Chapter 13 - THE GUNSHOT
I stopped breathing.
Eleanor pointed the gun directly at me.
Outside, police moved.
She shouted.
“DON’T COME IN!”
The baby woke and started crying.
My heart broke at the sound.
“Put it down.”
“Take off the wire.”
I slowly opened my coat.
“Do it.”
I pulled the microphone free.
Dropped it.
Crushed it beneath my shoe.
Eleanor smiled.
“Good.”
But I knew the transmitter had already sent everything.
She picked up the baby.
“Don’t.”
My voice broke.
“Please.”
“You suddenly care about Liam’s son?”
“He’s a baby.”
“So is yours.”
Her gaze dropped to my stomach.
A horrible understanding came over me.
“You want both of them.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because they belong to me.”
“No.”
“They are Sterling heirs.”
“They are children.”
“You’re emotional.”
“You’re insane.”
She raised the gun.
“Careful.”
The front door exploded inward.
Police shouted.
Eleanor grabbed the baby tighter.
“BACK OFF!”
Hayes stopped.
“Put the child down.”
“No.”
Rachel screamed from outside.
“PLEASE!”
The baby wailed.
Julian appeared behind Hayes.
“Mom.”
Eleanor froze.
His voice changed her more than the guns did.
“Give him to me.”
“You betrayed me.”
“No.”
He stepped forward.
“You betrayed all of us.”
“I made you.”
“You broke me.”
“I protected you.”
“You made me afraid of telling the truth.”
Tears filled Eleanor’s eyes.
For a moment, she looked like a mother.
Then she looked at the baby.
And raised the gun again.
Julian stepped between us.
“Shoot me.”
“Julian, no!” I screamed.
He didn’t move.
“If this family means that much, shoot the last son you have left.”
Eleanor’s hand trembled.
“Move.”
“No.”
“MOVE.”
“No.”
Her finger tightened.
A gunshot exploded.
I screamed.
Julian dropped.
Everything became chaos.
Officers fired.
Eleanor spun.
The gun flew from her hand.
The baby slipped.
I lunged forward.
Caught him against my chest.
We hit the floor together.
He screamed.
I curled around him.
“Shh.”
Blood spread across the floor.
Julian lay near the fireplace.
I crawled toward him.
“Julian!”
His eyes opened.
“I’m okay.”
The bullet had grazed his shoulder.
Not his chest.
Relief nearly crushed me.
Eleanor lay five feet away.
An officer had shot her in the leg.
She stared at me.
Not at Julian.
Not at the police.
At the two babies.
One in my arms.
One inside me.
“You ruined everything,” she whispered.
I looked at her.
“No.”
I held Rachel’s son tighter.
“You did.”
Police dragged Eleanor away.
Rachel ran inside.
She took her baby and collapsed against me.
We both cried.
Then Hayes approached.
His expression was grim.
“We have her confession.”
I nodded.
“It’s over.”
He hesitated.
“No.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
He looked toward Julian.
“There’s still one thing we need to know.”
“What?”
“Who actually pushed Liam into the lake.”
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And from behind us, Gordon Pike’s recorded voice began playing over an officer’s phone.
“It wasn’t Eleanor.”
