Page 140 of Betrayed in the Dark
Mytremblingwife.
My trembling wife with blood dripping down her temple.
Madeleine’s beautiful blue eyes lock onto mine, coated in terror.
All of my fury unleashes as I point my gun in Cressida’s direction, pressing my finger firmly against the trigger.
“Drop the fucking gun, Cressida!”
She spins, throwing her free hand against her chest while still keeping her gun aimed at Madeleine. “Oh, Eli, you scared me.” A smile grows on her face. One that would haunt children’s nightmares. “You came for me!” she exclaims. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, I knew you would one day, and now here you are. For me.”
Oh, bloody hell.This isn’t good.
Leo exchanges a glance with me, one that says,We might have a problem.
Yeah, I’d say we fucking do.
He cautiously steps toward my right side. “Step away from Madeleine,” he orders. “We don’t want to hurt you, but if we have to, we will.”
Cressida frowns. “Eli wouldn’t let you hurt me. Right, Eli?”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Cressida,” I say firmly. “Because if you attempt to hurt my wife any further, I will be forced to stop you by any means necessary.”
Cressida’s body freezes, her skin paling. Her lips part as she repeatedly blinks, soaking in my words. “I think I misheardyou.” Her eyes jump to Madeleine as the gun in her hand begins to wobble, and she slowly lowers it to her side. “Did you…” Her eyes bounce back to me, throwing daggers my way. “Did you say, wife?”
I swallow hard, aware that one wrong move or word could set her off. She’s like a firecracker with an extremely short fuse, one I don’t want to ignite.
Andwifewas probably the worst word for her to hear.
The tension in the air becomes stifling. Vin and Mauro distance themselves from me, blocking all escape routes. Their postures are rigid, and their eyes are unnerving as they watch their sister shiver on the ground.
“I did,” I respond evenly. “Madeleine is my wife.”
“But… But how?” Her eyes water, a single tear escaping, sliding down her cheek. “You were supposed to marry me.” She shakes her head, disbelieving my words. “I did all of this so that you would end up with me!” she screams in frustration.
With reluctance, I lower my gun as I take a step forward. “I’m sorry, Cressida. Truly, I am. But Madeleine is the one my heart has always belonged to. There’s nothing you or any other woman, for that matter, could have done to change that.”
She blinks away her tears, her eyes pinching shut as she aggressively shakes her head. “You’re… You’re lying!”
I take another step toward her, causing her to swiftly raise her gun at Madeleine. Fuck. Not wanting to make matters worse, I decide to drop mine to the ground to show her I mean no harm. “I’m not,” I answer softly.
She presses her free hand against her head, her fingers digging into her scalp, appearing to be in pain. “This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.”
This is more than good versus evil.
This is someone who’s struggling.
Someone whose mind told her a different story than what reality presented her with.
Someone who needs help.
“We can get you help,” I offer, taking another step. “I know it seems impossible now, but you don’t always have to feel this way.” I look down at Madeleine, her gaze holding mine. “I’ve been told it’s okay not to be okay. And I’m here to tell you the same thing, too.” One side of her lips lift slightly before my attention turns back toward Cressida. “There are people who can assist you. There are options we can explore to help you feel better. Medicines. Therapy.”
Tears stream down her face. “I’ve tried everything,” she murmurs quietly. “Nothing ever works.” Her eyes flick down to the floor, and I think this is my chance to apprehend her. But just as I take another step, her head shakes violently as she looks up at me, her gaze rushing between each of the Alaries behind me. Her chest heaves, her arm straightens, and the gun gets closer to Madeleine. “I brought her here to give her a choice. To marry my brother and forget about you, or if she refused, I would be forced to kill her.” Her features contort, defeat crossing her eyes. “But if she already married you, then she’ll never forget you. And I can never forgive her for taking what was mine.” She closes her eyes. “Please forgive me, Eli.”
“Cressida, no!” I roar.
At the exact moment, two shots ring out into the air.
