BLACK ROSE (COMPLETED)

40 - The End

As I stepped out of the car, I crouched low, walking on my tiptoes toward the back. Had a doctor told me my heart could pound this fiercely, I would have called him a liar. But as I drew near the trunk, I lunged suddenly, darting toward Sinan, my blade flashing through the air. He dodged, swift as ever.

My second strike was no more successful. Once again, he evaded me with an agile motion, but this time, he grabbed my arm, pulling me toward him. The slap he delivered to my face sent me sprawling to the ground. I lay face-down, splayed across the grass. My fingers found my lips, only to return stained with blood.

Pain throbbed in my cheek where his hand had landed, and a relentless ringing echoed in my ear.

"Couldn't you have just died peacefully, Ece?" Sinan sneered, his voice thick with mockery. "Care to explain why not, my dear?"

"You'll pay for killing Kerem, you scum!" I screamed, reaching out from where I lay to grab the knife I'd dropped in the scuffle. But Sinan's boot connected with the blade, sending it skittering away. I tried to push myself up, placing one hand on the ground, but Sinan's foot pressed firmly into my back, forcing me down again with a groan.

"You never know when to quit, do you, Ece?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw the gun he'd retrieved from the trunk. He was going to kill me, I knew it. So, in a bid to stall until my friends arrived, I decided to ramble senselessly.

"I never quit," I said. "You know what Bon Jovi once said?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I think it went something like... 'I'm alive, and I'll sleep when I'm dead.' Yeah, something like that. So, I guess I'm living by that. You should give it a try too, Sinan."

"You mean his philosophy?" he asked, amused.

"No," I corrected him. "I mean listening to Bon Jovi. An oldie but a goodie. Timeless songs. Rock music, you know—"

I was interrupted mid-sentence when Sinan suddenly muttered, "You're quite the looker, Ece." My ramblings cut short, I realized he had something far less wholesome on his mind. Was some part of me exposed? I hastily tugged my skirt down, ensuring my legs were covered.

"You know, Ece," Sinan murmured, his tone disturbingly casual, "since Fatih stole my girlfriend from me, how about I steal his? Wouldn't that make things even? Instead of killing you, we could... enjoy the scenery, the birds chirping, just the two of us."

"Could you help me up?" I asked sweetly.

Sinan gripped my hand, pulling me to my feet. I sidled closer to him, playing along with his delusion.

"So that's a yes, huh?" he said, misreading my actions. "Smart girl."

In one swift motion, I spat in his face. "No. My answer is no. Not smart—chaste. I'd rather die than be with you. And besides, I don't like redheads."

He wiped his face with one hand, raising his gun with the other. But instead of aiming at me, he held it out, as if offering it to me. Surely, he was preparing to utter his hypnotic commands, the ones that would have me end my own life.

Just as Sinan opened his mouth to speak, we both heard the rumble of an approaching vehicle. I turned to see Fatih's jeep in the distance, speeding toward us. Thank Bon Jovi for buying me those extra seconds! Rock truly does save lives.

Sinan's eyes locked with mine, cold and intent. "Wait here, Ece," he ordered, his voice dripping with hypnotic power. "I have some guests to greet."

A chilling wave of helplessness washed over me. I felt my mind slipping, as though a blade had pierced my very soul. Nodding weakly, I saw Fatih's jeep pull up, and my four friends emerged from the vehicle.