Page 77 of Twisted Love

“No!” I cry, my voice raw and broken as the gunshot rings out.

The sound is deafening, a sharp crack that reverberates through the room and leaves a ringing in my ears. Charles collapses backward, his body crumpling against the wall like a broken marionette. Blood pools beneath him, staining the wooden floor in a dark, spreading shadow.

My chest heaves with sobs, but I force myself to turn away, to focus on the man in my arms. Earl’s head lolls against my shoulder, his skin cold and clammy. Blood seeps through my fingers as I press against the wound in his shoulder, trying to stem the flow.

“Stay with me,” I plead, my voice trembling. Tears blur my vision as I cradle his face, searching his eyes for any sign of recognition. “Please, Earl, don’t leave me again.”

A faint smile ghosts across his lips. “I’m not going anywhere,” he murmurs, his voice weak but laced with determination. “Not without you.”

A choked sob escapes me as I clutch him tighter. The police move around us, their voices distant and muted in the haze of my panic. Paramedics rush in, their equipment clattering as they begin to assess the scene. One of them crouches beside us. I instantly pull back, but Earl squeezes my hand and won’t let go.

“Save him. Please save him,” I beg to the paramedic.

“It’s okay. I’m not leaving your side,” I whisper and let go of his hand. “Let them help you.”

Earl’s eyes remain on mine as a silent reassurance passes between us. Then he nods and my heart breaks when I release him into their care. My hands are stained red and trembling uncontrollably. I watch them work while my insides are twisted with terror.

As the paramedics lift him onto the stretcher, my legs give out, and I sink to the floor, my chest heaving with quiet sobs. A police officer crouches down beside me. He tries to calm me down and ask me questions, but I can barely process his words.

The only thing I can focus on is Earl disappearing through the door as the paramedics rush him to the ambulance. My heart feels like it’s being ripped from my chest, but amid the terror and despair, one thought anchors me.

We’ve survived this far. We can survive anything.

CHAPTER47

EARL

The hospital room is quiet, the sterile hum of machines the only sound breaking the stillness. I wake to the faint scent of her—soft, floral, like warmth and safety wrapped into one. My eyes open, and there she is, sitting in the chair beside my bed. My Raven.

Her hair is pulled back, wisps framing her face, and there’s an exhaustion in her posture that tells me she hasn’t left my side. She looks like an angel, even in her weariness. The sight of so much beauty squeezes my heart.

“Hey,” I croak, my throat rough and dry as sandpaper.

Her gaze swings to mine, and relief floods her face. “Earl,” she breathes, leaning closer. Her hand brushes my cheek, and I feel the warmth of her palm against my skin. “You’re awake.”

I smile faintly, weakly, but it’s all I can manage. “Yup. Still here.”

Tears brim in her eyes as she presses a soft kiss to my forehead. “Don’t you dare scare me like that again.”

“Didn’t mean to,” I murmur, my fingers twitching to reach for hers. She takes my hand without hesitation, her grip is soft and infinitely tender.

We sit like that for a moment, in comfortable silence. There’s so much I want to say, but I don’t know where to start. Her thumb strokes over my knuckles, her gaze dropping to our intertwined hands.

“Raven,” I start. “We need to talk.”

She nods, a trace of worry flickering across her face. “I know.”

“First,” I say, swallowing hard. “I need to apologize. For the way I’ve treated you. For the way I’ve shut you out, the way I held onto the past, I should’ve let go of it all a long time ago.”

She shakes her head quickly. “No, Earl. You don’t have to do this now. You?—”

“I do,” I interrupt gently. “You’ve been everything to me, Raven. And I’ve been holding onto anger because I didn’t know how to deal with how much you mean to me. But you deserve the truth. All of it.”

Her brow furrows, and I see her mind working, the concern etching into her features. “What truth?” she asks softly.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “Years ago, at that party … I heard you. I heard what you said to Annabelle.”

Her eyes widen, her hand still in mine. “Earl …”

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