Chapter Thirty Four - Only I Do

"You're old," I finally blurted out.

Her dark brown eyes narrowed, showing the subtly visible wrinkles around them.

Long red locks fell over her shoulders as she glared at me. She could be in her late forties.

"You....want my husband?" I spoke in confusion, then frowned.

All along we were searching among Alec's classmates when we really should've been looking among his teachers.

"You cougar," I spat.

The frown vanished from her face and she let out a laugh.

"You think I want your husband?"

I blinked in confusion.

What the hell does she want?

"That's what you said in those warning notes," I spoke.

She seemed confused for a moment, then her eyes blazed in anger.

"If you think that acting oblivious will get you out of here, then you've got another think coming, Scarlet Sinclair," She snapped.

I gulped as she advanced towards me and caught my throat in her hands, trying to choke me.

My eyes grew wide as I struggled to breathe. Her eyes looked murderous and I knew that this was it. I was really going to die this time.

I started passing out because of lack of oxygen but then, she let go of my throat.

I gasped in as much air as I could, coughed and struggled to keep my eyes open.

"You said-" I spoke in between breaths. "-to let go of him. What else did you mean?"

I looked up to find her with a pensive look again as she blinked and focused her gaze on me.

Then, she went back to the darker corner of the room, opened a zipper and came back with a photograph in her hands.

I eyed the picture and watched as she looked down at it with tears in her eyes.

"Let go of him," She spoke in a whisper.

"Who?"

Her dangerous gaze locked with mine and she threw the picture on my lap.

I looked down at it. It was a picture of a teenage boy with red hair. Something about him seemed familiar. Where had I seen him?

My eyes grew wide as I remembered the day I was in that cafe when the robber almost shot me.

The robber!

It was him.

I lifted my gaze up to meet hers.

"I just want my boy back," She spoke venomously trying to hold her tears back and wiping the previous ones from her face.

I didn't know what to say.

"You're his....mother," I finally spoke.

"Yes," She snapped. "And I want you to let go of him."

I gulped as I looked down at the picture once again, trying to contemplate the situation.

She wanted us to let go of her son?

She wasn't after Alec.

"But he's....already in juvie," I spoke, remembering Alec telling his lawyer to get the boy sentenced and juvie wasn't the option. He was a minor, right?

"I tried," She pulled her hair in frustration. "I tried to fake him as a minor but that bastard for a husband you have dug the truth."

My jaw clenched in anger.

"Don't you fucking talk about my husband like that."

She watched me in silence for a few moments. Maybe this time she will not stop herself from killing me.

"Please," Her expression shifted from that of a ferocious predator to a pleading helpless in a second.

"They shot him at the cafe that day. His shoulder hurts. He's injured. Please let me take care of my baby," She sobbed.

A part of me felt bad for her while the other part couldn't let go of what she had done.

She tried to harm Alec to save her son?

"Your son-" I started and she matched her hopeful gaze with mine. "-tried to attack me. He almost shot me. But you," I snapped. "You almost killed my husband and nothing can justify that."

"My baby is innocent," She whispered in a weak manner.

"Innocent? He tried to rob a place, took a shot at my phone which was right infront of me and held another girl at gunpoint. And you call him innocent?"

"Please," She pleaded again. "We've had a very rough year. We needed money. He did everything for his family."

"But at the cost of hurting people?" I muttered in disbelief.

"You don't know," She screamed at me. "A rich brat like you will never know the extents people like us will go to have money if it can save our family."

Only I do.

I felt guilty all of a sudden. How am I any different from them?

You didn't hurt anyone for money, Scarlet. A voice came from my head, bringing back my sanity.

That's right! There is a huge difference between me and them. I might have taken Alec's money but I didn't cause any harm to anyone.

I scowled at the woman infront of me. "How would killing my husband have helped?"

She seemed to have caught off guard. "I....was so angry at him and I wasn't thinking."

"You were thinking. Shooting him was anything but spontaneous. You literally sent me those threats-"

"That's right. I wanted you to know that they weren't empty threats."

"What if something had happened to Alec?" I screamed out as tears pooled in my eyes.

She sighed and then, lifted her gaze again, only this time she seemed tired--tired of dealing with me.

All the previous guilt or sorrow I had seen on her face was now gone and was replaced by a vicious look again.

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"What if I say no?" I challenged.

Her eyes narrowed for a moment. "Then I will kill you."

"Along with the chances of your son getting out of jail. Sure, be my guest."

She took a step forward and gritted her teeth in annoyance. "Do you not see the gun in my hand?"

I took in a deep breath. "What do you want from me? Why did you kidnap me?"

At this, she smirked. "So I can pressure your husband into letting my son go."

"Is that even possible? Your son is sentenced under a law. There's no way Alec can get him out now."

"I don't care!" She suddenly screamed, causing me to jump in my spot. "Throw some goddamned money in the law. He got my boy in that place and he will get him out or else he's never seeing you again."

Her eyes were dangerous once more as she pointed the gun at me.

My breath hitched.

She chuckled at my reaction and put the gun away.

"I wish your husband could see you like this. It would make him so miserable," She shook her head.

"Yeah right, you sadist bitch."

Her fist clashed against my jaw and I coughed up on my own blood. Even before I had any time to recover, she had grabbed my hair and was tilting my head back.

"I don't appreciate you talking back to me. Do you understand?" She snapped.

Damn my stupid mouth.

All I could do was nod slightly.

She let go of my hair just in time to hear a loud bang which startled both of us.

My heart started beating rapidly in fear but my nerves calmed down when I saw the panic on her face. This isn't a part of her plan.

My eyes grew wide in surprise as a hope started rising in me.

Alec.

He's here!

I suddenly had that hunch and prayed with all my heart that I was right.

I heard footsteps and I could feel her holding the gun firmly to my head but I didn't care. Alec was here.

"Who is it?" She shouted.

Silence.

"Speak something or I'll shoot her," If the gun had a sharp end, it'd probably be jabbed inside my head by now.

The voice grew louder and I held my breath as I waited to see the face.

"I'm going to shoot her."

"No! Don't," I heard a deep voice shouting at her.

"Honey, it's me," A tall blonde in an oversized coat stepped into our view.

I felt the gun drop down as she walked over to him. "Thank God. I knew you were going to support me, Hal."

Was that her husband?

His eyes fell on me and lingered across my body for a while causing me to squirm in my spot.

A smirk formed on his lips. "Good job, hon."

"I told you I was going to do this whether you stood by me or not," I could sense the victory in her voice as they both looked at me.

"Of course I had to be there for our son. Why did you hire those thugs?" He turned to her.

"I had to make sure she followed us. There was no way I could kidnap her with those bodyguards around," She smirked at me. "And she just fell right into my trap."

Damn me!

"How did you know where I was?" She asked him.

"Where else could you be?" He chuckled. "Our old warehouse."

Grief flashed in his eyes as he looked around the place but then blinked and turned his attention to me.

He slowly walked up to me and I took in a deep breath. It was better with just the redhead around.

"We're going to get our son back," He held my gaze as he spoke without blinking.

Talk about creepy.

"Even if we have to hurt someone for that," He spoke in a dangerously low voice and I gulped.

His gaze fell on my thigh which was exposed by the slit.

Screw you, pervert.

"I think I left my phone in my car," He tapped on his jeans, checking his pocket. "The car is at the back. Could you get it for me, hon?"

"Sure," She nodded and went away.

Oh no! Don't leave me alone with him.

I stayed quiet waiting for him to make a move and my eyes grew wide when he actually did.

He fished out a pocket knife and cut the ropes which were tying my hands.

"What are you doing?" I shouted.

"Shut up," He snapped as he pulled my hands to make me stand up. My back hurt like a bitch as I bent over in pain, almost falling to the ground but he started dragging me towards a dark corner.

"Help, redhead bitch-" I screamed but he clamped his hand over my mouth.

I struggled to pull free but he was way too strong for my weak form.

I must have weighed nothing to him as he kept dragging me towards a door.

What the hell was he going to do to me?

Another hope lit inside me when the door opened to lead outside the warehouse into the clear night sky. This was my chance.

I could fight him and manage to escape. The place seemed to be surrounded by dark, deep woods.

He dragged me outside the door and started rounding the building, all the while keeping his grip on me firm.

"Let me go," I mumbled against his hand.

I raised my leg to kick him but something in the distance caught my attention. Someone was getting out of a car frantically.

Those familiar blue orbs locked with mine.

It's like I found my heartbeat again.

I felt the guy loosen his grip but I wasn't sure if I could manage to stand on my own.

"You son of a bitch!"

We both turned around at the voice.

The redhead was standing far away with the gun pointing at me.

I heard a loud gunshot.

Pain.

And then,

Darkness.

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