"RAIN OF FIRE" by Sarah Ryniker

STORY LAST UPDATED ON 21/04/2002

Rain of Fire Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Epilogue

CHAPTER TEN

When I woke I was in the hospital. I tried to sit up but my entire body ached. It was then that I feared that this wasn't a hospital, but the waiting room to Heaven or Hell. I sat back with my eyes closed, trying to breathe deeply, but even that hurt. During what they were doing to me, I must have been having an asthma attack and been so scared that I hadn't noticed it. Or maybe it had happened when I had been knocked out.
    "Hey," I heard Jacob's voice say. I opened my eyes to look at him. "Are you all right? I heard you whimpering, so I knew you were awake."
    "I don't know. What happened?" I asked. I was so confused and in so much pain. "I remember Ella and Mitch, but after I was knocked out, what happened?"
    "I got to you before they could do anything. I looked out the window to see the storm and saw them attacking you. I called the police and then ran down there to stop them." He sighed. "I just wish I hadn't let it go that far," he said sadly.
    "You couldn't have stopped them," I said. I could only talk in a whisper. It hurt to talk above that.
    "You know, I had you marry me so I could protect you and the baby from that. And I have failed miserably haven't I?" he asked, worried.
    I shook my head. "No, Jacob, you have done the best you can to protect me." Then I remembered his words over again and felt my stomach. "The baby! What happened to the baby?" I cried. I was scared. Had they managed to kill my child?
    "Don't worry. They had to do a C-section to get the baby out of you. You weren't giving the baby enough oxygen. They were sure you'd die. But you're okay now. I knew they had to be wrong. I couldn't lose you like that," he declared. "Please say I won't ever lose you, either, Phoenix. I know I told you that the marriage would be in name only and in a year or two we could divorce, but…" He took a deep breath. "I love you. I never thought I would fall in love with anyone that was extremely rich. I hated the rich world. But I am so in love with you. I can't lose you."
    "Why would you lose me, Jacob? I never intended to divorce you," I confessed, smiling at him.
    "You didn't?" He seemed confused.
    "No," I said. "I love you. I love the way you make me feel as if I can love and trust again. I'll never be alone as long as you are there to keep me safe."
    "But I haven't done a very good job protecting you," he fought. But I didn't want him to fight me on it. I wasn't going to divorce somebody I was in love with. This man made me happy. I wasn't a very happy person, so what he did to me was surprising. Besides, he matched me in wit and everything. He was perfect for me.
    Jacob left to get something to eat and told me to lay back and sleep a little bit longer. He promised to bring in my baby girl when I woke up again. I agreed and fell back into a deep, comfortable sleep. I didn't want to wake up. Though I did have to ask where Ella and Mitch were. It was something I should have asked before. This wasn't the end of it with them.
    When I woke up, I woke up to the sound of someone softly singing. I looked to the side of me to see Jacob in the rocking chair, rocking the baby and singing to her. I smiled and forced myself to sit up. "Let me see her, Jacob," I told him, holding my arms out.
    He came over and laid the baby in my arms. I looked down into the face of the prettiest baby I had ever laid my eyes on. She was much smaller than Julianna and there was just something far sweeter holding your own child in your arms. Her eyes were blue, and I had a feeling that was one feature of Mitch's she would inherit.
    A week later, my baby, who I named Gabriella Marie, and I were released from the hospital. Jacob did everything in his power to make us comfortable. He set up the nursery that had been Julianna's during the week and had brought in new stuff to make it Gabriella's. The room was beautiful.
    Everything was going fine. There was still a search out for Ella and Mitch but I was sure they wouldn't come here. Not with people looking for them.
    That I was right about. They wouldn't come here, no. But they did send somebody. I didn't think they would ever stop making my life miserable.
    I often woke up in the middle of the night just to check on Gabby. When I looked in her crib this night, however, I ran back into the room that Jacob and I shared and shook him awake.
    "She's gone! Somebody took Gabby!" And the search was on. When three days passed I was positive that I wasn't getting my baby back. I also knew that Ella had taken her. At least I thought Ella had. But I would soon find out it was Mitch who had her.
    I felt the horror in me, but I kept my faith up. Though I feared I'd never see my baby again, I refused to go into depression. I did everything in my power to help find her and bring her back home. I wasn't going to let her be taken from me like this. Even if she were killed, I would find the body of my baby. They wouldn't keep me from her.
    Mama and Damian called Jacob and me every day to find out how it was going. I knew Mama felt horrible about it. She wanted to kill Ella and Mitch for doing this to me. "Why can't they just leave you alone, Phoenix?" she asked me on the phone one night while we talked. She was crying. Though she had never see Gabby, she felt the pain of losing my child.
    And all I could tell her is that I didn't know why they had to do this to me. After all, it wasn't my fault that Grandfather Gerald had left everything to Jenny and me.
    I hadn't seen Jenny in so long, I was sure she was dead herself. She hadn't come to see me in the hospital and I hadn't been able to visit her. I worried about her immensely. Though I shouldn't have worried about her. Jenny was fine. Jenny was also going to be the one to bring Gabby home to me.
    I watched as Jenny walked up as if in a daze, Gabby wrapped in her arms. I rushed out the front door and down the path to meet her. Barely looking at me, she handed me Gabby.
    "How did you get her, Jenny? What happened?" I demanded immediately.
    "Mitch had her. I told her that I'd harbour him in my home. I told him no one would think to look there. He's so stupid. He believed me. He stayed there with Gabby and in a couple of days I called the cops. They have him and Mother in custody and you have your baby back" was all she said. She turned and walked away then. I never did understand what had happened to Jenny. A few days later the news came to us that she had killed herself.
    Jacob and I kept an even closer watch on Gabby from then on, fearing the worst. But Ella was found guilty of murdering my mother and was, to everyone's surprise, sentenced to death. Mitch was sent to prison for ten years. Though I wanted longer, I didn't worry about it. He was out of my life. I would never see the jerk again. And I would make sure to keep Gabby safe out of his grasp.
    Never again would I feel unsafe in my own home, in my own family, I decided. I would live happily with my child and my husband. Never again would I allow myself to be miserable.

Rain of Fire Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Epilogue

Back to Home