Chasing Paradise (Chasing Series #3) (28 page)

Gareth’s hands were now stroking my neck before it went lower and cupped my breasts.

“
Stop! Don’t you fucking dare touch her! ENOUGH!” he thundered out, but Camilla kept laughing at him while Gareth continued his ministrations. “Okay. Okay. I’ll do it.”

Camilla laughed. “Finally! Just to let you know, Gareth will shoot you if you try to kill me. It’s a little romantic, don’t you think? If you and I die together then Sienna and Gareth can live happily ever after.”

“
Understood,” Blake hissed out.

I could feel the heat and anger from him. The thought of him with Camilla, hearing them together was killing me inside. Anger rose and took over me when I heard Camilla hand over her gun to Gareth before walking towards Blake. “I want to be on my back so I could watch you do me. It’s been too long, my love.”

“
No,” a tiny voice came out of my lips, enough for him to hear me. I wasn’t sure if it was the anger that was helping me function or the meds wearing off, but it was slowly ebbing away, too slow.

“
Cara?”

“
Blake!” I yelped when Gareth pulled me up from behind, moving us against the wall.

“
Open those beautiful eyes, Sienna,” Gareth commanded. “Open them.”

I heard a cry from Camilla.

“
God! I forgot how rough you could be,” she purred before I heard a Blake growl.

I felt tears forming in my eyes, afraid of what was going on.

“
Open them, Sienna, or I’ll make you.” The tip of gun was now circling my breasts, teasing. “Fuck her now, Knightly. I want to see your fiancée see you for what you are.” His thick hands were sliding down my thighs before he slid his hand inside the gown, seeking.

“
STOP. ENOUGH. OPEN YOUR EYES, SIENNA!” Blake bellowed just before I felt a finger delve into my folds. “NOW!”

I squirmed as my eyes flickered open, clashing directly with Blake’s, who was scooting to the side, away from Gareth. He had Camilla pressed against the bed, both hands behind her back with no underwear on. When I saw that he still had his pants on, I sighed a little relief that he didn’t do it.

Blake’s eyes pinned into mine before flickering at the gun that was on the table next to Gareth, who was now screaming for Blake to get a move on.

“
Are you ready to be fucked?” he grated at Camilla, pulling her hair as he did so and then plunging his finger inside her.

She looked like she was in heaven, a stuttering mess and absolutely under his spell. I wanted to cry so badly, but I knew Blake wanted me to get the gun, so I inched closer, towards Gareth.

“
Are you trying to hide, love? Come here, let me make you feel better.” He pulled me close, ripping half of my hospital gown, exposing my breast to him.

I nervously flickered my eyes towards Blake; he looked like he was ready to kill Gareth, but I had to get to the gun first. The twisted man was so engrossed at my breasts that he kept staring at them like he was mesmerized before pushing my back against the table and bit into my nipple. I cried out from the pain, forcing myself to focus on the gun.

“
You were always such a sexy thing. I used to wank myself off thinking of these gorgeous melons.” Gareth still had a gun in his right hand as he used his free one to touch me.

I stretched my hand out, until I felt the cool heavy metal in my hands and aimed it at Gareth’s head. “Get off me, you sick pervert!”

Gareth stilled before letting go of my breasts, sliding it out of his mouth with a pop. He then backed away to the side, clapping his hand with the gun. “Can’t save your man, love. I will shoot him first before I’d let him be with you.”

“
You won’t,” I bluffed, backing towards the door, pulling it a crack open before Gareth pointed the gun towards me then to Blake.

Camilla yelped when Blake yanked her hair harder, getting her on her feet, securing one hand on her forehead, the other, cupping her chin, ready to twist her head.

“
Let her go, Knightly, or I’ll shoot!”

His eyes connected with mine. “I love you,” he said before he twisted Camilla’s head, killing her immediately. “Run!” he screamed at me before I dragged my limp body out of there, screaming help.

The halls were empty. The nurses’ station was deserted. Where was everyone? “Help!” my voice echoed in the halls.

Tears were rolling down my face as I reached for the phone and dialed triple nine for Scotland Yard. It didn’t take long for someone to help me. I was in the middle of explaining and pleading for help when I heard a gunshot then came another a second after the other was shot. “Hurry!” was the only word I could manage before I headed towards the room again, praying that it was Gareth being shot twice.

Upon entering the room, Camilla’s lifeless body was the first thing I saw then Gareth’s body, faced down with a pool of blood. I held my breath before looking to my left and saw Blake, in a pool of blood. His shirt was soaked, indicating he was shot in the chest.

“
Blake!” I scrambled, immediately moving towards him. “BLAKE!!! Baby, wake up!” Tears fell as I screamed his name while I frantically looked for the bullet hole.

The amount of blood coming out of his chest was frightening. I prayed as I pressed my palm against the hole, stopping the flow of blood, my other hand pressed on his neck, looking for a pulse. I couldn’t find one.

“
Stay with me. Blake. Stay with me!” I was choking with my tears, hoping that help would get here soon before it was too late. I knew there was only a small window to resuscitate a body. I hoped to God that he would be kind enough and make that possible.

I shook as the blood tried to squeeze through my palm so I had to kneel and press both hands into it, watching as Blake started to lose color. “Dad! Help me. Don’t let them take him away,” I sobbed, feeling helpless. “Please…”

My cries vibrated throughout the room; it was so loud that I didn’t hear anyone coming towards me until a medic slightly shook me, snapping me back into focus.

“
Miss, I’m sorry, but we can’t afford to waste time. Judging by the pool of blood and the faint pulse, we only have a tiny window to keep him alive,” a young man with a grim face and sympathetic eyes said before more people came in and took control of the situation.

The loud noise, the chaos that surrounded me and the alarming pitch of emergency around me swirled in my head. “Let him live,” I whispered before I fainted into darkness.

Thirty

Sienna

I heard Chad and Lucy discussing something, before I managed to open my eyes. The second my eyes saw the bright light, I squinted, memories and the horrifying events loaded into my mind. I bolted, sitting upright, gasping his name, “Blake! I need to see Blake!”

“
Sienna…” Chad gave me the sorry eyes. I glanced at Lucy, who was mirroring the same look.

No, no, he couldn’t be dead. He just couldn’t be. We were just starting our lives… “Tell me he’s alive,” I pleaded. “Please.”

Lucy soothed me, rubbing my arm gently. “They’re operating on him. It’s been six hours now. We were told that he has a five percent survival rate because the bullet grazed his heart. During the operation, he bled out a lot and it resulted to more damage. We’re still waiting for more news.”

A five percent chance?
I trembled and allowed myself a minute to take everything in before I looked at Chad. “Get me a wheelchair. I want to be out in the waiting room when they bring any updates.”

“
But you need to rest, sweetie. You went—”

I cut Chad off, “Get. Me. That. Wheelchair or I will get it myself!”

“
Get it,” Lucy directed him. He made a melancholy sigh and left the room. “Sienna—”

“
No. I don’t want to talk about it, not right now. I just need to be as close to Blake as possible. That’s all I need.”

She nodded and then gave me a hug. “Be strong, my love. Have faith.”

Edward, Blake’s grandfather, William, Toby and Clive were all in the waiting area when Chad and Lucy wheeled me in.

I was surprised when William sat next to me, reached for my hand and held it. “Keep talking to him. He always finds a way to come back to you. My grandson loves you that much.”

I nodded through my tears, understanding what he meant by keep talking to him. By using the power of the mind and the heart, some people believed that it made miracles.

After an eight-hour surgery, Blake survived, but was still in a critical condition. The next forty-eight hours were vital to see if he could pull through.

He was transferred into a private room. William was kind enough to request another bed to be placed alongside Blake’s so I could sleep and still be with him.

Blake still looked pale. I held his hand, kissing it and not letting go. “Goodnight, my love.” I slept on my side, falling asleep while watching him.

I remembered smiling, thanking my father for helping me out, for keeping him alive.

My haunted dreams pulled me in again, drowning in a dark sea. I could feel my lungs heaving before it felt heavy, constricted, as I fell deeper into the dark depths of the water.

“
Sienna,” a voice called out, echoing in the water. It was odd, but I could hear it perfectly. It called on me again, but this time, I recognized the voice. It was my dad’s.

The second I realized it was his, my dream shifted back into our old home, tucked next to him in the sofa as he read me a story of Thumbelina. I was listening to him, picturing out the story, before I realized that daddy had stopped his storytelling.

“
Daddy, come on! I need to know what happens next,” I urged on.

He patted my head and then looked out the window. “The rain has stopped, princess.”

I frowned at him, looking out the window as well. The rain did stop, but it was still gloomy with some orange tinged hues scattered about. It was pretty, but I was ready to hear the rest of the story. “Is that suppose to mean something, dad?” I glanced at him, waiting.

He studied the clouds awhile before he looked down on me, closing the book, putting it aside. “That means the sun will come out soon. It always does. It doesn’t matter how long it rains or how heavy the pour because you can always count on the sun to shine. It always comes back.”

“
Okay. Can we finish our story now?”

“
I’m sorry, princess, but story time is over.” Dad kissed my forehead, looking at me with tears in his eyes.

I felt alarmed. “Don’t cry.”

“
These are happy tears. Come on, princess; time to get up and go venture outside. Stand in the sun, bask in it.” Dad got up, guiding me outside, out in our lawn, holding my hand as he looked up again, studying the sky. “Close your eyes. The sun is about to come out soon. I’m right here with you, holding your hand, so don’t be afraid.”