Protection

Chapter Thirty Two

EEK, one of the last chapters! I know, I know, its not very good, bleh. But this is it!

“Come out into the hall,” Sterling Thompson growled, beyond furious.

Alex said nothing, but his eyes twinkled with disdain as he stepped out, Alayna following suit.

“The gun, Alex.”

Without protest, Alex reached into his coat, and extracted a pistol. He passed it coldly to the man who had once been his best friend—a man, Alayna knew, was his brother.

   “Walk ahead of me,” Sterling commanded, staring at his potential casualties intently. His blue eyes had no light whatsoever; his face bore little expression. “Keep your hands up.”

  Alayna stood, wordless, and wondered: What is he doing?

“He must have something,” she thought hopefully. This could not be it- even though she had thought death had been inevitable.

   Alex kept his eyes straight ahead, but it seemed…he had to have something!

If not, if they were to die, then she hoped she would have the time to tell him that she loved him.

The thought frightened her, very much—it made her sick to think. They were dying, anyway, though, and what better time to tell him she loved him?

   The serendipity of it all was too much. Of course, if it was supposed to be a trick, or a joke…

It certainly wasn’t amusing for them.                                                                                  

  “Go into the common room, and down the steps.”

Alayna, desperately suffering her fear that continued to build, sought Alex’s eyes, but to no avail. Cautiously, she went down the dark stairwell. Her entire body hurt, and she abhorred Sterling as passionately as was possible. Despite the fact that she knew it was wrong to hate.

    She continued walking, her limbs feeling as though they were burdened with lead.

She exhaled.

At the moment, Alex was in shock.

He hadn’t truly thought that Sterling was behind this. He had known this man…from birth. They had grown up together, and Alex was almost certain his father had preferred the young blonde headed Sterling over his own son.

  He could hardly believe that Sterling had, in reality, done this. The man who followed behind them…this was not the type of man Sterling was. Alex had known him since they were babes.

  Alayna stepped lightly beside him, and he glanced at her. On her face was incredulous pain. As if she could hardly believe that they were here, in this place. But had she not been here before?

   In the course of his surprise and thoughtfulness, Alex was suddenly glad he had slid the dagger into his boot.

     “Keep moving, Alex.”

He hadn’t realized that he stopped until Sterling spoke.

“Why are you doing this, Sterling?” he heard himself ask.

“Haine,” Alayna intervened, her French as beautiful as ever.

“Hatred, Sterling? Certainly the woman you love cannot have done something so dreadful to make you hate her so passionately.”

  “She has naught to do with it,” Sterling replied coldly. “Into the third room.”

“She must have something to do with it. She is your victim here.”

Alayna looked at him as Sterling pressed them into the room. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears, and he knew by memory that the silver streaks would stripe themselves cruelly down her face.

     Sterling countered with a frosty glance.

And to think Alayna had been in love with the man.