Page 84 of Love Me Carefully
“Oh, I’ll touch you.” He reached out, grabbed one of her unbound breasts in his hand and squeezed until she yelped with pain. Then he grabbed her by the waist, pulled her to him, and ground his lips down on hers until Leah tasted blood. “And I’m going to have you. I’m going to have all of you.” With another slap he sent her sprawling onto the sofa, then took long strides towards the balcony.
“Oh no, Terrell,” Leah whispered as she saw the direction Leon went. “Terrell!” she finally screamed.
Terrell had been trying to revive Seth. From what he could see, there were no open wounds. Maybe Leon had drugged him or something. When he heard Leah scream, he stood, quickly turned around and caught Leon’s first blow in his face. Dazed and caught off guard, he fell into the railing. Leon immediately pounced, punching Terrell repeatedly.
With a surge of strength, Terrell pushed away from the railing, managed to swing and knock Leon through the glass balcony door. When he would’ve jumped on him to finish the job, Leon lifted a foot and caught Terrell in the stomach.
Terrell stumbled back again and Leon rose, tackling him, moving them out onto the balcony once more.
Leah got off the couch, remembered the knife, and went to the bedroom to find it. When she came back she saw the two men struggling on the balcony and heard the police banging at the door. They’d have to let themselves in, she decided instantly as she ran onto the balcony to help Terrell.
With adrenaline pumping madly through her veins, she raised the knife and brought it down into Leon’s shoulder. He yowled but still choked Terrell.
Terrell’s eyes were now rolling back. Frantic that Terrell was dying, Leah pulled the knife out of Leon’s shoulder and thrust it into his back, this time twisting it until his yelling increased and she felt him backing up. Releasing the knife, leaving it stuck in his back, she moved away.
At that exact moment the police broke down the door, barging in two at a time. Yelling was all around her.
Leon turned to face her, his features contorted with pain, his once dangerously handsome face now streaked with sweat and blood. Eyes she remembered gazing into hers were now tinged with misery.
“I loved you, Leah,” he gasped and took another step towards her.
Tears ran freely down her face as she realized what she’d done, what he’d wanted to do to her and Terrell. He reached for her. She couldn’t move, only shook her head from side to side. “No. No. I love Terrell.”
“Then you die with him!” Leon yelled and charged at her.
For the second time in her thirty years, Leah jumped at the sound of gunshots. She watched as bullets struck Leon’s broad body—he jerked this way and that until finally collapsing.
The smell of blood and gunpowder permeated the room, and Leah felt everything around her begin to spin. Then darkness closed in on her like a big heavy blanket, and she let herself be wrapped in it tightly, completely.
“No. Don’t touch her. Get away from her, all of you,” Terrell yelled as he picked her up, and carried her back to his bedroom and laid her limp body down.
Seth and a few of the officers followed him into the room. “The paramedics are on their way,” his friend told him.
“Just leave us alone. Come and get me when they arrive.” Terrell spoke in a broken voice as his shaking fingers brushed wild strands of hair from Leah’s face.
Seth did as he was told, motioning for the other officers to exit the room as well.
When he knew they were alone, Terrell lowered his head to her ear. “Come on, baby, wake up. Wake up and talk to me. It’s all over now, I just need you to wake up.”
It seemed so far away, his voice calling her name as if she were in a dark tunnel. But somewhere ahead, somewhere far ahead, was a light and in that light was Terrell’s voice. She moaned with the pain but moved her legs anyway. She had to get to him. She had to get to Terrell. He was calling her, he wanted her, he loved her.
Her head moved from side to side on the pillow, even as her lips trembled and tears ran down her face.
The paramedics barged into the room the second her eyes opened and she screamed, “Terrell!”
“I’m here, baby. I’m right here.”
Her eyes focused on his and she smiled through her tears.
“I’m not leaving you, sweetie. Everything’s okay now,” he soothed as the paramedics moved toward the bed to get a closer look at her.
“There was something somebody said about relationships starting under high pressure situations. I wonder what that was?” she asked in a creaky voice.
Terrell grinned. “That they last forever and ever.”
