Saved By You (The Spring Rose Bay Series Book 3)

by K. L. Jessop

  “Please don’t.” I extend my gathered arms out in a plea.

  “I'll count to five. Don't bother making wishes.”

  “But I didn’t do anything!” I scream out in tears. “I haven’t done anything!”

  “You’re her blood. That’s enough for me.” He raises his arm, aiming the gun at my head. “One.”

  “Please, don’t do this.”

  “Two.”

  “I have a son,” I weep in heavy sobs. “He needs me!”

  “Three.”

  I fall to my knees. “Please, stop.”

  “Four.”

  “I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!”

  “Five.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Lucas.

  I stop dead at the sound of gunfire echoing throughout the warehouse. My blood runs cold and my legs vibrate in fear as I struggle to catch my breath terrified about what I’m to encounter. As soon as I received the photo image of Tori laid broken and bleeding, I knew where she was. One thing Richard was never good at was common sense. His message was asking to play hide and seek, only he failed to realise I have a good fucking memory and recognised the building from when I was a kid. They are at the southern pier, the pier where the lifeboat station was once situated for many years before it relocated across the bay as the pier became damaged. If it was a guessing game, then I won the first round within seconds.

  But now I fear I have left it to late.

  I heard her screams and cries the further I entered the building, telling him she was sorry. Now everything has stopped. I hear nothing. It’s like even the ocean has been silenced. Fury burns deep from the bottom of my stomach, spreading across my chest. I felt rage after Selena died but that was nothing compared to the wrath that's wild inside of me now. It’s been building for days. The words he said to me about Selena and the knowledge I found out about him fucking Tori’s mother all twisted up in my head and I couldn’t think straight. When my suspicions were confirmed, I wanted to be with Tori, I wanted to comfort her even more knowing the things I did. I wanted to somehow make it up to her even though I’ve nothing to feel guilty for. But as soon as I laid eyes on her when I got home, I couldn’t comprehend anything and the distance she had put between us these past couple of days was at the forefront of my thoughts.

  I should have listened.

  I should have realised something far greater was on her mind, but I just jumped right in and accused. She was assaulted and scared and I thought it was about fucking drugs. There’s no question now who is the reason behind her fears, and I’m not going to stop until I put them at bay.

  With my gun loaded and firmly in my hands, I slowly step my way towards the open door that leads out onto the pier. I swore I’d never use my gun again, but the moment I knew Tori was in danger, I didn’t think twice. Scanning the ground, I notice the large pocketknife. Fresh blood spots along the ground cause my jaw to tighten.

  Poor move arsehole.

  Placing the blade in the back of my jeans, I edge closer.

  Richard has is back to me, the perfect position to put a bullet in his head, to end everything now.

  But I don’t.

  I’m not that kind of man.

  Instead, my eyes land on my love. She’s curled up on the rafters, unmoving. I don’t see any substantial amount of blood to indicate anything life-threatening. The only indication that brings me comfort is her eyes. They are heavy with fear and red from her tears, but that sparkle is there looking right back at me, telling me she’s okay, telling me she loves me. It takes everything in me not to run to her and hold her because I can’t. I need to air on the side of caution; I have to put her first and keep her safe, even if it means leaving her there.

  I take a step closer, my eyes flicking from Richard, to Tori. As a snap of the rafters causes him to turn suddenly, I waste no time in smacking him in the face with the back of my weapon, knocking him back and kicking his own gun from his hand before going in for another punch.

  “Well, nice of you to join us, pretty boy.”

  A full-on brawl takes place between us. Each hit keeps on coming as I fight back twice as hard. Bones crack and blood seeps and all the while, Tori screams at us to stop.

  “Your bitch likes to scream, doesn’t she?”

  “You want someone to blame for your twisted game, then choose me.”

  As though he’s exhausted, he steps back, holding his hands up in defeat.

  Old man.

  I glance around trying to find the other gun as Richard quickly picks one up.

  “I already chose you. I was just waiting for lover girl here to bring you to me.”

  “So, what, you use her as bait to come after me? That’s fucking low.”

  “Not really. I came back to Spring Rose to finish her and then the plan changed when I saw you. Now, I get two for the price of one.”

  I want to rip his fucking head off the way he’s standing with the grin I always loathed, acting like he’s the fucking King of the Country.

  I hold my arms out wanting him to see that he doesn’t intimidate me in the slightest, even though my heart says otherwise as is pounding like a fucking drum. “Well now’s your chance.”

  “Lucas, stop!” she cries, but I focus on Richard.

  “Yeah, Lucas, stop.”

  I step forward, taunting him. I need to stop as he’s unpredictable, but I can’t fucking help myself. “You wouldn’t do it anyway. You haven’t got the balls.”

  “Is that right?” He spits the blood from his mouth, nodding, before glancing over at Tori. She’s now on her feet, her body trembling. “Victoria, would you like to tell pretty boy here what I’m capable of?”

  “Please stop this,” she cries.

  “I told you: I’ll stop when I’ve got what I wanted. Now fucking tell him.”

  “Leave her out of this,” I growl.

  He stops, holding his finger up as if he’s remembered some vital information. Still aiming the gun in my direction. If Tori weren’t here, I’d risk everything to get out of his line of fire, but I can’t. One wrong move and I know it’ll be her taken down.

  “Oh wait. Before we get down to the nitty gritty, why don’t we have a little confession time, Lucas, to your dearly beloved?”

  I narrow my brows. “I’ve nothing to confess. Tori knows everything there is about me.”

  He turns to Tori. “So, you know that good, loyal Lucas here knew your mum and knew that I was screwing her?”

  Fuck.

  My blood boils and I glance at Tori, hating the fact that I wasn’t the one to tell her. She looks broken. The sparkle in her eyes has gone and it guts me. She can’t believe that I was a part of his games. I won’t have her thinking I’m anything like him. “Correction arsehole. I knew you were fucking someone, I never knew she had a child. I never knew it was Tori.”

  “He’s been lying to you just like everyone else ever did.”

  “No!” I growl.

  “He knew all about her and what Lawson was doing.”

  “Don’t listen to him, Tori.”

  “But we can change that can’t we, our Little Raven? We can tell him how the game ended and how this one will end just the same. Can’t we?”

  “What is wrong with you!” she weeps.

  “Just do what I said. TELL HIM!”

  I tilt my head to the side. The desperation to hold her is unbearable. She’s falling apart in front of me and it makes my heart ache. I swore I’d never see her in this much pain again after the night of our confessions. I promised to take care of her every way I could, and right now I’m not doing that.

  “It was him. Your Uncle Richard murdered my mum.”

  Everything in me stills. My breath halts. It was him? He has an affair with Rebecca, leaves Tori at home to face all kinds of abuse then finishes off by murdering the one-person Tori only ever thought she was protecting. I knew he was many things but... “Jesus Christ.”

  “Beautiful Rebecca terminated my child, so I got rid of he
r because of it. Strange what love makes you do, don’t you think?”

  My knuckles crack with tension and explosive fury. “You fucking bastard.”

  “You see. I’ve got fucking balls, Lucas. Like I said to this pathetic excuse of a woman here, no one messes with me and gets away with it. Now it’s your turn.”

  Before I can register what’s happening, I’m thrown back at the sound of fire and a scorch of red-hot rips through my thigh. Tori’s scream penetrates the surrounding as warmth soaks through my jeans.

  Laughing like it’s the best thing he’s witnessed, he steps closer. I’m unarmed and vulnerable in his power. As he raises the gun once more, gunfire comes from the side of us and Richard is knocked back as his arm explodes.

  “BITCH!”

  “RUN!”

  Realising it was Tori, I lunge myself at Richard as he aims for her when she heads down the pier, knocking him to the ground in a rugby tackle. I grab his arm, aiming the pistol away but I’m too late.

  The gun fires in her direction. Everything happens so fast yet plays out before me in slow motion.

  Her blood-curdled scream fades and she’s gone in seconds along with half of the pier. “TORI!” I roar as the sick twisted laugh from Richard fills the silence.

  “Looks like she stepped on the wrong rafter.”

  All the anger and aggression, fear and hurt I feel comes like a tornado force and I grab his throat with both hands, pushing him back from resting over me as I’m on my back. “I’m going to rip your fucking head off.”

  “Yet I’m the one with the ammunition.” The barrel of his gun is pushed into my stomach, and the evil in his eyes grows along with his grin. "Don't have it in me, huh? I've done it before, Lucas. Now it's going to end with you."

  An explosion of noise hurts my ears before the rich raw burn rips through me like a lightning bolt. My body jerks and I gasp deeply for air as every part of my waist feels as though it's an inferno. My hands are numb, and my vision is coated with red and yellow stars. The bright sky hurts my eyes as Tori’s face becomes my vision.

  My girl. My love.

  Every second I'm up here is another breath taken from her.

  I’ve lost her. I can’t move.

  Richard’s stocky silhouette blocks out the sun as he presses the gun against my forehead.

  The knife I found earlier digs into my back.

  “I’ve got one bullet left. It’s about time you fucking died.”

  “It won’t be long before someone hunts your arse down and blows your fucking head to bits.”

  “I’ve got away with murder one too many times now, son, and it’s the best fucking feeling in the world. You of all people should know that.”

  “I’m nothing like you and never will be,” I growl.

  “It’s the fear in their eyes right before I pull the trigger. It’s sweet satisfaction.”

  “You sick fuck.”

  I grab hold of the barrel, forcing it harder against my head. I want this over with. It needs to be finished and it will be because what he’s failed to realise is it’s my gun he’s got, and I know how much ammunition it has. “Do it. DO. IT!”

  “It's a beautiful day to die.”

  The triggers pulled and the sound of the empty barrel causes confusion in his eyes. It’s enough for me to kick his legs from beneath him. I'm on him before he's even down, swiping the knife from my back and connecting it with his throat. “Over my dead body.”

  I leave him fighting for air as I run through every splinter of pain raging through my weak body and jump off the pier. Wood panels and beams congest the water and with each stretch I take towards her, she’s never felt more further away.

  “Tori. Tori. I’ve got you.”

  She’s unresponsive and so much pain and fear clouds my heart as I take us to shore, pushing through my own agony. My energy is draining from me with every ounce of blood my body is losing. I have to keep fighting, but I don’t think I have the strength. I can already see Marcus and the guys heading towards the beach as I carry my love in my arms, praying and begging for this not to end this way.

  “Stay with me baby.”

  Each step I take sends razors through me from where the bullets have hit. The pain wins. I stagger to my feet before I collapse to the ground.

  I can’t take anymore.

  “Lucas! Oh God, no!”

  “Save her,” I gasp to Marcus. I roll onto my back fighting for air. Stars form and my vision become a blur as I look over at Tori.

  I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.

  “Lucas, stay with me,” Megan cries, taking my hand. “Everything will be alright.”

  “I…love…you.”

  “Shut up! Don’t you dare say that!”

  I shout out from the extreme pressure that rips through my torso from whatever Andrew is doing to me.

  My little raven bird.

  I didn’t get to her fast enough. I don’t deserve to be saved. Everything inside of me is fighting to get Andrew to stop, to leave me be and focus on my girl, but I’ve no strength. I did this. I caused all this heartache for her, for them, for myself. Me. Now it has to stop.

  “Save her,” I whisper as my eyes become heavy and my body begins to shut down with the impact. A bright light pierces through my darkness and I find myself reaching out for it.

  “Lucas, stay with us, man.” Andrew orders.

  “I… can’t. Save...”

  “No. LUCAS!”

  Everything goes black...

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Victoria.

  “The devastation that was brought to this town that day was both terrorising and unforgiving. People were put in danger, blood was shed, and life was taken. In the silence that came after, everything seemed to calm: the air, the waves, everything.

  It all just stopped as we tried to comprehend the trauma of what took place. In the previous years I’ve lived here, I’ve only encountered one life-changing incident where the haunts still live in the cracks of every wall.

  Rebecca Foster’s death rocked this town like never before, and the death that’s recently been brought to the town is no different. Both times have involved my best friend, only this time it’s far worse.”

  As I listen to the words that come from my best friend, I try and work out what is going on. I don’t understand why he’s saying these things. I don’t understand why everyone is here. Everyone looks so sad. And I can’t see Lucas.

  “Victoria was an amazing friend, mother and woman.”

  Was?

  Oh, God…

  “Many hearts have been broken from the tragedy of her death.”

  No! No!

  I bolt upright, gasping for breath as an invasion of pain hits my chest like a thunderstorm. I tear away the mask from my face, blood spurts as I rip the cannula from my hand as my blood burns through my veins. I’m crawling up the bed in panic and pain. I can’t breathe.

  “No. No!”

  I can see faces but I can’t hear their words. I can see Marcus, but he looks sad. And I can’t… I can’t see Lucas. Where is Lucas? Gunfire, Richard, water and Lucas suddenly flash through my mind.

  The sound of my screams.

  The fear in his eyes.

  The glee in Richard.

  “No! No!” Large hands take my arms as I fight to get away. I’m pushing and thrashing, screaming out through heavy tears as darkness closes in.

  And my heart… my heart is broken.

  I’ve lost him.

  I wake to the tender touch of someone stroking my hair, the warmth of a solid body against mine and the heartbeat that comforts my broken soul. I’m not resting against the man I love, but I am resting on one that is still my home. Marcus is sitting on my bed, comforting me like he always used to do when we were kids.

  Every ounce of my body is hurting. My chest and ribs feel like I’ve been hit by a freight train, my face battered, my limbs weak. Feeling a warm touch of someone else, I find an elderly nurse with grey hair
placing a fresh dressing on my hand. I’m in hospital. I’m not dead. But Lucas isn’t with me.

  “Welcome back,” the nurse whispers. “You gave us all a fright.” She rubs Marcus on the arm and smiles before leaving the room.

  Silence hits and I don’t like it. It means something is wrong. Something bad has happened and something is going to change in my life forever.

  Lucas isn’t here.

  My Lucas. My Love.

  I will never survive this, the pain. The emptiness of not ever seeing the man that’s opened up my heart again is unbearable. The one person that brought me back to life has gone.

  “I’ve lost him, haven’t I?” My voice cracks and tears flood my eyes. “I’ve lost my Lucas.”

  Marcus pulls back, tilting my head up to look at him as he wipes my tears. “You’ve not lost him, sweetheart. He’s alive.”

  A wave of eternal love hits my body like never before as a smile of relief spreads across my face.

  He’s alive… but he’s not here.

  I’m just about to ask Marcus where he is when a little person invades my thoughts.

  “Oh my God. Charlie.”

  “He’s fine. He’s with Mum, don’t worry.” His assurance is comforting, but I’d give anything to hold my boy right now, to tell him that Mummy is safe; to tell him everything is going to be alright.

  But there’s a look in my friend’s eyes that I don’t want to be there.

  “Why isn’t Lucas here?”

  “Can you remember what happened?”

  I don’t want to remember. I want him to tell me what’s going on. I swallow, closing my eyes at the discomfort as I try and comprehend everything that’s happened. “We were on the pier. Richard pulled the trigger and the gun went off and I can remember thinking as I laid there that nothing was hurting. I couldn’t understand why.” I felt numb. Paralysed. The ringing in my ears was all I could focus on. And then I saw him. “I knew Lucas would come for me. It was like seeing an angel. I locked onto his eyes and I knew that I was safe. I can remember thinking that I should run, but I couldn’t. The gun went off, hitting Lucas in the leg after they fought, and it was like my hands had a mind of their own. I just picked up the gun and fired at Richard.”