Chapter 46
FORTY-SIX
Reese
I swing back around to see Lawrence standing in the middle of the room with his hand over his belly, staring at Victoria.
He sways back and forth and then he drops down onto the floor, lying on his back, his hand clutching his stomach.
I rush over to him, laying my hand over his. ‘Call an ambulance,’ I yell at Victoria who is standing with the gun in her hand, her face pale and eyes wide with shock.
‘He was going to kill us,’ she says.
‘Victoria, just call an ambulance.’ Blood covers my hands as I push down.
She drops the gun and goes over to her phone, picks it up and fumbles with it.
‘Use mine,’ I scream, using one hand to pull my phone out of my pocket as I press down on Lawrence’s gushing wound.
‘Please don’t die,’ I keep saying to Lawrence. ‘Please don’t die.’
‘Help,’ I hear Victoria say. ‘Please help.’ And then she keeps talking and I know whoever has answered the phone is asking her questions because she is telling them what has happened and repeating the address.
‘They’ll be here soon, they’re coming,’ she says, dropping down beside me.
On the floor, Lawrence’s eyes are flickering. ‘Reesy?’ he says as though he has just seen me. He sounds surprised that I’m here.
‘Yes, Lawrence,’ I reply. ‘Hold on, help is coming.’
‘Reesy,’ he wheezes. ‘I can’t wait to marry you.’ And then he closes his eyes.
‘Lawrence, Lawrence,’ I shout, shaking him but he doesn’t move and I feel something shift, a momentary movement of air, and I know he’s gone.
The street is soon filled with sirens and Victoria goes to open the door, and then there are people everywhere and I am pulled away.
Victoria and I stand together, watching as the paramedics work on Lawrence, even though it’s too late. There is blood on my hands and blood on my clothes and the iron smell of it is everywhere.
We are escorted outside by two policemen.
‘Can you take me through exactly what happened here?’ asks one of them. He has a neat grey beard and brown eyes.
I open my mouth to explain but nothing comes out. Because I have no idea how to explain it or to let them know that all of this was my fault.