Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Roman appeared, racing over the hill, seeing us. He held up his hands as he approached. “Let her go.”
Marianne laughed, the sound crazed. “Not happening.” She aimed her gun at him. “Don’t come any closer.”
I screamed as Roman kept coming, and Marianne shot at him. His body jolted, his arms flying upright, and he stopped, looking down at his shoulder. Blood soaked the material of his suit. But he kept walking. He met my wild, panicked gaze. “It’s going to be fine, Effie.”
He stopped a short distance away.
“Tell me what you want, and let her go,” he demanded.
Marianne shook her head, and I smelled her odor. She was high. Dirty. She reeked of weed and alcohol. And she was frantic. She tightened her grip on my hair.
Roman tried to get her attention. “Timothy is dead, Marianne. I killed him, so your backup is gone. You have two choices. I kill you, or I give you what you want and you give me what I want.”
I felt the cold barrel of her gun pressed into my neck. “You think you want my worthless sister?” she goaded him. “She can’t be that good in bed.”
“I’ll give you five million. You name the account, and it’ll be transferred now. You let her go and leave us alone. You can live a good life with five million.”
Marianne scoffed. “Why should I let her be happy?”
Roman looked distressed. “She won’t be. She doesn’t even love me. But I love her. Give her back to me. Ten million.”
I felt Marianne’s excitement. Ten million dollars. She would live the life she always wanted and would cease to care about me.
Until she ran out of money.
“No,” I protested, struggling against her. “Roman, no!”
He shook his head, listing slightly. He was losing blood. Too much blood. It soaked through his jacket sleeve and dripped from his hand. I had to get to him.
“I love you,” he insisted. “She can have it all.”
“I’m not worth it!”
“Yes,” he insisted. “You are.”
Marianne’s temper broke, and she dug her gun deeply into my neck. “You can’t have her. She doesn’t deserve it!”
Roman rushed forward, stumbling, trying to stay upright. Trying to get to me. Every instinct kicked in, and I lifted my foot, stomping on Marianne’s instep. She cried out, and I spun, pushing her away. I raced toward Roman, pointing the gun I had taken from Alex’s lifeless body and shooting it over my shoulder, not knowing where the bullets would land. I felt a sharp pain graze across my leg and another along my head, but I ignored it. I heard Marianne’s cry of agony as I dropped to my knees, cradling Roman’s head.
“No,” I sobbed. “Roman, please. Stay with me. I do love you. I love you so much. I need you. Please.”
Marianne lurched to her feet, spitting in rage. Blood ran down her arm where one of the bullets had pierced her skin. She lifted her gun, aiming it right at me, but before I could do anything, another gunshot rang out. A small hole materialized in her head, and the look on her face was one of shock.
Then she dropped.
Aldo appeared, running fast, his gun drawn. He looked determined. Furious. Like an avenging angel set on murder.
Roman’s eyes fluttered, and he lifted his hand, the blood from his injury coating his skin.
“Now you’re safe.”
“Stay with me. I love you,” I pleaded.
He tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace. “That’s all I need.”
And he passed out.
CHAPTER 27
ROMAN
Iwoke up with a gasp, my first coherent thought of my wife.
“Effie.”
Aldo loomed over me, his face concerned. “She’s fine, Roman.” He indicated the side of the bed I was in. “She’s asleep, finally.”
I looked over, the movement making me grimace. Effie was in a chair pulled beside the bed. She was asleep as Aldo said, her skin pale. Gauze was wrapped around her arm, and there was a bandage on her head from the gunshot inflicted on her by Marianne.
“She hasn’t left your side, Roman. She refused to go anywhere. I had to force her to get treated.”
I drank her in. She was alive. Hurt, but alive. The threats to her had been eliminated.
My gaze swung back to Aldo. “Status.”
He knew what I needed.
“Marianne is dead. Timothy is dead. Gregory is shitting himself, terrified of your retribution over this.”
“How did this happen?”
He shut his eyes. “Jesus, Roman. What a clusterfuck. Do you know what I felt, racing to that cemetery? Seeing you lying there bleeding out, with Effie hovering over you like an angel, bleeding herself? And that psycho bitch aiming her gun, determined to kill you both?”
“You got her first.”
“Right between the eyes.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded, and I cleared my throat. He grabbed a glass, lifting it to my mouth, and I drank the cool water greedily. Then he sat. “I thought we’d lost you. Shit, I should get the doctor.”