His hair was a mess and the look in his eyes was entirely crazed. He had flipped over the edge completely since I had seen him last. He traced the barrel of the gun down along the side of my cheek as he stared into my eyes.
"I thought about trying to figure out what it is about you that David likes so much whilst you were unconscious but I figured you'd be more responsive awake."
Fear trembled inside me and I longed to scream to release some of the terror that was building up within me.
"Sssh, David is coming—we don't want to spoil the surprise by alerting him now, do we?"
I listened and could hear the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. The door stood ajar and I began to struggle in Robert's grip. I didn't want David to walk in on this type of scene. If I could just get away from Robert maybe things would be different.
"Carrie? Couldn't you wait until tonight?" David's voice was filled with joy as he moved into the open doorway.
It was my one and only opportunity. Robert was watching the door with glee and I took my chance. I raised my knee and drove it up into his crotch. With a cry he doubled over and I pushed my weight against him, knocking him to the floor. Scrambling, I ran for the door but Robert was on his feet faster than I had anticipated.
"You bitch!"
"Carrie, look out!" I heard David's cry of fear as the gun cracked off.
Searing pain slammed into me and the force of it drove me to my knees before David. I collapsed and watched his face fill with murderous hatred as he caught sight of Robert. Pain tingled down along my arm and the sound of a scuffle had me trying to get back up. I turned in time to see Robert and David fall to the floor. The gun went off for a second time and I screamed.
Neither man moved for what felt like eternity. The sound of Robert moaning had my heart in my mouth. David couldn't be dead. Hurt was bad enough but I couldn't bear the thought of him dead and all because of my stupidity.
When he moved I let out a long, sobbing breath. Robert moved with him and I watched David push himself to his knees. He flung the gun across the room and Robert struggled to move after it. It was then I noticed the blood blossoming on Robert's trouser leg.
With one quick punch David sent Robert sprawling back to the ground and from there he didn't try to get up again.
David pulled his phone from his pocket as he scrambled to my side. There was a cut across his forehead and blood trickled down his cheek.
"Carrie, oh God, Carrie, are you alright?" He quickly untied my arms and I winced as he examined the wound up near my shoulder. It seemed the bullet had only grazed me and it was little more than a shallow cut that stung like crazy.
He pulled the gag from my mouth and kissed me hard and frenzied. "When I saw you go down in front of me... I thought..." He dragged me into his arms and hugged me to his chest.
"I didn't want him to win..." I muttered... "I wanted to live for you... For us..." He kissed me again as the sound of sirens filled the air. After the gun shots I could only imagine that my neighbours had also called the police.
"How did you know to come here?" I asked.
"You sent me a message from the phone I gave you telling me to meet you here... I came as soon as I had sorted my business..."
I winced as David helped me to my feet and my head spun. The feeling of wanting to vomit had passed and for that I was grateful. Officers burst into the apartment and were quickly directed to Robert who still lay unconscious on the floor. David and the ambulance crew insisted that I get checked out and reluctantly I agreed.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Sitting on the steps of the ambulance I waited for David to join me. He stood a few feet from me filling in the officers on what had happened. They had discovered Mike in the alley unconscious. It seemed Robert had taken no chances with anything.
David moved back over to my side and sat down next to me.
"I'm sorry the surprise for tonight is ruined," I told him. "I shouldn't have gone, I was so stupid. But I just wanted to go back to my own home and sort out my own business. I thought I could do it whilst you were sorting yours."
David took my hand in his. "It's fine, I understand. And the surprise isn't ruined. Well, not entirely..."
I stared at him as he kissed the palm of my hand softly. "Carrie, I know you said you wanted to go home but, well, I was kind of hoping you would agree to make a home with me... I'll understand if you don't want to move into my apartment. We can find someplace together, and really make it our own..."
My mouth dropped open in surprise. He wanted me to move in... He actually wanted to live with me... I had thought back to the night before and lying in bed with him. It had been pure bliss. The thought of always having that made me positively giddy.
"The other thing I wanted to give you is this..." He pulled a small box from his pocket and my heart dropped. It was far too soon for a ring. We hadn't spent enough time together and although I loved him I knew I would panic about his feelings for me. I needed more time.
Seeing the look on my face he started to laugh. "It's not an engagement ring if that is what you're worrying about."
I let out a sigh of relief that quickly caught in my throat as he opened the box and the platinum band with the most delicate rope design I had ever witnessed glittered up at me.
"It's an eternity ring. I'm not saying that the engagement ring won't come but I think after everything that has happened we both need some time to settle down together. But I want you to know that I'm giving my heart to you, Carrie, and it's for eternity. So I would be honoured if you'd wear this ring as a token of that gesture?"
Tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over and down my cheeks. Words failed me as I stared down at the stunning ring. The closer I looked the more I noticed the flecks of diamond that adorned each strand of the unbroken platinum rope.
"David, this is more than I ever expected..." My heart pounded in my throat as he removed the ring from the box and slid it up onto my finger. It fit perfectly, the diamonds catching the light and glittering on my finger.
"I love you..." They were the only words I could utter. I knew they were useless and didn't convey the depth of what I felt but it would have to do. I threw my arms around David's neck and kissed him hard in an attempt to put every ounce of my feeling and emotion across to him.
He pulled away from me and grinned. As far as I was concerned in that moment it was the most beautiful thing I could ever have witnessed. I turned to the paramedic with a huge grin plastered across my own face.
"Am I free to go now?"