I force myself to look toward him.
He’s on his knees ten feet away, sobbing into his hands like his world just collapsed. Maybe it did. Maybe he’s finally seeing it all—the woman he planned to marry, the lies she told, the danger he never realized he brought into his and his daughter’s lives.
I can’t touch that yet.
I focus my attention instead on Minxy, who insisted she see the aftermath.
She’s only a few steps away, quivering so hard her knees knock together, but she’s standing. Somehow. Her eyes bounce between Abi’s body and my face, wide and terrified and furious all at once.
“Minx—” My voice breaks. I try again, holding my hand out. “Come here.”
She does, and my arms enfold around her, instinct taking over. I pull her against my chest, bury my face in her hair, and try to steady the emotions inside me.
“I’m sorry,” I choke out. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve protected you. I should’ve?—”
She shoves me in the chest so hard it shocks a breath out of me.
“Don’t you dare apologize,” she snaps before wrapping her arms around me again. “You saved me. You savedus. She’s gone. She can’t hurt us anymore.”
Her words crack something deep in me.
I sink down onto the grass, taking her with me while she’s still clutching the back of my shirt. I hold her tighter. Tighter than I probably should. But she doesn’t pull away.
Penelope kneels beside me, one hand sliding to the back of my neck. She doesn’t speak. She doesn’t need to. Her presence grounds me.
Sirens grow louder.
Blue and red lights flicker through the trees.
Silas steps in front of us instinctively, planting himself between us and the world like he was built for it. He’s not holding a weapon, but he might as well be one.
I scan the tree line, then the road, and see the officers approach. Gideon moves to intercept them, calm in the way only he can manage. “There’s a weapon on the ground. The scene is contained. Six witnesses. One of which is a minor.”
I can’t hear the rest because my head is pounding, but I’m not worried because Silas and Gideon are here and they won’t let anything touch us.
Minxy presses her face into my shoulder. “I’m scared.”
“I know,” I whisper, pulling her tighter. “But it’s over now. She can’t touch you again.”
Her next breath shudders out of her like a dam breaking.
Officers approach. One of them crouches in front of us, voice soft. “Are you okay, Honey? What about you, son? You okay?”
I open my mouth—nothing comes out.
Penelope answers for us. “Yes. They are. And they need a minute.”
The officer nods. “Take your time.”
They keep glancing at Abi’s body—covered now, but still too close—then back at us with something like pity… or horror. Hard to tell.
They separate us one by one, guiding us a few steps apart but never out of sight. Minxy is the only exception since she’s underage; they let Gideon stay with her at all times.
Penelope keeps stealing glances at me like she’s making sure I’m not about to splinter. That’s when the officer starts the rapid fire questioning.
“What did she say before she fired?”
“Did she make any prior threats?”
