Page 86 of Shattered Vows

“Why don’t you let her go? We both know you don’t want to hurt her,” I say.

She gets a vile look on her face. “You’ve poisoned her against me. After everything, you turned her against me, and now it can never be the same. Never! I’ll be alone, all alone while you two…”

I see her intent before Rapsody does. Margaret pulls the knife away from Rapsody’s neck, and everything happens in slow motion. For a split second, Rapsody appears relieved, as though her mother is releasing her. But when Margaret adjusts her grip on the knife and yanks Rapsody’s hair farther back, I see it register on Rapsody’s face that the woman who raised her is about to stab her in the chest.

I slide my hand back to the metal of the gun and allow my instincts and training to kick in. I fire the gun, hitting Margaret in the upper chest as far away from Rapsody as possible. The bullet strikes, and Margaret screams, releasing Rapsody’s hair and stumbling backward.

I rush to Rapsody. She’s heaped over, crying on the ground. I ignore the searing pain in my ankle and collapse between her and her mother.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” I pull her up by under her arms, and she winds herself around me, sobbing into my neck. My hands rub up and down her back, trying to give her comfort, but knowing it’s not enough. “It’s okay. You’re okay now.”

After a minute or two, she pulls back enough to look me in the eyes. “I was so scared.”

God, the devastation in her eyes kills me.

“I know. You’re okay now, though. No one is going to hurt you.”

She starts to give me a hesitant smile, then her eyes widen and a look of horror transforms her face.

It takes a moment for the pain in my lower back to register, and when it does, I blink and collapse to the side.

Rapsody screams, then there are sounds of a struggle. I try to get up, but I can’t. Then more shouting, and Sid is hovering over me along with Rapsody, tears streaming down her face.

Though I try to keep looking at her, my eyes drift closed and darkness consumes me.

Chapter

Thirty-Six

RAPSODY

Ilie in Kol’s bed, clutching his hand and waiting for him to wake up. It’s mid-morning the day after my mother…er, the woman who claimed she was my mother broke onto the property.

I’ve only left his side for ten minutes since he was brought here and that was only to shower because I was covered in blood.

The panic I felt when I realized Kol had been stabbed will stay with me until the day I die. The doctor who was called to the property insists that nothing vital was hit, but I still can’t force myself to leave his side.

When the doctor was here earlier to check on Kol, I finally relented and let him check my wrist, which he determined had been badly sprained. He wrapped it up.

When Kol’s hand twitches in mine, I sit up and look down at him. His eyes flutter open slowly, and it takes him a moment to focus.

“Kol, are you okay? How do you feel?” The words rush from my mouth.

He blinks several times. His shoulders lose some of the tension that was there moments ago. “You’re okay.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. How do you feel? I should get the doctor.” I start to shift away, but he grips my hand harder.

“No doctor.”

“Asher said you’d say that. That’s why he insisted you be allowed to recuperate here rather than at the hospital.”

He gives me a wan smile and tries to shift his body, but winces.

“Your ankle is wrapped up because you have a bad sprain, and you have stitches for the stab wound in your lower back. The cuts on your face just had to be cleaned.” I run my hand lightly over his head.

“What happened after I passed out?”

I suck in a breath. I knew I’d have to tell him at some point, but I thought it could wait. I don’t even know why I’m so nervous. “Let’s not worry about that right now.”

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