I do not own any of the characters from The Phantom of the Opera, although I do rather enjoy borrowing them from time to time.

A/N Hey everyone! There maybe some errors in this chapter, but I wanted to get it posted before the workweek began. Thanks for all of the wonderful names you all came up with. I have chosen one that I hope will fill everyone with dread. You will have to see for yourself towards the end of the chapter. Here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

Author – ToryD

Choices

Chapter 16

Leaning back on the comfortable deck chair, Christine savored the warmth of the strong Australian sun. Smiling to herself, she pictured the look of envy on Meg's pale face as she took in Christine's new golden tan. Had it really been two weeks since she had last seen Meg? Only two weeks since Erik had whisked her away on this luxurious private yacht with only the two of them aboard. Laughing softly to herself, she recalled the look of shock from the captain of the ship as Erik all but threw him off the yacht as he carried a blushing Christine aboard.

Reaching for the strong SPF tanning lotion Erik insisted that she use, she recalled the urgency of Erik's lovemaking their first night aboard. Once he had the yacht securely anchored for the night, he had reached for her with an unequaled passion that threatened to engulf her very soul. Even as she looked back on the memory, she was still in a state of shock at the forcefulness of their overpowering attraction. He had taken her with little foreplay, though if truth be told, there was none needed for Christine shared the instant all-encompassing desire with him. He seemed driven as though the very devil himself was on his heels, his need so great that he took her relentlessly, pounding into her with a force that testified to his uncontrollable obsession. She climaxed almost instantly with a scream tearing from her throat. Erik, driven by his uncontainable lust thrust powerfully into her again and again, as he strove to chase away the demons that threatened to drive him mad with his unquenchable desire. As she emerged from her own intense climax, she watched Erik as he pumped franticly into her, the intense look of pain upon his face as he arched his back and drove himself into her with one last deep thrust, as if he was branding her with his possession for all time. As he collapsed upon her totally spent, Christine simple held him as he recovered from the most overwhelming experience of his life. Holding him close to her, she felt his breathing return to normal as he began to caress the length of her spine. Rising up he looked deeply into her eyes. "Christine, please…" he seemed to be fighting for the words. "Forgive me." He whispered in a tortured voice with such a gut-wrenching sadness in his eyes.

Reaching up with her hand, Christine eased away the frown on his brow, "Erik…" She called to him in a soothing tone. "Oh Erik…" She said simply as she pushed him gently down upon the bed and proceeded to make love to him with a gentleness that brought tears to his eyes.

Closing her eyes against the tears that welled up in her own eyes, she wondered at what had caused Erik to believe that he would have to buy her as his wife. Could it be that he feels the deformity that he keeps hidden behind the black leather mask is so all together repulsive that his only recourse is to buy the love of a woman? Sighing deeply Christine silently cursed the intrusive mask that she deemed responsible for Erik's lack of confidence in her as his wife, for he had yet to show her what lay beneath. Did she dare let him know how much she had come to love him? Could she risk her heart at such an early stage of their marriage? She felt a lone tear escape her closed lid as she recalled the words Erik had said to her only a few weeks ago. "Love is for fools and teenage girls." He had said with a smugness that tore at her vulnerable heart. "I guess I am to be the fool then Erik." She said to herself in a sad little voice.

The sound of a speedboat approaching pulled her abruptly from her tortured thoughts. Standing, she shaded her eyes to view the two men who were waving in her direction. Giving them a slight answering wave, she wondered what was keeping Erik down below. Seeing that they were slowing to come about to the side of the elegant yacht, Christine felt a strange sense of alarm rise up within her. Leaning down she grabbed the sarong style wrap that matched her teal blue bikini that Erik had pronounced to be for his viewing only. Walking to the stairs that led below deck, she called to Erik. "Erik. We are about to have some visitors."

Just as she was about to call to him a second time the two unkempt men jumped over the yachts railing with a menacing look in their eyes. Christine instantly felt the danger of the situation as she slowly backed down the stairs.

"Well, well. Look here Clem, it looks like we got us a pretty little thing here." The larger of the two said as he walked towards Christine.

"What do you want?" Christine asked in a firm yet urgent tone, still descending the stairs with careful movements.

"You hear that Clem. The little lady wants to know what we want." Rod said with a gleeful leering look in his bloodshot eyes.

Clem laughed uproariously, showing his yellowed crooked teeth. "I heard her Rod," He said with a disgusting lick of his tongue. Rubbing his crotch area, he turned towards the retreating Christine. "I know what I want little lady." He said as he began to walk towards her.

Shaking her head, Christine turned and ran down the rest of the stairs, only to stumble and fall into a heap at the bottom.

Rod was quickly on top pf her, clamping a filthy hand across her mouth to keep her from crying out. "Now you listen up little lady. If you treat us right we just might let you go after were finished."

Christine felt fear race through her as she tried to remain calm in this untenable situation.

Clem had joined them at the bottom of the stairs with a large hunting knife drawn, causing Christine's eyes to widen in panic. "Find out if there is anyone else on the boat." He instructed his friend as he began to search for valuables.

Rod rising up from Christine grabbed her arm and hauled her roughly to her feet. "Ok, now you do as we way and no one will get hurt." He paused as he pulled her towards the soft sofa in the main salon of the yacht. Pushing her down upon the sofa, he reached out and tore her wrap from her shaking body. "What is your name?" He asked as he began to tear her wrap into strips.

"Chrrrris….Chrisssstine." She said in a shaky voice that betrayed her terror.

"Ok Christine, you tell me the truth now. How many other people are on board with you?" He asked as he began to secure her wrists behind her back.

Alarmed Christine thought of Erik and the danger that these men posed to him. "I'm alone." She lied.

Rod reached up into her hair and pulled her head back with a force that tore a scream of pain from her lips. "Now let's try this again. Who else is with you on this boat?" He hissed into her terror-filled face.

Tears of pain welled up in her eyes as she stared back at her attacker. "My husband is aboard." She relented hoping that she had made the right decision in her disclosure.

Rod nodded in satisfaction at her compliance. "Clem," he called out to his accomplice. "She's got a husband below."

Clem nodded and raised his knife as he approached the stairs that led to the lower decks.

Shaking her head, Christine felt the tangible fear within the room. "No, please don't hurt my husband." She looked up into his expressionless eyes as she pleaded for her husband's safety. "We will give you whatever you want. Only please don't hurt us."

"Old Rod here not going to hurt you." He said as he reached out to pull at the tie that held the bikini top secure. As he disengaged the tie, Christine gasped as she felt the material fall away to reveal her breasts for his disgusting view.

"Noooo" She cried as she watched with horror as he lifted his dirty hands to caress the soft flesh. Shaking her head, she tried to pull away from his unwelcome grasp.

Rod pushed her down with an angry shove, immediately mounting her as his hand painfully clenched at her soft breast.

Struggling with a fierceness that she did not know that she possessed, she pushed at her attacker's oppressive weight as she tried in vain to escape his vile touch. "NO!" She yelled only to have his lips descend upon hers in a disgusting kiss that caused her to gag in revulsion. As his snaking tongue entered her mouth, she brought down her teeth in a vicious bite that caused his to scream in pain.

Rod rose up from her and lifted his arm as he proceeded to backhand her across her cheek, causing her screams of excruciating pain to ring throughout the rafters of the elegant yacht.

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Erik who had just exited the shower felt a strange sense of foreboding as he toweled himself dry. Reaching for his jeans, he put them on quickly as he turned to begin his search of Christine. As he reached for the knob on the bathroom door, he heard Christine's tortured scream fill the air. Throwing open the door he ran the distance of the yacht to ascend the stairs two at a time. As he neared the main salon, he paused as his senses alerted him to the presences of another person. Turning he saw that a man with a large hunting knife was about to descend upon him.

Clem raised his knife, ready to plunge it into his victims back until his victim turned abruptly and faced him. Clem clutched at the knife as he stumbled backwards with an overwhelming fear filling him at the sight that met his eyes.

Erik felt a murderous rage fill him as he approached the knife wielding man.

Clem waived the knife menacingly in front of him, all the while backing up from the monstrous sight of the 'man' before him. "Stay back or I swear I'll kill you!" He said in a voice that was filled with his unease.

Erik smiled darkly as he approached his prey. "It is not I who will breathe their last breath this night Sir."

Clem felt the fear wrap all around him as he backed further into the room. "Rod!" He turned slightly to yell up the stairs to his friend for help.

Erik seeing his chance, quickly disarmed the intruder and wrapped his hands around the vile man's throat. With a secret pleasure, he applied the perfect amount of pressure and ended the man's life with little effort extended on his part. Letting the worthless piece of humanity fall lifelessly to the floor, he turned an ascended the stairs to seek out the other attacker who had dared to enter into his domain.

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Crying softly, Christine endured the probing hands of her attacker as he tore at her bikini bottoms. God, please keep Erik safe! She prayed silently as she tried to turn off her mind to the unimaginable events that enfolded all around her.

Erik stood in the stairwell as the rage he was feeling threatened to open up the very pits of hell. With an animalistic roar, he leaped upon Christine's attacker and began to pound his fist repeatedly into the disgusting man's face.

Christine sobbed quietly as she watched Erik relentlessly beat her attacker to his deserved death.

Hearing Christine's tortured cries, Erik turned to view the damage that had been done to his beautiful Christine. As their eyes met, he felt her fear fill him as he rose slowly to approach her with wariness in his sad eyes.

"Erik." She said in a trembling voice that tore at his very control. "Please hold me."

Gathering her up gently into his arms, he pulled her securely into his chest as he gently ran his hand down her back in a soothing motion. "Christine, oh Christine…did he hurt you?"

Christine sobbed uncontrollably into Erik's strong chest, her hands clenching at his back as he tried to assess her injuries.

After a few minutes, Erik drew back from her so that he could see the damage that her assailant had brought to her. As he traced the vicious welt that marred her exquisite face, he felt the uncontrollable rage fill him at the thought of anyone raising a hand to his Christine. Seeing the bruising that was beginning to appear on the soft creamy flesh of her breasts he felt as though he had been to merciful in his punishment of the depraved piece of garbage that littered the floor.

Realizing that Christine was still in a state of shock, her picked her up and carried her past the two dead men who had dared to darken their path. Once he reached the safety of their bedroom, he placed her gently upon the bed. Turning to retrieve a cold cloth for her battered face, he was called back by the urgent plea in her voice.

Christine seeing that Erik was about to leave her cried out in fear. "Erik! Please don't leave me." She said as two tears fell slowly upon her flushed cheeks.

Racing to her side he once again gathered her to him as he tried to soothe her with comforting words. "Christine, I give you my word that I will never allow any harm to come to you again." Rising up he took her sad face into his hands as he looked deeply into her eyes. "I would give my very life if I could have spared you what you had to go through." With tears of shame beginning to fill his eyes he swallowed hard at the emotion that was filling him. "Christine, please forgive me. I have failed you."

Christine was pulled from her frightened thoughts as she looked into Erik's pain-filled eyes. Reaching out she caressed his deformed face with the love in her heart shining from her eyes. Tracing the raised ridges and valleys with her fingertips, she lovingly brought her lips to his discolored scared tissue. Kissing him with a gentleness that he had never known, Christine conveyed her complete acceptance of him as a man.

Erik felt the tears begin to fall down his face at the realization that Christine was looking upon without a hint of disgust or revulsion. She was truly accepting of him as he was in his truest form. For all that she had been through in the last hour; she was here with him as his beautiful wife. Her total unquestioning acceptance filled his heart with joy as he took her lips in a kiss that conveyed his love for her. As he ended the sweet, reverent kiss, he looked deeply into her eyes and said the words that had given his lonely life meaning for the first time. "Christine…I love you." He said with a softness that played directly to her soul.

Tears of happiness filled her eyes as she heard the words that she had longed to hear. "Oh Erik," she sighed happily. "I love you." She whispered in a soft voice.

Closing his eyes against the overwhelming emotion, he gathered her into his arms and simply held her to him as he absorbed the love that she had so freely bestowed upon him. How close he came to losing her this night. Never again! He swore to himself. No one will ever harm her again. This I vow with my life.

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Cara placed the large envelope that housed the $100,000 retainer that she had secured with the sale of Erik's breakup gift. "Now that you have your retainer, how soon can you get started?"

Javert Raines settled back into his worn leather chair and glanced into the thick envelope that held the $100,000 he had insisted upon. "It may be of some interest to you Ms. Johnson that I have already begun my investigation."

Cara sat up on the edge of her seat at the welcome news. "And what have you found out?"

Flicking open a manila file folder, Javert scanned the information for the relevant facts. "It appears the Erik Desmond ran into some trouble on his honeymoon in Australia." Pausing he lifted the paper to better see the details that his team of investigators had gathered for him. "A couple of modern day pirates boarded their private yacht and proceeded to assault the young Mrs. Desmond. Mr. Desmond quickly and efficiently fought off the two would be attackers, ah it appears that Mr. Desmond did more that just fight them off, he killed each man."

Cara felt a chill go down her spine at the thought of Erik in danger. "Is he alright? Was he harmed in any way?" She questioned him with a telling fear in her eyes.

Javert seeing the emotion in his clients face quickly assured her that Mr. Desmond remained unharmed. "No, he suffered no harm from the attack. But unfortunately the same could not be said for Mrs. Desmond."

Cara tried to hide her pleasure at the information of Christine's attack. "Oh and what type of harm came to Christine?" She asked in a bored tone.

"She was sexually assaulted, but apparently Mr. Desmond broke it up before the rape was fully carried out. She suffered minor cuts and bruises." Javert said in an emotionless tone.

Shrugging her shoulders, Cara leaned back in her chair. "Any information about when they plan to return to New York?"

"From the information I have here it seems they will be arriving tomorrow." He said as he snapped the folder shut.

"Good, then we can really begin our project." She said with a smug smile upon her red lips.

Javert's eyes took on a cold sinister look as he regarded his client's statement. "Yes, Ms. Johnson. Tomorrow I will begin the destruction of one Mrs. Christine Desmond."

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A/N How about that for a surprise! I wanted this unmasking to be quite original. Oh and to those of you who think that Cara and Simone should team up, I have no plans in that direction. I see Simone more of a nuisance than a real threat. Where as Cara is going to be the purest form of evil for our two lovers. Let me know what you think in the reviews.