Chapter 30 #2
My wife.
My trembling wife.
My trembling wife with blood dripping down her temple.
Madeleine’s beautiful blue eyes lock onto mine, coated in terror.
All of my fury unleashes as I point my gun in Cressida’s direction, pressing my finger firmly against the trigger.
“Drop the fucking gun, Cressida!”
She spins, throwing her free hand against her chest while still keeping her gun aimed at Madeleine.
“Oh, Eli, you scared me.” A smile grows on her face.
One that would haunt children’s nightmares.
“You came for me!” she exclaims. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
I mean, I knew you would one day, and now here you are. For me.”
Oh, bloody hell. This isn’t good.
Leo exchanges a glance with me, one that says, We might have a problem.
Yeah, I’d say we fucking do.
He cautiously steps toward my right side. “Step away from Madeleine,” he orders. “We don’t want to hurt you, but if we have to, we will.”
Cressida frowns. “Eli wouldn’t let you hurt me. Right, Eli?”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Cressida,” I say firmly. “Because if you attempt to hurt my wife any further, I will be forced to stop you by any means necessary.”
Cressida’s body freezes, her skin paling.
Her lips part as she repeatedly blinks, soaking in my words.
“I think I misheard you.” Her eyes jump to Madeleine as the gun in her hand begins to wobble, and she slowly lowers it to her side.
“Did you…” Her eyes bounce back to me, throwing daggers my way. “Did you say, wife?”
I swallow hard, aware that one wrong move or word could set her off. She’s like a firecracker with an extremely short fuse, one I don’t want to ignite.
And wife was probably the worst word for her to hear.
The tension in the air becomes stifling. Vin and Mauro distance themselves from me, blocking all escape routes. Their postures are rigid, and their eyes are unnerving as they watch their sister shiver on the ground.
“I did,” I respond evenly. “Madeleine is my wife.”
“But… But how?” Her eyes water, a single tear escaping, sliding down her cheek. “You were supposed to marry me.” She shakes her head, disbelieving my words. “I did all of this so that you would end up with me!” she screams in frustration.
With reluctance, I lower my gun as I take a step forward. “I’m sorry, Cressida. Truly, I am. But Madeleine is the one my heart has always belonged to. There’s nothing you or any other woman, for that matter, could have done to change that.”
She blinks away her tears, her eyes pinching shut as she aggressively shakes her head. “You’re… You’re lying!”
I take another step toward her, causing her to swiftly raise her gun at Madeleine. Fuck. Not wanting to make matters worse, I decide to drop mine to the ground to show her I mean no harm. “I’m not,” I answer softly.
She presses her free hand against her head, her fingers digging into her scalp, appearing to be in pain. “This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.”
This is more than good versus evil.
This is someone who’s struggling.
Someone whose mind told her a different story than what reality presented her with.
Someone who needs help.
“We can get you help,” I offer, taking another step.
“I know it seems impossible now, but you don’t always have to feel this way.
” I look down at Madeleine, her gaze holding mine.
“I’ve been told it’s okay not to be okay.
And I’m here to tell you the same thing, too.
” One side of her lips lift slightly before my attention turns back toward Cressida.
“There are people who can assist you. There are options we can explore to help you feel better. Medicines. Therapy.”
Tears stream down her face. “I’ve tried everything,” she murmurs quietly.
“Nothing ever works.” Her eyes flick down to the floor, and I think this is my chance to apprehend her.
But just as I take another step, her head shakes violently as she looks up at me, her gaze rushing between each of the Alaries behind me.
Her chest heaves, her arm straightens, and the gun gets closer to Madeleine.
“I brought her here to give her a choice. To marry my brother and forget about you, or if she refused, I would be forced to kill her.” Her features contort, defeat crossing her eyes.
“But if she already married you, then she’ll never forget you.
And I can never forgive her for taking what was mine.
” She closes her eyes. “Please forgive me, Eli.”
“Cressida, no!” I roar.
At the exact moment, two shots ring out into the air.
One, a bullet from Alex’s gun.
The other, from Cressida’s.
My eyes dart to Madeleine, who clutches her shoulder, blood exuding between her fingers as Cressida’s body drops to the floor with a loud thud.
I run to Madeleine, dropping to my knees as I tear off the bottom half of my shirt and use it to wrap around her shoulder as a tourniquet. She groans out in agony as I tighten it.
“Eli,” she sobs, reaching her trembling hands for me. “It hurts so much.”
As someone who’s been shot at least a handful of times, I know firsthand the burning pain she’s experiencing.
And I wish there was a way I could carry it for her.
“I’m sorry, Princess.” I scoop her up into my arms, cradling her to my chest. “I’m so fucking sorry, but you’re going to be okay. I promise. I’m getting you out of here. I’m taking you home.”
“Hurry,” she says faintly, her face paling.
Leo looks down at her, fear coating his irises. “Alex and I will take care of Cressida. Get Madeleine to the house. Now.”
I turn quickly, not waiting for further instructions.
“I need you to stay awake, love. Can you do that for me?”
She nods, but her eyes begin to flutter closed. From the red coating her pale skin, I know she’s losing way too much damn blood.
“Madeleine!” I shout with force.
Her eyelids pop open, but only for a second.
“Fuck!”
“Dr. Rose, have everything ready for a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Extensive blood loss,” Vin clips into his phone as we race through the woods for my SUV.
I approach the back, and Mauro opens the door so that I can slide her gently across the seat. She whimpers at the impact. “I know, love. I know,” I say softly as I sit beside her, resting her head on my thigh.
Mauro jumps into the driver’s seat while Vin takes the passenger seat. My heart races violently in my chest with each second the drive home takes. Mauro presses down on the gas pedal, accelerating the vehicle as fast as it will go, but it still doesn’t feel fast enough.
Looking in the rearview mirror, I find pure, unfiltered fear in their eyes. Nothing like I’ve ever seen before.
Which only adds to my own alarm.
I stare down at Madeleine, gliding a trembling finger over her soft cheeks, pushing back her loose strands of hair.
I lean forward and press a soft kiss on her forehead. “I won’t lose you, Princess. Not after I just got you back.”