Page 25 of Elusive Embrace

Before I can recover, he’s on me, dragging me across the corridor with brute force. “Stay down!” he growls, his hands around my throat. I gasp for air, my vision blurring as I struggle to break free.

I manage to shove him off by using every ounce of strength I have but he’s relentless. He scrambles back onto me, trying to pin me down. “I’m not letting you ruin this for me!” he snarls, his eyes wild with rage.

I throw a punch, landing a hit to his jaw that makes him reel back. I try to get up but he grabs my shirt and drags me back down. “Get off me!” I roar, but he only tightens his grip, his face inches from mine.

“This is all your fault! She was good before you came back!” he hisses, his breath hot and foul against my face. He’s like a rabid animal, desperate and vicious.

With a surge of adrenaline, I break free and kick out, hitting him in the stomach. He stumbles back, giving me a precious few seconds to crawl towards Nat. My head is spinning, my body aching, but I have to get to her.

Just as I reach out to her, Al lunges at me again, grabbing my collar and yanking me away. “Not so fast,” he growls, his grip like iron as he throws me against the wall. I land hard on the floor, and it takes me a second to orientate myself.

“Good night,” Al hisses, raising his foot above me to stomp on my head. But before he can bring it down, there’s a loud cry of pain, and he gets yanked backwards crashing onto the hardwood floor.

“I got him!” Ryan’s voice cuts through the chaos.

“Nat!” I scramble to her side, my head still spinning but determination driving me forward.

“Jane?” Ryan’s voice rings out. Jane’s head appears around the doorframe.

“Police are on the way and so is the ambulance,” she says, looking relieved and scared all at once. Al is cursing and thrashing, but Ryan has him under control with a vice-like grip.

“Why is it always me who ends up pinning these bastards to the floor?” Ryan grumbles.

“Nat,” I say softly, brushing her hair back from her face. Her eyes are closed, but her pulse is steady and her breathing is even. I gently press my hand to the back of her head to feel for blood. There’s none but I can’t rule out internal injuries.

I support her head as much as I dare but I don’t want to move her too much until the ambulance arrives.

I should be enraged with Al, should be desperate for revenge, but all I feel is fear. Fear that I’m losing Nat before I’ve had the chance to truly have her back. Fear that the woman I’ve loved for so long might slip away from me just as I’ve found her again.

The police and ambulance finally arrive after what feels like an eternity. The corridor erupts into chaos. Four police constables wrestle Al into the waiting car while paramedics swarm around Nat.

Her eyes flutter open for a brief moment. I seize the chance to reassure her, whispering that she’s safe now. I can’t tell if she can hear me before her eyes close again but I need to believe she can.

They move her onto a gurney and wheel her towards the ambulance. I attempt to follow but my ankle is killing me and I struggle to keep up. Ryan steps in to offer a steadying arm.

“What made you come over?” I ask, trying to mask the pain in my voice.

“Jane heard your scream. She called the police and I rushed over as quickly as I could,” Ryan explains, his tone a mix of relief and determination.

“Thanks, mate. I really mean it,” I say, my voice thick with gratitude.

“Don’t mention it. Consider us even for Buttercup,” he says and gives me a weak smile.

“Oh shit, Egon and Venkman,” I remember suddenly, realising that in the commotion the cats must have bolted out the front door.

“Leave it to me,” Ryan reassures me. “I’ll tempt them back with some treats. I might have to bring them to my place though—who knows how long the police will be clearing up.”

“Thanks, Ry,” I say, and I think my relief must be palpable.

“Anytime. Just look after Nat,” he replies, helping me into the ambulance.

I take a seat on the chair fixed to the back wall next to the gurney, trying to make myself comfortable despite the throbbingpain in my ankle. Nat looks pale but her chest rises and falls rhythmically, a small but hopeful sign that she is stable. I gently take her hand in mine and place a tender kiss on her knuckles.

“This was the last time, Nat,” I whisper, my voice filled with promise and resolve. “The last time he’ll ever come near you. I swear it.”

“Sir I need you to look at me,” a young paramedic says, gently interrupting the moment. She checks my vitals and eye reactions, her touch professional and calming. Everything seems fine apart from my painful ankle which is swollen and throbbing.

I lean back as the ambulance drives through the dark countryside, trying to focus on the comforting weight of Nat’s small hand in mine. This has to be the end of it just as I promised her. I don’t think she can endure any more of this.

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