AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He let my hand go, and we lay back to sun ourselves for the rest of the day. The sun's warm rays caressed our skin, and the sound of the waves created a soothing backdrop to our relaxed silence. When the sun started to sink, casting a golden glow over the water, we packed up and began the hike back to the house.
"These are delicious," I said, savoring a bite of the beef kabob. The chef had grilled them to perfection and served them on a bed of fragrant jasmine rice.
Oliver nodded, enjoying his own meal. "Yes, they are. Would you like to go to the lagoon tonight?"
My eyes lit up. "Yes. A thousand times yes."
He leaned in. "Would you like a little taste of our first night?"
I grinned. "Absolutely. You know me so well."
After dinner, we changed into our bathing suits and headed to the lagoon. The night air was warm, and the moon cast a silvery glow over the water. Oliver pulled me into the lagoon, and I straddled his waist as he carried me toward the waterfall. The sound of the water was soothing, and I leaned into him, feeling safe and content.
But then, a sudden, sharp crack echoed behind me. Oliver's eyes widened in shock, and I felt his body tense. A second later, his shoulder sprouted red, blood pouring from a round hole.
"Oliver!" I screamed, my voice cracking with terror.
His mouth dropped open, and he let me go, reaching up to touch the wound. The realization hit me like a punch: he’d been shot. His blood had splattered onto my face, warm and sticky. Another bullet hit the rocks behind me, the crack reverberating through the lagoon.
Panic surged through me as the water around us turned crimson. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. Then, I heard a commotion in the woods, the shooter’s attention seemingly diverted.
"We have to get out of here," I whispered urgently, my voice trembling.
Oliver gritted his teeth, his face pale with pain, and nodded. I pulled him along, struggling to keep us both afloat until we reached the shore. My hands shook as I grabbed a towel and pressed it against his wound, trying to staunch the bleeding.
Two more shots rang out from the woods, and the commotion stopped abruptly. My heart pounded in my chest as I heard rustling nearby. Desperate to keep us hidden, I knocked over some torches, extinguishing their flames. The clouds covered the moon, shrouding us in darkness.
"If they can't see us, they can't kill us," I thought frantically, holding my breath as the silence of the night closed in around us.
I hustled Oliver into a grove of palms and could feel old coconut husks biting into my bare feet. I didn’t care, I needed to save us.
“Go without me,” Oliver whispered.
Tears leaked from my eyes. “No, I can’t leave you. You can’t give up.”
“Sweetheart, I’m slowing you down.”
“Please, Oliver, for me. Please,” I begged.
The towel slipped from his hand, and I picked it up to press back on the wound, it was heavy with blood.
"I feel weak. I'm losing too much blood," Oliver groaned, his voice barely audible over the chaos around us.
"Don't you fucking give up on me," I growled, my voice breaking. "Don't you do that," I pleaded, my heart racing with fear.
Oliver leaned against a tree, his body swaying unsteadily. In the distance, I heard screams and several more shots. It was carnage, and we were trapped. Where the fuck was security? I had to get help for Oliver before he died. He collapsed to the ground, and I rushed to his side.
"Ryleigh," he rasped, his eyes filled with pain. "Go."
Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision. His blood-soaked hand reached up, his knuckles brushing gently against my cheek. "Go."
"I love you. I'm not leaving you," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion.
"Get the hell out of here," he insisted, his strength fading.
Footsteps approached, and I pressed myself against the tree, trying to become invisible.
"Mrs. Fox?" A familiar voice called out.
