Page 144 of Ruined Vows

“Call an ambulance!” I scream, tearing away more cloth from my dress to press against the wound, taking over from Isaak. He looks ready to pass out any second.

The church has emptied, but surely someone’s already called nine-one-one after the gun went off? And ambulances automatically show up with the cops, right?

“You fucking slut,” comes a voice from behind me, one I recognize but don’t at the same time. I look up and gasp.

Drew didn’t run with the others. He’s slowly walking down the aisle toward us.

Isaak grunts and tries to move, but I press him down by his chest. The white cloth against his side is already completely red, and I can tell blood is pooling beneath him in spite of the stupid fucking red carpet my mother insisted on rolling down the aisle.It’s royal, she said.We’re Texas royalty.

We’re both about to be dead.

I look down into Isaak’s eyes. I guess he was right.

It has been a horror movie, after all.

I’d cup his face if I wasn’t using all my strength to keep pressure on his wound.

“I love you,” I whisper, tears falling down my cheek.

“Oh, well, isn’t this the sweetest scene? The whore weeping over her dead bodyguard.”

I look up with hatred at Drew standing over us with smug satisfaction on his face. “Fuck you! You’ll spend the rest of your life in prison for this!”

“Ohh, they don’t put people like me in prison, darling.”

“You literally shot him in front of an entire congregation of people. There are hundreds of witnesses. Even you can’t get away with murder.”

“You mean rescuing you from a thug?” His face transforms then as if he’s getting into character. “He was reaching for a gun, I swear, Officer. I had to protect my new bride. Women can be so easily fooled, and he was trying to take her for all she was worth.”

I shake my head. My whole body’s shaking, really. He’s so fucking evil. “You’ll never get away with it.”

“Of course I will. Men like me get away with whatever we want. Money and influence make you a king in this world. My father’s got both, and now, with that ring on your finger, I’ve got all the money I could ever want?—”

“You’ll never, ever please your father. You’re a pathetic waste of a son.”

“Take it back!” His hand slams against my cheek, knocking me sideways away from Isaak.

Drew’s still looking my way when Isaak yanks something from his boot and heaves an arm upward between Drew’s legs.

Drew screams in pain as blood blooms on the white tux at his groin. He drops to the ground beside us, and the next thing I see, the men are wrestling one another.

“Isaak!” I cry.

But before I can pull them off each other, two gunshots go off in quick succession. I scream and run forward, only to see Isaac pushing Drew off him.

Drew, who no longer has the top of his skull.

The relief that hits me at the gruesome sight is probably sinful, but I don’t fucking care. I’ve never been glad to see somebody dead, but I am now. I’m so glad he’s dead. He reaped what he sowed.

Isaac is dripping blood as he grabs at the edge of a pew to drag himself to his feet.

“No, don’t!” I race forward, bracing my shoulder under the stubborn bastard’s arm, when I realize he’s determined to walk out of here.

He’s barely standing, barely breathing, but as we walk, blood trailing behind us, the best man I’ll ever know whispers, “Love you, too, Red.”

EPILOGUE I

ISAAK

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