Authors: Sara Curran-Ross

Sleeping Love (26 page)

‘Let her go Luc. You’ve done enough to us both. I already know you’ve been stealing from the company and defrauding it. I take it the rest of you along with Maxim were involved?’

‘You always were astute, Raoul.’

‘I knew you were involved in Sabrina’s disappearance. I never thought all of you would have been involved. Is this some kind of conspiracy?’

Luc laughed.

‘Alain and Cressida knew about the fraud from the start. She was in on it with me. She wanted you as a bonus. I saw the way Maxim looked at Sabrina. I followed him a couple of times and found out he was the stalker. I told him I could help him take Sabrina for himself in return for him getting you out of the way, Raoul. With you convicted of murder, the Board of Valoire Industries would have voted me in as chair and the company would be mine. Unfortunately, you managed to keep it all together, just like you always do,’ he sneered. ‘The only way I am going to get the company now is to kill you both. Now get in the car and keep quiet.’

‘Luc, what are you going to do?’ Sabrina could hear panic quivering in her voice and gritted her teeth as she got into the back of Luc’s Jeep.

Alain slammed the car door shut, making her jump in response. Luc was getting into the front with Raoul, and Cressida got in the back with Sabrina, aiming a revolver at them both.

‘Let’s just say you are both going for a cold dip. Well, that’s after I have shot you both first. A bullet in the head, execution style should make it quick for you. I’m not a heartless man,’ he smiled.

‘You’re actually going to kill us?’

‘Have you any better suggestions, Sabrina? You know too much.’

‘You would kill your own family?’

‘Family? Yes. I have debts, and if I don’t pay them, I am going to be killed. It’s all about survival. It’s you two or me. I would rather it was not me.’

The car drove off through the gate, out of the Chateau’s estate. They followed a small track road and then veered off sharply to drive down another track into a wood.

Luc stopped it next to a large stagnant pond in a small clearing in the middle of the wood. Luc opened the car door on Raoul’s side. The moment he did, Raoul seized his chance and banged the door into Luc’s body. Raoul lunged at him knocking Luc and the gun to the ground. Sabrina seized her chance when Cressida began to panic. She reached for the gun and the two women began to struggle.

Sabrina fought Cressida with all of her strength. Leaning back against the door she gave a sharp kick to Cressida’s stomach propelling her backwards with a grunt. The gun clattered to the floor. Sabrina and Cressida reached for it the same time, but Cressida was to get there first.

With shaking hands she aimed it at Sabrina and took off the safety. Sabrina held her breath, frantically searching for a way to save her own life. The sound of police sirens approaching didn’t deter Cressida from wanting to kill Sabrina.

‘You’ve ruined everything,’ she shouted. The malice in her voice was acute. ‘But at least I can stop you having Raoul.’

Sabrina took a breath and waited for the shot to be fired, but Cressida’s car door was abruptly opened causing her to fall back against Raoul. Cressida struggled with him to hold on to the revolver. Sabrina leaned over to help, but the gun went off.

It was hard to see who had been shot. Sabrina’s heart began to thud as Raoul backed away from Cressida in shock, blood on his hand. He stared at Sabrina and then at his shoulder soaked in blood. Cressida was lying back along the seat trying to turn over with the gun.

Rage boiled over in Sabrina. She lunged for the revolver once more and landed Cressida’s face a hard punch. Another swift hit had Cressida groaning and dropping the gun. Fired by anger and distress for Raoul, Sabrina pushed Cressida out of the car into the snow.

Raoul was now on his knees dripping blood into the snow. The police were running forward and dragging Cressida up when Sabrina got out of the car. She dropped into the snow next to Raoul, screaming for help.

‘I’m all right, Sabrina. It’s over, it’s over,’ Raoul kept saying to her in a drowsy voice, as she frantically tried to pull him into her arms and look at his wound. He slumped unconscious next to her.

Amelia and Julian ran out of the car as the police swarmed around them.

Sabrina was crying holding Raoul, calling for help. Julian ran towards her.

‘Julian, you have to help him,’ she sobbed.

Julian helped her lay Raoul on the snow so he could take a better look at Raoul’s wound.

‘Relax, Sabrina’ he said placing his hand on her arm. ‘It looks a lot worse than it is. The paramedics are on their way.’

Sabrina collapsed with relief in Amelia’s arms as an officer helped Julian get Raoul into one of the cars to keep warm.

‘We knew something was wrong. Maxim has been acting so strangely. He refused to call the police for assistance. He said he could handle the stalker on his own,’ Amelia began. ‘Julian and I weren’t convinced and we were so worried something bad had happened when you didn’t come back this morning, so we got in touch with the police watching the Chateau from a distance on Raoul’s request,’ Amelia told Sabrina.

‘They said the police in Paris have been watching Maxim for illegal activities for a while. He’s been taking bribes and a work colleague had accused him of sexual harassment. They were eager to catch up with him. He was suspended two weeks ago,’ Amelia narrated with excitement.

‘It’s all over, Sabrina,’ Julian finished, watching the Paramedics drive up. ‘Come on, travel with Raoul in the ambulance.’

Sabrina followed Raoul as he was carried into the ambulance on a gurney. She sat across from him holding his hand.

‘The bullet nicked my skin, Sabrina. It didn’t go in deep. Don’t worry about me,’ he smiled reassuringly. ‘You certainly pack a punch. You floored Cressida. I’m impressed. Remind me not to get on the wrong side of you again.’

‘Well, she shouldn’t have hurt my husband. There was no way I was going to let her get away with that.’

‘You called me husband,’ he said drowsily, feeling the effect of the morphine injection the paramedic had just given him. ‘Now we can carry on where we left off. That’s if you still want to?’

Sabrina smiled and squeezed his hand. She wiped at her tears.

‘You know I do. But we have some important issues to sort out before we can live happily ever after,’ she grinned mischievously.

Raoul laughed and closed his eyes.

‘Here we go again.’

* * *

A week later, Sabrina lay on the sofa wrapped in a warm rug curled around Raoul. The house was empty apart from Amelia and Julian, who were conspicuously keeping out of the way. Raoul smoothed his palm over her hair.

‘So now we are finally alone, Sabrina. What are the issues we need to sort out? I thought it was simple. You are my wife, and you stay here with me.’

She sat up and frowned.

‘Huh, me Tarzan you Jane. No, it’s not so simple. I have a life back in England. A life I like and I don’t want to let go of thank you very much. I worked hard to build it up out of nothing. But I also don’t want to leave the Chateau, so I have decided to leave my job. I am going to write another History book, work freelance as a lecturer, hopefully one of the Universities will take me on full time, and I want explore writing a fictional novel. ’

Raoul grinned and kissed her.

‘You seem to have it all worked out. I had fears about you demanding to return to England. Writing a novel was another one of your ambitions. I am so glad you have made this decision. I want you here safe with me and at home when we raise a family.’

She nodded and smiled as he put his arms around her, groaning with the pain in his shoulder.

‘I can’t wait to be a father. I love you.’

‘I can’t wait to be pregnant,’ she said, gently snuggling against his broad chest for comfort. ‘I was so frightened when you were shot. I thought . . .’ she stopped not wanting to consider the possibility that she could have lost him. ‘I love you too. Promise we won’t ever be apart again. I don’t think I could stand it.’

‘I meant what I said when you first arrived here,’ he said softly. He kissed her gently at first and then more passionately when she became responsive. ‘I am not letting you ever leave me again.’

THE END.

S
ara Curran-Ross