Trust Me
      Chapter 19
 

She stood on the bow of the boat bathed in the glorious light of the full moon. Her bronzed body covered in a long white summer dress that swept the deck . She placed her arms against the railing and stared out into the night. The moon cast a brilliant shadow over the deep dark blue of the ocean. A slight breeze came off the water, her hair billowed behind her in golden wavy ringlets down her back. The salty air clung to her skin.

Michelle watched the waves dance on the ocean surface gently lapping against the yacht. Miles and miles of endless sea surrounded her. She shivered. The water became a theater and she saw the images she was desperate to forget...

She felt her hair being pulled from its roots as Dietz' grip tightened. Her body was jerked backwards. Her legs folded beneath her, she reached for her head fighting for release. She struggled with him. Her hands on her head, she desperately vied for control. The bullets pelted the door and then it crashed. She saw the flash of metal out fo the corner of her eye. His finger on the trigger. This isn't going to happen...it's not...I am not going to die.... In that moment she turned to face Danny.. Through her tears she saw his fear, but more than that she saw his anger. He bent and reached for something beyond her line of vision...the gun... She watched as he straightened himself and in his hands the shiny silver weapon.

"DANNNNNNNY!," the scream erupted from her soul.

The peaceful quiet enveloped her body and for the moment erased her memories of shouts, screams and explosions. She fought to send the memories back to that safe place in her mind where they slept sometimes long enough for her to believe it was possible to overcome such horror.

Her thoughts turned to Danny. Danny swimming around her, his black hair a mess of wet curls...smiling...Danny sleeping after a long night of love, the sheet draped over his hip, his hand linked with her own. Danny singing softly to her in the long hours of the night when they didn't want to fall asleep...sing to me Danny...noooooo... please...what should I sing?...anything...I just want to hear your voice... Danny his hand crawling up her skirt as they sat at the dinner table with Carmen going on and on about "Family" and "Business". Danny staring at her across the room and then winking when she needed to feel him close. Danny...

She saw the flash of the bullet as he fired the gun. The noise was deafening. She felt the heat coming off of the weapon in Dietz' hand and she heard Danny, "MICHELLLLLLLE!" Her body was completely bent backward and she couldn't recognize the noise behind her. She heard shouting.. She looked up into the cloud of smoke that hung over the room. . She closed her eyes against the pain in her head and lower back. Is he dead? She didn't dare move. Seconds seemed like hours...what is going on?

There was movement around her.

"Danny?," barely a whisper..."Danny?," her voice was hoarse and it hurt to breathe.

Someone was behind her. She felt her hair being tugged. She sobbed. A deep accented person was talking. She tried concentrating on what was being said..."They're on the way...hospital...Is she hit?" The smell of the gun powder coupled with her fear made her feel sick. She turned her head sideways to throw up.

"Michelle, it's ok...you're safe.," a male voice came through the fog.

She knew him. John...It's John. "Danny?," louder now. She needed to know. Where's Danny? Why isn't he here?...

"John? Danny?," she called out his name.

There was arguing. She heard more voices. "No...is she?...Let me get up..."

"Don't move. You...She can't see you...stop moving! You're hurt. Damn it!"

"Get off of me....Michelle?"

"Danny, you're bleeding...wait!"

Her hand. Someone was grabbing her hand. She couldn't lift herself to see. The hand felt comfortable and familiar. "Danny?"

"Michelle...I'm here baby. I'm here. We're gonna be okay." He was coughing. His breathing was ragged. "Get her off of him...what's taking so long?," he was angry. He's hurt. Tears flowed from her eyes and she sobbed.

"We can't get her loose...cutting it?"

She was trying to see him better. He brought her hand to his mouth and winced. "You're hurt. Where?"

"I'm fine. Listen Sweetie...," he coughed and she could see the pain in his face. "Honey, we have to cut your hair."

"My hair?" Everything was fuzzy. What? Why?"

"It's Only a little bit. I need you to be brave. Okay. You'll be free in a minute. Okay?" He sat up a bit and she saw the red stain. She pulled to free herself. He was hurt. The excrutiating pain forced her to lay back down.

"Cut it!," he shouted at someone. "Honey, stay still, okay a few more minutes."

Suddenly she was free. Danny was cradling her in his arms and she crumbled against his chest. Her cries muffled by his shirt. Safe...

Her thoughts flew away with the ocean breeze. Sighing deeply she walked to the other side of the deck and sat down on the cushioned sofa. She brought a pillow to her chest and stared down into it. Her gaze fixed on the pattern of blues and grays that were stitched perfectly. She brought her legs up underneath her and wrapped her long skirt around them. The night air was warm, but mixed with her sunburn she felt chilly. A single tear slid from her eye, down her cheek and puddled on her chin...

Danny opened his eyes and sat up quickly. Something didn't seem right. She was gone. Again. He lay back against the pillows and rubbed his eyes. Glancing over at the bedside table and saw that it was after midnight. The ache in his arm was back full force. He reached over and grabbed for the pill bottle -- It wasn't there. "Shit!" The pain from the bullet wound was easy to appease-- Every six hours he popped a pill. Not only did the medication keep him comfortable for the four to six hours it also kept him in a dull haze.

The last time he'd taken his pills had been early evening. He remembered he had been discussing with John the final preparations for Ray's transfer to a hospital in the Continental United States. Ray had a long recovery ahead of him. The doctors who had tended to him had suggested he be kept in Puerto Rico for the first few weeks before being taken to a clinic for therapy. It was a miracle he had survived and Danny was grateful. He couldn't wait to hear Ray explain Isabel. She had been at the hospital from the first day and hadn't left.

Michelle was another story. She was distant, in her own world, spending most of her time trying to convince him and everyone else that she was fine, but night after night she left him alone in bed. Disappearing outside into the darkness. He had let her go. It was important to him for her to have her space. He wanted her to be comfortable and he knew that she was processing everything and eventually she would come to him. He hadn't wanted to push. Tonight he had enough. He threw back the covers and pulled on his shorts.

He padded barefoot passed the rooms on the yacht looking in each of them. The dining room was dark, but the full moon provided enough light through the windows. Empty. The living room was the same. He walked to the galley, but no Michelle. He went outside. His body was met by the warm Caribbean air.

He watched her for a while. The soft wind played with her hair. He inhaled the salty fish scent of the ocean. It was a beautiful night and she made it perfect.

His approach was quiet. Her eyes were closed. He took in her appearance as he got closer. Her skin was golden tan against the pure white cotton dress. The halter top fit snuggly against her chest. Her eyes opened. She saw him and met his gaze with a glowing smile.

"Hey..."

"Hey! What are you doing here? You should be in bed." She moved her legs and made room for him next to her on the sofa.

"So should you.," He turned to her and stared into her chocolate brown eyes. She looked away. To which he responded by pulling her chin up with his fingers. She grabbed at his hand. "You want to talk?," he asked.

"Noooo. I'm fine. I didn't want to disturb you. That's all. How are you?"

"Okay."

With her finger she traced the pattern of the bandage on Danny's arm. The silence between them was soothing. The sounds of the waves and the soft bounce of the boat on the water cradled them together.

He broke the quiet moment first. "You know it's not going to be like this forever. We'll remember other things, better things...this will be a distant memory. Something that happened to other people."

"I hope so. I want that. I want to be able to close my eyes and always hear this."

"You will baby. You will."

Their lips met in a sweet kiss. She held his head between her hands. She sighed and broke their connection.

"You really should be in bed. Have you taken your medication?," she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"I'll taken it in a bit. I want to be awake for a while. I've missed you. I've missed this.," he nuzzled her neck, his chin digging into her collar bone causing her to giggle. He smiled, the sound of her laughter a symphony of beautiful music to his ears.

"I want you to get better. There'll be time for this later...I promise. Come on, let's go find the medicine."

"Noooooo..." He pushed her body back against the pillows, pinning her body with his own. "This is more than enough medicine." His lips burned into her chest. A hot trail of unreleased passion. She lay her head back and let his mouth caress her sensitive skin. It was so easy to let go...to let him erase the tragedy with love.

"Hey..." She stopped him again. "Honey...sweetie...we can't...," she tried convincing him.

"Oh we can..." With his one good arm he worked furiously at the back of her neck attempting to untie the halter top. She pulled away from him. He winced in pain. A wave of nausea overcame him.

"You're in pain. Let's go."

"I'm fine."

"You are not fine. Danny stop fighting this. You need to be in bed. We both do." She got up and pulled him to his feet.

After giving Danny his medication, they lay down on the bed. Both of them wrapped in the soft down comforter lay quietly. He tried getting comfortable, his injured arm lay on top of two pillows cushioned against any movement through the night. With his good arm he reached over and ran his fingers through Michelle's hair. Her silky curls were shorter now. He loved the feel of it as it slipped through his fingers. She sighed contentedly. He heard her breathing become more rhythmic . She was falling asleep. Closing his eyes, he succumbed to the pain medications drowsy effect.


He pulled the trigger repeatedly. His finger responding to every blast he heard around him. His body jerked with each pull. He felt a searing pain in his right arm and kept firing. He watched Michelle on her back, helpless. Then all was quiet. Dietz lay in a puddle of blood, Michelle draped over him. He fell to his knees in front of them. He killed her ...

Danny woke up in a cold sweat. He rolled over to face Michelle. He stared into her beautiful understanding eyes. He attempted a smile-sadness reflected back at him. She reached out and caressed his cheek. He kissed the palm of her hand.


"I thought I lost you.," he said quietly.

"Don't."

"I-I'm sorry...," He apologized.

"No!," She stopped him with a finger to his lips.

"I have to...I-I have to tell you these things."

"No...no you don't.," she disagreed. She rolled on to her back and stared at the ceiling. He reached out and put his hand on her stomach

"I thought--I thought you were hit. I kept pulling that trigger...I had to stop him."

"It's okay..."

"When it was over. The silence...it scared me more than anything. I saw you there...and the blood...I was sure-"

"Shhhh!," She quieted him.

"What were you thinking?," he asked.

"Danny."

"Tell me...please."

"I--we shouldn't do this...I don't want to. I-- we need time.," She protested.

"Tell me.," he whispered.

His eyes were dark and heavy with emotion. "I--I was confused. It was too quiet...I couldn't speak. I couldn't see you. I saw you...I saw the gun. I saw the flashes of fire, but I didn't know.," she gulped back tears. "I was angry that moments before we had been arguing. I spent a month alone in that apartment locked away from the world. Trying to forget. Trying to believe that it was all over. I was so mad...mad that for the first time in a long time I thought we could understand each other. NO regrets!," she sobbed..."No regrets and there we were, covered in blood. Guns, shouting, it was happening to us. Again!," her voice had risen. He could see her chest heaving. He was carried back to that night. He felt her anger.

She buried her face in his neck and whispered, "I thought we were going to die." He felt her tears on his bare chest.

"So did I." he whispered back.

"Then I felt your hand in my own. It was so warm.," She moved closer to him and lay her head on his chest.

"I needed to touch you." He held her hand. Her tiny fingers consumed by his own.

"I never want to feel like that again."

"We won't. Never again."

She smiled at him through her tears. "No promises. Not tonight. Okay?"

"Okay." He kissed her fingers.

"I think I knew you'd be alright when I heard how angry you were. You were so pissed off.," she laughed then.

"It was so "Danny" of you..." Lifting her body to stare into his face she beamed at him.

He gave a little snort and smiled back at her. "So "Danny" of me?"

They laughed together for a while.

Embracing each other they began to heal. The pain, the loneliness, the fear slowly being erased... by hope.