Seductive Truths (Seductive Trilogy) (28 page)

     My breathing increases as the tension intensifies.

    
‘
Not even sweet, innocent, Sammy.
’

   
‘
Wh-wha…
’
Gareth stumbles backwards, his legs slacken.

    
Oh crap!  Is he admitting what I think he is?  And I’ve been living with this man, sleeping with him, welcoming him into my family.  Allowed him to interact with little Bethany.  A child of similar age to Gareth’s dead son!  No, no, no, no, no, no.

     My heart plummets, skin grows cold and clammy.  I feel my head begin to spin and my hands shake.  The tingles return. 

     I gaze towards Gareth only to see tears welling up in his eyes, his lips quivering slightly.  His shoulders slump, feet unsteady.   The rise and fall of his chest is more prominent.  The gun has fallen forgotten to his side leaving him open for attack.  The soft glow from the streetlamps light up his ashen face.  In the space of a few seconds Gareth looks ten times older, withered and scared.  The lost little boy returns to his eyes. 

    
‘
Shame the babysitter got in the way.  It was a life needlessly lost.  But, it couldn’t be helped.  She had to go, I couldn’t risk her blabbering to the police, or worse, you.
’

    
‘
You k-killed…you killed m-my s-s…
’
Gareth stammers.

    
‘
Oh no old boy, that’s simply not my style.  Why would I want to get my hands dirty when I could easily get someone to do it for me?  All it took was some choice words, a sum of money, throw a bit of vengeance into the mix and hey presto, I have the perfect goon.  I was quite shocked how many enemies you have made.  You haven’t been idle, that’s for sure.

    
‘
If it’s any consolation, your son died as humanely as possible.  It was quick, over in a matter of seconds.  He wouldn’t have known it was coming.
’

    
‘
You k-killed my s-son,
’
Gareth mumbles. 
‘
You killed my son.
’
  His voice cutting through the air like a sword, filled with rage.  His body now ready for battle, but all this goes unnoticed by William as he carries on taunting his nemesis.

    
‘
I couldn’t have your protégé growing up like you and have him hunt me down.  He would have been fit and strong, in his prime.  I, on the other hand, would be old and weak, nowhere near fit enough to take on such a competitor.  Son gone, it only leaves you.  So, here we are, with a gorgeous spectator to boot.  No need to worry about precious Alex here, she’s too dear to me to even think about harming.  After all, I loved her enough to have proposed.
’

     Gareth’s eyes twitch.

    
Oh no.

    
‘
You killed my son!
’
then in a flash, he lunges himself at William, cigarette flies through the air and the gun lands at my feet with a heavy clonk. 
It’s lucky it
didn’t
go off!
 

     The horrible crunching noise of a well-aimed fist echoes about the room and William tumbles to the floor.  Gareth dives on top, raining punch upon punch on any body part he can reach, pummelling William into the ground.  Clothes are torn and blood is spilt from cut lips and grazed skin.  A tussle ensues and I screech for help, but it falls on deaf ears.

    
‘
Stop it, please!  Please, stop…
’
I whimper.  My vision blurs as tears fall rapidly from my eyes. 
‘
For goodness sake, just…
’

     BANG!

     The ear-splitting sound shatters the atmosphere.

     Two muscular bodies lay limp on the floor and my heart jumps through my throat.  I take a shaky step forward.

    
Oh no.  Please God, no.

     Gareth’s body begins to shift unnaturally then is shoved unceremoniously onto his back.  William gets unsteadily to his feet, gun in his right hand and crimson blood staining his white shirt. 

    
Oh Christ in hell, he’s been shot!  Hold on a sec.

     He does not look in pain.  Shock yes, but pain?  And the blood stain remains the same.  It’s not getting any bigger.  Surely the blood would be flooding out of that wound, unless…

    
A movement to my left catches my attention and a groan fills the air as Gareth’s large, trembling hand moves to shield his torn flesh and when he pulls it away it is covered in a layer of precious blood, his blood which is now rapidly soaking into his shirt and then spills onto the wooden floor, gradually forming a puddle of the sticky substance at his side.

     In that second my legs give way and I come crashing to my knees.  With my heart feeling like it is being constantly ripped from my chest, I start to crawl over to Gareth’s side, slipping on his spilt blood as I get closer.  I blindly grapple for the dying man’s hand.

    
‘
Don’t die on me Gareth, please don’t die on me.
’
  Snapping my attention back to William I shout,
‘
What have you done?  Why William, why?
’

    
‘
I-I…It was an accident, I didn’t me-mean to.  It was an accident, ju-just and ac-accident.
’
  There is no mistaking the fear in his eyes as he looks from the gun, to the wounded man on the floor, then lastly to me.

     This is the first time he has actually harmed a person with his own hands.  There is no car or goon this time, it was all him and he is scared shitless and when he locks eyes with mine there is only one word he’s communicating.  Help.

    
‘
Not this time William, I won’t.  Not anymore.
’

     With one last longing look he disappears out of the door and out of my life. 
That will be the last I see of him
. 

     I look down to blood flowing freely out of the increasingly fatigued man, letting nothing get in its way.  Panicking I search the room for anything to heed the bleed.

    
Towels!

     I rush towards the bathroom, slipping here and there with my blood coated shoes, but eventually I make it.  However, it does not look promising.

    
‘
Is this all there is?
’

     Hanging on a rail is one medium sized bath sheet and lying by the sink is a blue flannel.

    
‘
Ahhhhhhh!
’
Gareth cries from the other room.

    
‘
It will have to do.
’

     Grabbing both items I then carefully make my way back.

    
‘
This may hurt a bit,
’
and I bundle the bath sheet into a ball and place it onto the wound and press slightly to try and avoid him losing any more blood.

    
‘
Ahhhh, Christ!
’

    
‘
I’m sorry Gareth, I’m so sorry.  We need to get you to the hospital.  Where’s your mobile phone?
’

    
‘
Tr-trouser pocket, right s-side.
’
 

    
While using one hand to tenderly keep the towel in place I use the other to retrieve his mobile phone.

    
‘
What shall I say, what’s the address?
’
  His eyelids begin to flutter. 
‘
Come on Gareth, stay with me.
’
  I shake him ever so slightly. 
‘
What’s the address?
’

    
‘
Soho…Chatswell Str-street…aparmen-apartment thr-thr-three B.
’

     Quickly punching the 999 number in I wait for someone to pick up.

    
Come on come on.

    
‘
You have reached the emergency services, which department please?
’

    
‘
I need an ambulance to Chatswell Street, apartment three B in Soho and quick!  A man has been shot and has already lost a lot of blood!
’

    
‘
One will be with you right away.
’

    
‘
Thank you, thank you,
’
and I hang up then shove the phone into my own pocket. 
‘
You’ll be okay Gareth; an ambulance is on its way.  Soon you’ll be safe,
’
but peering down at his wound the outlook does not look promising.  Already the bath sheet has soaked up far too much blood and his skin is getting paler and paler.

    
‘
This is not working.  We need more towels.  Just stay there a minute, I’ll be right back,
’
and I dash off into the kitchen. 
‘
There has got to be some tea towels in here somewhere.
’

     I yank open every door and cupboard, throwing them almost off their hinges in my haste, but with each one I am met with disappointment. 
Doesn’t this guy wash up?  Hold on, this is Gareth I’m talking about, of course he doesn’t!
 

     As I go to open another cupboard I am met with the shock of my life.

    
Holy shit! 

 
  
‘
This is just great!  Bloody great!  Just what I need, a ticking time bomb!
’
 
I think we have gone beyond needing towels now
.

     Jumping to my feet I leg it back to the other room.

    
‘
Gareth, it’s time to go, we’ll meet the ambulance outside.
’

    
‘
C-can’t move.  Hurts.
’

    
‘
I know it hurts but in less than five minutes you won’t be able to feel a thing as we’ll both be dead.
’

    
‘
B-both?
’
he looks at me with half closed eyes as I go to haul him to a sitting positioning, looping his arm over my shoulder and wrapping mine around the good side of his waist.

    
‘
Yes, both.  There’s a bloody bomb planted in your kitchen and if you don’t move we’ll both be blown to smithereens, so could you kindly shift your arse.  I’d rather not use my insides to decorate your walls.
’

    
‘
B-bomb?
’

    
‘
We can discuss particulars later, but right now we need to get the hell out of here.  Now on three.  - one, two, three and up.
’

    
‘
Ahhhh!
’

    
‘
That’s it, good.  Now shift as fast as you can to the lift.
’

     Step by agonising step we gradually get faster and faster and closer to our exit, which is easier said than done when I am almost dragging double, probably closer to triple my body weight.

    
‘
I’m s-sorry,
’
Gareth struggles to say. 
‘
A-about ev-ev-everything.  All m-my fau-fault.
’

    
‘
Yes it is, but instead of apologising, I’d rather you save your energy in trying to breathe and move.  A couple more steps and we’re at the door.
’

     Reaching our destination I yank it open with difficulty then drag him through.  Thankfully the lift is only a few steps away.

     While waiting for the doors to open I try refraining from looking back, but as the seconds tick by it becomes harder and harder not to.

    
Come on, come on, come on!

    
‘
Al-Alex, I-I can’t ke-ke-ke…
’
Gareth slurs as the loss of blood begins to take effect then his hand loses grip and he finally enters unconsciousness.  I stumble with the effort to keep him upright.

     Ding!

    
Finally!

     The doors open and I practically fall into the lift with Gareth landing on top of me.  Instantly I feel his blood begin to soak into my top.  The warm liquid sticks to my skin.

    
This isn’t happening to me! 
How the hell did I get myself into such a mess?  I just want my old life back; I just want my old life back…