“What do you mean?”
I sit at the edge of my chair, wondering what will happen next. Then, Ed stumbles, his arms flailing outward, his head thrown back as if he's tripped. He goes to his knees, remains in that position for a moment, and then falls face forward onto the street. No sound, just Ed falling and then a wild scramble as police and emergency personnel move in.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the reporter says, his voice struggling to maintain control. "I believe he's been shot. The man has been shot before our eyes."
I cover my mouth, unable to process what I've just seen. Julien had Ed executed on television on some trumped up charge.
Police run towards a building overlooking the scene, firing at a window. Sirens blare and all hell breaks loose as gunfire erupted, shots echoing throughout the area.
I sit in utter silence for a moment. Then I turn to him, my eyes filled with tears.
"How could you?"
"Eve," he says, his voice irritated. "I told you we're at war. People die in war. I had no choice."
"There's always a choice." I stand and brush by him, making a beeline for the bedroom, wanting to escape.
"Not in this case," he says, following me. "Besides, what do you know about how to fight a war?"
"I know what's right, and wrong and this was cold-blooded murder."
He grabs my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
"No," he says, his voice deep, edged with anger. "It was an operation to terminate a compromised contact. I didn't want to do it, but tactically, I had no choice."
"HehelpedMichel. For years. Soren compelled him. And you set him up."
"He didn't even know what hit him. Dead in an instant. We should all be so lucky, Eve."
"He's dead!" I struggle to pull away, trying to pry my arm away from him, but he's too strong. "You always have a choice and you chose to kill him. Why not rescue him and hide him somewhere?"
He grabs me and drags me over to the bed, throws me onto it and looms over me, one hand holding my hands over my head.
"You don't know what you're talking about so shut up."
"You killed a colleague," I say, turning my face away from him. "Someone who helped you."
"Eve," he says, grabbing my chin and turning my face to his. "This is the big league now. He has information. He knows about the Blackstone Group. There were operatives sniffing around the SCU. It was only a matter of time before they took him and he gave them something that could trace back to me. I can't let that happen." He shakes his head as if in frustration. "Can't you understand that?"
I lie beneath him, my heart pounding.
"I have information," I say, barely able to speak. "You ensured that I do. Will you kill me, too?"
He just looks at me, shaking his head slowly.
Then, he closes his eyes, his breath ragged. He leans down, his face in the crook of my neck, his arms sliding underneath me, almost crushing me against him.
"That's why," he says and presses his lips against the skin on my neck where he bit me, "you can't be free."
I push him away.
"You're a monster!"
Then he pulls back, his whole body stiffening.
"That's right, Eve," he says, breathing hard. "Did you forget that fact in this little romantic fantasy world you're living in?"
I cover my eyes, unable to stop my tears.