Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 90778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
“Earl!” I scream, as he collapses against me. Blood seeps through his shirt, staining my hands. Screaming, I press against the wound. My vision blurs with tears.
“Oh my God, no,” I say, I can’t say even a word again, tears pouring from my eyes. “Oh my God. Oh my God. No.”
“You’re going to be okay,” I swear to Earl, my voice breaking. “You’re going to be okay.”
Charles remains slumped on the ground, his face swollen and bloodied, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. He tries to push himself up, but his arms give out, his strength failing him. His eyes are wild, darting between me and Earl, filled with equal parts fury and desperation.
The gun trembles in his hand, the metallic barrel catching the light and sending chills down my spine. I barely dare to breathe, frozen in place as the room becomes a pressure cooker of tension. Earl stirs in my arms, his face pale and his breaths shallow, but his focus remains locked on Charles.
The distant wail of sirens grows louder, slicing through the suffocating silence. Relief should wash over me, but it doesn’t. The danger isn’t over—not yet. Charles’s gaze shifts toward the door as the sound draws closer, his body tensing like a cornered animal. His lips curl into a twisted smirk, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
“You think this is over?” he rasps, his voice hoarse and broken. He lifts the gun, its barrel wavering as his hand trembles. “You can’t take her from me. She was always mine.”
“Charles, stop!” I scream, my voice cracking with desperation. “For fucks sake stop!”
The front door bursts open with a deafening crash, and police officers flood the room, their shouts cutting through the chaos.
“Drop the weapon!” one commands. All their guns are trained on Charles.
Charles looks around wildly, his breathing frantic, sweat and blood streaking his face. For a moment, his hand lowers, and hope flickers in my chest. But then his eyes meet mine, dark and empty, and I see his resolve harden.
“If I can’t have you …” he whispers, the words trailing off as he raises the gun—not toward us, but toward himself.
“No!” I cry, my voice raw and broken as the gunshot rings out.
The sound is deafening, a sharp crack that reverberates through the room and leaves a ringing in my ears. Charles collapses backward, his body crumpling against the wall like a broken marionette. Blood pools beneath him, staining the wooden floor in a dark, spreading shadow.
My chest heaves with sobs, but I force myself to turn away, to focus on the man in my arms. Earl’s head lolls against my shoulder, his skin cold and clammy. Blood seeps through my fingers as I press against the wound in his shoulder, trying to stem the flow.
“Stay with me,” I plead, my voice trembling. Tears blur my vision as I cradle his face, searching his eyes for any sign of recognition. “Please, Earl, don’t leave me again.”
A faint smile ghosts across his lips. “I’m not going anywhere,” he murmurs, his voice weak but laced with determination. “Not without you.”
A choked sob escapes me as I clutch him tighter. The police move around us, their voices distant and muted in the haze of my panic. Paramedics rush in, their equipment clattering as they begin to assess the scene. One of them crouches beside us. I instantly pull back, but Earl squeezes my hand and won’t let go.
“Save him. Please save him,” I beg to the paramedic.
“It’s okay. I’m not leaving your side,” I whisper and let go of his hand. “Let them help you.”
Earl’s eyes remain on mine as a silent reassurance passes between us. Then he nods and my heart breaks when I release him into their care. My hands are stained red and trembling uncontrollably. I watch them work while my insides are twisted with terror.
As the paramedics lift him onto the stretcher, my legs give out, and I sink to the floor, my chest heaving with quiet sobs. A police officer crouches down beside me. He tries to calm me down and ask me questions, but I can barely process his words.
The only thing I can focus on is Earl disappearing through the door as the paramedics rush him to the ambulance. My heart feels like it’s being ripped from my chest, but amid the terror and despair, one thought anchors me.
We’ve survived this far. We can survive anything.
CHAPTER 47
EARL
The hospital room is quiet, the sterile hum of machines the only sound breaking the stillness. I wake to the faint scent of her—soft, floral, like warmth and safety wrapped into one. My eyes open, and there she is, sitting in the chair beside my bed. My Raven.
Her hair is pulled back, wisps framing her face, and there’s an exhaustion in her posture that tells me she hasn’t left my side. She looks like an angel, even in her weariness. The sight of so much beauty squeezes my heart.