John and Marlena (Finally) Get a Q!

Chapter 126 - The Road Unravelled

Marlena barely had time to think as she raised her hands to ward off the blows from the deranged harridan in front of her. The words, although distorted by the harshness of the screaming, still registered and real, cold fear echoed inside her gut. If she'd doubted John's belief that Kristen was a danger before, she didn't now.

Adrenaline swept through her blood, sending her pulse racing and drying her mouth. She fended off a blow from Kristen, only to miss a slap that caught her square on. The whole side of her face, including her nose, was numb for a moment as her mind reeled. It was only when she tasted the salty, metallic sharpness of blood on her tongue that feeling seeped back into her face, the pain from the blow causing her knees to buckle.

She groped for the door handle through the red haze that clouded her senses, hoping that by some miracle, she could keep herself upright. But oddly, she found a strong, warm arm and hands that supported her. She could still hear Kristen's wails, but somehow, they seemed removed.

It seemed like an eternity before her vision cleared enough to realize that she was practically in Peter Blake's arms. Kristen flailed at his impassive back as he looked down at Marlena with conflicted eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked with surprising concern. Marlena could only nod as she touched her fingers to her lips. They came away reddened with her own blood, and she painfully ran her dry tongue over the split in the delicate skin.

Relieved, Peter shifted his attention to Kristen, turning around and capturing her wrists in an iron grip.

"That's *enough* Kristen," he told her in a voice that sounded very much like a command. It seemed to work as she looked up at him, a dazed confusion registering in her grey-green eyes.

"I'm sorry about all this Marlena," Peter tossed the inadequate apology over his shoulder. "This pregnancy has put quite a strain on her." Well, it was mostly true. He was just glad that the man he had watching Marlena's building had been intelligent enough to think to call him when he had seen Kristen entering the front doors.

"Please," Marlena gasped, not sure if she wanted to throw up or pass out. "Just get her out of here."

"Sure," Peter nodded his head, not particularly wanting to wait around here anyway. "C'mon Krissy, let's go."

He tugged on her arm and she took a step towards the open doorway. Then, without warning, she stopped and turned, fixing hard eyes on Marlena.

"I meant what I said," she said in a chillingly assured voice.

"Kristen!" Peter hissed as he pulled on her arm leading her out of the penthouse. He said nothing else but turned and glanced apologetically at Marlena before he punched the elevator button.

Marlena touched her face gingerly as she shut the door behind her and flinched at the pain that her fingers elicited. Looking down, she saw that her hands were shaking and suddenly the rest of her body seemed to join in as the shock of what had just happened, hit her.

She made it to the sofa before her knees gave way and she caught the corner of the furniture with her hands as she sank to the ground.

"Oh G*d," she whispered as her eyes filled with terrified tears. It was as though everything John had predicted was coming true and she didn't know what to do. For all her education, for all her years practicing, suddenly she was as lost as she had ever been. And for some reason, all she could do was think of Hart Bennett and how she had not known how to deal with him. And how it had ended so tragically.

A tiny squirm inside her should have been soothing, but it just seemed to aggravate her distress. Suddenly, she couldn't hold on to her fear any longer and it spilled out as hot tears that stung her abraded skin. Flinging her head down on her arms on the sofa she began to cry, uttering loud, choking sobs that were swallowed up by the empty apartment.