Rose and the Thorn (Fallen Tales series)

Chapter 77

Chapter 77
Rose
I tapped my fingers on my knee, waiting nervously.
Marcus leaned against the sink counter getting frustrated at my tapping. The other guy was waiting outside.
I'm going to kill Patrick if I get out of here alive. That's if I'm pregnant.
I looked up at Marcus as he tried to ignore my stare.
"I'm not pregnant," I said for the fifth time that we had been waiting. He scoffed for the fifteenth time.
"How can you be so sure, are you a virgin?"
I scoffed, "no."
"Are you infertile?" He asked.
I shrugged, "probably not."
"Are you late?"
I frowned and sat back, "I thought English people weren't supposed to talk about that stuff."
He didn't even blink, "answer the question."
I scoffed, "as if I know."
He stepped forward, "so you're telling me that every time you and Patrick have sex, that you use a condom. That there isn't any chance that one of those little suckers got through."
I frowned taking in what he had said. Oh crap.
"Don't you see what he did? He's buying you time. If he didn't convince Fisher to test you, you would be dead right now. Fisher doesn't care who he has to kill as long as he get Pinecone Manner."
I frown, "what's so special about Pinecone Manner?"
He shrugged, "as if I know what's going on inside his brain."
"Well you've been working with him for six years."
He exhaled, frustrated again.
"How did you even end up working with him anyway? How could you kill your best friend's family?" I asked.
"I didn't kill them."
"You were there."
He turned his head not wanting to hear what I had to say.
"You're only ignoring me because you know I'm right," I sang.
He scoffed, "like you know what it's like."
I sat back, "well, when I was fifteen my father was diagnosed with dementia. He got so bad that he thought he had been educated by aliens and forgot he had a daughter. My mother died when I was born so I was on my own when I had to put him in a home. I was working the bars, going home with every guy I saw. Till I met this guy that would bash me till my ribs cracked. I moved to England to get away. Started working here. Fell head over heels for Patrick. Three weeks ago my father died. Do you want me to continue?" I asked my eyes sharp.
"Oh God please stop," he begged.
"Then tell me why you joined Jeremy Fisher."
He sighed giving in, "I didn't have a gambling problem like most of them. I was doing pretty hard drugs and had spent a lot of my parents' fortune. Fisher didn't mention deal number three. Where you join his group of hit man."
"And you joined, just like that?" I asked surprised. How could someone just join something like that?
"These people weren't good," he said trying convince me.
"The people that gambled their money away, but what about their families. Patrick's sisters were barley even teenagers."
"Patrick's family were my first time. I didn't kill them, I swear. But I needed to prove myself. I took Patrick, looked him in the eye. I was going to kill him."
I bit my lip forcing back the urge to hit him.
"Why did you scar him?" I asked.
He shrugged, "like I said, I needed to prove myself."
I scoffed, "you are just a -."
I stopped as the door opened and Blue eyes poked his head through. He handed Marcus a rectangle box with a pregnancy stick on the box. He started to open it and then handed me the stick. My eyes widen as they made no effort in moving.
"You guys aren't seriously going to watch me do this. This is supposed to be one of the happiest moments in my life, I'm not going to do it in front of two guys."
They rolled their eyes and filed out.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes back.
With shaky hands, I took the pee stick.
After I had done, I wrapped it in a towel and placed it on the counter. If I'm pregnant I die, if I'm not, Patrick does.
I have to get out of here. I searched through the draws for a weapon and found my hair drier. Wrapping the cord around my hand and putting the stick in my back pocket I took my place beside the door. My heart pounded and my palms got sweaty. Breathe Rose.
"Okay, I'm done," I said trying to make my voice as normal as possible. The door knob turned and Green eyes poked his head through. Without thinking, I swung the hair drier, aiming for my target. It hit his head with a thwack. His eyes tarted around the room, crawling at the door frame to hold himself up before he landed on the floor. I jumped over his body feeling harsh hands take me as I did.
Fight Rose.
Not completely seeing who had me, I swung the hair drier and heard a thud as Blue eyes fell to the ground. Another set of hands took my upper arms from behind me. As I shrugged his gripped tighten. So close, so close.
I forced my hand back praying it would hit the target. I heard him moan before I heard him hit the ground.
I turned around and spotted Marcus curled in a ball on the floor. I shrugged and ran down the gallery to the hall. Go to the office. Call Jenson.
I was running so fast, I could barely stop when I got inside the office. I lock the door and leaned up against it trying to calm my thoughts. My eyes landed on the phone. I took it with shaky hands and dialled Jenson number. Pick up, pick up.
"Hello, Charlie Jenson speaking."
A wave of relief flooded me till I realized he couldn't come home.
"Jenson, don't come home," I blurted out before I could stop myself.
"Rose? What's going on?" He asked. Panic filled his voice.
"Jeremy Fisher has Patrick in the dining room. You can't come home. Call the police."
My head shot up as I heard footsteps. One footstep, two footsteps, three footsteps.
"Jeremy Fisher, what? Rose, what's going on?"
"Call the police, Jenson and don't come -."
"Rose! Open the door!" Marcus yelled from outside. He banged on the door making me jump.
"Rose, are you all right? Tell me, what's going on?" Jenson asked on the phone.
"If you don't open up, I'll break down the door!" Marcus yelled.
"Marcus has found me, call the police," I told him.
"Marcus, Rose -."
I hung up as Marcus broke through the door. It was like Kobey all over again. His long strong strides forced me into a corner. I flinched as I felt the cool brick wall on my skin. One hand went beside my head and the other disappeared behind me. I started to trample at the thought of him touching my body. But instead he took the stick out of my back pocket. He looked at it and then showed me. One blue line. Not pregnant.
"This is your lucky day."
He took both my arms and pushed me towards the door. I have just signed Patrick's death sentence.

Patrick
"This is a nice room. This is where it happened, isn't it. Your parents' death," Jeremy said walking around the dining table, admiring the chandelier.
"It wasn't just my parents."
I had to turn my head to look at him.
"Right, right," he said just remembering, "Your sisters. There were five of them, wasn't there."
"Yes," I said bitterly. He chuckled taking a seat again. I shook my head at him, "all those people."
"Bad people -."
"Innocent people."
He groaned, "We're going around in circles. Did anyone get up Noah for taking animals on his ark instead of innocent people? Did anyone get up the rich people that survived the Titanic instead of the innocent children below deck?"
Though his argument was good, he didn't convince me.
"But why? Why kill them?"
He paused then smiled, "ahh, you're good, I have to admit it, you are good. I would ask you to become part of my team if I didn't think you would try to throw me over."
"What got you like this?" I asked.
He sighed, "I like you Patrick, I really do," he leaned forward again, "I'll tell you another story. I was an heir as well but my father had spent a lot of estate's money from gambling. My family had to live on the streets for years. I promised myself that I wouldn't let what happen to me happen to other family. Those men had to be punished."
I frowned, "but your gambling now, if -."
"And so are you. You're gambling your girl's life, your possible baby's life and your own life. On what, timing."
I frowned, "then answer me this, why save me. Why not just kill me?" I asked. The question I've asked myself for six years.
He shrugged, "to make the same deal again. The problem is Patrick, your father underestimated me. He thought that I would only kill him. He did it for your sisters and you, I guess. He didn't think. You can live happily ever after with your girl if you sell to me. So I'm going to ask you, are you going to let your girl die if she's pregnant, are you going to die, or are you going to sell?"
He asked the question I knew he had asked my father. I felt a connection with him that I had never felt. My father gave his life for the estate and for me. What a strong man he must have been?
I shook my head and with my voice strong, I said, "I will never sell to a monster."
"Well, you're going to be the beast, if she's pregnant."
Rose came through with Marcus holding her hands at her back. She avoided my gaze like it was a snake. It made my heart break.
Once she was tied back to the chair, Marcus took out the pregnancy stick from his back pocket of his jeans and handed it to Jeremy. He kept a poker face and just simple looked up.
"Are sure you don't want to change your answer?"
I turned to Rose, her eyes pleading with me. I knew Rose and I knew how she worked. She wouldn't be upset if it was her head on the line.
"I'm not selling my estate," I said clearly.
He shrugged and turned the stick so that I could see. Not pregnant. I through my head back and sighed relief. I didn't care that Jeremy had just stood up. I didn't care that I was going to die. My gamble had played off. Rose will live.
"I really am sorry about this," Jeremy said shaking his head as if he was really that sorry. I felt the hard marble floor before I felt the ache of Jeremy's fist. I could hear Rose's screams but nothing could die out the sound of my heart. I pulled on the ropes but they didn't budge. Hit after hit I had to take. To my stomach, my cheek. Anything to hurt me. I tasted blood in my mouth as the skin around my lip burst.
In the ehoas, I heard the door open but Jeremy's body covered my view. My eyes widen when I saw the knife in Jeremy's hand. There was one thought that ran through my head. I will die in the same room my family did.
Bang! Rose's screams.
My ears started to ring as I felt the cool metal plunge into my skin. I looked up at Jeremy. His skin had turned white and his eyes were wide in pain. His body fell lifeless beside me giving me the view of Jenson standing with horror spread over his face and my father's rifle in one hand. I turned to Rose as I forced to keep my eyes open. Horror filled her eyes as she saw the knife below my rib cage.
"Patrick!" She screamed, "Jenson!" My eyes slowly closed as I saw Jenson untiring her.
I flinched when I felt Rose's warm hand against my cool cheek.
"Patrick, no, no," she cried.
"An ambulance is on their way. So are the police," Jenson said.
"Rose - blood. You - don't like - blood," I struggled for words, feeling my vision going blurry.
"Patrick, stay awake," her voice started to echo and black started to take over my sight. Must keep fighting.
"Patrick, stay with me, Patrick!"
Patrick!