Be.
Over.
In.
A.
Minute.
Delores let out a grateful, yet shaky breath.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”
A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye, her hands clasped the bed covers and her chin trembled.
“You’re welcome, Delores. And don’t worry, I’ll look after Elijah. I’ll make sure he’s okay when this is all over.”
Delores nodded, her eyes still embracing the darkness, squeezing unbidden tears out.
The pillow came down, the starched white cotton pressing against her cracked and trembling lips. Delores didn’t suck in a final breath. She welcomed the blackness as her lungs burned and screamed for air. She welcomed the darkness.
Chapter Fifty.
Elijah
“No!” he yelled as he pushed open the door. “Delores!”
Elijah watched as Paul let go of the pillow, heated shame creeping up and spreading across his neck and cheeks. Elijah’s eyes went wide as he watched Paul take a step back from the bed where Delores lay, her face buried beneath her still warm pillow, her body motionless.
Prone.
Dead.
“No!” Elijah called again, moving towards the bed, his voice sounding strangled and lost. His steps were slow and cautious, though his heart was frantic, and his gaze roamed over Delores’ unmoving body. Her hands still gripping the sheets in panic and fear. Knuckles white, nails digging in.
Paul ran a hand over his hair and swallowed. “Aaah, buddy, I thought I told you to go home?” was all he replied.
When you look a monster in the eyes, you’re supposed to see a monster. An inhuman thing, with horns and talons, with eyes that glow red, and teeth that would cut through flesh. But when Elijah looked at Paul, all he saw was his friend. His partner for so many years. The man with the soft grey eyes and unassuming build. A man he had trusted with his secrets and friendship.
Elijah took a step towards Delores’s bed, his gaze following Paul’s hand to the pistol on his hip. Elijah frowned harder, his mouth opening in shock.
“You’re going to shoot me?”
“Shut the door, buddy,” Paul replied with a soft shake of his head. “Just shut the door.”
Elijah reached around and pushed the door closed. When he turned back to look at Paul, he still didn’t see a monster before him, only someone he had called him his friend for years. His mind struggled to comprehend what was going on.
“I don’t understand,” Elijah finally said, his voice thick with emotion as his gaze flitted from Delores to Paul. “Paul?”
Paul pursed his lips. “I’m real sorry about this. I promise you I am. Like I just told your girl here, this is all Michael’s fault really. It’s him you should be angry with, not me.” Paul watched Elijah, his eyes full of sincere apologies, his brow crinkling in his own confusion and worry. “She was a real good girl; we both know that. She deserved better than him, but that man is an asshole,” Paul shook his head. “I’ll make him pay though, don’t you worry about that, buddy.”
“Michael did this?” Elijah asked, even more confusion threading through him. Hope bled into his veins.
Paul shrugged. “He’s a means to an end, my friend. I honestly never thought he’d go this far though. I honestly never realised that he was so unhinged!”
“Did he do this?” Elijah asked again, his voice hoarse with restrained anger.
“Of course, this was all him,” Paul said. “But look, I’m a man of integrity, you know that. I’ll admit when I’ve done something wrong and clearly this right here was me.” He gestured to Delores on the bed.
