CORAL - Fallen (A Romance Trilogy, Book 2) (62 page)

I stare back at the woman. I think I recognise her, but I’m
not sure.

“Mom?” I question and notice that my voice doesn’t sound
like me.

“You have to go back Coral,” she tells me.

“Go back?” I question.

“You can’t come with me,” she says.

“Come with you? What do you mean?” I question. She floats
towards me and presses her hand against my cheek.

“It was my time darling it’s not yours. Tristan needs you.”

I frown back at her. “But I want to go with you,” I tell
her. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too darling, and I’m sorry. So, so sorry I
didn’t make it work for us.” She opens her arms and I fall into them.

“Oh Mom!” I’m instantly flooded with a feeling of peace and
absolute, unconditional love. “I don't want to go,” I whisper. “If I do I won't
see you again, will I?” I look up at her.

“No baby girl, you won’t see me again, not like this. But
I’ll always be with you, even if you can't see me, I’ll be there.”

“How do you know that?” I question.

“Because I’ve been watching you for a while now,” she says
smiling softly at me.

“You have?”

“Yes, I have.” She takes my face in her hands. “Go now
Coral, before it’s too late,” she says.

“No I like it here.”
I don't feel any pain, or hate or
sorrow – just love.

“Baby, it’s time. I love you Coral, please forgive me.” I
try to hold onto her, but she takes a step back from me.

“No...Mom...” In the next instance she’s slammed her hands
against me, one across my heart and the other under my rib –
My god that
hurt!
She does it again –
Fuck, that really hurt, what’s going on?
Suddenly,
my whole world shifts, and I feel like I’m being pulled through a vacuum.

“She’s back!” someone shouts.
Back? Where have I been?
I question but no words come out.

I hear more voices, people shouting at one another, I try to
hear what they are saying but they seem so far away. I try to open my eyes, but
I feel myself slipping, the fog washes over me again. I let it take me, hoping
I’ll see my Mom again...

***

IT’S
JUST GONE SIX O’CLOCK BY THE TIME STUART DROPS ME OUTSIDE THE HOUSE
.
We were so busy today. I’m hoping that means we’ll be back in profit soon. I’ll
have to ask Tristan to check it out for me. The moment I walk into the house, I
know something isn’t right. The house is eerily dark and silent. There’s no
lights on anywhere. Edith isn’t in the kitchen, which she normally is at this
time of night, and Tristan hasn’t come to greet me, which he always does when I
arrive home. I frown and scan my surroundings, something...something’s wrong –
But what? Why do I feel worried, on edge, like all my senses are on hyper
alert.

“Tristan?” I call out for him, my heart hammering against my
chest.

I hear footsteps in the kitchen, and I’m about to take a
step forward, but to my complete and utter horror, Kane comes waltzing around
the breakfast bar, a smug smile spread across his face.

Fuck!
What is he doing in our house?
I glance
at the alarm, the cover is down, and there’s no green light flashing. The
police don't know we’ve intruders in our house –
Fuck!

I should be afraid, for myself, for Tristan, for Edith, but
I don't. My body instantly floods with adrenalin, fight or flight kicking in. I
grit my teeth and glare back at him –
What the fuck is he doing in my house!

All I feel is pure rage flooding through my veins – Rage and
hatred for this evil twisted freak. He stops at least four feet away from me. I
take a quick snap shot of the room, there’s no sign of a struggle, so where the
fuck is Tristan?

“So glad you’re home,” he says, smiling brightly. I
instantly realise I’m being flanked from behind. I drop my bag, clench my
fists, and step my feet apart ready to fight them off –
Damn, I wish I
wasn’t in a skirt and heels right now!
But I don't panic, because any
minute now Stuart’s going to come through that door, and they’ll be screwed.

I grit my teeth and glare at Kane. “Where’s Tristan?” I
growl.

He laughs, and takes another step forward, I take a step
back in response.

“I thought you might ask that.” He cracks a smile again. “Careful
boys, this one knows how to fight,” he adds, then nods to the men behind me.

The two men lunge and try to grab hold of me. Will always
told me that screaming is useless, that it just wastes energy, so I fight, with
all of my might. I manage to pull my arm free from the guy on my left, I turn
and slam the heel of my hand into his nose. I don't think I shoved it into his
brain, but he looks stunned for a moment as blood starts pouring out his
nostrils, then he passes out on the floor –
One down!

The other guy still has my other arm in his grip, so I
crouch down, pulling his arm as I do, and go to flip him over my back, but he’s
evidently trained in this kind of fighting, so he counteracts me, by twisting
back on my arm and kneeing me in the stomach – I groan as all the air leaves my
lungs. In the next second he flips me onto my stomach, smashing me to the
floor, he crushes his knee in between my shoulder blades and pulls my arms back
–
Fuck that hurts!
But I don't scream, I won't scream. I pull my leg
back, kicking him hard at the bottom of his spine with the heel of my foot, but
he just twists and rams his foot down on the back of my knees. I’m pinned to
the floor –
Fuck!

Then I feel my hands being tied –
Shit!
He pulls me
up by my shoulders, pushes me onto my side and brings his fist down hard across
my cheek – I see stars.

“That’s enough!” Kane snaps. I glare up at my attacker. His
eye is split, and there’s a streak of dried blood that’s run down his cheek.
His left cheek is swollen, his ear is split and bleeding and his lip is split
too. And I know, I just know – he’s fought with Tristan.

“Bring her down,” Kane snaps.

Kane stomps across the hallway and heads down the stairs.
I’m instantly pulled to my feet, I quickly kick off my heels, I’ll fight better
without them. He grabs me by the scruff of the neck and drags me along with
him. We head down the stairs, down into the basement. Kane is in front of me,
but too far in front for me to kick him in the back. We bypass the cinema room,
then Kane opens the door to the swimming pool, and I’m pushed through. All the
air leaves my lungs when I see him. I feel my heart thud to a stop then begin
racing out of control.

“Tristan!” I gasp. I’m shocked and horrified by what lies
before me. Tristan is next to the pool. He’s sitting on a chair, his arms and
feet are bound to the chair with duct tape, and there’s several free weights
taped to his legs – His face is almost unrecognisable; he’s been beaten so
badly that he can barely hold his head up, his right eye is so swollen you
can't see his eye at all.

There’s a man standing behind him, Tristan must have fought
with him too because he has a split lip, a bloody nose, and his right cheek
bone looks cracked. It’s really swollen and has blood pouring out of it, and
he’s clutching his stomach as though he’s in pain.

I look down at the weights again, then at the swimming pool
– And I know, it’s to make him heavier, so he’ll sink to the bottom of the pool
–
Fuck!

“Coral.” Tristan says, his voice so torn, so ragged, it’s as
though he’s being hung drawn and quartered. He takes a deep breath, wincing as
he does. “RUN!” he roars wildly...

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CORAL-Fallen
- By
Clair Delaney -
Copyright © 2014 by Clair Delaney

The
moral rights of the author have been asserted. All characters and events in
this e-book other than those clearly in the public domain are fictitious and
any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidence - All
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