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Cole falls to the ground, dropping the cleaver as it clatters against the grimy concrete. A halo of blood runs around his head and collects in his hair until it begins to pool along the threshold of Cambria’s apartment. The stained tan fibers absorb the deep red and brown as clots begin to form along the doorway.
Cambria pauses, her breathing heavy and unregulated as her eyes glaze over with rage. She glances at me for a moment, and before I can speak, she drops the magazine from her gun, loading in another from her back pocket, and fires the entire thing into Cole’s body, reveling in her victory as his lifeless form shakes upon the impact of the bullets.
I’ve never seen her so furious.
I don’t interrupt her. She fixes her gaze down on him, wide eyes unblinking as she takes in the sight of a man who will never, ever be able to hurt her or any woman ever again.
We don’t speak for what feels like an eternity. The only sound in the atmosphere is the sound of her shaky, violent breaths as she tries to collect herself, to come back to reality.
When she finally looks me in the eyes, she says nothing. Her eyes fill with tears, and she practically falls into my arms, sobbing deep, heavy sobs as she releases all of the fear and pain that followed her to this place.
I gently guide her back into her apartment, but she crumbles to the floor as soon as we enter. She attempts to speak, but her ability to articulate herself has become disengaged by the overwhelming tsunami of emotion that pours from her.
All I can do is kneel down next to her, feeling her shaking to near convulsions as she fights tooth and nail to collect herself.
I wrap my arms around her, trying my best to steady her.
She tries a few more times but still cannot regain command of herself.
“Shh, it’s okay,” I coax.
Eventually, the tears do stop, and she wipes the last of them from her cheeks. Her eyes are red and puffy, and she’s developed dark circles below them. She’s a wreck, but she’s as beautiful as ever to me.
I could never stop loving her, even in this state of chaos.
“It’s over, it’s finally over,” she whispers, more to herself than to me. The relief on her face when she finally realizes what just happened captivates her, and her breathing slows back to normal.
“I came here to bring you home. I need you to be home with me,” I say as I gently tuck her hair behind her ear. “Having to live without you has been torture. I can’t do it anymore. Please come home to me.
She steadies herself as she rises from the floor, and I take her hand as I join her. “I can’t. I just can’t. You need to go back to Chicago without me. You’ll find someone else. You always have.”
The blood drains from my face. “What do you mean? Why? How can I possibly convince you to come back with me?”
Her gaze falls to the floor. “It’s just too complicated to explain. I’m sorry. You want a lifestyle that would put me in too much danger. It’s safer out here.”
I pause for a moment, considering her words. “Is this about the baby?” I ask, watching her eyes widen as she inhales sharply.
“How did you know?”
“It isn’t important how I found out, but I know. And I want you to know that there’s nothing more on this earth that I want more than to take care of you and our child. Do you understand that? Nothing. I’ll give up whatever you want if it means I get to have you,” I reply, holding both her hands in mine.
She begins to cry again. “If that’s the life you wanted, you would already have it, Abram. I’m not stupid. You’re an attractive, wealthy man. You could pick any woman you want to carry your baby.”
I lift my hands from hers to her face. “You’re right, but I never thought I wanted any of that until I met you. You’ve completely challenged the person I thought I was. I need you in my life, no matter what I have to sacrifice. Nothing I have is worth losing you over. I love you.”
