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Chapter Seven (Pt 1)
4:55 AM
Slinging a towel around his hips, Arnav walked out of the restroom, a smile on his lips as he anticipated sliding in next to her again, and waking her up with...
His thoughts ground to a halt as his gaze centered on an empty bed.
But then his smile grew as he realized that he needed to get dressed fast and go downstairs so he could rescue her from her own culinary efforts. Pulling on his track pants and black hoodie, he ran his hands through his still-wet hair as he walked out towards the staircase.
Passing by a mirror, he saw his own reflection and grinned. For a man who would possibly be fighting for his life soon, he looked pretty darn happy, judging by the eagerness he saw in his own gaze and the smile that just wouldn't stay away for long.
Shaking his head at himself, he took the stairs two at a time and walked into the kitchen, only to still completely when he realized that it was dark...and empty.
Was she on the balcony, then?
A quick glance at the closed balcony doors disabused him of that idea. He checked the downstairs restrooms and then, every other room on the lower floor before running back upstairs again.
When a search of all the bedrooms revealed no sign of Khushi, the first stirrings of panic had him heading mindlessly back to the room they'd shared last night.
Had she gone down to the beach?
Pulling up his hoodie to cover his head, he was about to go down again when a flash of white caught his eye. Anxiety churned in his gut as he walked towards the nightstand, feeling as if he knew what was written on the small piece of paper before he'd even read it.
A moment later, his worst fears were confirmed.
Hey,
Sorry to skip out on you while you were in the shower, but I had no choice. I couldn't just sit by and let your macho protectiveness ruin everything when there is an easy solution at hand. I've taken my phone and the Ferrari to retrieve you-know-what. I should be back in an hour, at most.
Meanwhile, I'd really appreciate it if you would stop scowling down at this note and whip up something in the kitchen instead. For some strange reason, I find that I am famished this morning ;)
-K
Anger overwhelmed him completely at that moment, and he threw the note clear across the room before hitting the nightstand in frustration.
He'd told her not to attempt anything like this, and yet the foolish woman had thrown herself in danger the moment his back had been turned! This was unbelievable.
Fortunately, a moment later his training kicked in and he realized that he needed to get out there and find her before she ever reached the school. She only had a fifteen minute head-start at most. He could intercept her. He would intercept her, before she walked right into the middle of a nightmare.
He walked over to where the note lay on the carpet, and picked it up again, smoothing it out before stuffing it into his pocket.
Running back down the stairs, he pulled open the cabinet by the French window in the living room and quickly powered on his own cellphone. He hadn't used it since he'd fled the city, afraid that his movements could be tracked that way. But this was an emergency. This was more important than his own safety.
That thought stunned him for a moment, but he refused to think about its implications. Now wasn't the time. At this moment, he was thankful that his phone still retained some battery life, and he quickly dialed Khushi's number even as he walked towards the front door where he'd stashed his boots. The phone rang and rang until it reached her voicemail. He grimaced in frustration as he realized that she was deliberately not answering any calls. He continued to call her as he pulled on his boots before retrieving the other set of car keys that he'd noticed when he'd first arrived. Exiting through a side-door a few seconds later, he jogged down to the garage he'd seen earlier. A silver Mercedes convertible was the only car left there now, and he slid into the seat before dialing another number.
Aman answered on the first ring, and he wasted no time in apprising him of the situation as it stood now. The time for waiting was gone. He would stop her, make sure that she got to safety, and then get that tape to the DA immediately. It was the only option now.
Aman listened in silence as he told him where he was going and why, but he was careful to leave Khushi's name out of the conversation. After agreeing to meet at Briar High School, Aman sighed.
"Arnav, I'll be there. Don't do anything before I get to the school. And don't..."
He paused, and Arnav waited for him to continue as he began to back out of the garage.
"What?"
Aman sighed again. "It's nothing. I'll meet you there."
He cut the call, then concentrated on getting the car out onto the winding driveway which would take him to the street that led out of the beach sector towards the freeway.
He had one more call to make.
Dialing from memory, he waited while the phone rang thrice before it was answered.
"Sam Jiang here. Who is this?"
He took a deep breath, knowing that he had only a few minutes to convince the DA. He would be out on the street soon, and he needed to focus on driving to her as soon as he could.
"Mr. Jiang, my name is Arnav Raizada. I'm a P.I, and there's something I need to tell you..."
Sam Jiang's disbelief and shock were apparent at the few, clipped sentences that came down the line, but the other man quickly rallied.
"Mr. Raizada, if what you are saying is true, then this situation needs to be handled with care. We cannot afford a single misstep. I will meet you at the school in an hour from now, and we will go from there. How will I recognize you?"
Arnav gave him a brief description of what he was wearing. He had cleared the driveway by now, and pulled out onto the street.
"Mr. Jiang, I am grateful for your help, and I..."
"Don't thank me before we know where this is heading and what exactly we can accomplish, Mr. Raizada. I will get my staff on this as soon as you get me the evidence. I'll see you there."
Cutting the call, Arnav dialed Khushi's number one last time before giving up and focusing entirely on the road. Gunning the engine, he took off down the street, aware that the narrow road curved out into a single-lane path along the cliffs a few miles down the line.
There were no other cars at this time of the day, and he took advantage of the fact, driving well beyond the speed limit as his eyes constantly scanned the road ahead for the red Ferrari that she'd taken.
I'm doing this because I care, damn you.
He gritted his teeth as her words came back to him.
This was all his fault. He'd heard her out yesterday; he'd known that she was invested in what was going to happen to him.
He'd known it, and yet he hadn't thought about the fact that she might actually carry out her foolhardy plans. He had assumed that his assurances had worked, but the infuriating woman had gone ahead and done exactly what he'd expressly forbidden.
Didn't she know how dangerous this could be?
Didn't she care?
He hit the steering wheel in frustration as the road in front of him remained empty. Flooring the accelerator, he took the curves at an unsafe speed, not caring about the consequences.
He didn't care about anything except getting to her, and getting to her fast.
I need something to hold onto. A keepsake, if you will.
The car swerved a little as his hands tightened involuntarily on the wheel.
The note of yearning in her voice as she'd uttered those words rang clearly in his mind...words that had led to the best night of his life.
He shut off that train of thought immediately. If he allowed himself to go down that route, if he allowed himself to remember the unbridled passion and the deeper emotion that had clawed at him while he had lost himself in her body, he would never be able to focus. And yet, it was evident that the events of the night had changed everything.
For him and for her.
He slowed down a little as he negotiated the last, tricky curve before the road narrowed ahead. The cliffs were now in view, their rocky heights hiding the sight of the azure ocean behind them. On this last section of the beachside street, open meadows stretched out on either side endlessly.
He caught his breath. The golden-brown of the meadows and the stretch of black road ahead had suddenly been broken by a streak of red.
His fingers tightened again, and he accelerated immediately. The distance between them was less than two-hundred feet now and he swerved to the left, planning to come up beside her. Within seconds, he had done just that. Her head whipped around, and he could feel her surprise, even though her eyes were hidden by sunglasses. She had a red scarf wrapped around her hair, a color that almost exactly matched the shade of her car.
He noticed all these things in a fraction of a second, and then he powered ahead, cutting across her so she had no option but to slow down. She hit her horn briefly, making her displeasure apparent but he was long past caring. Forcing her to slow down further, he drove towards the narrow shoulder of the road, and then took the car over it onto a small trail that lay between the road and the meadow. Hitting the brakes, he turned around towards her to see that she'd followed suit, and now the Ferrari had pulled up right behind him. Finally turning off the ignition, he unclipped the seatbelt and stepped out, just as she did. Her slim form was clothed in a close-fitting cream sweater and white pants, the red of her scarf adding the only splash of color to her outfit.
To him, she looked utterly breathtaking.
Taking a deep breath, he shoved that thought to the back of his mind. He was supposed to be angry. He was angry, and frustrated as hell. But that didn't stop the reactions of his traitorous body, did it?
She closed her car door and removed the scarf and sunglasses, then just stood there as their gazes clashed for a moment.
And then she sighed. "I should have known that you would follow me."
His control snapped at those words. Striding forward around the hood of her car, he clamped his hands on her shoulder, and bent his head to hers. Their lips met in a fusion of desire and frustration and anger that shredded the remnants of his self-control, and he covered her body with his, pushing her back against her low-slung car.
She shivered, and he gentled his assault at once. Her lips parted then, and the kiss took on a whole other dimension. Passion flared, but there was an edge there that he didn't really like. An edge that reminded him where she'd been going and why...
Her tongue stroked along his and for one timeless moment, he allowed himself to be seduced by the siren before him. Her hands were in his hair now, spearing through the strands as she held him to her...just as she'd done the night before when he'd kissed her into oblivion.
Calling on all his reserves, he pulled back slowly, disentangling from her and setting her back in one fluid movement.
He watched her as she smiled, just a little. She raised one hand to her lips, and he almost caved again.
Almost.
But then he reminded himself of what was at stake, and all the roiling emotions spilled out in a few, harsh words.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?"
-
5:37 AM
Khushi fought another smile as the man before her raved and ranted about her supposed irresponsible behavior. Her plan was perfect...or so she had thought. In hindsight, she should have taken the time to hide the keys to the Mercedes. But at the time, she hadn't thought that far ahead. When she had woken up to the sound of the running shower, her only thought had been to carry out the plan that had formed in her mind during the darkest hours before dawn.
After what had happened between them that night, she knew that she had no other option. Consciously allowing him to place his life in danger was something she could never, ever allow. Not when there was a reasonable alternative. Somehow, inexplicably, he had become important to her. More important than anything had been in a long, long while. Protecting him had been an act of self-preservation, really. Because she just couldn't fathom how she could go on with her life if he was harmed in any way.
And now here he was, shouting his lungs out because she had done what he hadn't wanted her to. She was amused and exasperated all at once, and the fact that she wanted to pull him close for another of his mind-blowing kisses wasn't helping matters either.
She allowed him to continue, even as her mind worked overtime. How could she surmount this obstacle? How could she convince him to let her go, to allow her to be the one to retrieve that tape? His protective instincts were blinding him to reality, and she couldn't have that. She decided that she'd keep her cool, and wait for him to calm down before attempting to change his mind.
He finally appeared to run out of steam. His warm hands grasped her shoulders again, and he shook her lightly.
"Are you even listening to me, for God's sake?"
She couldn't help the light laugh that left her lips, and kissed away his answering scowl.
"Do you know how sexy you are when you are all riled up?"
He let her go abruptly. "Stop, Khushi. Just stop taking this so lightly. This is f**king dangerous, and I have told you that a million times. Why can't you understand that small, simple fact?"
Some of her own frustration pushed through to the surface. "I think that I understand that far better than you do. I know how dangerous this is, for you. But me...I am unconnected to any of it, Arnav. No one would bat an eyelash if a woman pulled up before a condemned building in a suburban neighborhood at this time of the day. And I have told you that a million times!"
"How can you be sure? How can we know for sure? I am not gambling your life on that possibility. And really, why are we even arguing about this? We were done with this argument yesterday. But now that you have taken it upon yourself to defy me, I've had no option but to push things forward."
She straightened. "What do you mean?"
A determined light lit his eyes. "I called Aman and Jiang on my way here. I've asked them both to meet me over at the school in an hour, and that's that. I will get that tape, and I will hand it over to them. You, however, will take your snazzy red car and drive straight to the nearest airport. Get on that flight to France, or wherever the hell you want. Just stay out of the line of fire, it's all I ask."
Her mind tried to grasp the implications of his words. He'd changed all his plans, and now the DA was on his way to the school. There really was no time to waste. If she argued and attempted to change his mind now, all she would accomplish was a delay that could cost him everything.
And yet, what was the alternative?
Could she really turn around and drive away, not knowing when and if she'd ever see him again?
She really didn't think that she was capable of that.
Taking a step towards him, she laid a hand on his chest.
"I get what you are saying, and I know there's no time to waste. But you should know this too. I honestly believe that I am physically incapable of leaving you at the moment. I just can't, Arnav."
Something in his eyes shifted. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close. She laid her head against his heart, luxuriating in the warmth and peace that she had known for less than a day.
Why, she asked herself. Why had she been given this gift, only to have it snatched away almost immediately? Why was fate so unkind?
She closed her eyes, and felt his arms tighten around her.
"Why?"
His husky voice brought her head up, and she stared at him, puzzled. "What?"
"Why can't you walk away, Khushi Gupta?"
Her eyes widened. She knew what he was asking here. It was there in the timbre of his voice, in the warmth of his eyes.
She took a deep breath. "For the same reason that you won't let me get that tape for you."
She felt his chest expand on a deep breath.
"This is crazy. You know that, don't you?"
She nodded. "Of course. We've barely known each other for a week."
"And for a large part of that time, you didn't even know who I was."
A sigh escaped her. "Look, if you're asking me for explanations, then I don't have them. I have been asking myself these questions constantly. Why am I so drawn to you? Why do I care so much? Why is your well-being important to me? And do you know what the answer is? I don't know. I have no clue. But right now, that doesn't matter. What matters is getting to that school in time and kick starting the process of obtaining justice. What matters is saving you, proving that you are innocent. And that's what we need to focus on."
He pulled away, just a little. "I can't completely agree with you there."
"What?"
"You are right, of course. This is not the time or place...but damn it all, putting one's life on the line brings everything into sharper focus...everything that matters, that is. And that is why I know that before I go into the city, I need...I need something. Something to hold onto, just like what you asked me for last night."
Her eyes widened, and a slight blush tinged her cheeks. "Are you kidding? I want you, but not in the middle of the goddamn road where everyone can see us!"
He laughed, but his voice was shaky. "That's not what I'm talking about. Get your mind out of the gutter, lady."
She smiled too. "Then what could you possibly want me to..."
"Stay safe, Khushi. If you want me to pull this off successfully, I need to know that you are safe. It's the only way I can keep my head in the game. If I am constantly distracted by thoughts of protecting you, then there's no way for me to get out of this whole mess unscathed."
Shaking her head, she looked away. "That's not fair. If it was me who was in your place, would you have walked away?"
He said nothing, but his eyes betrayed his answer. She knew that if she had been the one walking into danger, nothing would have compelled him to stay away. And yet, his next words belied all that.
"But it isn't you. It's me. I have trained for this, Khushi. I know what I'm doing. And time is running out, so please...please just get back into that car and drive to the airport."
She was fighting a losing battle, with him, and with the clock. She knew that, and yet she couldn't bring herself to give in.
"Is this what you are like all the time?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you always this stubborn? Are you always a cocky know-it-all?"
A wry smile curved his lips. "Let's hope to God that you get the chance to find out."
She couldn't bring herself to answer lightly. Not when he'd just raised the specter she'd been desperately trying to avoid.
Heart thudding in her chest and her eyes stinging, she said fiercely, "We will get through this, Arnav Raizada. And we will be together. I just know it."
He grinned, then hooking his index finger into her silver chain, he pulled her to himself slowly. "Of course we will. After all, you are still wearing your infallible lucky charm, aren't you?"
She did not want to face the desolation in his eyes, an edge of despair that was in complete contrast to the smile on his lips. And so she closed her eyes, and kissed him again. She put everything she had into that kiss. Yearning, desire...and hope.
And he knew it too, because he answered in kind. His lips were gentle, but his hold was not. He held her close, his arms like bands of iron around her body. And when they finally broke apart, he kept her close, his arms still holding her body to his.
"This isn't over. We aren't over."
This time, she smiled. "Not by a long shot, stud."
"Stud, huh? Glad to know that my bedroom skills have..."
But she was never destined to hear the rest of that sentence.
---------Continued in the next post--------
Chapter 7 (Pt 2)
Both their heads whipped around at the same time. A black SUV had pulled up on the narrow trail beside the road, right behind their cars. For an instant, Arnav's hand tightened convulsively around hers, and then he pushed her behind him, shielding her with his body.
She didn't understand what he was doing. She could understand his caution, but this car could be anybody's, really. It could have pulled off the road because of a flat tire or maybe...
Her thoughts stumbled to a halt. Over his shoulder, she could just about see the all-black clothing of the two men who stepped out of the SUV.
And there was just no way she could miss the glint of metal in their hands.
For a stunned second, her mind whirled. This could not be happening. Not here, in the middle of a public street.
But in seconds, the men were right in front of them, their masks unable to hide the cold, determined look in their eyes.
She realized that Arnav had pulled his gun out too, and now he held it loosely by his side.
At that sight, her entire body went cold.
The heavyset man on their right spoke first. "Raizada. You know why we're here. Give us what we want, and you can walk away. No questions asked."
To her astonishment, Arnav laughed. "Right. Do you really expect me to believe that?"
The men exchanged a look, and the brief respite sent her mind into overdrive.
Who had sent these men after them?
Who could have known just where to find Arnav at this precise moment?
Her lips firmed. It had to be Jiang.
Deep down, she'd known that the DA wasn't really trustworthy, and it looked like she had been proved right. Castigating herself mentally for not convincing Arnav about this earlier, she missed the sudden movement made by the man on their right.
But Arnav stepped sideways too, blocking his movement. She could sense his tension, it rolled off of him in almost tangible waves.
But when he spoke, his voice was cold and hard, and she was reminded of the way he'd been when he'd first come into her house.
"She has nothing to do with this. Let her go, and you can have what you want."
The men looked at each other again, and finally, the one on the right raised his weapon, pointing it straight at Arnav.
Her hands began to tremble with suppressed rage. And yet, she retained enough sanity to know that one wrong move from her could ruin everything. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stay still, and remain behind Arnav, where he'd know she was safe. For the moment, at least.
It didn't even surprise her that in that moment, she was only anxious for him.
The man spoke again. "You aren't in control anymore, Raizada. Now quit playing games, or we know just how to get you to do what you want."
Arnav shifted again. "Who sent you?"
The man shook his head. "That's not important. Now, the evidence. Take us to it. Just get in the car, and we can get this over with."
"Not before you let her go."
The man on the right made an abrupt move forward, and Arnav raised his own weapon. So did the other man, and suddenly the situation had escalated to a tense standoff.
She wanted to help, to do something. Guilt and anxiety churned in her gut, but she quelled those emotions, racking her mind for something she could do to alleviate the situation.
But before any of them could move, the passenger door of the SUV opened and a man stepped out. He was short-statured and dark, and her eyes widened when she realized that he wasn't wearing a mask.
But it was Arnav's reaction that shocked her.
A sharp gasp escaped his lips, and she could see that the hand holding the gun had gone lax.
In an instant, he had regained his stance but she knew that he had recognized the man, and that recognition had astounded him.
His next words confirmed it.
"Aman. I'm curious about why you felt the need to bring this welcoming committee with you."
Aman?
As in, Aman Mathur, his partner?
The man he'd trusted...the only man he'd trusted through this whole mess, and now here he was, bringing this down on them.
She didn't know what to think anymore.
The man named Aman smiled, but it was a grim, resigned smile. "I didn't want to. But that's not the point. Get in the car, Arnav."
"I've said this before. I'll do what you want, if you let her go."
Aman's gaze switched to her, and his gaze turned sharp. "Khushi Kaczinski. You certainly haven't been slumming it these past few days, have you, Arnav? But that doesn't matter either. Here's the deal: she comes with us, and we'll let you both go when we have what we want."
"Don't be a fool, Aman. She's a high-profile celebrity. Getting her mixed up in this will only be detrimental to whoever you are really working for."
"Don't you think I know that? That is why you have my assurance that she will leave unharmed after we're done at Briar High. But for now, I like her as leverage."
She knew that Arnav was thinking, assessing the odds. And she also knew the exact moment when he came to a decision.
"Fine. Let's go."
She wasn't really surprised by his capitulation, and neither was she scared for her own safety. But just the same, her heart thawed just a little when Arnav turned back, just as soon as the others had lowered their guns.
Taking her hand in his, he looked straight at her. "The sooner we do this, the sooner you'll be allowed to leave. Trust me."
Aman spoke up from behind them. "That's touching. Now move."
She looked into his eyes for one, long moment, and then they were walking towards the SUV, her hand still held in his.
The men stopped Arnav and patted him down, relieving him of his gun and phone before gesturing towards the car.
But then Aman motioned for them to stop, and addressed the other men.
"Damn it. The cars!"
They all looked at the Ferrari and the Mercedes, parked haphazardly on the trail.
Aman scowled at the men. "If we leave those cars here, it's only a matter of time before they draw the attention of the highway patrol. And since they are probably registered to her, questions will be asked."
The heavyset man spoke up. "We could drive those back to her place. It's only a few miles down the coast, I think.
Aman thought for a moment, then nodded. "You can each take a car. I will take the SUV and drive them down to Briar High. And then you can meet me there, just take a cab."
The two men walked off towards her cars, and as they watched, both cars disappeared rapidly down the road.
Aman raised his own gun. "Arnav. Get in the driver's seat. And you, beside him."
She climbed in on the passenger side, her eyes glued on Arnav's. When he had fastened his seatbelt, he turned towards her and she took the opportunity to softly apologize. "I'm sorry. I should never have..."
He placed his finger on her lips. "You did what you thought was best. And now, just trust me to get you out of this."
"Get us out of this, Arnav."
He smiled briefly, but the moment was cut short when Aman got in behind them and slammed his door.
"Start driving, Arnav."
Arnav pulled the car out onto the one-lane road, and in minutes, they were speeding down the freeway. Her gaze flicked over the few other cars around them and she wondered at the normalcy in their lives at the moment.
Here she was, being driven at gunpoint to a location where an exchange would be made that would endanger the life of the man she...
Her lips firmed, and she clenched her fists against her sides, trying to quell her tears.
He had asked for her trust, and she wanted to give it him, unconditionally. But she was afraid that in trying to save her, he would throw away the only change for justice he would ever have.
Or did his plan include that? She didn't know.
When she was fairly sure that she had tears in control, she sneaked a glance at his profile, hoping for a clue. But his eyes were on the rearview mirror, and his voice was harsh with suppressed anger when he spoke.
"So how did this happen, Aman? Why are you suddenly on the other side?"
She held her breath. She'd wondered about that, too.
The man behind them sighed. "Self-preservation, Arnav. And if you'd had any sense, you would see that too."
"I made my choice days ago, Aman. And unlike you, I have the guts to stick to it."
"That may be true. But then, you found yourself a safe haven soon enough, from the looks of things. But I wasn't as lucky. They found me, almost at once. "
"And you gave up, immediately. You put a longstanding friendship on the line and gave in to the demands of a murderer."
The other man snorted. "Give me a little more credit. They threatened Payal. "
She heard Arnav's indrawn breath. "They knew where your daughter was?"
"Right down to the name of her private school and friends. They knew everything about her."
She looked across at Arnav, and saw his grimace. For her own part, she was appalled.
Was there no lengths to which these men would go in order to protect themselves from what they'd done?
She didn't know what was going through Arnav's mind, but she hoped to hell that he had some kind of a plan, something that would allow them to stall until the DA got there. Somehow, they had to pull this off. They had to keep that tape safe. It was the only way Arnav could remain free...and alive.
Unbidden, her fingers touched the chain around her neck. And at that exact moment, she felt Arnav's eyes on her.
When she looked at him, his gaze was riveted on her neck. After an instant, he looked up at her and their eyes met. A silent promise simmered in his, and she gave him the slightest of nods.
And then the signal changed. He had taken the exit, and now they were on a city street. When she looked at the sign, her heart started pounding again, its uneven rhythm so loud that she wondered if the others could hear it too.
Briar High was just minutes away.
-
6:15 AM
"Here's how we're going to do this. I want you to park at the intersection of fifth and National Avenue. And then we are going to walk down the street with you in front, and I will follow with Mrs. Kaczinski here."
She wanted to correct him, to yell that she wasn't Kaczinski anymore. Not that it mattered at this moment, but she still felt the need to protest. They were being swept along on a tide that seemed relentless, and she itched to do something, anything to stop what now seemed inevitable.
But before she could open her mouth, Arnav turned into a parking spot. Turning off the ignition, he faced Aman.
"Don't do this, Aman. I know that your daughter's safety is paramount, but together, we can figure it out. We can't let these bas***ds get away with this. Give me some time, we can find a way to..."
"No!"
The word was uttered in a hoarse, choked voice, and for a moment, the gun wavered in the other man's hand.
But then he seemed to pull himself together.
"There's no time for all that now. We have to do this my way. There's no other option."
His phone rang, shattering the silence that followed his words.
Answering it immediately, he murmured a few words before turning it off and straightening again.
"Those men who were with me earlier? They have dropped off the cars and are just ten minutes away now. We have to hurry up. If they come here and I don't have that tape, there's no telling what they'll do."
Arnav stared at him for a long, charged moment, then nodded and turned to face her. "Just a few minutes more, and you will be free. This will all be over."
She couldn't remain silent any longer. Gripping his forearm, she pleaded with him. "Arnav, you can't let this happen. You've got to do something, there's no..."
He gently pulled his arm free, then touched her lips lightly. "The important thing is to get you safe. After that, I'll figure it out."
Aman laughed. "I wish I had the time to find out what's been going on between the two of you in the past week. Unfortunately, there's no time for shared reminiscences. Get out, Arnav."
She turned to him for the first time. "How the hell did you know where we were, anyway?"
Arnav sighed. "He probably tracked my cellphone, Khushi. I knew that danger existed, that's why I hadn't used my phone all week."
Not until this morning.
He didn't say the words, but she heard them loud and clear all the same. Guilt made her squirm in her seat. She had brought this upon them. If she hadn't taken it upon herself to interfere, he would never have been trapped like this.
Apparently, Arnav could read her thoughts, because he shook his head. "Don't blame yourself. The same thing would have happened later. I would eventually have called him ."
"Alright, that's enough. Get out of the car and get going, Arnav. We'll follow in a minute."
Her gaze locked with his for a long, timeless minute, and then he looked away towards Aman. "I'm not leaving her with you, Aman. Step out with me, or everything's off."
She could see that Aman wanted to argue, but then his gaze went to his watch and she realized that he was in a hurry to get this over before his hired guns arrived on the scene. So in the end, they all stepped out of the SUV together.
Arnav walked just a little in the front, and she followed with Aman bringing up the rear. Fifth Street was deserted, and she could now see the yellow tape marking the beginning of the demolition zone. Her frantic gaze darted around, looking for someone who could help. But the hour was too early, and the street was closed so there was not a soul in sight.
Tears threatened, but she blinked them away.
She needed to keep her wits about her. If Arnav had a plan and needed her help, she needed to be able to help.
Arnav
She stared at his back, hating herself in that moment for being unable to do anything for him.
And she hated herself even more for not telling him what he'd come to mean to her in so short a time. She'd had multiple opportunities to do so, but her own uncertainty and insecurities had held her back.
And somehow, at this moment it seemed very important to her that he knew just what was between them.
She rubbed a hand over her eyes, trying to think clearly. They were at the gates of the school now, and Arnav lifted the yellow tape, waiting for her to pass under it. Their eyes met again, and she started to speak.
"Arnav, I..."
She didn't know what he saw in her eyes at that moment, but his own warmed, just a bit.
"I know."
It was all he said, but for the moment, it was enough.
They walked on until they reached the staircase. Arnav turned to Aman. "It's in a classroom on the third floor."
Aman's hand tightened on his gun. "I hope for your girlfriend's sake that this isn't a trick, Arnav. You know I don't want to hurt her."
Arnav looked at her for a second, and then he shook his head. "No tricks. You'll know in a minute."
The climb up three flights of stairs wasn't easy. The steps were littered with debris and pieces of plaster that had fallen off the walls, and their progress was slow. But when they finally made it to the third floor and Arnav pointed to the classroom at the end, her steps faltered.
He couldn't seriously be doing this!
Without thinking about it, she whirled around and swung her elbow into Aman's body, intending to knock the gun out of his hand. It was an act of desperation, and she knew that it had failed almost at once.
His reflexes honed sharp by years of investigative work, Aman dodged her blow, then wrapped one brawny arm around her shoulders, pulling her back against himself and holding the gun to her head.
It was over in an instant, and she found herself breathless and dazed, staring up into Arnav's appalled eyes.
"Khushi. Just stay still, sweetheart."
Her panic boiled over. "Arnav, what the hell are you doing?! You can't really think..."
He shook his head, and she stopped struggling. "This isn't something we're going to argue about. I'm going to go into that room and get that tape, and he's going to let you walk. That's all there is to it."
He looked over her head, leveling his hardened gaze at Aman, and his grasp loosened just a little. When Arnav turned away towards the classroom, Aman shoved her forward and they followed. The door to the class stood open, and she stared inside, trying to follow Arnav's movements in the shadows. There was no furniture in the room, and she watched as Arnav headed directly to the back, where a couple of cabinets still stood in the corner. Kneeling before them, he ran his hand along the underside of the one on the right.
But his next actions surprised her.
Instead of straightening with the tape in his hand like she expected him to, he jerked up abruptly, then crouched down below the cabinet and seemed to be looking for something. She watched him do the same with the other cabinet, and then he sprang to his feet, his movements telling her that something had gone horribly wrong.
His next words confirmed her worst fears.
"It isn't here. That's impossible. How can it not be here?"
She gasped. "What?"
He turned to face them, and she saw something in his gaze that she'd never seen before.
Panic.
Her breathing became unsteady as the man holding her tightened his grasp again.
"Don't do this, Arnav. I warned you, don't try to pull one over me, or I will..."
"This isn't a trick, damn it! I swear on all that's holy, I had duct-taped it under this very cabinet when I ran! There is no mistake, this was the room and it was right here!"
He faced the cabinets again and swung them open, his hands searching for the tape along the dusty shelves and coming up empty. Kneeling again, he ran his hands all over the undersides of both cabinets again, but the despair in his expression told its own story when he got to his feet again.
Aman pushed her forward.
"f**k it, Arnav, where the hell is that tape?"
"I don't know! Aman, you have to believe me, this isn't a trick! I know what's at stake here and I would never allow anything to happen to her, this isn't..."
"Where's that tape, Arnav?"
Her captor's voice was shrill now, and she thought that he sounded like he was on the brink of panic too. Her heart was racing now, and cold sweat dampened her palms, her entire body shivering with the first onslaught of true fear.
Arnav stepped closer. "Aman, I swear I don't know. It was right here and I..."
"I don't believe you. Now tell me where it really is, or I'll blow her brains out!"
Arnav's eyes widened with fear. "No, Aman, you've got this all wrong. Just listen, man. It was right here!"
"Don't screw with me, Raizada!"
"I'm not, damn you!"
"Tell me where that tape really is!"
As Arnav took another step closer, Aman staggered back, just a little.
She felt him trip over something behind her, and then she heard a strange, muffled sound.
Her gaze was locked with Arnav's, and she wondered why his face had whitened at that moment.
And then she felt the pain.
-
6: 29 AM
Aman dropped his gun to the ground, and he was staring at it as if he had never seen it before.
Arnav didn't think twice about what he was going to do next.
Blood pounding in his ears, his vision turning crimson, struggling for breath, he lunged towards the gun, turned on Aman, and pulled the trigger.
The bullet hit him neatly between the eyes. The silencer muffled the sound, but the body hitting the ground captured his attention for an instant.
And then he dropped the gun too.
Silence reigned then.
The first thing that was noticed was the absence of sound.
After the commotion that had preceded it, the unnatural stillness held his attention.
The sight before him held and captured his intense gaze, eyes widening as they struggled to understand...to believe.
Those eyes had seen a lot, during their lifetime.
They had seen power and greed, defeat and betrayal.
Lust, love and momentary happiness hadn't been strangers to that gaze either.
Memories and the past, reality and the present...it all collided in those darkened eyes.
The visual proof was compelling, but the mind had shut down completely, refusing to see what was now evident.
Because if reality was allowed to enter, even for a short while, everything would fall apart.
Reality was a witness to the fact that this wasn't love or power or lust.
This wasn't anything those eyes had ever seen before.
Reality was that this was the beginning...of the end.
Feeling as if the breath had stopped in his lungs, he stepped towards the white-clad figure that now lay among the scattered debris on the floor.
He sank to his feet and pulled her up into his arms. She felt cold in his arms. He didn't understand why.
As he raised her slowly, he saw the pool of red below her. Crimson stained the floor, and he could now see that Aman's bullet had gone straight through her chest. With shaking, nerveless fingers, he placed his hands against the pulse-point at her neck.
Nothing.
Lowering her to the floor again, he placed his head against her heart.
And heard nothing there either.
He straightened slowly, unable to make sense of this nightmare.
His own body felt cold now, and in some distant corner of his mind, he realized that he was probably going into shock.
In desperation, he looked at her eyes.
Surely, he would see something there.
A hint of a smile, like she knew something that he did not. The twinkle that made his heart soar every time it appeared.
Surely she would sit up any moment now, and laugh at him for falling prey to her prank.
Or maybe her hazel gaze would widen with fear and compassion as she realized that he'd just killed his best friend in cold-blood.
Surely there would be something...
But when he finally brought himself to look, he could see clearly that her pupils were wide and fixed, staring past him, unseeing.
Lifeless. Just like the rest of her.
A howl of agony ripped from his chest and he cringed away from her body, unable to grasp just what he was seeing here.
She couldn't be dead. This couldn't be happening.
She was supposed to go to the south of France. She was supposed to wait for him to join here there. This was supposed to be their new beginning.
She was supposed to laugh and cry and smile and kiss and live the rest of her life.
She couldn't be lying here as her blood slowly seeped out of her body through a random hole in her chest.
He tore his eyes away, unable to stand the sight of her body anymore.
His gaze fell on a glint of sliver and he snatched it up, mindless and half-crazed.
His mouth opened on a silent scream as he realized what he now held in his trembling palm.
It was her lucky chain, broken in two, now stained with her own blood,
Holding it tight against his chest, he curled up against the opposite wall.
He felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing.
He didn't even react when he heard the sound of running footsteps coming up the stairs.
He closed his eyes, and held on to the last image he had of her.
Nothing else mattered.
***The End***
Author's note: This story ends here. This was the end that had come to me one day and wouldn't leave me alone until I'd written this.
To everyone who has read this story, thank you for staying with me through the end, and for your kind words.
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