CHAPTER 27

"-Kiara? Lucky? Elizabeth? Open this door!"

Marcus was pounding on the door. Robert slowly talked to his daughter.

"-Kiara, honey, can you untie me so I can open the door? He asked softly

-I can’t move

-Yes you can. Listen to me. You did what you had to do to save me and Elizabeth.

-He is my father

-So what? He is your genitor, not your father. I am your father. I would never hurt you and he would’ve. Now please, get up and come untie me before Taggert decides to shot the door down and hurt someone"

Kiara slowly got up and went to Lucky, ignoring the shouts of pain coming from Tom. A pool of blood was around him, and he was holding his bleeding part. She untied Robert with shaking hands, and he quickly went to Elizabeth as soon as he was freed, to untie her. She was in a state of shock, and Robert was softly speaking to her, but she wasn’t responding. She put her clothes back on and only then Robert opened the door. Marcus rushed in, and stopped when he saw Tom, on the floor, hurt.

"-What happened?

-He tried to rape Elizabeth again. He also tried to rape Kiara and she shot him. Answered Robert

-That’s not true! I would never touch my daughter and I don’t want to have anything to do with Elizabeth! Quickly answered Tom. It’s a conspiracy"

Marcus kneeled down before Tom and looked at his injuries, saying they looked bad. He walked to Elizabeth and asked if she was ok.

"-I wish he was dead. She answered in a little voice. I wish I had killed him when I had the chance all those years ago"

Marcus took the gun from Kiara’s hand and placed it in Elizabeth’s.

"-Now you listen to me. I won’t tell you what to do, but if you kill him, you’ll go to prison. He whispered. But not if I give him my gun. Do you want me to? I give him my gun and you fire. Then it will be self-defense"

Elizabeth slowly nodded and Marcus went back to Tom, leaning against him innocently, and he planned, Tom took the gun from him and struggled to get the safety out. Elizabeth slowly lifted hers and pointed it at Tom. When he saw what was going on, he lifted his gun too and there was a detonation. Elizabeth fell on the floor, while Robert let out a big shout, and he rushed to her.

"-Elizabeth, are you ok? Robert asked, concerned

-yeah, the detonation just made me lose balance. Tom?

-He’s dead. Answered Marcus"

Robert looked at Elizabeth and smiled, before he took her in his arms. She was numb. Like the night he found her in the park all those years ago. He moved to take her in his arms but she moved away.

"-Don’t touch me"

Robert was startled but thought maybe it was because she nearly got raped, so he did what she asked, and went to see Kiara. He didn’t see the look of pure hatred in Elizabeth’s eyes as she watched him walk away.

Marcus took them to the station for a deposition of what really happened. He backed Elizabeth’s story when she said she had to fire, it was self defense. Mac gave Taggert a lecture about letting his weapon so easily accessible and he was suspended. When he walked to Elizabeth, she apologized for getting him in trouble, but Marcus just smiled.

"-Don’t worry about it Elizabeth, I’m just glad he can’t hurt you anymore

-Will you be OK? How long were you suspended?

-Two weeks. And I’ll be OK, I have some money stashed. I wanted to take a vacation anyway, get to know my son

-Oh that’s true, how old is he now?

-He’s 10, and I don’t see him much, I didn’t have much time to go to New York with all the work I had to do, now I have 2 weeks for just Samuel and I

-Well, I hope you have a good time. Elizabeth got on her toes and took the man in her arms. Thank you Marcus. She whispered in his ear"

Robert saw it from afar and couldn’t help but feel a tingle of jealousy. She didn’t want him to touch her and yet, she was hugging Marcus like there was no tomorrow. He put his arm around Kiara’s shoulder but met something there. It was Lucky’s. Robert felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Like he was alone, once again.

He slowly walked to Elizabeth and stood there, while she was finishing talking with Taggert. When she was done, she turned around and looked in his eyes. He didn’t like what he saw. It was as if all the feelings she had for him only a couple of hours ago were gone, replaced by an emptiness that she never had, not even after her rape all those years ago. Back then, she had fear, hurt, now, the only thing in there was apathy.

"-Ready to go home? He asked softly

-Yeah. Was her only answer"

Robert try to reach for her hand but she backed away, and walked to the car. They got in still in silence, and Robert took the path to return to his house, and only then Elizabeth broke the thick stillness.

"-Take me to the docks please

-What? Why?

-Because I’m going home.

-I thought my home was yours now

-My home is with my husband"

Robert stopped on the side of the road and looked at Elizabeth in shocked.

"Why? What’s going on Elizabeth?

-Lucky, I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep getting hurt like that

-What do you mean?"

Elizabeth looked at Robert, and she almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"-You know, before I met you, my biggest reason to cry was because Sarah had something and I didn’t. Most of the time it was either a magazine, attention from my father, or clothes. Then I met you. For the first time in my life, I cried for a boy. I cried because you were so in love with Sarah. But then you started to notice me, wanted to be my friend, and I was so happy. I asked you out for the dance, and you bailed on me. I cried. That night, the worst thing, or so I thought at that time, happened to me. I was raped. For months, MONTHS, I wasn’t myself. And I never quite was after that either but you helped me. Slowly. And, as if you were on some cue, when I finished my sessions with Gail, you died. THAT was the worst thing for me. I cried myself to sleep for months, once again. But, I got back on my feet again. For the baby that was growing inside of me. I married Nikolas, we had our children, and for the most part, it was a good life. I was happy, we were happy, me, Nikolas, Lucky, Stefan and Lu Ann. For the first 15 years I was ok, the year you were in my life, I was hurt beyond belief, my heart was bleeding. For the next 17 years, I think the most hurt I felt was the year Nikolas forgot our anniversary. Then, my world was upside down again, you showed up, you broke my family, my marriage, got my son to run away, nearly forced him to marry at 18, but all that was a small price to pay to have you back in my life. But being raped again? No thank you. Face it Lucky, every time you are in my life, I get hurt. Badly. 7 months after I met you I get raped, and now, not even 6 months after you are back I nearly get raped again. No more Lucky. I want you to stay away from me"

She got out of the car and started walking. Robert was still in a state of shock. He couldn’t believe he lost her again, just when he found her. He kept telling himself that when the shock of what happened would be gone, she would come back on her decision, but the truth was, he didn’t believe it. Her eyes were full of hatred for him. Her fear of getting hurt was stronger than his love for him. But he didn’t come back from the dead, wake up all his feelings for her, make love to her with everything he had just to lose her because of a psychopath. He won her the first time, he would win her again.

Even if it was the last thing he did.