"Easy, Erik!" Nadir admonished when Erik slammed his fist into the nearest wall. Anthony, Raoul, and Nadir all cringed at the sound it made and the look of anger on the masked mans face. It had been seven days since Christine had been taken. Seven days! They had had no word of her and Erik was beginning to get violent. He hit things and cursed all the time and his relentless pursuit of Christine was wearing on the other three men. Night and day it seemed he searched for her. Anthony tried to tell him to slow down but it had only won him an angry growl.
Erik could not stand not being able to know where she was. It was killing him. What if she was injured, or worse, dead? That thought nearly had him as close to madness as he had ever been. He needed to hold her to know that she was alright. He needed to tell her how sorry he was for hitting her like he had. He hated himself for that and he wanted her to know it. If she was dead he did not know what he would do. He refused to think of that possibility
He cared something for her. He would never say anything to anyone but he knew deep down it was true. It had to be. Why else was he nearly mad with his worry for her. His spit-fire was a strong woman but he knew that she was just that, a woman. A lot of dreadful things could happen to such a beautiful woman he swore that if anyone touched her he would kill them without a moments hesitation.
He missed her comebacks and the way her eyes flashed whenever he made her angry. He missed the way she moaned and the way her body quivered whenever he touched her intimately. He had yet to make love to her and he wanted to share that with her unlike anything else. He had not wanted her in the beginning, but now he did. She was not what he wanted in a woman and yet he could not think of any other woman would ever do. He needed someone just as strong as he was and he had found that in his Christine.
"Monsieur?" one of the maids whispered, knocking softly on the door. It was obvious she was afraid of Erik and she hesitantly gave him the paper she had, as if she were afraid he would bite her. Anthony moved closer to Erik, curious to know what it was. It had Erik's name written on it in a perfect hand and Erik opened it slowly, knowing he was going to dread what it said.
Desslar,
The fact that you still grace this earth is an insult to the Delauney name. Emma, though she no longer considered some of us family, deserves to be here more then you ever will. You should never have been a part of our family, you are not fit. The sins you have committed against our family is finally catching up to you, the devil wants his due. We have Christine, if you want her to live then you must give yourself for us. Your death will release her. She does not deserve to die, you do. Do not make her pay for your sins.
L. Delauney
The paper crumpled in his hands as Erik threw it into the fire. Anthony had been reading over his shoulder and he frowned, knowing the name Delauney. Erik had a lot of explaining to do. Before Anthony could demand answers he noticed Erik had left the room quickly. Anthony tried to follow but he had disappeared into the shadows. Anthony had a feeling that he was going to give his life in return for Christine's life.
xXx
Erik ran his hand through his hair as the carriage slowly made its way to the Delauney manor. It had been abandoned for ten years or more and Erik would have never thought to look there. He had had no idea that anyone else was alive from the Delauney line except for Emma, who of course had died. He knew all to well what sins Leroy Delauney was talking about and he was willing to be punished for them in order for Christine to live. She had nothing to do with this and he refused to involve her now. He was finally paying for something that had been one event of many that had torn Emma and him and their family apart forever.
He was jostled from his thoughts when the carriage suddenly stopped at the sound of women's screams.
Sienna's hand was trembling in Christine's. Both women continually looked behind them as they made their way down the dark corridor. Christine's legs were quivering and it was almost too hard to stand up. She had killed a man. She swallowed the lump in her throat and continued walking quickly, trying to find a way out of the manor.
Christine and Sienna had stayed up hours on end for the past three days, trying to come up with a way to escape. They had thought about it for ages until Christine had thought of the idea of somehow stopping the man who came in to give them food. They would need some way to knock them unconscious as they walked into the door so they could run. Sienna had gone to a small table beside the fireplace where a small table stood with a vase adorning it. It was heavy enough and if they hit him on the head they might be able to get away.