Atonement(56)

Several 0f them approached Colin and began shouting at him while he pushed me out of the way. “Go get help,” he told me in English under his breath.

“No f*cking way. I’m not leaving you here on your own.”

“Your little skank whore has a mouth on her,” one of them said in clear English. “If you were one of our women, we’d cut your tongue out and all have a go with you!”

Suddenly one approached Colin and smashed a glass bottle against the side of his head. He went down and I immediately grabbed the sharp edge of the bottle and hovered over him as I pointed the jagged edge of the bottle their way.

“If you don’t get the f*ck out of here, I will use this!” I exclaimed in anger.

Several lights from apartments overhead flicked on and Dutch voices shouted out of the windows, causing the youth to take off in all directions. I threw the bottle to the side and tried to get a look at the cut on the side of Colin’s head but he held his hand there protectively.

A younger Dutch gentleman walked up and began to speak, “I’m a doctor. Do you think I can have a look at that cut, sir?”

Colin nodded and said something to the guy in Dutch. The doctor began ranting in Dutch and what ever he said wasn’t exactly all that great by the tone of his voice.

“I’m leaving this shit country. I finally managed to get a very nice employment package from a hospital in Alberta, Canada. My family and I are out of here by the end of the month. It’s a goddamn shame you can’t even walk home at night without being attacked.” He shined a pin light on the cut. “You’re going to need stitches but you’ll live. My wife and I are up just across the street in the apartment right there. I can do them if your girlfriend isn’t too squeamish.”

I smiled at the doctor. “I’m not. I promise.”

We followed the doctor back to his apartment. Boxes were stacked everywhere and his tall and equally blonde and blue-eyed wife welcomed us. They were both fair-haired and pale eyed, welcoming but a bit reserved until Colin continued to speak Dutch to them.

The doctor’s wife offered me water while Colin had the side of his head stitched up. It was right at the hairline so it turned out he didn’t have to undergo a haircut but he would have a nasty looking bruise there which was already starting to form.

Afterwards, we thanked our hosts and offered money they turned down as they considered it an insult. Colin walked out but I stayed behind. “Thank you for your generosity.” I handed them my mobile number. “If you’re ever in Seattle, please allow us to take you out to dinner.”

Doctor Rutte stared at me with cool pale blue eyes. “This attack—it’s really shaken you up. Are you sure you’re all right?”

I shook my head and began to sob. “My dad was murdered in a hit and run almost seven months ago and tonight just brought it all back. I was so worried I would lose Colin too…thank you for doing what you have done because you didn’t have to do anything and we both know it.”

He smiled at me. “Yeah but people in this country…we do nothing all the time and perhaps that is why we are in the situation we’re in right now. I hope one day to return and live here again but…who knows? Life is a very strange phenomenon, isn’t it? One minute we are here and the next we are gone.”

I grabbed his hand though this startled him and squeezed. “Thank you. I truly believe if you hadn’t come…just know I am very grateful to both of you. Good night Doctor and Mrs. Rutte.”

They said their goodbyes and we waited until the cab we called pulled up. We were only three blocks from our apartment but neither of us wanted to risk walking.

The moment we got back, Colin shed his clothes and walked to the bathroom where he immediately took a shower. I took my clothes off and slipped into a cute white negligee I’d bought in Nice.

Colin walked out of the bathroom twenty minutes later with a towel wrapped around his narrow hips and a hand towel drying his hair. “I hope tonight didn’t spook you.”

I glared at him as if he’d recently smoked crack. “I’m scared, Colin. I could have lost you tonight. I’m thinking the day after tomorrow, we board a plane to Paris, spend a couple of days there and we go home early. My European vacation is officially over as far as I am concerned. Plus, we’ll have some time to spend together in Seattle before the real world comes crashing in.”

“Come on, Deirdre. I’m fine—it’s barely a scratch for God’s sake. I like being away with you and we have had so much fun. Don’t let this one incident wreck anything. Besides, I probably deserved it.”