Page 69 of Rafael

“I’ve got him covered,” Gisele held the handgun the way Grand-mère had taught her at the gun range, balancing her right hand and the weapon in the palm of her left hand. “Go.”

Rafael hesitated. He didn’t look like he could hold out much longer.

“I’ve got him,” Gisele said. “I swear I’ll shoot his ass if he so much as twitches.”

Rafael gave what sounded like a laugh, then coughed. He cocked his arm and punched Caney in the face one last time before he rolled off the man and out of his reach.

Caney lay still, his eyes closed.

“Grand-mère, please call 911,” Gisele called out. “We need an ambulance. Now.”

Grand-mère already had the landline receiver up to her ear, reporting the attack.

Rafael pushed to his feet, staggered a few steps, then bent and braced his hands on his knees. The front of his shirt had a dark stain that was a little hard to see against the dark fabric.

Gisele monitored his movements out of the corner of her eye while keeping a close eye on Caney.

She studied the man who lay on the floor, eyes closed as if Rafael’s last punch had knocked him out. His left arm stretched out beside him, but his right arm was tucked beneath.

Gisele tensed.

In an explosion of motion, Caney sat up and whipped a handgun out from behind him.

Rafael dove for Caney at the same time as Gisele pulled the trigger.

“Oh, sweet peaches!” she yelled and ran to Rafael’s side. “Rafael! Please, Rafael, talk to me. Did I shoot you?”

Rafael rocked back and forth as if he was in great pain.

Tears welled in Gisele’s eyes. “I’m so sorry. I aimed at Caney. I would never hurt you. Please, please, please be all right. I love you.” She wrapped her arms around his back, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Don’t be mad at me. I love you, Rafael Romero. It’s okay. You don’t have to love me back.You don’t have to stay with me. I won’t cling. I know you like your freedom. Just please, don’t die.”

He rocked some more and pulled his arm out from between him and Caney with the other mafia guy’s gun dangling from his fingers.

“I’m not going to die,” he said weakly. “But I might need help getting up.”

Gisele’s hands wrapped around one of Rafael’s arms. “Is Caney...”

“Dead?” Rafael nodded. “You hit him in the heart. He died instantly.”

She let go of a rush of air and put her back into helping Rafael to his feet. “I’ve never killed a man before,” she said softly.

He cupped her cheek with a bloody hand. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “It was him or you. I chose you. Please, sit before you fall.” Gisele wrapped an arm around his waist and guided him to an armchair. “I hear the ambulance coming. We’ll get you to the hospital, and they’ll fix you up. After all, you said you weren’t going to die.”

He dropped onto the chair and winced. “Did you mean what you said?”

She couldn’t remember anything past Caney sitting up and nearly shooting Rafael. “What did I say?”

“About loving me?”

Her cheeks heated. “Please don’t be mad. I loveyou, but that doesn’t mean you have to love me back. I went intouswith my eyes wide open. I expect nothing and will take whatever I can get and be fine when you move on.”

Grand-mère appeared beside her with a wad of freshly laundered towels. “Apply pressure to da wound so he won’t bleed out.”

“Right. Yes. You can’t bleed out.” She laid the towels against the bloody shirt.

He covered her hand with his, moved it to the right position and held it there.

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