Page 43 of Rhythm Of Redemption

Lou’s chest constricted as she absorbed the devastating reality of Logan’s betrayal. The room seemed to shrink, its walls closing in on her, amplifying the suffocating tension that engulfed the air. It was as if a veil had lifted, revealing the darkness that lay beneath his charming facade.

Her gasp caught in her throat as a vice-like grip seized her shoulder, sending a jolt of terror coursing through her veins. Startled, she spun around to face the man from the boatyard, his eyes cold and penetrating, devoid of any warmth. A shiver raced down her spine, the weight of imminent danger settling upon her like an oppressive force. In the depths of his gaze, she glimpsed a resolute determination, but it did little to ease her growing unease. Without uttering a single word, his finger pressed firmly against his lips, demanding her silence. The air crackled with an electric tension, suffocating her senses as they stood there, bound by an unspoken agreement in the face of the unknown.

The staircase creaked beneath the stranger’s weight, jolting Angel’s senses into hyper awareness. Like a predator on the prowl, her instincts sharpened, detecting an intruder in their midst. “Who’s there?” she demanded, her voice carrying a chilling edge.

Scuffling feet collided with crashing furniture, the symphony of destruction amplified by shattering glass. A gunshot cracked through the silence, its explosive sound ripping through the air like a jagged tear in reality. Fear gripped Lou’s heart as a scream pierced the building, fear seizing her veins, as the man surged past her. A chilling thud reverberated, the sound of something heavy hitting the floor, a grim punctuation to the unfolding chaos. Then, a second gunshot exploded, shattering the fragile silence and plunging her deeper into the abyss of uncertainty.

Lou burst into the room, her heart pounding like a relentless drumbeat, its thunderous rhythm reverberating through her veins. The scene unfurled before her, an eerie and macabre tableau, a chilling snapshot of shattered dreams. A strangled cry escaped her lips, its anguish and despair echoing in the stifling air, “Dani! Oh my god!” The atmosphere crackled with an ethereal charge as shadows contorted and writhed, mimicking the chaos within. Time itself seemed to elongate, stretching each agonising second as her gaze fixed upon the lifeless figure slumped on the floor. A suffocating presence engulfed the room, intensifying the weight of the unknown that threatened to crush her. Despair clawed at her soul, teetering on the edge of an abyss. The truth, unfathomable and cruel, loomed ominously, poised to shatter her world into a million tiny fragments.

With a disorienting jolt, Lou’s consciousness detached from her physical being, morphing into a spectral observer of her own existence. The room materialised before her in a haze of surreal distortion, a twisted realm where nightmares merged with reality. Angel’s lifeless form lay splayed on the floor, a poignant symbol of life’s fragility. The man’s voice echoed faintly, muffled by an ethereal curtain that veiled the world. Time slowed and stretched, each passing second a never-ending torment as Lou desperately scanned the room for Dani and Logan. The weight of the surreal engulfed her, intensifying her paralysing helplessness. “Snap out of it, Lou!” her internal voice pleaded, desperately urging her to break free from her immobility. But her cries went unanswered as her physical form remained rooted, gripped by the numbing paralysis of shock. “Mum, mum,” a faint voice pierced the fog, slowly penetrating her consciousness. With a sudden jolt, Lou snapped back to reality. “You’ve got to pull it together,” Dani’s voice trembled with urgency as she shook Lou’s arms. “Logan’s hurt, and we need to stop the bleeding.”

With a surge of desperate energy, Lou sprang into action. Dani’s pleading gaze fuelled her determination. “We need to stop the bleeding, Mum,” her urgent voice pierced the air. The weight of the moment pressed upon Lou as she frantically searched for a solution. Time stretched, each second a precious heartbeat. Hope flickered amidst uncertainty, driving her to find a way to save Logan.

In the dishevelled apartment, Lou’s eyes darted frantically, scanning the battlefield of despair. Panic and frustration tightened their grip, squeezing her racing heart. The walls seemed to close in, suffocating her within their oppressive embrace. “Think, Lou, think!” she muttered through gritted teeth, her voice a desperate plea against the chaos.

A glimmer of hope ignited within her, defying the suffocating atmosphere. With trembling hands, she tore off her shirt and pressed it against the bleeding wound, a makeshift shield against the encroaching darkness. Logan’s eyelids drooped, his body succumbing to the beckoning abyss. Lou’s heart thundered in her chest, its wild rhythm challenging the oppressive silence.

“Oh, no you don’t,” she pleaded, her voice a fragile tremor defying the stifling stillness. Her hands trembled as she pressed her shirt against Logan’s wounds, willing him to stay with her. “Tell me,” she implored, her voice quivering with desperation, “How did it feel to be on that stage? To bask in the spotlight, to hear the roar of the crowd, to feel the energy coursing through your veins? How did it feel, Logan?”

Logan’s eyes flickered, a glimmer of recognition emerging from the depths of the void. A faint smile graced his lips, a fragile bridge to their shared world. “It’s the best feeling in the world,” he whispered, his voice a gentle exhale

The wailing sirens grew closer, their urgent cries slicing through the air like a symphony of hope.

“Logan?” Her voice quivered, desperation creeping into her plea.

His eyes fluttered open, a glimmer of recognition sparking. “Yeah, babe.”

Lou’s heart soared with happiness, a rush of warmth spreading through her. He had never called her that before. “You have to stay awake,” she urged desperately, her voice filled with a mix of fear and longing, afraid of losing him to the encroaching darkness.

“But … I’m so tired.” His eyelids flickered shut.

“Mum, he has to stay awake,” Dani interjected, her voice peppered with urgency. “If he falls asleep now,” she lowered her voice, “we could lose him.”

Her chest tightened, her happiness giving way to a surge of fear. The weight of their shared fate pressed upon her, threatening to crush her spirit. With a trembling voice, she offered a bittersweet distraction, a glimmer of hope in their darkest hour. “Maybe now you’ll be able to get your precious club back?” she whispered, her words carrying a delicate mixture of affection and sorrow, trying to mask her own anguish.

Sirens blared, their deafening wail followed by screeching brakes, filling the room with an overwhelming sense of urgency. Police and paramedics swarmed, their presence a whirlwind of controlled chaos. Lou’s heart pounded in her chest, each beat a stark reminder of the fleeting seconds. Logan’s head lolled listlessly to the side, adding to the weight of dread, tightening Lou’s throat, stealing her breath.

“He’s just passed out,” he said, his words a delicate lifeline amidst the looming uncertainty. “But we need to get him to the hospital right away. He’s a lucky guy; if that bullet had hit a few inches lower …” His words lingered in the air, haunting reminders of the fragility of life.

Lou’s world twisted in an agonizing storm of indecision. Stay with Dani or go with Logan? Both needed her desperately. “Go with Logan, Mum,” Dani’s plea resonated, her voice firm. “I’ll find an officer to take me home—” but before Dani could finish, a police officer abruptly intervened.

“I’m sorry,” he interjected sharply. “Your daughter needs to come to the station to make a statement, and as she’s a minor, an adult must accompany her.”

Anguish seized Lou’s soul, its grip tightening like a vice, as the ambulance vanished into the distance, casting her adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

Chapter twenty

The police car raced through the streets, its cabin steeped in an oppressive silence. Lou’s hands quivered, seeking comfort in Dani’s reassuring grip, their connection a lifeline in their hellish journey. In the fading light, Dani’s voice pierced the heavy air. “You’ve got blood on your top,” Dani pointed out, her eyes fixed on the stain on Lou’s vest. Lou shuddered as she stared at the dark red patch, the vivid images of the recent events racing through her mind, replaying the unsettling scene over and over again. “It will be okay, Mum,” she murmured, her voice a delicate shield against the encroaching fear.

She turned to her daughter, their eyes locking in a moment charged with trepidation. Dani exuded maturity beyond her years while Lou grappled with an unsettling vulnerability. “How can you say that?” Lou’s voice quivered, her anxiety laid bare. “Logan’s just been shot. It could have been you. Don’t you see that?”

Dani’s gaze held a mixture of determination and understanding. “But it wasn’t me, was it?” she softly replied, her voice laced with a bittersweet certainty. “I’m fine.”

The casual tone in which Dani spoke, treating the situation as if it were something ordinary and mundane, sent a chill down Lou’s spine. She didn’t want her daughter to be complacent or unfazed by the gravity of what had just happened. She yearned for Dani to grasp the true danger, to feel the same paralysing fear that gripped her own heart. Swallowing her own anxiety, Lou mustered the courage to ask the questions that weighed heavily on her mind.

“Are you … do you … and I need you to be completely honest with me, Dani,” Lou implored, her voice a mix of fear and desperation. “How are you involved in all of this? Are you a drug addict?”

Dani’s immediate denial brought a wave of relief, intermingled with lingering apprehension. “No, of course not,” she firmly replied.

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