Page 215 of Sin With Me

“Donna Jo was to be mine. Your father stoleher.”

I recalled the story Joanne told me and compared it to Missy’s – the one she’d heard from her father as a child when he’d told her about how her mother had abandoned her. Was Missy their love child? Was she Eric’s half-sister, and he didn’t knowit?

“Joanne had your child,” I whispered. “You told her the baby died. You lied toher.”

“I saw her kissing him. She had my child in her, and she kissedhim.”

It was true. Huntz didn’t confirm it, but he didn’t deny it either.

“She never loved you. You fucking raped her, stole her baby, and told her that the infantdied.”

He laughed. “Ethan stole Donna Joe from me, I wouldn’t let them have Missy. I switched the infant with one from a morgue. The stupid hospital didn’t even notice they’d lost abody.”

“What?” Ericsaid.

“Missy’s your half-sister, Eric,” I whispered. “I’ll explain later. It was never about the land. It was always about revenge on your father.”

“It doesn’t matter now. You’re right I don’t care about the fucking land. It wasn’t for me anyways, but I do care about your father suffering, burning to death the way he left me for dead at that dance to save Donna Jo. I’ve carried the scars with me my entire life.” He lifted his right sleeve along with the machete to show the shriveled skin on his arm: white and hairless ripples of scarred flesh. White light reflected on the blade, bringing my attention back to the flex in Huntz’s bicep.

I spread my feet apart in a stern stance before stepping in front of Eric. This man had done enough to this family, and I would not let him hurt them anymore.

“What are you doing?” Eric whispered.

“Trust me,” I replied.

“You be a good girl and step aside. I’ll chop him up and then we can have somefun.”

“Not before I cut your dick off, you asshole!”

“Emma…”

“Trustme…”

Huntz rushed at us both, his machete high in the air. I pushed Eric down to the ground before ducking under Huntz’s swing and jutting the piece of glass I held in my hand right under his arm, into an artery. Blood squirted out and Huntz yelped in pain, covering his underarm with his otherhand.

“You bitch.” He pulled the piece of glass out of his flesh and threw it to the ground. “I’m going to tie you up and fucking make you want to die before I gutyou.”

“The problem you have, you bastard, is that I just sliced your main artery. It won’t take long before you bleedout.”

“Then I guess I better hurry.”

He rushed at me again, but this time as he raised his arm I could tell he was struggling. His lower swing forced me to bend back as the machete came down, missing me again. I side-kicked his leg. His knees buckled for a moment, but unfortunately for me as I found my stance I stepped on the piece of glass he’d thrown to the side, cutting into myfoot.

Shit! Hopping on one leg I was useless. I knew if Huntz could get a good run at me with that weapon, he had a good chance of getting me. As I thought about a move that would do the least damage to my body, Huntz approached again, this time raging hellfire in his eyes. I sidestepped, but the pain that shot through my leg spasmed my muscles, and instead I fell to the ground, right in Huntz’s path. The machete was aimed straight for my head. He would fucking decapitate me in less than three seconds!

People often say that life flashes before your eyes when you’re about to die. And they’re so right. I saw the face of each of my family members at our happiest times, when we laughed and joked; my niece’s and nephew’s cute little faces squirming when they tried a pickle for the first time; my brothers training me and spoiling me rotten when I was young; my sisters-in-law taking care of my broken heart when David died; and David. I saw his face too, smiling at me and saying, It’s not your time. And the face of the man whom I loved – Eric – as he soothed my soul with his kisses and mended my deepest fears of falling in love again. I was the one who had failed him. The justice he sought would never come. In that brief moment, I wished I could go back in time to change its course, foresee Huntz and his accomplice hitting me and Hunter on the head, step a foot further to the right to miss the piece of glass which would ultimately be the reason Huntz eventually bled out, but also the reason I failed to survive.

A loud scream echoed through the forest.

The next time I opened my eyes, I saw Eric flying from the side right into Huntz, pushing him out of the way and falling with him onto the machete.

I jumped up to my feet, screaming. There was nothing else that would come out of my mouth as I saw Huntz fall back onto a broken tree limb protruding from the trunk which pierced his torso, killing him instantly. My entire body stilled as my gaze fell on Eric at Huntz’s side, with the machete sticking out from his back. Motionless, Eric lay face down on the ground.

“No! No, no, no, no, no! Please!” I cried stumbling toward him. But he didn’t move. “Eric, please don’t die, please. I can’t loseyou.”

I touched the machete that had claimed him, pulling my finger along the trail of smeared blood on the blade. I followed red blobs with my fingers to under his arm, lifted, it and noticed that it had only skimmed the fabric of his shirt, lightly cutting into his skin, right between his torso and hisarm.

“Eric, baby. You’re all right. Please tell me you’re okay.” I gently rolled him over onto his back and heard a painful yet welcome grunt.

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