Chapter Ten – Misconceptions.
Ashley POV.
I followed her to cross the foyer, through the corridor entering the suite Spencer shared.
"We've been looking for you miss." They all turn to us, Paula glaring at me from across the room.
"Something serious has happened…" She started to warn them but the idiot that was Patrick didn't listen talking over her instead. Arrogant arse I'd hit him if it weren't for Spencer's slight touch on my arm, almost as if she knew what I was about to do.
"That's right. Two things dear to me have disappeared this evening. Now that one is back..." He looked from Spencer to me "I have a pretty good idea where to find the other… Search her."
"This is horseshit." I took my jacket off and gave it too him being patted down.
"Pat, you can't be serious! We're in the middle of an emergency and you…" I looked at her to see why she trailed off one of the security guards pulled the Heart of the Ocean out of my pocket in my jacket.
Spencer was stunned. I was bloody stunned.
"Right then. Now don't make a fuss." He started to handcuff me and I saw the doubt in Spencer's face.
"What?! I didn't take that stupid necklace don't believe them Spence. Don't!
"But I was with you the whole time." She said looking at me uncertainty crossing her face.
"They put it in my pocket! Please Spence you have to believe me!"
She shrunk away from me looking utterly betrayed, hurt and confused. I could tell she was eating up everything they were telling her. I couldn't believe she'd trust them over me, I mean didn't she know I loved her? I tried to catch her eye as the security guy dragged me out into the hall she couldn't even look me in the eye.
"Spencer, don't listen to them... I didn't do this! You know I didn't!"
Spencer's POV.
My mother tried to lay a comforting hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off, from inside the sitting room I could hear knocking and voices in the corridor.
"I had better go dress." She said slipping out of the room as Pat approached me.
"It is a little slut, isn't it?" He looked at me coldly for a moment, and then slapped me across the face.
The blow was inconsequential compared to the blow my heart had just been given he grabbed my shoulders roughly. "Look at me, you little…"
Saved by the knock on the door "Sir, I've been told to ask you to please put on your life jacket, and come up to the top deck." Patrick tried to get rid of him but he insisted we followed him outside.
"It's just the God damned English doing everything by the book."
"There's no need for language Patrick." My mother sneered from behind us.
Ashley's POV.
One of Patrick's little men came down with the security guy as they them me into a room and locked the door. Somebody hurried in and pulled the security guy away.
"Go on. I'll keep an eye on him." He pulled out a pearl handled Colt .45 automatic from under his coat, old school but still as deadly.
Looking out of one of the small portholes being so far down I could see water rising up the glass.
I saw the guy watching me come to the door and looked out at him. He unlocked the door, gun in hand and sat beside me. "You know... they think this ship is going to sink. Patrick asked me to give you this small token of our appreciation...I don't normally hit girls but since you're a prisoner now…"
He punched me hard in the stomach, knocking the wind right out of me. He walked out locked the door flipping the in the air, catches it and puts it in his pocket. Leaving the room and me gasping for air.
Spencer's POV.
We were queuing to get on a little lifeboat standing next to my mother but all I could think about was Ashley, I knew she hadn't done it, it was just too good to be true so I let myself believe a lie.
"Will the lifeboats be seated according to class? I hope they're not too crowded." She really was so stuck up her own arse I did not want to turn out like her.
"Oh, for fuck sake mum shut up!" She froze wit her mouth open. "Don't you understand? The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats... not enough by half. Half the people on this ship are going to die."
"Not the better half." Patrick gave his input, and then it hit me like a ton of brick Ash was still below deck.
"You unimaginable prick, I can't believe you! You set her up!" I stepped back shaking my head, my mum got in the boat.
"Spencer, get in the boat!" My mum called to me I turned to face her.
"Goodbye, Paula." She didn't deserve to be called my mother after the shit she put me through. I went to walk away before Patrick grabbed my I pulled free and walked away through the crowd that had now gathered to get into the boats. He caught up to me and grabbed me again, roughly.
"Where are you going back to her? Is that it? To be a dyke with that excuse of a girl?"
"I'd rather be with her and a dyke, than be your wife!" He clenched his jaw and squeezed my arm viciously, pulling me back toward the lifeboat I stabbed him with a hairpin and ran through the crowd and the clusters of people. I looked back and a furious Pat was coming after me. I ran breathlessly up to two crewmembers.
"That man tried to take advantage of me in the crowd!" Seeing Patrick head towards me they grabbed him and I escaped to find my way to Ashley.