The rain beats down across my face as I sprint across the street. It’s a hellish night and even after the short walk, I’m soaked to the skin. I’m wearing my t-shirt and jeans which are no shield from the elements.
I hear the usual sounds of despair as I run. Loud voices arguing and a cat screeching nearby. The roar of the traffic invades my mind, and the rain beats hard against the guttering. I fly inside the block and gulp for air as I head toward the iron steps to Sly.
I don’t think of anything but him as I burst through the door of my apartment. Then as my eyes adjust to the sight in front of me, I start screaming.
~ 11 ~
Luna
The pain is intense as I stagger toward my friend and I register nothing but the pool of blood dripping onto the bare boards beside my made-up bed. I just about hear that Mr. Knight calls my name but I sink to my knees beside the man who is my only friend and look in horror at the gaping wound in his chest. He appears to be unconscious and I place my hand on the open wound and apply the pressure as my tears bathe his body in grief.
I sob, “Please, Sly, please wake up. Please don’t leave me, stay with me, honey.”
I’m vaguely aware that Mr. Knight is talking rapidly into his phone as I carry on trying to bring my friend back to me. I listen for his breathing and it comes shallow and weak and feel some relief that he’s still alive but know he is fading.
Looking up, I blink at the fury in the dark eyes of the man who brought me here. He says gruffly. “The ambulance is on its way.”
As he speaks, I hear the sirens and then another worry takes its place.
“He has no medical cover, neither do I. How will they save him?”
He shakes his head and looks at me intently.
“He’ll get the best treatment possible. Don’t worry about that. Your friend will be fine.”
As I carry on damming the river that threatens to take the life of my friend, I battle the grief threatening to consume me. Silently I pray. ‘Please God, please spare his life. I promise to be good, just please please give him back to me.’
Then they come. Suddenly, the room is filled with paramedics who take over what I have started. I watch helplessly as they battle to save his life and find myself pulled beside the man who helped me.
There is so much blood. On my hands, on my couch, and on my clothes. It stains the floor and advertises the evil that visited us tonight.
As they work, I look around me in disbelief. The apartment has been destroyed. The furniture is broken, and the contents smashed. Drawers are dumped on the floor, their contents strewn across the room. Cupboards have been emptied of their meager contents and it appears nothing has escaped the brutal onslaught of the intruders.
Mr. Knight places a comforting arm around my shoulders and whispers, “It’s ok, Luna. You’re not on your own. I’ll take care of everything.”
I shiver at the menace in his final word. This man knows the type of people who have done this; I recognized it in him immediately. He is every bit as the dangerous as the man that seeks me out. Although his words are intended to comfort, they drive a fear to my heart that speaks of an approaching war. The trouble with wars - there are always casualties and I just hope we all survive.
The next three hours pass in a flash and yet are the longest of my life. The bright lights of the hospital blind me as we wait for news of my friend. Mr. Knight waits with me in the room we were shown to as Sly was whisked away to theatre. He presses a Styrofoam cup of something hot in my hand and wraps his coat around my shaking shoulders. I say nothing. I don’t register his acts of kindness and just sit shivering with grief. My clothes have long since dried but I feel cold inside. How could they stab an innocent man? Sly is as gentle as a baby’s first breath and wouldn’t hurt a fly.
We sit in silence as the clock ticks on the wall. Mr. Knight offers no reassurances and no words pass his lips. He promises nothing but a friend in my hour of need. He sits beside me saying nothing, yet saying everything with his actions. He knows I need time to take in what just happened. If I need him, he’s here and I’m thankful for that at least.
My earlier anger toward him has been forgotten and faded into the space inside my head where I choose to forget. All that matters is that Sly survives because the thought he has been punished for my actions is too heavy a cross to bear.
It’s only when I hear the approaching footsteps that my heart kicks back into life and I jump to my feet as the doctor comes through the door.
He looks at us kindly but I see the weariness in his eyes.
“Your friend has lost a lot of blood and suffered a laceration that penetrated the walls of his heart. He is currently on life support and we’ve done everything to try to repair the damage. We’ll let the machines take over where his body can’t cope and hope that with treatment and time the body will heal.”
My heart thumps as I croak, “Will he pull through?”
The doctor’s eyes tell me more than his words. “We can’t say. Your friend is critical and the next 24 hours will be crucial. His heart is weak and his body battered. I don’t want to give you false hope and can only state the facts. We are doing all we can but it’s up to him to fight.”
It’s too much and I fall to the chair and put my face in my hands. The sobs rock my body as I feel the pain. Then I hear Mr. Knight say, “Can she see him?”
The doctor must nod because I’m pulled up and helped from the room. He whispers, “Go to him, Luna. Hold his hand and give him the will to survive. He has to know you are there for him. You’re his strength and your love will help him. Spend this time with him for both your sakes. I’ll be here for you, waiting and willing to help in any way I can.”
He wipes the tears from my eyes and propels me toward a door at the end of a white corridor. As I follow the doctor inside, I dread what I will find.
Devlin
Settling back in my chair I think about Luna and the difficult road ahead.
It must be two hours later the door to the waiting room opens, and she enters looking tired and upset. She looks surprised to see me waiting and I see the tears well in her eyes.
She sits down beside me and sighs heavily.
“I’m sorry. If I’d have known you were waiting, I would have come sooner. You know, it’s very kind of you but I didn’t expect you to wait. I mean, you’ve already done so much, more than I dared hope for.”
She seems so small and vulnerable and for some reason, I want to comfort her but don’t know how.
Instead, I say gruffly, “How is he?”
She shrugs and looks at me with a pained expression. “The doctor’s in with him now. He looks so small and broken, Mr. Knight. How could someone do that to him? He wouldn’t hurt a fly and it’s all my fault for making him stay in my apartment.”
The sobs wrack her body as she holds her head in her hands. I feel so helpless for once in my miserable life and find myself reaching out and placing my arm around her. She sinks into me and I hold her close and the feelings that rage through my body overwhelm me. I want to hold her, protect her and comfort her when I have never felt the need before. I want to wrap this girl up in a protective bubble and shield her from the harsh reality of life. I want to keep her with me for eternity, safe and loved and happier than any other person on earth. In this moment I know what it feels like to love another unconditionally and it rocks my soul.
She leans into me and whispers, “Thank you. I don’t know why but I’m glad you’re here. You make things more bearable and I’m so grateful.”
I find myself stroking her hair and feel my heart beating erratically. Her body feels soft and familiar to me and like it was always meant to be held against mine. She smells of everything good in life and I want to drown in her scent. Her innocence and purity are calming the rage inside me and all thoughts of the men who did this fade into the background. They aren’t important. No, the only thing that is, sobs in my arms and in a twisted way this is the happiest I have ever fel
t in my life. I would trade all the fancy restaurants, holidays in paradise and material things just for one smile from this girl’s lips and one squeeze of her hand. I want to see those devastated eyes looking at me with love and longing.
For the first time in my life - and that’s saying something - I want to be loved.
~ 12 ~
Luna
As we sit waiting, I feel strangely comfortable around the enigmatic Mr. Knight. Although he says little, his actions speak loud and clear. He’s here for me where no other has been, except for Sly of course.
All my life I’ve coped on my own. My mother was never a loving mother and as I grew began to resent my looks and apparent power to attract the opposite sex. She was even prepared to use me as a bargaining chip to settle her debt. Any love I ever had for her eroded away over the years until all that’s left is a pile of bitter memories.
I suppose my childhood has defined me. I don’t want to be the sort of person my mother was and I try extra hard to be everything she isn’t. Although I have many people I care about I, only have one true friend and he is battling for his life because of me.
As if he can read my thoughts, Mr. Knight squeezes my shoulder and says softly. “You’re not alone, Luna. I promise I won’t leave you.”
Pulling away from him, I look up into those dark expressionless eyes with surprise. He stares back at me and I see a myriad of emotions pass across his face. There is something equally lost about him. Like me, he appears to be quite lonely and I suppose that is what draws me to him and gives me an understanding others may lack.
I smile faintly. “Thank you, Mr. Knight. You have been so kind and yet don’t owe me a thing. You must be regretting getting involved in this.”
He just smiles softly and I see a little spark ignite in his eyes which mesmerizes me.
“I want to help you, Luna. I always have. Everything I’ve offered you is my way of trying to give you something to build a better future with.”
I shake my head in astonishment. “But why? I mean, you don’t even know me.”
He smiles. “I do know you, Luna. I recognize something in you that is also in me. I know you feel the connection we share. Something is pulling us together that can’t be explained.”
I digest his words and know he’s right. From the moment I laid eyes on him, something shifted within me and I knew him. It’s as if I’ve always known him and far from feeling strange in this situation, I just feel a kind of peace with him by my side.
Before I can say anything, the door opens, and the doctor enters looking tired and somber. My heart drops as I see the expression on his face and fear runs through me.
I almost daren’t ask but have to know.
“Is Sly ok, doctor?”
He smiles weakly. “For now. The machine is doing the work for him to allow his body to heal. We won’t know much for the next 24 hours, so you may as well head home and get some rest. I’ll call you if anything changes.”
I shake my head but before I can say no, Mr. Knight says softly. “Thank you, doctor. You can call the number I gave on the admission sheet. Thank you for everything.”
I turn to him in surprise as the doctor leaves the room. He stands and says firmly.
“I’ve arranged for your belongings to be transferred to the guest wing of my house. You can’t be expected to return to your apartment - it wouldn’t be safe. The people who did this may come back and there’s been enough bloodshed for one day. You’ll be safe at my home; I promise you that.”
I make to protest but his finger silences my lips and his eyes flash with resolve. “Non-negotiable. Come, we’ll return tomorrow after you’ve rested. You won’t help your friend by making yourself ill in the process.”
He reaches down and takes my hand and squeezes it reassuringly.
“Come with me, Luna. I promise you’ll be safe.”
As I feel his hand in mine his words ring in my ears. Will I be safe with him? I know I will.
There is little conversation in the car on the way to Mr. Knight’s home. He doesn’t make polite conversation and I am in no mood to. I feel a little apprehensive about what I’ve agreed to, yet the thought of returning to face the evidence of what happened at my apartment is driving my recklessness.
It must take us half an hour before he turns off and begins a slow, steady climb up a steep hill. The dawn is just breaking and I look out in wonder. As the sun rises over the horizon, the house comes into view and I catch my breath as I see a modern home gleaming in the fresh sunlight. It appears to be made up of steel and mirrors and commands attention as it looks out across the town. It stands tall and proud and is almost majestic as it sparkles like the finest jewel on the hill that holds it in place.
My tired eyes fill with disbelief and I turn to Mr. Knight and say breathlessly, “It’s beautiful.”
He considers me for a long moment and I see a strange expression cross his face. He appears to be deep in thought before he blinks and a small smile crosses his lips. “Yes, it is.”
He stops the car outside a huge wooden front door and as he cuts the engine, the air falls silent and still. I just sit gazing in wonder as he exits the car and then moves to my side of the car and opens the door. He reaches down and takes my hand and pulls me from the car. As we walk toward the house, I gaze up at it in awe and whisper, “Your home is magnificent, Mr. Knight. You must be very proud of it.”
He nods and says softly, “Call me Devlin, Luna. Mr. Knight sounds so formal. And yes, I am, very proud.”
The inside of the house is every bit as magnificent as the outside. As we move through the hall, I look around me in awe. The interior is modern and sleek and the décor chic and expensive. The hall is larger than my apartment and the sense of space is overwhelming. I must openly stare because Devlin laughs softly and pulls me toward a door at the end. “Come, I’ll fix you a much-needed drink.”
He leads me into the biggest kitchen I have ever seen and I gasp in delight. I have never seen such a room. The units are white and modern and the granite tops are as a black as the night. Everything looks sleek and clean and if I’m honest like a showroom. Nothing looks used, and it’s as if a magazine spread has come to life before my eyes.
I shake my head and run my hands over the gleaming granite surface and take it all in. There is a huge counter that separates the rest of the room. A large table dominates the space and at the end is a series of couches set around the biggest TV I have ever seen. Turning to Devlin, I smile in delight.
“This is amazing, Mr. Knight. Your home is truly magnificent.”
He frowns. “I told you to call me Devlin.”
I laugh at his expression and just walk around in wonder as I head across the room to the biggest window I have ever seen. The view is breath-taking and as I look out at the town below, I gasp, “You can see for miles up here. Look at the sky, Devlin. The sun is like a torch lighting up the day. Everything is fresh and new before the events of the day tarnish it. This view is invigorating, I wish Sly could see this.”
My voice falters as I think of my friend battling for his life across town. Devlin moves beside me and takes my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “He’s in the best place. If he stands any chance at all, they will make it happen.”
I nod but words escape me. It’s too raw, too painful and hurts like hell. I can’t lose him; the thought is too painful.
Then he says softly, “Come, I’ll fix you a drink and something to eat, you must be hungry.”
He heads back to the fridge and I hear him sigh with exasperation. “I’m sorry, Luna, our coffee will have to be black. Once again we have nothing I can offer you.”
Moving beside him, I stare at the empty fridge in surprise. Despite how I feel I laugh at the anger on his face.
He raises his eyes. “What’s so funny?”
I grin. “You are. For somebody who has so much and must be extremely clever to have got it in the first place, you sure are disorganized. Even I have more in my ref
rigerator than you do and I have very little.”
He frowns deeper and I roll my eyes.
“Come on. You can come with me to the grocery store. We’ll pick some things up and I’ll make you Luna’s breakfast extravaganza. It’s been a long night and we may as well eat something and then get some rest.”
Just for a moment, he stares at me and I see the thoughts bouncing around inside his mind. He looks at me keenly.
“I could just take you out for breakfast. It would save a whole load of trouble.”
Rolling my eyes, I grab his hand. “Spoken like a man who is clueless about life if I may so, Dev. You think you can buy your way out of everything. No, the real pleasure is in the preparation. You will appreciate it far more if you have taken care and trouble over it. It’s like life, really. The more you put into it, the greater the rewards and I’m not talking money here. No, you need to start taking care of yourself properly. Come on, lead me to the store and I’ll show you how much fun it is.”
I giggle as he rolls his eyes and grins. “Ok, have it your way but I’m not convinced. Let’s just say you will have a huge job on your hands convincing me that it’s better to slave away in the kitchen making something someone else could whip up in half the time.”
This time I roll my eyes. “Then let me enlighten you.”
~ 13 ~
Devlin
If anyone told me yesterday that I would be happy wheeling a trolley in the local supermarket I would never have believed them. However, things change and I’m more than happy to follow Luna around the local one while she fills it with everything we need.
I can’t tear my eyes off her, even for a minute. She looks like an Angel as she contemplates the shelves groaning under the weight of so much food. I notice she chooses the cheapest items and my heart tightens. She’s used to living on a small budget and shops accordingly. Me, on the other hand – I expect the finer things in life.
Luna Page 6