Chapter Vingt Et Un

          He flew down the stairs, tripping and nearly falling flat on his face. He had heard her scream when the figure grabbed her and pulled her up. That was when he had run. His wife, the love of his life, was in trouble and he had to do something…something fast.

          When he opened the door, wind cut trough his shirt and sliced all the way down to his bones.

          He didn't care.

          His wife was in danger and protecting her was worth a bit of cold.

          He ran through the street, through the icy snow, stumbling down the alleyway where Satine had been dragged. He saw her against the wall and he almost ran to her.

          Almost.

          He saw him standing over Satine, half covered in shadows and that was why he stopped mid-step.

          "Ah, Christian. I wanted you to be here when I did this," His brother's voice cut through the sound of the alleyway and a chill ran down his spine.

          "Get up!" Richard hollered, pushing Satine harshly with his foot.

          She whimpered and stood, lifting her head.

          He saw blood running down her face and his eyes flashed white with blind hatred.

          He had hit his wife.

          Satine ran over to him and he held her tightly against his chest, kissing her head, her cheek, and her eyes.

Tears were falling and freezing on her cheeks. Her hair was hard with ice.

"Turn your whore around," Richard said, his voice icy, unfeeling.

Christian turned to him and was about to yell, but he saw the flash of metal, the flash of steel.

A gun.

Satine saw it too. She took in a harsh gasp of air that stung his ears.

"Now, I have one bullet." Richard said, laughing at his own sick humor, "Who to shoot?"

Christian stepped forward, pushing Satine behind him.

"Come on Richard. Shoot me. Pull the goddamn trigger!" He yelled, feeling hatred beyond belief fill his body.

Richard laughed and Satine gasped, pushing her way back to his side.

"Christian…" She whispered.

"SILENCE!" Richard hollered. Satine jumped back.

"Kill me Richard. I'm not afraid of dying."

"Christian, no!" Satine screamed, hitting his shoulder.

"You're a coward Richard. You couldn't shoot me if your life depended on it!"

"STOP IT!" Satine screamed. Her voice was full of such pain that he looked away from his brother, away from the gun, and looked into her eyes.

Her beautiful, tear-filled eyes.

He had fallen in love with those eyes and he couldn't loose them. That's why, if one of them was going to die, it would be him.

"I'll take a bullet for you if I have to," He whispered into her ear. Her sobs intensified.

"Stand side-by-side! I want to see the looks on your faces when I pull the trigger." Richard was looking at them with a crazed look in his cold, dark eyes. He had lost his mind.

"Shoot me, Richard. Leave my wife alone."

Richard laughed, tipping his head upwards towards the sky.

When he looked back at them, a smile rose to his lips.

"My wife…" Richard whispered just before he pulled the trigger.