XXXVI.
The construction on the manor was finally coming to a close and Erik grew anxious as
the last day of construction arrived. For once in his life he felt terrified of the
thought of losing someone. If he lost Malika to Raoul's idiotic plot against him, he
would surely kill again.
He didn't want to leave Malika alone with the spy in the house, but he had to keep
their facade going. He would do his best to finish the final details and be home in
time to keep her from harm. He had decided that after he dealt with De Chagny he
would leave for another part of the country with Malika and their family.
It would soon be over and he would make sure that his wife would be kept safe even if
he was hurt in the process. He could not bear losing Malika or their children. He
could not bear it at all.
xxxx
Malika descended the stairs nervously as she saw her sister look up at her. "What is
the matter Linka?"
"I am worried. What if the Vicomte comes?" Linka questioned her sister.
"Everything is going to be alright. Erik promised to protect us and he will and
besides, if the Vicomte tries anything I will keep you safe." She replied then heard
a knock on the front door. She turned to shout at Charles, "Charles please get that."
Malika felt something in her heart telling her that something was wrong when he did
not reply. She felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Charles!"
"Sister...don't open the door. I fear it is the Vicomte." Linka cried out as she
grabbed her sister's arm.
"Everything will be alright Linka. Stay back." Malika told her sister then walked to
the front door. Malika slowly approached the door while feeling a lump grow in the
back of throat. What if it was the Vicomte? Her sister could be in danger of being
hurt...or worse. Summoning her strength, she walked up to the door and slowly opened
it.
She reeled back as it was forced open. Malika's first instinctive thought was to
protect her sister, but she had to see who it was barging in her house. "Madame
Garnier." A familiar voice greeted her.
Malika felt her breath catch in her throat. "Monsieur Chagny. What are you doing here
and why are you barging into my home?" She questioned him as she backed away from
him.
"I have come to speak with you." Raoul told her as he watched her back away from him
even more.
"Leave. My husband is not home and I do not feel comfortable with another man in my
house. Leave now monsieur." Malika told him, uneasiness flooded her senses as she
looked back at her sister.
"I am afraid I cannot do that. You see, I have some leftover business with your
husband and I am going to wait here until he returns." He paused as he began walking
towards her, "Until that time comes you, I, and a few friends are going to wait here
with you."
"You are not welcome here monsieur. Now leave!" Malika shouted, the uneasiness
turning into fear as she backed further away from him. She gasped as she watched
three other men enter her house and close the wooden doors behind them. She gasped as
she eyed the three other men. She knew them all and she wished she had heeded her
sister's advice now. Now, she realized, not only was she in immediate danger, but her
sister as well. "You bastard! You monster! You dare bring that terrible monster here.
My sister has under gone too much as it is and you dare bring him here!" She felt her
sister cling to her back as she let out a fierce growl. "Get out! Get out now!"
"A monster am I? You and your sister are both whores." Sanxay finally said, a smirk
curved his mouth.
Malika gritted her teeth. "I'll scratch your eyes out if you dare come near my
sister." She vowed.
"How high you think of yourself now that you are a wife of a rich man. Maybe you do
not remember your days of slavery with your so-called husband. Maybe you do not
remember that you played whore to me as well." He retorted as he watched her hands
turn into fists.
"First off, none of this is your business! Secondly, you all had better leave before
I..." Malika was suddenly interrupted by Raoul.
"Before you what? You are only a woman. You cannot do anything to stop me."
Malika gritted her teeth as she retorted, "I can stop you and I will. You dare come
into my home uninvited! Get out! Get out before I send for the police!"
"You will not order me about madame. Now, come with us or we will have to use force."
Raoul responded as he advanced toward her.
Malika felt her heart beat even faster. What had she done? Why had she had to let
these bastards in? She felt Linka take hold of her hand and squeeze tightly. Malika
hardened her resolve. No matter what, she would make sure her sister was protected.
xxxx
Erik watched as foundation was finally finished. Everything had been laid in place
and he approved of the final work. Now he had to return home. He had had an uneasy
feeling in his stomach all day and he had to make sure his wife was safe. He hoped
that she and their family would be safe, but he felt his heart sink.
He climbed into the carriage that had been waiting for him and slammed the door shut
behind him. If anything had happened to his wife while she was gone, he would kill
Raoul regardless of Christine.
xxxx
"Please let my sister go. I'll do anything...just let my sister go. That bastard will
hurt her." Malika cried out as she watched her sister being dragged unwillingly into
the parlor. "Please! She doesn't deserve this!"
She could hear her sister's desperate plea for her as she was dragged away. "Good.
Then you shall accompany us to the dining room for a drink until your husband comes
home."
"What about my sister! Please don't let him hurt her! He's already done enough to
her!" Malika shouted as she was led into the dining room, away from her sister.
"She will be fine." Raoul replied nonchalantly.
Malika's anger was renewed in that instant. She struggled against Alexandre as she
tried to make for the parlor. How dare he act like rape of a child was something to
be shrugged off? She would kill him. Malika screamed while trying to bite at any
flesh she came in contact with. She thrashed in Alexandre's arms violently.
"Get her over here!" Raoul ordered Alexandre as he watched him forcibly sit Malika
down on a chair and with the help of Edmond, tie her arms behind her back. "I
expected as much. Get a glass and some wine from the table."
"What is your purpose here?" Malika questioned Raoul as she watched him pour some red
wine in a glass then pull a small brown vial out of his pocket. She noticed the
powder immediately, it was either a relaxing powder of some sort or an aphrodisiac
powder. She shuddered as she thought of what was to befall her.
"Revenge. Revenge on your monstrous husband, which you should know because of his
actions towards you. Terrible actions I hear." He replied as he poured the powder
into the wine.
"He's not a monster! You are! You and your associates!" She retorted as he grasped a
fistful of hair in his hand and jerked her head back.
"You obviously don't know the past." Raoul said to her while forcing wine down her
throat.
Malika sputtered as wine dripped down the sides of her mouth. He released her when
the glass was empty and placed it on the table. Once regaining her breath she told
him, "No, however, the past is in the past. Let it go."
"You will understand once I tell you and maybe you will not be so sympathetic as you
are being now."
"I doubt it."
xxxx
Erik stalked up to the manor as he saw the Chagny carriage. Now he knew something was terribly wrong and Malika was in danger. "Erik!" A familiar voice shouted. He saw
Lukcas heading towards him.
"Shh!" He hushed Lukcas as he pulled him to the side.
"Erik." Lukcas panted heavily, "Malika and Linka are in danger. You must save them!"
"Where are they?" Erik questioned while feeling anger permeate his veins.
"Linka is in the parlor. I don't know where Malika is. Surely they are doing terrible
things to her."
"Follow me. We will take a secret passage to the parlor then I will get Malika. After
we save Linka, you must take her back out and take my carriage to the De Chagny
household. You must tell Christine that she has to come here. I then want you to go
to the police. These men deserve to be locked up if I don't kill them first."
"What about you?"
"I'm going to save my wife."
xxxx
Erik felt Linka hug him tightly as he eyed the dead body of Sanxay on the floor. "You
must go Linka. I have to save your sister." He turned to Lukcas and said, "Follow the
path back and do as I said. Hurry. Your sister's life depends on it." Lukcas nodded.
"Please Erik. Please save her." Linka pleaded with him.
"I will."
He watched as they left through the passage. He turned to the parlor doors and
stalked to them. As he opened them carefully he was greeted with the familiar voices
of the Vicomte and that other bastard who had tried to rape his wife before. He drew
his sword from his sheath and stalked into the foyer. Erik felt his blood beginning
to boil as he neared the dining room. If they had done anything to her he would kill.
Hell, he would kill nonetheless.
Erik carefully neared the closed dining room doors and listened to the voices through
the doors. He heard the Vicomte's voice then Malika's. He felt happy that she was
still feisty enough to tell him off. Wasting no time he flung open the wooden doors
and said, "How dare you intrude in my house De Chagny! I will kill you if you do not
remove yourself promptly!"
Erik gasped in shock as he viewed his wife. He could not believe what those bastards
were doing to her. He couldn't stand looking, but forced himself to. Erik found her
bound and tied to the table, her dress ripped in several places and her legs spread
as that bastard sat between her splayed legs.
"Welcome back." Raoul said with a sneer.
"Release my wife," Erik said as he pointed his sword at the Vicomte, "or die."
"It does not work like that. If you want your wife to remain in good health then you
will surrender your weapon."
"You're mad. I am not going to allow you to hurt my wife!"
"If you do not do as I say then I will cut her throat."
Erik growled as he glanced from his sword to Raoul then to his wife. The terrified
look in her eyes made his blood boil even more. "What is that you want? Revenge?"
"Nothing gets by you." Raoul sneered.
"Why would you want to hurt my wife when the more honorable thing to do would be to
duel me? Or maybe you know that I could kill you and that is why you had to take a
woman hostage like the coward you are." Erik responded as he kept his sword pointed
at the Vicomte.
"Like the way you did!"
"I took Christine because I wanted to be loved. However, now that I have my wife I
see that I never wanted Christine. She was much too childish and needy in the first
place. I'm glad I let you go."
Malika glanced from one to the other as they continued fighting. She wanted to say
something to stop this madness, but what could she do? She gasped as she felt cold
steel being pressed against her throat. "Drop your weapon or else your wife dies."
Malika looked into Erik's eyes as he kept his sword pointed at the Vicomte.
"Erik, don't listen to him. Kill these bastards and be done with it!" She shouted at
him.
"Cherie...I cannot let you die."
"Erik, if you won't do this for me do it for our babies." Malika told him as she felt
the blade press harshly against her skin.
Erik's resolve hardened. No, he would not let anything happen to his children. He would kill before he would let anything happen to his family...and that was what he intended to do.
A/N: Cliffhanger, I know. I wanted to update since it has been over a week. I really appreciate everyone's reviews! Thanks a lot! Hope you like the chapter.