“No baby, no!” he shouts as I lie in his arms. “Hold on ok, hold on,” he pleads. I see his face change from fear to anger. “Why did you come back?” he shouts. “Why?”
I swallow once so I can tell him.“I came back...for you my love…” I reach up and place my hand on his heart. “Protect you…” Tristan starts to choke back angry tears.
“We need help!-Somebody!”he shouts, looking around the room.
In the next moment, I’m aware I'm being moved, but I keep my eyes focused on Tristan and smile up at him – I love him so much, and I saved him, I saved him from Susannah!
For some strange reason my hearing is drawn to the song that’s started playing, Never Let Me Go,I reach up and touch Tristan’s face.“I like this song,”I say but it comes out garbled.
I start to feel really cold, but I know I shouldn’t, we are having such a beautiful summer.
“Coral! Stay with me,” Tristan shouts.
I feel so tired…my eyes won’t stay open anymore.
“Open your eyes,” Tristan shouts, so I do. He leans down and whispers in my ear.“Stay with me...stay with me baby, you have to fight.”
I try, I try so hard, but I can feel myself drifting off.
”Open your eyes,”he shouts again.
I fight against the sleepiness and do as he asks.
“Don’t you dare close your eyes,”he shouts, I smile weakly at him but I feel myself slipping, I feel the clouds coming over and the darkness taking me away.
“No…Coral no!” I hear my voice tell him I love him, but no words come out. “Don’t you dare leave me,”he shouts. “Keep fighting, stay with me!”I feel his hand crushing mine.
“I love you,” I hear him choke, and his words are my undoing.I feel my heart thump twice then stop, the black clouds roll over me and I drift away...
End of Part Two…
Thank you for reading
Freed
By Him
Darkest Fears Trilogy Book Two
Freed By Him - Copyright © 2016 Clair Delaney
The moral rights of the author have been asserted. All characters and events in this e-book other than those clearly in the public domain are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidence - All right reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the author, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text, maybe a direct infringement of the authors rights, and those responsible maybe liable in law accordingly.
Forever With Him – Book Three
Forever
With Him
Darkest Fears Trilogy Book Three
By
Clair Delaney
“Sooo good! Beautiful story, beautiful ending. I love this trilogy. I love Coral, and I’m so in love with Tristan. This is the kind of trilogy that puts you on an emotional rollercoaster ride while transporting you to into their world, this author truly has a gift. Love, love, loved it! So sad it’s ended L…”5 stars – LibraryThing
“Brilliant third book in this well written trilogy, I loved them all. Coral and Tristan fit so perfectly together. This trilogy captures your attention, not just a load of romance. It’s got intrigue, psychology and the girly stuff as well – Loved it!...”5 stars – Amazon.co.uk
“Awesome book…”5 stars – Amazon.com
“This is the third book in an enchanting love story. Lots of good writing and suspense here that has been lovely to read. I found myself glued to the book until the very end. I was rooting for Coral and Tristan who truly make this worth reading. Thumbs Up…”5 stars – Amazon.com
“A wonderful series conclusion. I loved this last book, and the entire trilogy, so much. Having travelled this road with Coral and Tristan, it’s heartening to find things not only work out the way you want it to, but better. An excellent romance series that I would highly recommend…” 5 stars – Amazon.com
“I love this story – 456 pages of love, hardship and learning to trust…”5 stars – Barnes & Noble
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
EPILOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
SOMEONE IS TRYING TO WAKE ME by tapping my cheek…No, stop it! – I’m tired…so tired. My mouth tastes dry and rancid, and I hurt all over, I just want to go back to sleep. I can see a light trying to push through the darkness of my eyelids….No stop!
“Give her some time.” I hear a woman’s commanding voice say. “She’s going to be pretty groggy, so don’t crowd her. Coral, can you hear me?” She asks.
My cheek is being tapped again…leave me the fuck alone lady!
“Come on sweetheart, open your eyes,” she says.
I blink my eyes open, then squint. It’s too bright and my surroundings are unfamiliar. I hear several gasps and someone starts crying – What’s going on?
“Can everyone please leave the room,” she says. I hear a door open and close, I open my eyes and try to see who it is.“Welcome back,” she says smiling down at me.
I close my eyes again, the darkness is pulling me back under and I want to go…
“Coral, stay with me sweetheart. I need you to tell me how you’re feeling?” she asks.I start blinking more rapidly as I try to work out, through the strange blurry haze; what’s going on?
“Coral, please answer me. How are you feeling?” she asks again.
I squeeze my eyes shut and take a second to assess – my body hurts all over – Why?
“I feel like I’ve been hit with a truck?” I whisper.
I hear a deep voice curse – Tristan?I open my eyes and try to find him, but I can't see him; and I can't lift my head to search for him either.
“Coral, my name is Dr Green. You’re in hospital. Do you remember what happened?” she asks.Dr Green? Hospital?I have no idea what she’s talking about. I feel so confused, disorientated...I squeeze my eyes shut and try to remember...but nothing comes to me. Why am I in here?
“Coral, please look at me,” she asks so I open my eyes and look up at her.
She shines a bright light in each of my eyes, making me squint again, then she starts feeling under my glands – prodding in places I’d rather she didn’t prod!
“Are you in any pain?” she asks.
“Yes, I hurt all over,” I whisper. Why?
“Yes, that’s to be expected,” she says smiling warmly at me. I watch her walk over to a machine and press a button. “That was for the nurse, her name is Jenny and she’s going to take care of you, ok?” I nod in reply. Then she comes back over to me, sits on the edge of the bed and presses another button.
My bed starts to move so I’m sitting more upright. I immediately spy an IV line in my right hand. Ugh…I hate needles! – The moment I think that it starts to burn and itch, it feels so sore…I want it out of me!
So I lift my left hand – it takes a hell of an effort to do so – and reach over to my right hand. In my dazed state I try to
pull at the needle, but the tape is stopping me!
“No Coral,” she softly scolds. “That’s your IV line.” I look up at her, I can see her more clearly now, she has auburn hair, bright green eyes and a very freckly face.
“Now, this may come as a shock to you, but I need to fill you in on what happened’ – “I’d like to do that,” I hear Tristan’s low voice interrupt.I search the room for him, my eyes finally resting on the tall stature that has stood up and stepped forward…Tristan?
Our eyes lock, I frown back at him trying to work out why he looks so mad, his eyes are dark, really dark, like rich dark chocolate as he glares at me, then his stares emotionless at the doctor.
I stare wide-eyed at my man – What the hell has happened to him? – He looks completely washed out, dishevelled, like he hasn’t slept in days; and he has a full beard? – How did that happen?
“Mr Freeman, I have to disagree’ – “I know her, you don’t. This isn’t a debate, she’ll hear it from me,” he orders. The atmosphere in the room instantly drops ten degrees and is so silent you could hear a pin drop. The doctor stands back from the bed and puts her hands on her hips, she does not look happy.
“As you wish, but I’m putting it on record that I disagree,” she says.
“Fine by me,” Tristan snaps.
“Coral, are you happy for Mr Freeman to run through what happened?”
“Yes,” I croak.
“Ok.” She smiles warmly at me.Another lady enters the room, and as she does, I notice there’s a big glass window to the right of the door and everyone is here, watching me.
Gladys is tightly wrapped in Malcolm’s arms, as she chokes back tears; he looks pretty cut up too. Deb’s and Scott are hugging Lily, who sleepily waves at me. Rob and Carlos are stood next to one another, their hands locked together, they both look relieved as I catch their eyes, and George and Joyce are here too? They all look so tired and warn out – What’s going on?
“Hello Coral, my name is Nurse Jenny, you feeling uncomfortable honey?” I look up at the strawberry blonde woman, with a soft round face and kind hazel eyes.
“Yes,” I breathe.
“Coral, I’ll see you soon.” Dr Green says nodding to the nurse. I raise my hand to wave her goodbye; she smiles at me as she exits the room.
“Alright now Coral, you should start feeling the pain relief any moment now.” As Nurse Jenny says that, I get a warm weird feeling flooding my veins, my body, making all pain disappear.“Are you thirsty honey?” Nurse Jenny asks.
“Very,” I say, my throat feeling burned.
“Alright, I’ll be back in a moment,” she says and exits the room.
“Tristan,” I croak, trying to lift my hand to him.
He’s straight over to me, gently squeezing my hand. He looks like hell, what happened to him? I want to question it all, but the room starts to pull away from me, I feel like I’m slipping into a dark tunnel.I try really hard to fight against it, but it’s no good, the blackness takes me away again…
I FEEL A HAND STROKE MY CHEEK, my forehead, and then softly stroke my hair. Then it stops and the soft fingers are tracing my lips.
“Mmm…” It feels so nice.
“Coral…?” I hear Tristan’s voice, it sounds soft, exhausted. I push myself to fight against the haze and blink my eyes open.
“Hey…” I croak, my throat feels so sore. “Where am I?” I ask blinking more rapidly.
“Hospital,” he softly says. Why am I in hospital?
“Um...I...which one?” I ask.
“Montefiore,” he answers grimly.
I frown back at him in confusion – This does not look like a hospital; more like a hotel room. Light cream walls, and very modern looking, with white and pale blue furnishings.
“I don’t know that one,” I croak.
“You do, you just don't remember,” he tells me. I open my eyes again. This definitely looks like a hotel room. I suddenly become aware that there’s something attached to my face, some kind of tube, so I lift my hand to pull at it.
“No baby, it’s your cannula; it’s helping you breathe, ok?” Tristan softly says, his hand stopping mine.
I close my eyes and swallow hard again.“Thirsty,” I say. Why do I feel so out of it?
“Ok.” I hear Tristan shuffling around then he’s next to me again. “Open your eyes baby,” he tells me, so I do. He’s leaning over me with a cup and a spoon in his hand. “You’re only allowed crushed ice for now.” He dips the spoon in the cup and feeds me a small amount. He does that a few times, he’s concentrating hard on the task, his brows furrowed together.
“Enough?” He asks after the fourth spoon.
“Yeah...Tristan…it hurts, I hurt all over, why?” I croak.
“Ok baby.” I watch Tristan walk over to a machine and press a button. Fear ripples through me; fight or flight kicking in. My worst fear comes rushing to the surface – I’m being carted off to a fucking mental home just like my Mom. Shit! I have to get out of here!
“Tristan!” I panic. “Why am I in here?” I say breathlessly.
“Hey.” He’s instantly by side again. “You’re ok now baby, I...I thought I’d lost you,” he chokes.
“What was that button?” I ask. “Why am I in here?” My heart is racing against my chest, the machine behind me echoing it’s action. I look up at Tristan, he looks lost, confused, mortified.
“Coral please...calm down,” he pleads.
“Answer my question then!” I bark, my voice breaking on me.
“It’s nothing to worry about darling, I just called for the Nurse that’s all, she’ll be here in a moment to give you some pain killers. You...you don't remember why you’re in here?” He asks, rubbing his hand across his face.
I shake my head in reply, then I really take a good look at Tristan.He has dark rings under his eyes and he looks exhausted. He has no colour, his face is deathly white and his eyes have lost all their sparkle; and he’s grown a beard? How did that happen?Then I notice a nasty gash across his forehead leading into his hairline. It looks like he has stitches.
“What happened to you?” I whisper reaching my hand up to his forehead.
“Never mind me,” he answers brusquely. “But’ –“No buts baby,” he says, his eyes glistening over, then he leans in and softly kisses my lips.
I can feel the relief behind his kiss…oh Tristan, what happened to you?
“Tristan,” I mumble. “Please…I still don’t understand, how did I get here? I remember we were arguing…” I tell him, everything else is a blank.
“You don’t remember anything after that?” He asks darkly.
“No.” I frown. “Why? What happened?” I ask taking a deep breath. Ouch, that really stung!
My lungs hurt – Why does it hurt to breathe?
“You... you came back,” he snarls, his hands bunching into fists. “You were right, everything you told me Coral, it was all right,” he growls.
I came back?
“I...I...” I blink around the room trying to remember. Then all of a sudden I get a flashback of running down the concourse – something happened to Bob?
“Bob!” I squeak in panic.
“He’s fine, he’s staying with Gladys,” he tells me, softly stroking my cheek.
I instantly feel relieved that Bob’s ok, but it still doesn’t answer my question. “I still don't understand?” I whisper.
“We argued about Susannah, do you remember that?” he asks.
“Yes,” I swallow hard. “You told me we were through…you told me to leave…” I stop, unable to say anymore. I’m not really sure how I feel about that now, I’m just so glad Tristan’s here, that he’s ok.
Tristan squeezes his eyes shut as though he’s in pain. “I was never going to end it Coral!” He barks, then takes a deep calming breath. “I just needed to clear my head…” he stops for a moment. “When you left, you went to Rob’s, and then you got a call. Susannah attacked Bob, ransacked your studio.” I gasp
aloud – Susannah!
“Tristan, she’ – “Hey, it’s ok, she can't hurt you or me,” he says.
“She’s gone?” I swallow hard, feeling relieved.
“Yes, after you left I called her and questioned her about what you’d found out.” Tristan laughs sarcastically, shaking his head at himself. “She denied it all of course, then she turns up on my doorstep and admits it’s all true, said she was quitting the company, and that she needed help. I invited her in, she poured us both a drink…I didn’t think anything of it but she drugged me with Rohypnol.”He looks down at me, his jaw tensing several times. She date rape drugged him? I wonder if she…?
“She threatened to kill me if I didn’t go upstairs, took me ages…kept losing my balance, I was pretty out of it,” he stops again, frowning deeply, then continues. “She told me to call you but I wouldn’t; so she hit me over the head a couple of times,” he says tracing the gash on his head. “I don't really remember anything else, until you turned up.”
I frown back at him. “I turned up?” I whisper in confusion.
“Yes, yes you did you brave, stupid girl,” he says leaning down to kiss me again. “You’re my heroine, you know that?” he smiles.
I stare back at him, searching his face, trying to understand it all. Then it starts coming back to me, one flash image after the other. Bob on the floor in my studio, the ambulance driving away, driving Rob’s car, finding Tristan beaten, tied up, bleeding – just like the dream – then Susannah in his bedroom, but it still doesn’t explain why I'm here?
“I...I remember finding you, you were bleeding,” I say. Reaching up, I stroke his face again.
Tristan takes my hand in his and kisses it several times.“She shot you,” he croaks, fighting back the tears. “You crazy girl, she was aiming at me and you jumped in front of me!” She shot me?
Then I remember – clearly – Susannah was pointing the gun at me then she pointed it at Tristan.“I wasn’t going to let her hurt you,” I choke out, shaking my head. “Not for me.” I try to move so I can hug him, but a sharp, shooting pain runs through my right lung and across my shoulder blade. It makes me wince in pain; I try not to cry out.
Darkest Fears Trilogy: Fallen For Him / Freed By Him / Forever With Him Page 89