I materialized in a dark room. My eyes quickly adjusted and I saw Sarah tied to the bed, just as she had been in the picture that was sent to Christian. That could have been me all those years ago before Hyde killed me.
Can't go down that path, not now. I had to help Sarah until Christian and Taylor get here. Oh lord, what were they going to do? How were they going to stop Hyde and get away with it? I would do what I could to stop it.
I reached for a ratty curtain and pulled it back, letting the light come in. I was taken back by the state she was in now.
The room was limited in furnishings. Just a bed and a nightstand.
"Sarah..." I breathed, shock and torment showed through in my voice and on my face.
There were dark purple bruises up both of her arms and on her legs. She was in some teddy. What did the bastard do to her?
I moved to Sarah quickly. "I'm here."
Sarah's eyes fluttered open and, she recognized me right away.
"Christian will be here soon."
God, I hoped.
"I'm gonna remove this gag for a little bit. I will have to put it on if Hyde comes back."
Sarah nodded her head. I could see the fear in her eyes.
"Did he...did he...." I couldn't even bring myself to ask the hardest question I had to ever ask as I removed the ball and gag from her mouth. She flexed her jaw a few times before she could answer.
"No." Sarah's voice was raspy. "But I think he will." She sobbed.
"I won't let that bastard do anything to you, I promise."
All Sarah could do was nod back at me.
A tear slid down her cheek. I couldn't let her sit like that in bed. I didn't want Christian to see her like that.
"To hell with Hyde, I'm going to untie you and help you get dressed."
Frantically, I looked around the room, but there was nothing for her to wear, only that damn teddy that she was wearing. Hyde made sure that she would have nothing. All of part of his psychological warfare he was playing on both Sarah and Christian.
"Bastard!" I mumbled to myself.
If I could give her the clothes off of my back, I would do that.
"Sarah, do you know where your clothes are?"
"No..." Her voice was now barely an echo of what it was.
Christian, where the hell are you?
Just then I heard "WHAT?" It was Hyde. "Are you sure he knows?"
Making my way over to the door, I reached down to the knob, and turned it, opening the door toward me. As I peeked out into the room, I noticed a dirty and worn sofa. I thought maybe it had been white with some flower prints, but I could be wrong. There was a broken chair same material and a kitchen table. Hyde was at that table. I listened to him speak into his cell phone.
"Fuck! How did Christian figure this shit out so quickly." He laughed sardonically. "You don't seriously believe that shit, do you, Elena? The ghost of Ana? That bitch has been long dead. I think you're just getting the case of the guilties for helping me. Say thanks to the senator for me."
Wait...what?
"I'll be back." I slipped out through the door to get closer.
"Who know the fucker had a predilection for woman's clothing and BDSM."
Of course! Everything was making sense now. Elena would have known about that secret if the senator was a client of hers. Christian's rejection of her sent her over the edge to create and mastermind the plan. Only she never figured that me in the equation.
"Seems like there are a lot of secrets going around." Hyde was quiet a moment in thought no doubt. "Damn right I'm going to pin this murder on Christian and his deviant ways. Hell yeah, the cops will take a look at Ana's murder too. They will be new evidence for them to take a second look." Hyde laughed in the most manically evil way. "All of his money will be up for the taking. It will be mine. And what's more, I will take your money too and, you can't stop me." He laughed again.
Elena, how could you seriously take up with Hyde like this? You knew what he was capable of. You brought him back into Christian's life knowing the risks and even the dangers. You might have had a shot at being friendly with him but not now. He will never forgive you. He will...
The door was suddenly kicked in, pieces went flying all around as Christian emerged from the hallway. It startled both Hyde and I.
Hyde flew up, kicking his chair out of the way, and ending the call he was on. He tucked the phone in the back of his pants, never once took his eyes off of Christian. Both men stood there staring at each other.
The testosterone was flying in the room.
"Christian..."
Christian finally edge his way closer. "Hyde..."
"You couldn't leave well enough alone, Grey."
"That's because you took what was mine!" Christian growled at his enemy. "And I want her back unharmed."
"Not gonna happen!" Hyde sneered at Christian, knowing that would piss him off.
The two men danced around the small room, seizing each other up, but then Hyde made a run for the bedroom. Christian reached out, grabbing Hyde's collar, yanking him back away from the bedroom.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Hyde broke free and the men resumed their dance.
"Taylor!" Christian called out. "Get Sarah out of here."
Out of no where, Taylor appeared and headed for the bedroom.
"Taylor!" I heard Sarah in her raspy voice.
Turning back towards the men, Christian had Hyde at the lapels of his shirt with his left, and his right fist heading for Hyde's face. It connected hard and, Hyde flew back. He reached around his back, pulling something out of his jeans.
"You just couldn't leave well enough alone." Hyde held a gun to Christian.
Christian held up his hands in supplication. "Put the gun down."
"Four long years, I sat rotting away in that god damn prison because of you."
"I didn't put your there. You did that all on your own."
"You took everything away from me."
It would not end well if I didn't try to help Christian. I made my way over to Hyde and touched his ear with my pointer finger. He batted at his ear like a bug buzzed around him. I moved to the other ear and did the same.
"What the..." Hyde looked around the room wondering what was going on.
I laughed aloud, startling Hyde. He stepped back away from me.
"You are here, aren't you?"
I didn't say anything more. It was just enough of a distraction for Christian to ram Hyde against the wall. Hyde pushed the billionaire away from him.
"Think about this." Christian tried to reason with his nemesis.
"What? And give up what you have? Not on your life."
It was a split second, Christian grabbed for the gun, and both of them startled fighting over it. I couldn't see what was going on with all the movement going on between them, but then the gun went off, echoing around the room.
Oh god did...Christian get hit it? My hand flew to my mom, shock registering all through me.
Staggering back, a shocked Christian looked down at his hands all bloodied. "What have I done?" He stared back at his hands in shock.
I made myself corporeal. "Christian, you had no choice. You were protecting Sarah and yourself."
It was as if I couldn't get through to him. He was shaking.
"Christian! It will be okay."
But it wasn't going to be okay for Hyde. With a sigh, I knelt down next to him. He had slipped down to the floor; the blood was seeping out of his chest. I couldn't do anything to help him.
Hyde looked up at me as he sat there unable to me. "So we meet again, Ana." He coughed up blood.
"What did you expect to happen?"
"I thought I could get it all."
"That was never going to happen."
"Why was that?" Hyde coughed up blood once again.
"You may have killed me, but you never broke Christian and me. We will always love each other."
Taylor with Sarah in his arms walked out of the bedroom. He glanced down briefly as he looked back at Christian.
"I broke him!" Hyde laughed and coughed once more.
Ignoring the bastard for the moment, I watched as Taylor set her down on her feet, and she hobbled over to Christian. She had lashes all long her back and legs. Oh god, I didn't want to know how she made it as long as she did.
"Christian..." Sarah said, voice breaking, reaching out to him. "Look at me." She grabbed a hold of the lapels on his jacket, forcing him to look at her. "Christian."
"The blood..." came Christian whispered cry.
"Look at me."
Slowly, Christian raised his gaze to hers. Green eyes to bluish grey eyes meet, and a slowly smile spread on his handsome face.
"Sarah..."
Sarah flew at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding him close to her. Christian held her for dear life, never letting her go.
"You see that...you never broke them. They still love each other no matter the shit you threw at them." I stood up disgusted with Hyde.
A gurgled laughed, and a cough and Hyde had passed on. I became invisible once again, giving Sarah and Christian a moment to be with each other. Taylor didn't say anything either, and he picked up Hyde's lifeless body, disappearing through the door.
"Oh my god, baby, are you ok?" Christian sobbed into her hair and then stepped back, looking her over. There was anguish written all over his face. "What did he do to you?"
"I don't want to talk about it now." Sarah cried and laid her hand on his shoulder. "I just want you to hold me. Make me forget."
"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about everything sooner. I was trying."
Stepping back, Sarah looked Christian in the eyes. "I love you. None of that matters now, baby."
"We don't have to do any of that if you don't want to."
I could tell that Sarah wasn't ready to talk about it, nor did she really want to do any of that right now. It was going to be along time before she was going to be interested in it.
"But we don't have to talk about it now..." Christian added a moment. "Whenever you're reading." He pulled her into another embracing, keeping a tight hold on her. "I'm never letting go of you."
"Please don't."
It was time for me leave, and I simply disappeared into the air. As hard as it was for me to admit, they were good together. I know that they will be happy. She knew everything, but I knew they would be okay with everything in the end. What mattered was that they loved each other.