He fires the gun once, twice, and then a final shot.
My body moves of its own accord. I try to shove Noah off me, but he clings to me, and I turn instead, the movement causing us to fall backwards with me on top of him.
Searing pain shoots up on my left side, and then my shoulder gets hit.
The room starts spinning. I hear shouting and footsteps as the room starts to go black.
The last thing I see is Noah’s blood splattered face looking down at me, and I realize three things at once.
He’s running, I’m in his arms, and the blood is mine.
Only a few hours have passed, but it feels like a whole fucking eternity.
All around me the hospital buzzes as I’m sure it always does.
I bury my face in my hands. Even though they’ve set me up in an empty room far from the bustle, I can practically feel the anguish and sorrow seeping from every corner of this hospital.
It reeks of death and life, filled with sounds of renewed hope and broken despair.
I’ve been sitting in the same spot for a while now.
I’m filled with utter fear and fading hope.
Even though I’ve recounted the events of the last few hours to the new director and fellow agents, I’m still reliving each moment in my head on an endless loop, like a broken TV with no remote to press stop on.
I’ve already changed and washed off the blood, but I can still feel the warmth and heaviness of it on my skin. I can practically smell the pungent odor that had filled that basement.
Ben and several federal agents, supported by agents from the DEA, had burst into the room just as Santos had fired his gun at Villegas. When Santos saw the agents flanking the room, he turned his gun on me, not counting the lengths Ria would go to save my life.
Even after all was said and done, he still didn’t grasp the depth of Ria’s parting words.
He still didn’t understand our love was enough to die for each other.
Then, his screams of horror filled the room as he realized he might have killed his own daughter, and he charged at us with a gun aimed at my head.
Ben had no choice but to shoot him.
One bullet and he fell to the floor, not unlike the bodies that littered the same floor after losing their lives because of him just moments before.
He died instantly.
From one fucking bullet.
The sound of footsteps stops right outside the door and I shift to high alert.
I lift my head just in time to see Mina walk in, Adrian asleep in her arms and followed
closely by Ben. He has my son’s diaper bag slung across his shoulder like this was any other normal day and they were simply babysitting.
And that’s when it hits me.
Gabe.
My eyes meet Ben’s and he shakes his head.
My gut churns and everything inside me clamors for answers, but Adrian demands my attention. My son stirs, lifting his head and blinking those eyes that are so much like mine. I force a smile and remain silent while I hold out my arms.
Mina places my son on my chest, and I look down at this beautiful boy who is all smiles and spit as he gazes up at me adoringly.