by A. Anders
It was as I considered that possibility that it hit me, the detail he had brushed over. It was the missing piece that explained who Thorin was and why he had put this whole thing together. Feeling confident, I decided it was my turn to speak.
“I don’t mean to interrupt because I see that you’re having a moment here. Your entire life hanging in the balance, unsure of which way it will go, blah, blah, blah. But I just gotta ask you one question. After that, I’ll shut up and not stand in your way if you both wanna live happily ever after together.”
Thorin’s pale face turned bright red. It reminded me of the tower. He looked ready to kill someone.
“What?” he growled, ready to explode.
“You said that it was important to find contestants who wouldn’t be missed if they dropped off the face of the earth. Why was that?
“I mean, all of this. You’re right, this is the grandest gesture anyone could ever make. Buying an island… shipping in a wild bear… building Thunderdome? I mean, Thorin… come on. It’s beyond incredible.
“So, as well as you know her and with all of the things you’ve done for her, why did everyone who got eliminated have to die?”
Thorin swallowed hard. I wondered what shade of red he would turn next. I was disappointed when the lack of color returned to his cheeks.
“It’s a fair question isn’t it?” I asked. “Why did everyone have to die? You had to know that Rose would ask you the same question, right? You did prepare an answer, didn’t you? I mean after thinking through all of these details, you couldn’t have made such a dimmed-witted oversight, could you have?”
Thorin closed his eyes, trying to escape his anger.
“You didn’t?” I pushed. “Oh my god, you did!”
“Rose never would have asked that question. They were eliminated. They were the guys that she didn’t want to see again. How would she find out what happened to them?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“Ah, right. It was me and my meddling ways. I spilled the beans on that one, and she wouldn’t have known otherwise. Fair enough.
“But that doesn’t answer my origin question. What I asked was, why did everyone have to die in the first place? Why not let everyone play their part, get eliminated and go home? Certainly, that would have been easier. Are you so insane that you couldn’t see that?
“Wait, that’s it, isn’t it? Yeah, that’s it. Wow! You know, I was kind of impressed by everything you did to win Rose. But in reality, you’re just a chimp throwing darts at a board. Aren’t you? You just got lucky.”
Thorin’s head snapped towards me. “No, Ford. I have a very good reason for what I did.”
“Then what is it?” I pushed. “Tell me. Why did everyone who got eliminated have to die?”
What disturbed me most about his response was how casually he said it.
“Tell me something, Ford. What if, after I had done all of this for her, she chose someone else? Huh? What was I to do then? I couldn’t just go about my life knowing that she was with someone else and that she didn’t choose me.”
“Thorin, you’re not making any sense,” I explained.
“I’m making perfect sense. I knew that other men watched her vid feeds. I am not crazy. So when she stopped making vids and people started asking questions, someone who saw her here could go to the police. Every person who saw us together could have led the police back to me.”
“Wait. Why would she stop making vids?” I asked with my heart beating harder.
“Ford, if I did all of this, if I revealed my very soul to her, and then she rejected me for it… I couldn’t let her live after that. Could I?”
A chill rattled my spine, hearing the words. He killed all of us so that he could kill Rose without it leading back to him. Thorin didn’t love Rose. He was just a psychopath. The only chance Rose had to survive this was to play along. She needed to buy herself enough time to escape.
Her only choice was to walk out of here on his arm. Then, when he stopped watching her, she could maybe slip off some yacht in the middle the night. She had to have figured that out, and it could work.
The only problem with that plan that I could see was me. She would have to choose him and then watch him kill me.
I’ll admit, it wasn’t my favorite plan. Hell, razor-wire toilet paper would be a better plan, but I was finally out of options. The blood that surrounded my chair told me the score. I was bleeding to death. I no longer had the strength to get up, much less save her. Rose was going to have to save herself. So I sat quietly, hoping beyond hope that she did it.
“Have I answered your question to your satisfaction, Ford?” Thorin asked calmly.
I couldn’t show any emotion. I couldn’t risk saying something that could dissuade Rose from doing what she had to do.
“You have,” I stated, trying to sound content.
“Now, can I continue?”
“Yes. Please continue,” I encouraged.
He turned back to Rose, focusing his demented eyes on her. “As I was saying, Rose. I have done all of this because I love you. So now, Rose, I ask you, will you choose me?”
Rose had to say “yes.” With both of us immobilized, she had no choice but to say “yes.” We both knew it, and I was confident that she would make the right chose.
“Thorin, I wouldn’t choose you if I was on fire and you held the last glass of water on earth.”
And then she said that. Well, crap!
She continued, “You are completely insane. Don’t you understand? You might not have put the chip in my head, but you were the one who turned me into a camera. The thought of you is what kept me from sleeping at night. You were my nightmare, and the only happiness you could give me, I’ve already gotten. And that happiness is from seeing how sad and pathetic you are in real life. I will never fear you ever again.
“So in case I haven’t been clear enough, the answer is ‘no.’ I don’t choose you. I choose Ford. And you can go screw yourself!”
Thorin’s frigid stare was equaled by Rose’s burning gaze. His jaw clenched, tightening his lips against his teeth. He looked like he was about to burst.
“As you wish,” Thorin relented, putting up no resistance. “You will get your death. But first, after everything I did for you, you owe me something.”
Thorin reached out and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. Rose squeaked in horror. Continuing down her neck and chest, he touched the tip of her breast.
“Thorin!” I shouted.
Startled, he pulled his hand away. “That’s right. You’re still here.”
“Don’t do this, Thorin,” I snarled.
“Why not? You’ve had her. I watched all of those other men have her. Why not me? I loved her from the moment I first saw her. It’s my turn.”
“Don’t do this. Don’t do this, Thorin!”
Thorin looked at me with a creepy smile. “How about a compromise? How about I just make sure that you won’t have to watch it,” he said before shifting his body in route to the wall of displays.
It always comes down to those split seconds in life, doesn’t it? A sudden decision to look back and see if she is looking at you. That moment when you let your guard down. That second when the enemy’s relaxation gives you an opening. Those are our opportunities. As Thorin turned his back to me, I was about to get another one.
Here were my obstacles: a day old gunshot wound in the stomach, multiple shark bites, a dramatic loss of blood, and twelve feet. That’s what stood between me and the putrid vile that was Thorin, but the window was opening. If I was ever going to jump through it, now was the time.
The question was, what would happen if I tried? I wasn’t sure. Blood was pooling around my chair. Since I hurt all over, I was guessing it was mine. Even if I wanted to get up, and I wanted it with every ounce of my being, my legs could still fold under me like a lawn chair. But as his attention shifted and his back turned, it was my time. I had to find out what would happen next.
I gr
abbed onto the armrests and threw my weight forward. I looked over at Rose. She lifted her hand. Apparently, she wasn’t as helpless as she had pretended to be. God, I loved her.
I couldn’t wait for her to rescue us, though. So, shifting my wobbly leg under me, I launched myself towards him. I didn’t have much left in me. Luckily, I wouldn’t need much to take him down.
I staggered across the room, allowing my momentum to do most of the work. He heard me coming, but it was too late. By the time he turned, I had my arm around his neck. With me attached, he crashed into the panel in front of him.
Whatever scabs had formed over my shark bites exploded when I hit Thorin’s back. I coughed, wanting to throw up. I was sure that I hurt myself more than I had hurt him, but even then, I didn’t let go.
I shifted all of my strength to my arms. As I did, my legs gave out from under me. I dragged him down with me. As we landed, I heard the distinct clank of dense metal hitting concrete.
I knew that sound. It was my salvation. I looked around in search of it. I found it barely eight feet away. It was the gun. Had it popped out of his belt when he fell? Who cares? As weak as I was, I knew I only had one way to win this fight. So I let go of Thorin’s neck and went after it.
Eight feet. After days of walking and so many senseless deaths, that was all that was left. I pulled away, clawing at the ground. Everything hurt. It didn’t matter. I only had a few more feet.
I did what I could to hold him down as I moved. It worked, but it didn’t work for long. I was still five feet away, and I needed more time.
“No!” Rose screamed.
That couldn’t be good. He had to be getting up. Four feet away, I heard a click. I stretched out my arm. I was still short. Three feet, maybe.
Using every ounce of strength I had, I kept moving. I was burning to know what was going on behind me. I wanted to look, but I knew I couldn’t take my eyes off the gun. I was close. Perhaps two feet, maybe less.
It soon became clear to me what the click was. The click was the beginning of my end. I immediately thought of Kurt standing on the dock, his eyes quickly turning bright red. I couldn’t imagine what caused it. Now I knew.
It was the tightening of blood vessels in his brain. It was an ice cream headache that increased without end. That was how it had begun with all of them, and now it was happening to me.
I looked ahead and found the gun was right in front of me. It was only there for an instant. After that, everything went dark. How long did I have left? Seconds?
I had to make a final lunge. If I missed, it wouldn’t matter. I was on a clock. It was either now or never.
I threw my hand forward and touched it. Now what? I needed to turn and squeeze.
I couldn’t see. I could barely feel it in my hand. But I knew how to shoot a gun. Hundreds of hours of training. Years on the battlefield. It all led me to this moment, a blind shot at a moving target.
I rolled. I thought I was positioned. I couldn’t be sure. My chest, my arms, my back—everything felt bloated and numb. My body convulsed uncontrollably. That was the last stage wasn’t it? The coughing?
Again, it was now or never. Just getting off a shot would be enough. I might never know what happened to it, but why the hell not? At least I’d have tried.
I focused my last ounce of strength on what I thought was my finger. I thought I felt a kick. Maybe I got it off. Maybe I didn’t. Either way, it was time to keep an overdue appointment.
When the moment happened, it was accompanied by a feeling of release. It felt like inhaling for the first time. After that, the darkness lifted. It was hazy at first, but it cleared up quickly. As it did, I heard someone calling my name.
“Ford? Ford?”
It was a woman’s voice. It was comforting. I was happy to hear it, but I didn’t know why.
The colors surrounding me sharpened. I had a sense of familiarity. I had been in this room before. Wait a minute. Wasn’t this the same room?
“Ford?” the voice beckoned again. It was Rose. I was starting to think that I wasn’t dead.
I lifted a shoulder to get a better look, and I felt like my body had been shoved into a light socket. Yep. I was alive. Either that or this was the crappiest afterlife experience ever.
“Ford?” Rose called again.
“I’m okay,” I said, exaggerating my status a bit.
“Oh my god. I thought you were dead!”
“You and me both. And I don’t want to sound ungrateful but, what the hell?”
“You shot him. I think you got him in the chest. He stumbled and fell back. I guess he hit the display or something.”
“Damn! I guess it’s better to be lucky than good. You okay?” I asked.
“Yeah. Thanks to you. You keep saving my life.”
“It’s because I love you, Rose,” I said, still feeling as if I was under a clock.
“And I’m starting to believe you,” she admitted with a smile in her voice.
I laughed. It hurt. “Umm… I’m going to admit something here,” I told her.
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“I think I need some help. I’m not feeling so great.”
I was staring at the ceiling when I heard what sounded like a body hitting the concrete. I looked across my chest to see a sight that was as pathetic as my own. Rose was dragging her limp body to me. I smiled.
When she finally stopped, it was in the space under my arm. She rested her head on my chest.
“How’s that? Is that any better?” she asked, catching her breath.
“It’s exactly what I needed,” I said happily.
I was under no illusions about how stories like mine ended, though. I was still losing blood. I had multiple internal injuries. I had already died once today, and the only other living human on the island was lying next to me paralyzed.
The clock continued ticking in my head, but this time, it was a race with whatever drug was in Rose. I didn’t care, though. I had my girl in my arms and what more could I ask for than that?
I leaned my head toward her and stretched my neck as far as I could. She met me halfway, and our lips touched. The move probably shortened my life by an hour, but it was totally worth it. With that kiss from Rose, I was ready for whatever came next, even the unexpected.
“You know, minus all of the blood, this would make one hell of a sex party,” a voice said from across the room.
I turned my head and what I saw made me smile.
“Who was that?” Rose asked unable to move.
“Who do you think it is? It’s the survivor,” I said.
Rose smiled warmly. “Hey, Brad.”
“Hey, hun!” Brad replied with all the charm in the world. “Now, what am I going to do with you two?” he asked, leaning on the door frame.
“You lived?” I asked, stating the obvious.
“I did,” he agreed.
“How?” I continued, barely able to imagine it.
“You’re not the only one who’s full of surprises,” he said, eyeing Rose and me as we lay paralyzed.
Staring back at him, I realized that was all he was going to say for now. If I wanted to know more, I was going to have to live long enough to hear it.
“So, what’s the plan, Brad?” I asked. “You just gonna stand there and watch me die, or are you gonna be the hero and save us?”
Brad gave me a smirk. “That depends.”
“On what?” I asked.
“On whether you’re ready for me to make you moan.”
“Oh yeah, make him moan. Do it. Do it,” Rose chanted playfully.
I knew Rose was kidding but did Brad know that? I wasn’t sure that he did considering the devilish smile he had as he sauntered towards us.
But whatever Brad was thinking, looking around the room, one thing became clear to me. I was the luckiest guy on earth. Not because I had survived this insane game show, but because I had found Rose and I loved her more than life itself.
If Brad could get me back on
my feet, I was going to devote every thought I had to getting us off this island. Something told me that staying alive was only going to get harder from here, but I was willing to do absolutely anything to keep Rose safe.
I loved her with all of my being. The question wasn’t if I was going to spend the rest of my life with her? The question was if I would survive the next hour? With Brad, you never knew. But I survived everything so far, and like I said, I was feeling lucky.
*****
Let’s Bring It Home
Are you in the mood for something a little sexier? What follows is the prequel to Island Candy. Its prequel status doesn’t mean that it lacks sexy scenes. They are all over the place in this story. And just like all of the sexy stories above, it’s a story that you can read on its own.
I hope you enjoy!
*****
Island Candy:
Prequel
Ever wonder how someone becomes a bad boy billionaire? Devlin doesn’t have to wonder because if he can convince Sergio, a gorgeous billionaire, to buy his companies, Devlin will become one of the richest men in the world. What’s standing in Devlin’s way? Ava, Sergio’s seductively curvy wife who can’t take her eyes off of Devlin.
Traveling to the Bahamas to close the deal of a lifetime, Devlin has more to worry about than just keeping his hands off of Ava. He’s starting to have lustful thoughts about Sergio. But is there a way that Devlin can have them both while becoming one of the richest men on the planet? Devlin might have the answer, but he only has two days to find out.
*****
Island Candy:
Prequel
Devlin looked out of the window as the plane approached its destination. The water surrounding the island was so clear that Devlin was sure that he could see the bottom. This would be his first time in the Bahamas. It had been a place he had always wanted to visit.