Chapter 23 23

Chapter 23 23

GEORGIA

I didn't wait for another second, I bolted down the stairway, my gown in my hand, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Camila called behind me as we descended the stairs.."What if we go inside and get help? That man looks dangerous."'

"He might be," my voice was terse, my throat was tight. "But he can never be a match for the two of us."

I saw Camila gasp, her mouth falling open in surprise. I expected that she would turn around, and return to the gailer with the other mafia wives. But rather, she put her hand into a fluffy gown and fished out a short black pistol.

"Whoa!" My eyes went wide with surprise.

"Yes. With the current kidnappings going around, José made sure I learned self-defence. I learn how to shoot every morning, and in the evening he has a taekwondo master giving me lessons."

"Whoa. That is so thoughtful of him, I need to have something like this."

"It is that simple, speak to your husband, he will understand."

"I'm so glad you have a gun."

We were out of the house now. The moon was darker, the stars have vanished, a storm might be coming. The swimming pool was just a few feet away from us. Emily was still struggling with the man. He had is two hands fixed intently around her fragile chest pressing her down with every ounce of his strength.

"Yes come out but we cannot just use it."

"Our attacker might also possess one and beholding this will prompt him to fish out his own. And dare I say I will never have as much firing knowledge as a trained assassin."

"An assassin, is that what he is?"

Camila did not wait for my response, she raised the gun a few inches from her face and fired. The instant the man rolled off Emily, she screamed.

"Now!" She thrusted the gun into my hand and round watch the crime scene. My hand struggled with the weapon , but I tightened my grip around it and run behind Camilla.

My heart pounding with fear and anger at the same time. The bullet had hit the attacker in the rib, but that wasn't enough to deter him. He placed his hand on the wound had begun crawling towards Emily again when Camila suddenly pounced on him.

"Get the girl!" She screamed as she snaked her hands around the attackers neck and forced him face down.

Emily was at the other side, half of our body immersed in the swimming pool. Alas! The attacker had been trying to drown her. She was barely breathing, blood oozing out of the gash on her forehead. I didn't think twice, I scooped her out of the water and laid on the ground. Years of journalism didn't leave me without a knowledge in CPR and I set to work immediately. Emily's lungs was full of water, bruises and scratches all over her body. But I didn't give up. I continue to press I stomach and applied pressure on a chest until she suddenly gasped and splaughtered for breath.

"Emily," I started tapping her cheek. "Can you hear me, can you move?"

She open her eyes faintly, but as she made to talk water gushed out of her nose. I laid her on the ground again, and this time performed mouth-to-mouth. A few seconds later, she appeared stable even though the bleeding didn't reduce.

"Emily, I said again, can you hear me are you with me?"
.m.

Donna Georgia, she's slured.

"Yes, I confirmed yes it is me can you see? Who is that man what has happened to you what have you been doing please answer me."

She raise the hand and pointed weekly at the man. Camila was doing a good job keeping him down, but I was forced to wonder? Where are all the guards at this time? Why haven't the noise attracted them?

"I'm listening to you Emily," I kept my hand on her chest trying to warm her frozen lungs. "You don't need to be afraid, I'll to get you to the hospital you will be fine."

"I'm not going to make it," She gasped. "My sister, please make sure she's alright."

"Your sister?"

"What is she talking about?" Camila interjected.

"Please speak planely Emily. I am going to make sure you are saved. You will live."

"My sister, my twin. Shaniah Collins. They took her away from the mental hospital." She pointed at the man again. "I tried to leave a secret Life, Master Rhys promised me protection. But they are here, again like they did to us 2 years ago."

A wave of cold descended on me. I remembered the prologue Shanghai wrote in her diary. She said something about her twin sister, Emily. I had ving trying to find Emily on social media, I never expected that she could be one of the staff working for me. When she told me her name it didn't even strike a code of recognition. Wow!

"I will get you home to safety. Just hold on, please."

"I'm not going to make it. It is better I go this way."

"Don't say that anymore."

But Emily only turned on our side to show me a dagger that have been launched under her left rib.

Both Camila and I shouted in horror.

"We have to get the doctor's now." I jumped up. "Emily must not die. I can't stand and watch her."

"What if she is also the key to our investigation." Camilla suggested. I saw that a hand at grown weak. The attacker not stopped trying to break free. Anger welled up in my chest so much that I reached for the gun and fired a shot at his arm. The impact of the bullet burnt my finger, but his cry of pain soothed me.

"What the hell Georgia, the bullet could have hit me."

"I'm sorry. But that should weaken him enough for us to get help. Make sure Emily is safe, and the attacker must not die. He has a lot to answer to the police."

"Sure thing."

My first intuition was the gate. Some of the gods would be able to keep the attacker until the police arrives. But I soon got the shock of my life. The entrance was empty. They were no guards standing anywhere. What!

I shook my head, trying to unblur my eyes but it was the same. I ran into the guard quarters, bursting through the doors and throwing open the curtains. But it was empty.

Where are all the mansion guards!

I didn't have time to seek answers, I went into the house. The ball was still on, the live band doing a great job at entertaining or distracting the guest from knowing what was really happening. But there was another surprise. There was no man at the ball. They were only women. I remember leaving Rhys at the podium after I gave my speech, but he was nowhere to be found now.

I was going to turn around and go to the main house when I saw a small door open. This was another shocking sight. The door wasn't there before.

"Georgia. Where have you been? The ball has been going on without you. When will you give your toast?"

I ignored this woman. But to prevent more seeing me, I waded through the crowd and entered into this new and strange door closing it behind me. With my beating heart, I rested against this door and close my eyes. This was all too much to take in. I have never been this close to danger before. When I open my eyes I an elevator in the corner. I didn't need anyone to tell me where it was heading to because I didn't care. I entered into it.

The elevator ride seemed longer than I anticipated. But when it finally stopped, I was surprised to find myself in an utterly strange part of the Mikalihov Mansion. There was an hallway, separating a cluster of rooms on each sides. For a moment there, I felt like I had landed into another planet. I took a few steps away from the elevator, and that was when I heard the voices.

"Rhys Mikalihov is not a man of his word, but one driven by arrogance and a bloody thirst for revenge."

I didn't know the voice I said that, and I wasn't inclined enough to care at that moment. In a split second, I dashed towards the room the noise was coming from and pushed the door open.

I don't understand what happened, but the men seem to freeze halfway and rearrange whatever they were doing. Some of them where on their feet but they took a seat the instant they saw me. Some had guns in front of them but they pick them up and tuck to them into their pockets.

All the men invited to the ball were in this room, including—

"Georgia, what are you doing here?"

Rhys already charging towards me. His eyes were fiery, I could feel his anger in his giant strides.

"I don't understand. What are you doing here?"

"Tell your broad to get out Mikhailov. Let's settle this man to man."

I turned in the direction of the voice and threw a disgusted, angry look at the owner.

"I don't give a damn what you all are doing here but there's been a crisis outside."

"What!" Rhys exclaimed.

"There is an intruder on the ground and there are no guard on duty."

"What!"

"Emily has been attacked, she's at the point of death. The attacker has been subdued but I don't think we can hold him for much longer. You need to come now."

Rhys didn't wait for me to say any other thing, a fished out is gone took me by the hand and dashed out of the meeting room or whatever it was.

"How did this happen?" He asked, closing the elevator. "Hello Georgia, what if you had been shot?" He reached for my face. "This is too risky."

"Emily has been stabbed, she said some things about you. Is it true?"