Page 63 of He Doesn't Deserve You

“You’re sick, you know that. You killed an innocent woman. Despite what everyone thinks, I wasn’t sleeping with Maggie. I’m not going to let you pin this on Emily. I don’t know how, but I’ll find a way to prove what you did. I’m calling the police,” he turned and went inside, and Lily followed behind him and said, “I wouldn’t do that.”

Gabriel froze at the unmistakable click of a gun. Slowly, he turned around to find the barrel aimed directly at his chest.

“If I’m sick,” she said, stepping closer and pressing the cold barrel against his chest, “it’s because you made me this way: you and your endless promises to leave your wife. You claimed to love me. Was it all just a game to you?”

He raised his hands in surrender. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Please, just put the gun down, and we can talk about this.”

Roman threw the car into park and hurried to the porch. He raised his fist to knock but paused at the sound of arguing. The voices wereunmistakably Gabriel and another woman—not Emily. Catching a reference to a gun, he quickly retrieved his own weapon from the back of his pants. Gently, he reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. Roman tiptoed into the foyer and found Gabriel at gunpoint, with Lily’s back to him. Gabriel’s panicked expression betrayed Roman’s presence, causing Lily to whip around.

“Put the gun down!” Roman shouted.

But it was too late. Lily fired a shot straight at Roman’s chest. He managed to fire back with lightning-fast reflexes before collapsing to the floor.

Emily dropped her phone at the sound of gunfire. Without a second thought for her safety, she sprinted out of the bedroom to see what had happened. As she hurried down the hallway, the twins’ bedroom doors swung open, their faces etched with fear.

“Stay in your rooms,” she commanded firmly. “Lock your doors and don’t come out until I tell you to.”

“Is Dad okay?” Hunter asked.

“I don’t know. I’m going to check. Please, stay in your rooms.”

With some apprehension, the twins retreated into their rooms, quietly closing the doors behind them.

Emily rushed further down the hallway and paused at Ava’s room. She opened the door and sighed in relief, finding her young daughter still peacefully asleep. She quickly closed the door and bolted down the stairs.

“Gabriel, where are you? Are you okay?” she called out, her voice echoing as she descended the stairs. However, halfway down, she froze, her heart pounding. It wasn’t Gabriel who was in danger. Sprawled across the foyer floor were Roman and the other woman, each lying motionless in growing pools of blood.

“Oh my God! Roman!” Emily screamed, scrambling down the rest of the steps, nearly losing her balance in haste. She rushed to his side, terrified that he might already be gone. She pleaded, “Roman, please look at me.”

His eyes fluttered open slowly, and he whispered, “Hey.”

Emily’s face broke into a relieved smile, her voice soft and trembling as she responded, “Hey.”

Just then, Gabriel rushed into the foyer, the phone pressed against his ear. “Yes, it’s an emergency,” he said urgently. “Two people have been shot.” He quickly relayed their address to the operator and then hurried to Lily’s side, feeling for a pulse. “Yes, she has a pulse, but it’s weak. Please hurry, she’s pregnant.”

“Help is on the way.”

Gabriel set the phone down, tore off his shirt, and dropped to his knees beside Roman. He pressed the makeshift bandage firmly against Roman’s chest, applying pressure to stem the bleeding.

“Don’t touch him,” Emily demanded, pushing Gabriel aside and taking over, applying pressure herself. “This is all your fault.”

Gabriel stood up, raised his hands in surrender, and stepped back to give Emily space. “Help will be here soon,” he assured her, glancing out the window in search of the EMTs.

A tear rolled down Emily’s cheek as she choked out, “I told you not to come.”

33

Gabriel stood beside the police officer, recounting the chaotic events that transpired. His eyes darted to where Roman lay as paramedics worked on him with urgency. Just a few feet away, another team bent over Lily, their expressions tense. A heartbeat monitor beeped steadily, an anchor in the whirlwind of activity.

In a blur of motion, stretchers were wheeled out. Roman’s pale face was barely visible under the oxygen mask, and Lily’s limp form was carefully maneuvered into the second ambulance. Emily climbed in with Roman, gripping his hand tightly, her whispered words of encouragement barely audible over the sirens. As the ambulances sped away, their flashing lights disappearing into the night, a heavy silence settled over the house. Gabriel stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the blood-splattered room, the chaotic scene now eerily still.

Detective Johnson broke the silence, bringing Gabriel back to the present. “We need you to come to the station for an interview,” he said, his tone firm but measured.

Gabriel nodded. “Just let me check on the kids and tell them where I’m going.”

When Gabriel reached the top of the stairs, he said, “You can come out now, boys.”

The boys’ doors swung open, and they rushed to their father’s side, embracing him tightly.

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