Genny awoke, expecting to be in her lover's warm embrace, to feel his breath tickling the nape of her neck, his arms wrapped around her waist protectively, their legs entwined, their bodies tangled in the sheets, their hearts and souls lost in the heat of their uncontrolled passion earlier that night...
Nothing.
"Remy?" she called.
Still nothing. Nothing save the mournful, heart-wrenching cry of the wind. Nothing save the gentle flapping of the curtains.
"Perhaps he wen' to get a drink or maybe he wen' to relieve himself." Somehow she did not think it was that simple. Something just didn't seem right. She felt cold all over. Her mind worked furiously to create possible explanations for her lover's absence, to dispel the dread, the fear that was all-consuming. The unthinkable.
Her sharp brown eyes scanned the room. A sharp intake of breath. The cold night air seared through her lungs. Relentless waves of raw emotion pounded at her heart, dashed at it , shattered it. All her hopes and dreams were crushed. Ripples of pain, turmoil and confusion wracked her body. She refused to cry, blinked back tears that welled up in her eyes.
The L'Etroile du Tricherie was gone.
The gentle flapping of the curtains...
A growl, so low she could scarcely hear it.
"Best night you had in your life, eh? For the first time you felt safe, warm, protected in your lover's arms. No need to hide your emotions. Nothing to fear. Guess what? Thought wrong frail. How very sad! Even hearts of stone want to get melted. He said everything you needed to hear and the whole time, he had one eye on the jewels. The Eye of the Tiger."
Genevieve gasped as a hairy, hulking figure stepped out of the shadows, eyes glinting in the dark. He had the look of a killer. A vicious killer. The hunter. Never the hunted.
"Romeo cut out on you, girl. And took a piece of your heart while he was at it, eh? Real shame, that to get the pendant back...I'm gonna have to tear out a few more pieces as well."
She scrambled wildly to get away. For the next few seconds, everything happened in slow motion. She bolted for the door but a powerful force seemed to be pushing her back. She moved as if underwater. "Faster! Faster!" her mind screamed. Her body, however, simply refused to respond.
Genevieve's attacker streaked across the room. He grabbed her by her hair and flung her at the wall. A flash of pain coursed through her body as she rammed against the wall. She found herself succumbing to the darkness which offered her solace, peace of mind and blissful ignorance...
Genny slowly regained consciousness, shedding away the comfort of the dark. Her head throbbed painfully. She felt dizzy and very very uncomfortable. She soon realised the reason for her discomfort. She was gagged up, her hands and feet were bound. She tried to move but couldn't. The ropes cut painfully into her wrists and ankles.
Aided by the dim moonlight, she saw her attacker. His pointed canines, sharp claws and savage brutal nature reminded her of a Sabretooth Tiger. With a start, she realised that he was the person who had attacked her before to get the pendant, the L'Etroille du Tricherie.
"How ironic." thought Genevieve as she pondered over her past actions, "Martin Herzog, a Canadian financier wit' European interests had a 'relationship' with me. He loved me dearly, would have left his wife and children for me in a heartbeat. I knew dat. I played along wit' de old fool. When I took dat pendant, I might as well have stolen his heart and soul. I thought nothin' of dat. It didn' affect me one bit. Now Remy has done de same to me. Retribution. I never knew it could hurt so much...I'm sorry Martin."
Genevieve was not alone. A bald man with a handlebar moustache was next to her. A long length of rope trailed along the ground from the ropes that bound their feet. "What's it for?" she wondered. She got her answer in about 10 seconds.
"Fun's just beginning." The Sabretooth look-alike told them as he picked up the portion of the rope where it just left their ankles, went over to the edge of roof and pitched them over the side.
Time stood still. "I'm gonna die," thought Genny,"I don' wan' to die." She could feel the bitterly cold wind swirling round her. Tension of the rope bit painfully into her ankles. She was dangled upside-down from the Sabretooth's fingertips. He still held the ropes. Her life was in the hands of that maniac. She had never been so frightened in her life.
Genevieve was wearing nothing but a pair of black panties and a black vest. Her vest slipped down to her neck, exposing her bare breasts. However, she was too full of fear to be embarrassed. She recognised the place. She was at the Notre Dame Cathedral. Then, she saw Remy. Surely he had come to her rescue, just as he had the first time they met. Hope surged into her. Remy was here now. Everything would be fine. She was safe once again, well not quite but soon. She couldn't really hear what Remy and Sabretooth were saying but it didn't matter. He would save her. She was sure of it. Somehow he would find a way to...
Creed let go of the ropes.
"NO!!!" she heard Remy cry out. In that instant, Genny knew all hope was lost. She hit the cold, unyielding asphalt. Pain washed over her with the force of a tidal wave. The physical hurt wasn't as bad as the hurt deep within her.
Genevieve Darceneaux, daughter of an infamous and imprisoned jewel thief always knew that anyone stupid enough to hold the knife called Love will get cut by it, sooner or later, cut deep...and hard. When she met Remy, she didn't believe, didn't want to believe...that loving him would cause her some serious hurting.
"Genny..?! Mon Dieu...I never thought..." she heard Remy say.
"Remy...I...did love you...I would have...given...L'Etroile to you... Why take...what someone is willin'...to give?" Genny said as she once more went spiraling into the darkness.
Lying on the hard and uncomfortable hospital bed, she looked around and wondered why the walls were painted white. Light from the single fluorescent lamp reflected off the walls and nearly blinded her with its brillance. She could hardly open her eyes. The room reminded her of a funeral parlour. The drips, tubes and electrodes that were stuck onto her did not make her feel any better.
"Genny. You alright, chile? You've been in a coma for 2 days. Had me nearly scared out of my wits. Don' you dare go jumpin' off buildings again. You hear?"
Genevieve nodded meekly. It was her father. The authorities had allowed him to come and visit her. His wrists were still handcuffed. She looked up at him. His eyes were wet with unshed tears, openly showing his love for her. His face was contorted by anguish at seeing his only child lying in a hospital bed.
"My chile. Herzog is payin' for your hospital bills. You jus' rest easy. He gon' do wat he can to get you de best doctors. We'll find ways to make you walk again..."
"...walk again...Papa, you mean..." Genny's father nods his head sadly.
"You broke your spine, chile...but don' worry. Mr Herzog will find a way to help you." They talked for a while more before guards came in and took him away.
"Papa?"
"Don' worry chile, everythin' will be fine..." Genny hears the reassuring voice of her father fade in the distance.
While recuperating in the hospital, Genevieve had plenty of time to think things through. She made her peace with Herzog, who had agreed to pay for her medical expenses at her father's request. He even gave her some money to start a living for herself. However, he made it clear that he want absolutely nothing to do with her thereafter. Not that she could blame him really. She had hurt him so much...just like Remy...
Remy.
Genevieve was so used to putting on a hard shell, keeping the world at arm's length, that she didn't let anyone crack through and get inside. But Remy had gotten through.
She had told him,"Honestly, I never thought I would feel this way, mon amant. I've been involved before, Remy, but it was different then...I hurt them...lied to them...but I swear I would never do that to you..."
"I would never hurt you either, Genny. And I never will..." was his smooth reply.
That filthy lying bastard. Now he would have to pay. Dearly.
End of Part 3