Chapter 42: Chapter 42

"No! No! Please don't do this!" I scream as my door is forced open and a hand grabs on to my jacket. I'm pulled out by strong force and slammed onto the floor. The rain pelts my face hard and I struggle to make out the shapes in front of me. I lie on my back, tears rolling down my face.

One of the masked men is holding the gun directly in my face, his entire stance screaming danger. The other begins to raid Ivory's car, working fast. The street is deserted, the weather keeping people away and inside their homes, safe.

"Who are you? Just take the car! I don't care! Please don't hurt me." I whimper. The masked man doesn't talk or speak a single word, he tilts his head at me mockingly, the barrel of the gun growing closer to my face. I hold my hands up in surrender, the rain continuing to soak my face and body. From inside the car, I can hear Tobias still screaming my name, his voice lined with complete terror.

"I have money, I can give you money." I say quickly, my chest heaving with heavy sobs. I think of Jason, waiting for me at nursery, oblivious to the fact that I might die right here, right now. I don't want him to think I abandoned him. The thought of that causes me to cry harder, begging for my life.

"Where the fuck is the drugs?" The guy suddenly roars in my face, pressing the gun dangerously close to the middle of my head. It feels alien against my skin and I squeeze my eyes shut tighter, unable to breathe properly.

"I don't know, I don't have any drugs! This isn't my car!" I tell them desperately. From inside the car, I can hear Tobias continuing to scream for me to respond, his words drifting away with the wind. I close my eyes again and think of him, picturing his face in my mind. He's smiling broadly, brown eyes the description of pure beauty. I think of him holding me, his warm embrace around me as the masked man continues to scream at me for the drugs. My words fall upon deaf ears so I continue to picture Tobias and Jason. I whimper loudly, the gun still pressed painfully against my skin.

I don't want to leave them.

Moments pass and I hear them both let out a frustrated yell as they obviously haven't found what their looking for. Two words grab my attention, two words that have me shaking uncontrollably in fright —

"Shoot her."

"No!" I scream, lunging and thrashing around on the floor. It doesn't make a difference as the masked man foot slams me back down onto the hard surface of the road. I shake my head repeatedly, my heart bursting straight through my chest in pain.

"No, please!" I beg for my life. I hear the gun click and placed back against my skin and in that moment, I see Leroy flash in front of my eyes. Complete with large eyes and blonde tufts . . .

"Leroy," I whisper, my heart shattering into a million pieces. He doesn't speak but instead reaches out his hand, signalling for me to take hold of it. I slip my hand into his, clutching his warm little fingers and feel his innocence warm my body up from the inside out. Whilst I clutch onto his hand, Tobias and Jason's face flash through my mind and both of them look painfully sad —

"I love you." I whisper before the sound of a deafening gunshot fills the air, silencing me completely. My body slumps against the wet road, blood oozing out from the back of my head. The entire time I keep hold of Leroy's hand and he pulls me towards him, walking me away from the scene.

*****

Tobias' POV —

"Trish! Trish, answer me!" I scream, speeding through the streets towards the direction of Jason's nursery. Frustrated tears roll down my cheeks and I slam my hand onto the steering wheel, cursing myself for being so far away. I put my foot down on the gas pedal and the car lurches forward, gaining speed.

There's radio silence on the other end of the call, the only sound being the heavy rain slamming against her wind shield. A heavy weight drops itself onto my heart, sinking it to the pit of my stomach.

"Trish," I whisper, tears invading my mouth. I quickly turn the corner and realise I'm only five minutes away. Hope fills me and I sit up straighter, focusing on driving safely and quickly. Fear had set itself inside my heart and mind once she'd

mentioned being followed. After the sound of her car being hit, I'd completely lost my shit.

"Trish, I'll be there in four minutes! Can you hear me?" I yell, desperately waiting to hear a response back. Moments of silence pass and I finally get a reply in the sound of a loud gunshot. My entire body freezes and my blood runs cold as the gunshot echoes through my ears repeatedly.

"No!" I scream, slamming my foot down onto the gas pedal until it wouldn't go any further. On the way there, I pray out loud to whatever God is listening that she's still alive. The sound of the gunshot continues to echo through my ears, mocking me. I turn the corner and come face to face with Ivory's white SUV.

"Ivory?" I whisper, confusion filling me.

Was Ivory also in the car with Trish?

There's no sign of anyone else around, no sign of a black car. I notice the drivers door is flung open, the rain pelting down onto it harder as the seconds pass by. My car screeches to a halt and I quickly step out of it —

"Ivory? Trish?" I yell, my words floating away in the wind and rain. I run up to her car, desperately searching inside for any sign of life. When I get closer, I notice a body lying on the floor near the drivers door. My heart completely freezes in place and I pause, breathing heavily. I recognise the jacket, it's Ivory's.

"No! Please no! Ivory!" I scream out in pain, running to her side. Tears continue to roll down my cheeks, my heart breaking into a million pieces. I fall to my knees and carefully take hold of her shoulder, rolling her over so I can see her face.

That's when it hits me . . .

It's not Ivory. It's Trish.

Her face is scrunched up in pain, blood seeping out from behind her head. An ear piercing scream fills the air and I realise it's coming from me. An invisible hand wraps around my heart and rips it out brutally. I don't need to check for a pulse because she's already gone. I hold her limp body against my chest, heavy sobs leaving me. Blood soaks my clothes, the floor and taints Ivory's white car.

"I love you. I love you so much. Please come back to me," I cry, the rain mingling with the tears rolling down my cheeks. She remains cold, limp and unresponsive in my arms. I sit on the floor in the middle of the road and pull her into my chest, keeping her close. My entire world crumbles around me and all I feel is pain.

How can my one true love be taken away from me?

How can my family be ripped away so brutally?

I look down at her beautiful face, the woman I love with every inch and fibre of my being. I planned to marry her, have her children and adopt a bunch more just like Jason. . .

An entire football team.

That's what we agreed on.

"No!" I scream, tilting my head back and screaming out into the sky. It doesn't help, nothing will ever help or bring her back. My body becomes overtaken by gut wrenching cries and all I want to do is swap places with her but I can't . . . She's gone.