Chapter thirty-five: Come what may

The gun went off twice before it went flying towards me. I grabbed it and placed it on the table beside me. I glanced at the floor to see Erik throw Bartlett away. Two fellow officers grabbed Bartlett.

"I hearby declare Christine de Chagney to be innocent and condemn Gerald Bartlett to death for multiple offenses. Including attempted rape, attempted murder, kidnapping, and harming other individuals." The judge slammed the gavel. "Case dismissed."

"Raoul?" Erik said. He turned to me. "He's been shot!"

"Raoul!" Meg screamed as she jumped up out of her seat.

"Christine, restrain her!" Erik said.

"Let me go!" Meg said as I caught her around the waist. "Please!" she turned to me tears in her eyes. "He's my husband."

The pleading look in her eyes made me release her. If it had been Erik on the floor, I would have wanted to be beside him. She knelt by Raoul and cradled his head in her lap. "Raoul?" she sniffled and brushed his hair back from his face.

"Christine." Erik growled as he ripped Raoul's shirt away to reveal that Raoul had been shot in the chest.

"Settle this later." I said looking at Erik. "Will he be all right?"

Erik looked at me and I saw he was extremely worried. "I don't know Christine. I honestly don't know."

I paced the hospital floor frightened beyond all belief. Erik and the doctors had been working on my love for several hours now. Christine had been praying on and off. She was frightened and what hurt me was wondering if my husband was alive or not.

"Meg, please sit down." Christine begged.

I shook my head and paced up and down the hall. "Christine?"

Christine jumped up and ran to Erik. I held my breath awaiting his words that revealed his fate.

Erik kissed Christine on the forehead before walking over to me. His hands hovered around my waist, but he didn't touch me. "He's all right Meg. We almost lost him several times, but I'm sure he'll pull through."

I exhaled and tears filled my eyes. Erik picked me up and set me in a chair as I cried tears of relief. I was crying so much I hadn't noticed Erik had rolled up my sleeve until the needle stabbed my arm.

"Relax." Was the last word I heard before I passed out.

I shook my head, "you drugged her."

"Sir? Is this the lady?"

"Yes. Take her now." Two men carried a stretcher and placed Meg on it. "Inside the room with Raoul de Chagney. This is his wife, treat her gently."

They nodded, "yes sir."

"I arranged to have her sleep with Raoul. He should wake up later and find his beautiful wife sleeping right beside him."

"You're wonderful."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed him tightly. He yawned, "sweetheart, I'm all bloody."

I ignored him inhaled. He did smell of blood faintly, but I still smelled his spicy masculine scent. "I love you."

"I love you more."

I shook my head, "I love you until my heart stops beating."

"I'll love you long after my heart stops beating."

I groaned and searched my brain. "I'll love you so much words can't tell how much I love you."

"Christine, I'll love you even when all the stars fall from sky and the sun and moon have long since died away. I'll love you long after all the waters in the world have dried up and all the land is merely grains of sand."

"I surrender."

Erik picked me up and carried me out of the hospital. "I arranged for a hot bath and a suite in the hotel across the street."

"Thank you."

Erik was silent as he carried me up the stair to our room. He set me down, tipped the bellboy and closed the door. He went to the bathroom and closed the door. I stripped down to my undergarments for sleeping. I could hear Erik in the tub and I could just invision him in the tub.

I removed my remaining clothes and I walked into the bathroom. Erik stopped scrubbing himself and stared at me. "Yes?"

I didn't speak. Erik hadn't made love to me since I had almost miscarried. He'd given me pleasure with his hands, but it wasn't the same. I walked over to him, fortunately for me the tub was large and I slid in beside him.

Erik groaned and I knew he wanted me. "Christine?" I wrapped my arms around him and held him close. I exhaled and closed my eyes. "Christine." Erik said. "I'm tired."

"I know." I said. "Just hold me. Please."

Erik's strong arms went around my waist and he pulled me close. Tears leaked out of my eyes and slid down my cheeks. I pressed my face against his damp chest, pressing a kiss to it.

"Christine." He said. "I'm tired and my hands are somewhat bloody."

I opened my eyes and gripped his hand bearing the wedding band. I wiped away a faint trace of blood on his finger. "I love your hands Erik. Did you know that?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Do you know why?" he shook his head again. "They're beautiful, strong, talented and passionate hands." I turned slightly, wrapping my leg around his so I could caress his deformity. "But most of all, they hold the ability of passion. Your hands hold the ability to make my body ravenous with desire."

I kissed him and Erik's tongue slid in my mouth. Tender at first then our kisses grew more frantic and dangerous. Erik shifted in the water and he gripped my hips and pressed me to him. I moaned as he positioned me under him. I gasped as his fingers entered me.

I wrenched my head back and stared at the darkness in his eyes. "Erik!"

"You started this game," he said. "Now finish it!"

Everything was happening so quickly. My body was already responding to him so fast. Erik, his eyes were on fire. He gripped me and pulled me out of the tub. My heart pounded in my throat and I gripped my legs around his waist. He groaned as my wet legs slid up and down his slippery, muscular body, I couldn't get a firm enough grip. Erik placed me on a towel on the counter and his hands forced my legs apart. I gasped at the way he suddenly wanted me. Primal, almost savage, but my heart was thrilled.

"Erik," I cried out as his fingers entered me and attacked my core. "Oh God!"

"Stop talking!" he thundered. "Look at me!" I almost fainted in shock at the look on his face. I saw many things on his face. Want, hate, fear, passion, desire and love. "I want you Christine."

His lips attacked me and his free hand groped my breast. Suddenly, I was on my stomach and his hands continued manipulating me. The cool countertop pressed into my stomach. I gripped the counter tightly as he leaned over me.

"I want to feel you inside me, temptress." His voice dark with passion.

"Er," he slammed into me hard and sudden. I felt him biting my neck as I screamed. "iikkk! Oh God!"

He didn't hear me. Erik wanted me as much as I wanted him and I believe the stress of the day had caused him to react in such a violent manner. But the stress also affected me and I wanted him to take me in any way he would think of.

His fingers gripped my hips, digging into them. Erik's teeth gripped my neck as he thrust in and out of me. His fingers traveled up and down my back, working their magic. Our pace grew faster until we climaxed. His seed surged in me and I panted, resting my head on the cool counter.

Erik collapsed atop me, his heavy breathing sending my curls around my face in a loose wind. Our damp arms and legs were in a tangle. Erik exited me and turned me on my back. I saw tears in his eyes as he brushed my hair from my face. He crushed me to his chest as if he feared that I was going to melt into thin air.

"Oh my love," he breathed. "Forgive me." My breathing slowly returned to normal and I gripped my husband tightly as I tried to figure out what he was apologizing for. Only once I shifted did I realize how sore I was. My insides ached. Erik touched my neck and I felt something wet slid under his touch. My instinct told me it was blood. I gripped his face and stared into those watery eyes. "I'm sorry." He said again. "I-I just….lost control."

I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed his cheek. "Erik, you didn't hurt me, honest."

"Don't lie Christine! I know that I hurt you. Practically raped my own wife."

I slapped him; he stared at me as he clutched his cheek. "You didn't rape me Erik! I wanted it!" heat filled me and I blushed. "Oh, maybe Bartlett was right. I am a whore when it comes to you."

"Christine!" Outrage was in his voice.

"Erik!" I said with tears in my eyes. "I did just want to hold you, but then," I sniffled. "I wanted you to make love to me."

He stared at me. "Christine."

"You haven't made love to me since my accident." I said. "And, I, after everything, I needed you Erik. I needed to feel you."

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"I know. I'm sore, but I'm not hurt." I kissed his cheek. "Erik, we both acted out of need and I needed you so much. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Erik then confessed. "I wanted you too Christine. I just fought it hard."

"Don't do that again Erik. Don't ever hold back your passion for me." I said. "Swear it."

"I swear."

"And I swear, I'll tell you when I want you to make love to me."

He kissed me and I felt the passion bloom between us again. Erik broke the kiss and stepped back with a loud exhale. "Not now." He said. "You're pretty sore."

"You're just scared."

"When it comes to the health of my wife and baby I am!" his eyes widened. "The baby!"

"Erik, stop giving yourself gray hair before its time!" I said gently rubbing my stomach. "I'm sure we didn't hurt the baby."

"You! You're carrying it, I'm the one who-

"Created it." I said cutting him off. "Besides, you didn't hear me protesting did you? I like it rough. We'll have to do something like that again a few weeks after I have the baby." I hopped off the counter and walked back over to the tub. "Join me?"

Erik stared at me. He walked over to me and gently lifted and lowered me over the high wall into the water. He crawled in behind me and I turned slightly so I could rest my head against his chest.

"You're a temptress." He said. "I can't resist you."

"You're a devil." I said lightly tracing his chest. "You always lead me astray."

"You will destroy me." he said.

I smiled, "I plan to. I plan to drag you to the depths of this tub in pleasure."

Erik laughed at my expression. We kissed and all the tension and trauma from the day evaporated into the water.