gotten a bit longer over the past few weeks. Her bright hazel eyes. Her glowing dark skin, even more luminous since she got the pregnancy news. Everything about her calls to me, makes me want nothing more than to pull her in for a kiss.
I use that image to drive me to action, to give me the courage for what I’m about to do. I tune back into the conversation between Peter and the cop.
“You’re lying! You’re all lying!” Peter shouts.
“Sir, please calm down. Everything I’ve said, and everything Prince Vanecourt has said, is all true. We don’t want anyone to get hurt here.”
Now.
I hook one of my legs around his and twist at the same time as I grab for the gun.
“Cedrick!” Ellie screams.
Peter reacts immediately, holding onto the gun as tightly as he can, making it impossible for me to get it from him. He rips it away from my grasp, but in the process, he loses his hold on me. I’m able to mess up his footing, causing him to almost fall, but he quickly regains control.
I try to move away, dodging a punch aimed at me, but when I turn to run, he grabs the back of my shirt and pulls me toward him. Seconds later, I feel something hit the back of my head, and I’m dizzy.
I fight through it, ripping myself from his grasp. I won’t let him get a hold of me again.
Guards and police officers all rush forward, some of them trying to grab me, others trying to disarm Peter. I turn around to see him smack one of them in the face with his gun, blood immediately spraying.
I know I should walk away now while I can, but I just can’t let him hurt anyone else. Each time I see him hit someone, my anger builds inside me.
I pounce, grabbing Peter around the waist.
“Cedrick, stop! Please!”
I hear her voice, but I don’t listen. I wrestle him to the ground, reaching for his gun. A nearby policeman helps by holding him down, but just as I’m about to grab the gun, he headbutts me, sending me flying backwards.
I land on the ground in front of him, and he jumps to his feet. A guard lunges for him, but Peter dodges, looking around with a crazed expression on his face.
I stand up, quickly spotting Ellie. She looks panicked, and I want nothing more than to go to her. I should go to her.
But when I turn back around, I see another guard approach Peter. Peter raises his gun, and all rational thoughts leave my head as I jump in front of the guard.
“Nooo! Cedrick! Cedrick!”
The pain is immediate. I fall to the ground, gasping. It’s too much, and I’m struggling to keep my consciousness.
Ellie’s face appears above me. I see her mouth moving, but I hear nothing. Why can’t I hear anything?
Her tears hit my face, and I open my mouth to talk, to tell her how I feel about her, but nothing comes out. My vision starts to go blurry. I can feel my life slipping away, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
She’s mouthing something over and over again. I try to focus on her lips, trying to read them.
“I love you…”
I hear it faintly, just as my eyes close.