I Won't Give Up on You (27 page)

“Beverly, no! No more.” Changing my direction from the exit to try to get to her.

“STOP!” she screams, cocking her gun and shooting it into the air. “She goes with me and no one gets hurt.”

The screams that radiate through the church echo off the stone walls. Looking over to Caston, I see him instinctively move Sabrina behind him to protect her. Stupid son of a bitch, she’ll kill them both.

I hear the clicks of guns being chambered all around me.

“Call them off, Caston,” she seethes pointing the gun directly at his chest. Sabrina lets out a whimper.

“You don’t scare me, Beverly,” he says much too calmly.

“You should be scared.”

“I’m not fucking around, Caston. Hand her over.” She makes a gesture with her hand, indicating she wants him to pass Sabrina to her.

“Beverly, you don’t want her. Don’t ruin their lives.” My voice tries to stay calm and collected as I make my way closer to her.

That’s when my life snaps me back to reality. I hear her.

“Mark?” I look around me franticly. No way is she here. How is she here? Kaitlyn comes around the corner into my eyesight.

Suddenly my tough guy exterior is gone. The crack in my exterior has been ripped wide open. “Kaitlyn? Wha… what are you doing here?”

She slowly walks toward me. Her eyes are warm and full of love. For me, not Caston, not some other guy, me. Her smile is bright, but she’s worried.

“This her,” Beverly snaps, “your whore?”

Gritting my teeth I pull my own gun and yell, “Don’t call her that!”

Security is moving in faster now to circle me now. Beverly’s head falls back, emitting an evil laugh that echoes through the church.

Kaitlyn has reached my side and slides her arm around my waist reaching up on her toes to whisper in my ear, “Mark, don’t do it. Pass the gun to me slowly and everything will be okay.”

I glance down to her and let her other hand slowly slide down my arm lowering my gun toward the ground. Once her hand is on mine, she removes it from my hand and passes it behind her to Terrance.

Once my gun is gone, I wrap my arms around her, pulling her to my body. Heavy sobs wrack me. She reciprocates the hug and lets me hold her.

“You’re so damn weak! My God! Does any man in my life have balls?” Beverly screams before lifting her gun and turning it in the direction of Kaitlyn and me, knowing she won’t be reasoned with I snap, breaking free of Kaitlyn’s hold, I take off toward Beverly.

She isn’t looking at me though, she’s looking behind me. Just as I make it to her, the gun goes off. I glance back and see Kaitlyn take a direct hit to the chest. Lunging the last few feet, I grab her gun and tackle her to the ground.

“NO!” An unrecognizable voice comes from me as I wrestle her. I feel the cold metal in my hands, and we roll so she is under me. The barrel is at my chest. Ripping it from her hands, I turn the vile thing back to her and let off one shot. Right through her heart. She won’t get away with this. No more.

The gun falls to the side of me, and I place my hands on my head. Tears are falling down my face. It’s over. I have nothing.

Just as I’m being shoved to the ground with men pulling my arms behind my back, I see her. Kaitlyn sits up with the help of Terrance. How? I saw her go down.

She looks toward me and gives me a sympathetic smile as Terrance opens her jacket, revealing her vest as he checks for other injuries. My heart breaks, realizing she’s been in on this the whole time. I’m pulled to my feet by the officer when Terrance and Kaitlyn walk up to me.

“I thought you were dead. I couldn’t take losing you. I love you.” As the saddest possibility occurs, I whisper, “Was any of it real?”

She places her hand on my cheek, stroking her thumb back and forth. Terrance has her braced against him because she is unsteady from getting the wind knocked out of her. She can’t say anything, but I see a flicker in her eyes before he pulls her to be checked out by the paramedics that just arrived.

My eyes flick over to the alter, Caston has Sabrina on his lap, cradling her against his chest. “I’m so sorry. Sorry for everything. Please, forgive me,” I whisper as they pull me toward the door.

Watching everything unfold before us was crazier than any movie I’ve ever seen. Jake was trying to get me and Bre to the pastor’s room for safety, but we were frozen in place. I’d never believe it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. She’s gone, out of our lives forever, finally, and not because my men took her down. Mark of all people was the one to do it.

I pull Sabrina toward me, up into my arms. She isn’t crying, she’s devoid of any emotion. I hear Mark apologizing to us as they drag him out of the room. Sabrina tenses at the sound of his voice. Things are surreal, like I’m in a movie. Kaitlyn is being attended too, and Beverly’s body is being covered with a cloth.

After hours of questioning and information, the officers finally clear us to leave the scene. Since Terrance is still working with them, Jake ushers us out the side door toward the hotel.

Once inside our room, I lay her on the bed. I crawl in behind her, pulling her to my chest. I just hold her. She begins to shake, and I know the events are finally sinking in. Repeatedly I kiss her soft hair. Even though there’s disorder in our suite, I don’t move.

“Shhh, Bre. I’m here. We’re safe. No one can hurt us anymore. Finally, we’re free.”

Her shoulders shake and she rolls to face me. She looks up into my eyes. Her eyes are puffy and red. I place a hand on her cheek.

“Are you sure?” she whispers.

I take a deep breath. Finally, I can answer and know for sure the answer. “Yes, baby. I’m sure.”

Tears begin to run down her face, and she snuggles into my chest. We lay for hours together.

A few weeks have passed. We’ve been busy with police visits, statements of what happened, the arraignment of Mark, and press of all sorts. Mark finally spilled everything. He explained that he was the one that originally shot Sabrina, and he was also the one that kidnapped Sara and Jon. That’s why the bullet didn’t match Beverly’s gun when they did forensics, and why they couldn’t find any sort of DNA from Beverly on Sara and Jon when they were examined. He’s been doing her dirty work, since he was kicked off the football team and lost his shot at the pros. Beverly sought him out and paid him very well.

Terrance was furious that he got in the church. He wasn’t sure how it could have happened. Mark cleared that up for us too. Bruce was working with him and apparently he was also doing side work for Beverly, that’s how she got in as well. Mark swore on his life he had no idea Bruce was working with her too. From what I saw I believed him, but I felt sick. That bastard was in my home. Saw personal items and was in on personal calls. Most importantly he probably told Beverly Rose was alive. FUCK!

Terrance immediately turned in his resignation to me, upon finding out about of Bruce’s involvement. He felt it was his fault and something that would have been avoided if he caught it. I, however, wouldn’t take it. He’s done so much for me over the years, I couldn’t just let him go. I’ve promoted Jake to be Sabrina’s personal security. He’d told me he was leery about Bruce from the beginning, but I’d dismissed it because Terrance assured me that he was clean and had the background check come back fine.

Yesterday we got a call from Detective Alverez. He said that Mark asked for a private meeting with Sabrina and me. Of course, I wanted nothing to do with him. Sabrina, the sweetheart that she is, said she thought we should meet with him. Upon questioning her further she said she needed it to heal. To put it in the past. I reluctantly agreed.

I couldn’t believe how strong she was when we walked into that room. They brought Mark in cuffed with his orange jumpsuit. Taking a seat, we all stared at each other for a few seconds in silence.

“You asked for this meeting, what do you want, Mark?” she started. I pulled her hand into my lap and held on to her tight. She looked down at our connection and smiled.

Upon seeing how happy we are, Mark sighed. “I just wanted to tell you to your face I’m sorry. Really sorry for everything. I turned into Ric, and that’s everything I didn’t want to do.”

She nodded. “I can’t say you’re any better than him.”

“I know. I’m sure you will never forgive me, but please know that I’m truly sorry. I just want what I see going between you two, real love. I thought I finally found that with Kaitlyn.”

Sabrina just laughed. “Mark, I hope you find happiness someday. I don’t think I will ever forgive you, but thank you.” She moved to get up and I stood behind her.

“Caston,” Mark stops me. “I don’t have to tell you this, but take care of her.”

I nod. I shouldn’t say it, but I actually felt a little bad for him. “Mark, Kaitlyn does feel those things for you.” I had to tell him the truth. He should get some peace. After everything we’ve learned about him and his childhood, I have a little empathy for the things he endured at the hands of his step-father.

After that day, it’s felt as though a ton of bricks was lifted from us.

Once I get word that we shouldn’t be needed until the trial starts, I decide to sweep Sabrina off to Mexico.

Pulling Sabrina into my lap on the plane, I still can’t believe all that has happened. We still aren’t married. After Mark was taken into custody, the church was a crime scene, so we couldn’t continue with the wedding. I wouldn’t have wanted to remember our wedding like that anyways. Sabrina hasn’t said anything about the wedding unless she’s asked. I think it’s her way of dealing with all the crazy. She has been using the studio more. I’ve even seen her with her pointe shoes on a few times.

“What’s that silly smile for?” She asks when she looks up at me. Her big hazel eyes sparkle. There’s so much life in them now that the air is cleared and all the threats are gone.

“Just thinking how we didn’t give up and let those assholes split us up.”

A smile engulfs her face and she leans in, grazing my lips with a chaste kiss. “I love you, Caston.”

I shift her so she’s straddling my lap. Taking her face in my hands, I return the kiss, deepening it. Finally parting, I rest my forehead on hers. “Bre, I love you more than you will ever know.”

I hug her to my chest, and we just hold on to each other.

When we land in Mexico, Bre is peacefully asleep on my chest. Terrance appears in the cabin to let me know that we’re ready to go.

“Is everything all set?”

He smiles. “Yes, sir.”

“Bre, wake up honey we’re here.” I shift her slowly, so I don’t startle her.

Her eyes flutter, and she moves to get up, but I pull her back into me. I wrap my arms around her and kiss her. She leans back, looking at me quizzically.

“Why are you smiling so big?”

“Just happy we are finally going to be married,” I tell her.

She bounces up and down on my lap. “Caston, really? Here?”

I help her off my lap and stand up. Holding out my hand to her, she takes it and follows me off the plane.

A while later, we pull up to the house. I lean over to her ear. “Go change and meet me on the beach in half an hour. Sara and Beth packed a dress for you in this bag.”

She giggles and takes off toward the bedroom. I set our bags down. Walking through the house, I slide my shoes off and roll up my khakis before stepping into the sand. The preacher greets me, and I inform her Sabrina should be out shortly.

No sooner did I say that than she appears in the doorway. Her hair is loose, and she has a simple white linen slip dress on. It skims her curves perfectly. The front is modest, but the back is low cut. Sliding off her sandals when she gets to the sand, she walks toward me with the biggest grin on her face.

Her hand slides into mine, and we face the preacher. This is how it should be, just us.

The preacher starts talking, and I can barely hear her, I’m so focused on Sabrina and how stunning she is.

“Your vows?” the preacher questions, bringing me out of my daydream. “Would you like me to do the traditional ones?”

I look over at Sabrina. “I’d like to say my own if that’s okay with you, Bre?”

“But I didn’t write any—”

I place a finger over her beautiful lips to quiet her.

She looks at me, the sun is setting behind her, and she’s so damn beautiful. She doesn’t have to say anything to me. I just want to remember her right now in this moment.

“Sabrina, from that first night I saw you, you captured my heart. It was yours, and I didn’t even know who you were. Then we met, and you were in trouble. I thank God every day I was there to save you.”

Tears start welling up in her eyes. Grabbing her hands, I squeeze them.

“You are my now and forever. I can’t think of anyone else I’d want to spend my life with. Have I told you I love you? I do. More than you will ever know, and I will continue to tell you every day until we’re parted by death. You saved me from the craziness, I’m a better man because of you. We didn’t give up when times got rough, and I won’t give up on anything with you by my side.”

The tears start to trickle down her face. I pull a handkerchief from my pocket and wipe them away. She laughs through the tears.