Leanne's POV
I looked around the sheriff was standing in the middle of the store Chloe sat on a chair behind him.
"I ignored the sheriff and made my way to Chloe, there were dried tears on her face.
" Are you all right Chloe, did he touch you" she shook her head no.
"I told you I wouldn't harm her if you came back to me."
"Well I'm here so you can let her go now" I said icily.
"I'm beginning to change my mind, I might keep you both" he smirked.
I pulled Chloe up and pushed her behind me, making a wide berth around the sheriff keeping myself facing him, until the door was directly behind us.
"Go" I said to Chloe, shoving her towards the door, but keeping me between the sheriff and Chloe. She looked at me and I glared at her and motioned with my eyes to go, tentatively she made her way towards the door.
The sheriff stepped forward and I stepped back.
"A deals a deal" I said "I came, she goes"
"Well I may have changed my mind, I can have double the fun"
"Well you ain't gonna get her, because you will have to kill me first to get to her" I hissed.
The sheriff growled and looked past me to see Chloe reach the door and start to open it, the sheriff cried in rage and tried to charge past me to get to Chloe.
"Run Chloe" I shouted.
As the sheriff got close I stepped in front of him, causing him to stop.
I smiled at him. " You don't want me then" I said.
His anger turned to lust as he reached out to grab me, when I initiated my usual move when faced with this situation.
The sheriff howled and doubled over, but he held my arm in a vice like grip, I struggled to break free but I couldn't.
"You ain't going nowhere bitch I have plans for you, I continued to struggle when someone came up along side of me, lent forward took the sheriff's arm in their mouth and bit down as hard as they could, Chloe.
The sheriff screamed and let go, grabbing Chloe we raced to the door, just as we reached it, I heard the sheriff cock his revolver and in a menacing voice said.
" Step away from the door or I will shoot the pair of you"
We both stopped four feet short of the door, I quickly pushed Chloe behind me and faced the sheriff.
He was hot and sweating, blood was dribbling down his arm and he was red from anger and exertion.
"You are not getting Chloe" I reiterated " Only over my dead body your choice" all the while inching us closer to the door.
"You attacked me" he growled.
Three feet.
"You broke your promise" I countered.
Two feet.
He raised his revolver.
"Stop right there or I will shoot you" he said.
One foot.
Then the door burst open and a body stepped in front of me.
"YOU!" Both I and the sheriff said at the same time.
"Colton" I hissed "Get out of here, he will shoot you"
"No" he said with anger and steel in his voice. " I am not moving until your safe, even if I have to die to make it happen, NOW MOVE " he finished by shouting and shoving both Chloe and I out the door and onto the floor.
Then all hell broke loose Colton flung himself on top of us, as shots rang out and three or four bodies rushed past us into the store.
"It's alright Colton you can get off now" I huff, but Colton doesn't move, I start shaking him still no movement, I grab each side of his head and lift it up, his eyes are closed and I feel a warm sticky substance on my right hand when I let his head rest back down on my stomach, I inspect the sticky goo, blood, OMG Colton's been shot, I scream and Alex and a police officer rush over.
"He been shot" I scream, suddenly there are people all around us they lift Colton off and lay him on his back.
Chloe and I scramble up and look down on Colton, there's a doctor with him and lots of blood on the side of his face.
"It's okay" the doctor said in a calm voice " Just a flesh wound, nothing to worry about" the doctor then sets about cleaning the wound and applying a bandage.
At that moment Colton starts to wake up he's groaning and trying to sit up, two or three pairs of hands assist him.
They then help him to his feet, he stands unsteady on his feet and grins at me.
I feel my emotions change just like traffic signals, worry to relief to anger.
He could have got killed, how dare he get involved, it's my problem and I was dealing with it just fine and he nearly died, tears started to fall making me more angry.
Colton came over and tried to hug me, I pushed him away and screamed at him while beating a rhythm out on his chest with my fists.
"You idiot, you could have been killed, why didn't you leave when I told you, if you had died I couldn't have lived with the guilt, I hate you!"
With that I turned and fled.
Colton's POV
What is it with this woman, I saved her and her sisters life and she yelled at me and hit me.
I make to go after her, when Chloe grabs my arm, I turn and look at her.
"Let her go" she says"She'll calm down in a while"
"I don't understand" I said dejectedly "What did I do wrong"
"Nothing" Chloe answered "What you must understand it's only ever being Lea and me, she's always put herself in harm's way to protect me, you were an unknown factor, she doesn't know it yet or won't accept it, but she's in love with you"
This made my heart jump to hear the words I want to hear, they could only sound better coming out of Leanne's mouth.
"You deliberately put yourself in harm's way to protect her, she's not use to that and then you getting hurt pushed her over the edge"
"You are very knowledgeable about these things at such a young age" I said with admiration.
"As I've said before, Lea and I are so close we know each other better than we know ourselves"
"Come on" chirped in Todd "Let's get you all home"
And as if reading my mind. He added "She's with Alex heading back home"
At that news I breathed a sigh of relief.
We head back to the car, I can't get there quick enough I need to get home and explain to Leanne.
Finally we arrive back home and I bound up the steps determined to put things right with Leanne, I enter the lounge where, mum, dad, Alex and Leanne are sitting.
Determined to make matters right I head towards Lea, but as I near her, she stands up and comes towards me with her head down, I stop and with her head down she mumbles an apology for her behaviour, I couldn't care less about an apology, I just wanted to hug and kiss her, but knew I had to tread carefully.
Leanne continued.
"How did you know where we were" she asked.
"Easy we tracked you on your phone" I replied.
She looked confused.
" But I didn't have my phone with me she said.
Now we both looked confused.
"Excuse me" said Chloe in a small voice. ,"It was me, I had your phone on me playing candy crush "
Leanne's POV
I was relieved that Colton had accepted my apology, after getting back to the Barrett's home and being quizzed by Mr and Mrs Barratt.
I explained the events of the evening, but they couldn't understand why I had been angry for Colton saving mine and Chloe's life and having calmed down my rational side was finding it hard to understand as well, I knew I had to apologise to Colton, it was wrong of me, it's just no one has defended me before.
"Colton" I asked "What happened after I left"
Colton explains that his dad's investigators looked into this sheriff after hearing the story and they have been keeping close tabs on him, when they checked his hotel room they found his son and Duke waiting for you and the sheriff to return.
I gulped the sheriff, his son and Duke, if the sheriff had succeeded, what would have happened to Chloe and me.
" Thank you Colton, I owe you so much"
Colton grabs me and hugs me, pressing a chase kiss to my lips he says.
"Tu sei Il mio eterno Il mio per sempre my Leanne"
The whole room goes quiet, what just happened I thought, then everyone smiles genuine radiant smiles, except Mrs Barratt who bursts into tears.
I glared at Colton and shouted at him.
"Look what you have done now you have upset your mother and stop calling me your wildcat, I nobodies wildcat"
Sniffling Colton's mother grabs my hand and says.
"Come Leanne we need to talk" she leads me into her bedroom.
"Please Leanne sit I need to tell you a story"
I perched on the edge of a chair hands clasped together between my knees and listen to the story of Colton and Marie and she concluded.
"When Colton said Tu sei Il mio eterno Il mio per sempre to her and she died not long after, he swore to his father and me, that the next time he says it to a girl, then that's the one girl he wants for the rest of his life, it means, You are my eternity, my forever my Leanne"
My mind goes into meltdown. I can't handle this, he can't love me I'm broken, not capable of being loved, no, no this is all wrong we are supposed to be friends, no more, he can't.
I get up my mind a mess, my vision blurred, nothing makes sense, I rush from the bedroom and past everyone in the lounge, I slow and look at Colton tears streaming down my face.
"Colton you can't love me, you mustn't love me, I can't stay Chloe and I must leave"
I then run into my bedroom in a blind panic slamming the door, grabbing the suitcase I start to pack, I must get away.