Page 107 of Broken Bonds

“You know he came back for me as soon as I returned to Carrollton? Me!” Stella reveals with a smirk, enjoying every moment of causing chaos between them. She knows Hadley is impulsive and easily manipulated.

“Foolish bitch,” Hadley screams, lunging towards Stella with the knife raised high.

Fuck.

I rush forward to stop her, but in a blink of an eye, Broderick put himself as a human shield. The sharp edge of the blade finds its way into his abdomen.

They both collapse to the ground in a pool of blood.

“Shit!” Hadley shouts at Stella, struggling as Davis appears seemingly out of nowhere and apprehends her.

I embrace Stella tightly, relieved that she is unharmed and safe in my arms once again. She’s breathing heavily but there isn’t a scratch on her.

“Our fate was sealed since the very beginning,” Broderick’s weak voice reaches us from the ground. “It was your destiny to be the winner.”

I kneel next to him, refusing to let this be the end.

“Help is coming,” Davis announces, and I hear the distant wail of sirens.

“Do you hear that?” I say to Broderick, trying to keep him conscious. “Hold on, brother, help is almost here.”

He closes his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again and turning to Stella, who is sobbing beside me.

“I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you,” he murmurs. “In my own messed up way, it was always you, Stella. Always.”

“Please don’t talk,” she pleads through her tears. “Save your strength.”

“It’s too late,” Broderick says as his gaze becomes unfocused and his eyes, so similar to mine, grow cloudy. “Forgive me, Lion. Forgive me and live your life for both of us.”

A lump forms in my throat as I try to find the right words, but they elude me.

“What happened at the house… the last time we were there… “ Stella trails off.

“Nothing happened,” Broderick coughs weakly. “I may be a bastard, but I’m not a rapist. I helped you when you were sick and cleaned you up before letting you rest.”

Stella breathes a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, I frantically try to stop the bleeding from Broderick’s abdomen with my shirt. Why is help taking so long?

Broderick closes his eyes once more. “Damn it!” I yell at him. “Look at me, Brother, look at me! You fought so hard for the money, you can’t give up now when it’s within reach. Hold on and use it however you want.”

“I’m sorry,” he groans again.

“Forget it,” I say, tears streaming down my face now. “There’s no bad blood between us. Just rest easy, we’re okay.”

A smile tugs at the corners of Broderick’s mouth as he lets out one final sigh, his hands falling limply to his sides. I don’t need to be a doctor to know.

My brother is gone.

The screeching of tires on the gravel road shatters the eerie silence, drowning out the chaotic cacophony of hurried footsteps and screams. The weight of Stella’s body against mine is the only thing keeping me grounded as my mind reels with shock and grief.

Two brothers, identical in appearance but worlds apart in personality, both marked by a tragic destiny. Was it fate or just sheer bad luck? I can’t even begin to imagine what Broderick must have felt in his final moments.

But I promise you this, Brother. I will carry on living my life for the both of us. His words echo in my mind like a haunting refrain, carried by the wind. And I know that’s exactly what he would have wanted.

“Rest in peace, Broderick,” I whisper, closing his lifeless eyes with trembling hands. “For you and for me, I will live my life for both of us.”

Chapter 33

“We should have gone to the hospital to have someone check on you,” I say to Stella as we are both submerged in the small bathtub in our hotel room, surrounded by fragrant honey and lavender bubbles.

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