Chapter 30 #2
Atelia starts pacing now, shaking her head to herself like she’s arguing with ghosts only she can see.
“But it was never enough.” She laughs bitterly. “It was never enough for him to look at me the way he looked at her since college.”
My heartbeat slows, dread crawling into my veins inch by inch.
“Atelia…” My voice comes out smaller now.
“You know what the funny part is?” Her eyes snap toward me suddenly. “I killed her for him.”
“What?” My breathing catches, halting.
“She was weak.” Atelia shrugs shakily. “Always crying, always needing him.” Her lip curls slightly. “And she was making him weak too.”
“You killed…”
“Yes, Christine, I did.” She smiles faintly through tears. “I killed them both.” Her voice softens strangely.
My stomach locks fiercely.
Blue starts crying louder, terrified now by the sound of Atelia’s voice alone.
“But then he mourned her anyway.” Atelia’s expression twists. “Do you know what that does to a person? Watching the man you love destroy himself over somebody you already removed?”
I can’t breathe properly anymore, every instinct in my body is screaming to run.
But there’s nowhere to go.
“Atelia…” Tears burn my eyes now. “Please.”
“And then you happened.” She points the gun directly at me again and my body locks instantly. “You.” Her voice trembles. “After everything I did… after everything I became for him…” Her face contorts. “He looked at you like you were air.”
I shake my head rapidly.
“He loves you,” she spits. “He stopped sleeping around.” She laughs bitterly. “He started smiling again and started acting human again.” Her eyes brim now. “Do you understand how humiliating that is?”
She wipes angrily at tears sliding down her face.
“So yes,” she continues coldly, “I sent the messages.”
My heartbeat stutters.
“I wanted you scared and removed.” She shrugs flippantly. “The truck driver was easy.” She shrugs. “The ambush by men from a rival family was even easier. Men become very cooperative when you promise them that Robert’s empire will collapse at their feet.”
“And Enzo?” My voice breaks horribly.
She goes still for half a second, pain dragging across her face again.
“He was going to be a problem… He would’ve figured it out eventually.”
“You killed him?” I choke.
“I had to.”
The simplicity of it terrifies me more than screaming would have.
“And now,” she whispers brokenly, lifting the gun fully, “I finally get to keep him to myself because I know he won’t survive this one.”
“Atelia please…” I clutch Blue tighter instantly.
“I can’t let him love you.” Tears stream freely down her face now. “I can’t live with it.”
The gun clicks.
I twist, scrambling backward across the sand with Blue crushed against me just as the shot explodes.
Pain detonates through my leg and I scream as the bullet tears through my thigh hard enough to send me crashing sideways into the wet sand.
The pain is unbearable.
Blinding.
“Atelia!” I choke out.
She walks toward us slowly, still crying while pointing the gun.
And somehow that makes it worse because she looks heartbroken while doing it.
“I really did try to love you too,” she whispers.
Then another gunshot shatters through the night.
Atelia freezes.
For one strange second, confusion flickers across her face, then blood bursts from the back of her skull, splashing all over.
Her body collapses forward into the sand with a dull wet sound.
I see him then.
Robert, standing several feet behind her with smoke curling from the barrel of his gun, his eyes locked on me with pure terror.
For half a second, my brain refuses to catch up. Everything around me still feels loud. The ocean. Blue crying. My pulse clawing against my ribs. The agony burning through my leg where the bullet tore through me.
“Christine…” Robert calls out my name and I snap out of it.
I scramble toward him instantly, dragging Blue against my chest with one arm while my injured leg screams beneath me.
When I reach him, I’m sobbing so hard I can’t breathe properly.
Robert drops to his knees and catches both of us against him immediately, one arm crushing around my back while the other cups Blue’s head protectively against his chest.
“Easy,” he breathes harshly. “Easy, baby. I’ve got you.”
But I can’t stop shaking.
I bury my face against his neck, crying so violently my entire body jerks with it while Blue clings between us, hiccuping frightened little sobs into Robert’s shoulder.
“She…” I choke on the words. “She said… she…”
“You’re okay.” Robert’s hand slides into my hair, soothing me with tender strokes. “You’re okay.”
“Did you...” I pull back just enough to look at him properly, my vision blurring from tears. “Did you hear what she said?”
His brow lifts.
“She said she killed your wife.” I shudder out. “Your son. Robert, she said she…”
“I didn’t hear it.” He cuts in.
“What?” I blink at him.
His hand cups my jaw carefully, thumb brushing beneath my eye while he stares at me like I’m the only thing still holding the earth together.
“I came outside,” he coos softly, “And all I saw was someone pointing a gun at the woman I love.”
My mouth parts slightly but nothing comes out.
And maybe I should react differently. Maybe I should say something profound or beautiful or life-changing but instead a broken laugh bursts out of me so suddenly it turns into another sob halfway through.
I press my forehead against his shoulder again, crying and laughing at the same time like my body no longer knows the difference between relief and grief.
Somewhere behind us, a groan suddenly breaks through the chaos.
“Oh my God,” Aisha wheezes weakly.
I twist, pulling away to face her.
She’s still sprawled near the tunnel entrance, blinking sluggishly while holding the back of her head.
“Aisha…” I gasp.
“What…” She winces. “What the hell happened?”
I stare at her for one stunned second before another hysterical laugh escapes me.
“Atelia tried to kill us.”
Aisha freezes, then her face contorts.
“I always knew that bitch was up to no good,” she groans dramatically. “I just couldn’t place my fingers on it.”
The absurdity of it shatters whatever composure I have left.
I laugh harder, tears streaming down my face while my body still shakes from terror and adrenaline and the horrifying reality of how close we came to dying tonight.
Blue starts laughing too because I’m laughing.
And suddenly Robert is laughing under his breath as well, forehead dropping briefly against mine like he can’t believe this is real either.
The sound feels almost insane surrounded by blood and bodies and gunpowder.
But it’s alive.
We’re alive.