Chapter 9
The shot rang out like thunder.
Carter cried out and dropped his rifle, clutching his shoulder. He fell to his knees, blood seeping through his fingers.
I kept my pistol aimed at him.
"Don't move," I said.
He looked up at me, his face twisted with pain and rage.
"You shot me," he said, disbelieving. "You fucking shot me."
"You pointed a rifle at me," I said. "I did what I had to do. Stay down. Help is coming."
He laughed. A wet, gurgling sound.
"You think this changes anything?" he said. "You think they'll believe you? I was just trying to get my fiancée back. You kidnapped her. You shot me in cold blood. I'm the victim here."
"Shut up, Jake," I said.
"No, you shut up!" he shouted. "You ruined my life! I had it all! A beautiful woman who loved me. A career that meant something. Respect! And you took it all away because of one little mistake in an airport!"
"It wasn't just the airport," I said. "It was Sarah. It was the other women. It was the texts you sent Lila. It was the pattern of abuse that you've been hiding for years. You did this to yourself, Jake. Not me."
He tried to stand up. I took a step forward, keeping the pistol aimed at his chest.
"I said stay down."
He glared at me. Then he smiled. A horrible, knowing smile.
"You know what the worst part is?" he said. "Lila really loved me. She would have done anything for me. And you took that away from her. You took her happiness. You think she's going to thank you for that? She's going to hate you, Elena. For the rest of her life, she's going to hate you for ruining the only thing that made her happy."
His words hit me like a punch to the gut.
Was he right?
Would Lila ever forgive me? For coming back from the dead? For destroying the man she loved? For turning her whole world upside down?
I pushed the thought away.
"She'll understand," I said, but my voice wasn't as steady as I wanted it to be. "She'll understand that you were never good for her."
Carter laughed again. Then he winced in pain.
We heard sirens in the distance. Getting closer.
Marcus's team.
Carter heard them too. His face went pale. He knew it was over.
"You might have won this round, Vance," he said quietly. "But this isn't the end. I'll get out. I'll find her. And when I do—"
"You're never getting out," I said. "Not after this. Not after everything you've done."
The sirens got louder. Blue and red lights flashed through the trees.
Marcus burst through the underbrush first, pistol raised, followed by a team of military police.
"Elena!" he called out.
"Over here," I said, never taking my eyes off Carter.
Marcus saw Carter on the ground, bleeding from the shoulder. He saw the rifle on the ground nearby. He saw my pistol still aimed at Carter's chest.
"Secure him," Marcus ordered the MPs.
They moved in, cuffing Carter roughly, applying pressure to his wound. He glared at me the whole time. Pure hatred.
As they carried him to the ambulance, he looked over his shoulder at me.
"This isn't over!" he shouted. "I'll find her! I swear to God, I'll find her!"
I lowered my pistol. My hands were shaking.
Marcus came to me, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"You okay?" he asked.
I nodded, but I wasn't sure if it was true.
"Where's Lila?" he asked.
"Over there," I said, pointing toward the oak tree. "Hiding with Sarah."
Marcus went to get them.
Lila ran to me first, throwing her arms around my neck and crying. Sarah followed, her face pale but relieved.
"You did it," Lila whispered. "You saved us."
I held her tight, but Carter's words echoed in my head.
She's going to hate you for the rest of her life.
I pushed them away. I had to be strong. For her.
"It's over," I said. "He's gone. He's never going to hurt anyone again."
But as I watched the ambulance drive away, lights flashing, I knew it wasn't really over.
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The trial was coming. The media circus. The healing.
And I had no idea if our family would survive it.
