No Strings Attached

Chapter Forty

Norma's heart pounded, her fear and fury clashing as she turned her tear filled eyes to George. "How could you do this?" she demanded, her voice trembling with rage and betrayal.
Her voice broke as she began to beg, her words spilling out in a desperate rush. "George, please, we can talk about this. You don't have to—"
George's expression darkened as he stepped closer to her, his presence looming. His gaze burned into hers as he reached out to cradle her face, almost gently. For a moment, she thought he might listen, that he might stop.
But when he leaned in to kiss her, Norma instinctively turned her head away. His lips brushed the corner of her mouth, and she flinched.
The rejection lit a fire in his eyes, and his hand snapped back before landing a sharp slap across her cheek. The impact was brutal, her head jerking to the side as a cry escaped her lips, a stinging pain spread across her face.
Behind them, Alex groaned angrily against his gag, his muffled voice filled with rage and helplessness.
Her vision was swimming, but George wasn't done. He grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to face him as she blinked back tears. His grip was like iron, bruising her skin as his eyes bore into hers.
"You did this," he hissed, his voice low and venomous.
With that, he released her and stalked toward Alex, who was barely able to keep his gaze on Norma, the blood now dripping down the side of his face. George grabbed him by the arm and yanked him up, dragging him across the deck with ease.
"George! No!" Norma screamed, twisting frantically against her restraints. "Please, don't hurt him! I'll do whatever you want, please, don't!"
Bob, who had silently moved closer, placed a hand on her shoulder, his smile widening as he watched the scene unfold. "Oh, this is the best part," he said casually, as though discussing a film.
George stopped at the edge of the boat, gripping Alex's arm tighter as he leaned in close to his face. "You should've stayed away," he snarled, his voice dripping with contempt.
Then, with a sudden and vicious motion, George shoved Alex over the side.
"NO!" Norma's heartbreaking scream tore through the night as Alex disappeared over the railing, a loud splash echoing in the darkness. She yanked at the ropes on her wrists with all her strength, the coarse fibers cutting into her skin, but the searing pain was nothing compared to the panic clawing at her chest.
Fueled by sheer desperation, she gave one final pull, and the rope snapped free. Without hesitation, she spun around and lunged at Bob, who was caught completely off guard. Her shoulder slammed into his chest, and they both went crashing to the deck.
Before Bob could react, Norma's trembling hands found the gun tucked into his waistband. She didn't think, there was no time to think. She just pointed it and pulled the trigger.
The deafening crack of the shot echoed across the water as the bullet struck Bob cleanly in the head. His body went limp beneath her, his lifeless eyes staring up at the night sky.
She staggered to her feet, adrenaline surging through her veins as she turned to face George, her shaky hands aiming the gun at him. His eyes widened in shock, his hands immediately flying up in surrender.
"Baby, don't do this," he pleaded, his voice soft and coaxing, as if trying to calm a wild animal.
Norma's grip on the gun tightened, trying to steady her trembling hands. Her voice was steady, though, as she stared him down. "I'm not your baby."
The second shot was just as loud, the bullet hitting George squarely in the chest. He stumbled back with a grunt, clutching at the wound before collapsing onto the deck.
The gun slipped from her hands, clattering to the floor, but she didn't stop to think about what she'd done. Her focus was solely on Alex.
Rushing to the side of the boat, Norma dropped the ladder before diving into the dark, frigid water. The cold was a shock to her system, but she pushed through it, her limbs burning as she swam down into the murky depths.
Her eyes searched frantically, the dim light from the boat above barely illuminating the water. Then she saw him, a dark figure slowly sinking into the abyss.
Norma swam harder, her lungs screaming for air as she reached him. She wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him up with every ounce of strength she had. Her head broke the surface, and she gasped for air before dragging Alex toward the ladder.
She hooked her arm through one of the rungs, holding him close as she untied the ropes around his wrists. She then moved to his gag, carefully pulling it down around his neck. "Come on," she urged breathlessly, guiding his hands to the ladder.
Alex coughed weakly, his body trembling as he grabbed onto the rungs. She climbed up behind him, her muscles screaming in protest as they both hauled themselves back onto the deck.
Collapsing onto the boat, they lay side by side, their chests heaving with exhaustion. Norma turned her head to look at him, her tears mixing with the seawater on her face.
"You're okay," she whispered in shock, her voice cracking as relief flooded her.
Alex looked back at her, his expression dazed and confused but full of gratitude. "You saved me."
Norma shook her head as she sat up, tears streaming down her face as she choked out, "This was my fault. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Alex slowly sat up beside her, instinctively wanting to comfort her, but his eyes were drawn to the scene around them. His gaze landed on the two lifeless bodies sprawled on the deck, each surrounded by growing pools of blood.
He turned back to Norma, his brow furrowed in confusion and awe. "How did you..." He trailed off, glancing back at the aftermath, his mind trying to piece together how she had overpowered both men.
Norma followed his gaze, her breathing quickening as the weight of everything crashed down on her. She looked back at Alex, panic consuming her. "I'm sorry," she gasped, pressing trembling hands to her face as her body began to shake.
Alex immediately shifted his focus back to her, his hand hesitating for a moment before resting gently on her shoulder. He wasn't sure how much comfort she would accept from him, given everything between them, but he couldn't stand to see her like this.
"You're okay, Norma," he said softly, his voice steady and calming. "Just breathe. None of this was your fault."
"I'm so sorry," she whispered again, her voice breaking as she reached for him. Her arms wrapped around him tightly, her hands clutching at his uniform like a lifeline.
Alex stiffened for a moment, caught off guard by her sudden closeness, but then he exhaled deeply and held her in return. His arms encircled her protectively as she buried her face against his chest, her body trembling with sobs.
He rubbed her back soothingly, his eyes still taking in the scene, trying to figure out a plan. He knew they couldn't stay here for long. As her sobs calmed down, he pulled away slightly.
He moved to hold her face firmly but gently, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her pause. "Norma, listen to me," he said seriously, his voice low but commanding. "We need to pull ourselves together and figure this out. You did a good job, but I need you to stay strong for just a little longer. Can you do that?"
Norma nodded softly, her breathing uneven as she tried to slow it down. She still clung tightly to his shirt, but his steady presence quickly calmed her nerves.
"Okay," Alex continued, his tone softer now. "Here's what we're going to do. There's a fishing boat tied to the side over there. We're going to drop it into the water and climb down to it. When we get to shore, you're going to find a phone booth and call the sheriff's station. Tell them you heard gunshots near the fishing docks. I'll answer the call since I'm technically still on duty, and I'll take care of the rest. Understand?"
She nodded again, swallowing hard as she took a shaky breath.
"Good," he said, his hands dropping from her face as he moved toward the side of the boat.
Norma followed him in a daze, watching as Alex worked quickly to lower the smaller fishing boat into the water. Once it was secured, he turned back to her and helped her climb over the side and onto the ladder. She hesitated for a moment, the reality of what had just happened pressing down on her, but Alex's gaze urged her forward.
They both climbed down and settled into the fishing boat, Alex taking the oars and beginning to row them toward shore. The sound of the water lapping against the boat was the only noise, the silence between them thick with unspoken words.
As they approached the shoreline, Norma suddenly turned to him, a flicker of panic crossing her face. "I don't have my car," she said, her voice trembling. "I rode with...him." She trailed off, unable to bring herself to say George's name.
Alex's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he stared out at the dark water for a moment. After a brief pause, he looked back at her, his expression resolute. "I'll drive you. You can call from the motel phone."
Norma nodded, her shoulders slumping in relief.
When they reached the shore, Alex pulled the small boat onto the sand and helped her climb out. His hand lingered on her arm for a moment, steadying her as her legs wobbled slightly from the adrenaline wearing off. Without another word, they started toward his car, the weight of everything they had just survived hanging heavy in the air between them.