He must have left this morning to drive here because flying would leave evidence behind. That means he came here with every plan to kill Mina. It makes me sick to my fucking stomach.
Her eyes snap to mine, and I feel her break. “I— Oh my God.” My chest tightens at the sound of her anguish. She tries turning around. “Oh my fucking God. I?—”
“Mina,” I bark. Her head flicks to mine just as her legs buckle. I stabilize her with my hand on her hip and shake her slightly to get her full attention. “Keep your eyes on me. You can do that, right? It’s just you and me, alright? You’re not going to look at anything but me. You trust me?” She keeps nodding. “Yes, that’s right. That’s good. Now, keep following me?—”
She doesn’t move, swaying on her feet. “I feel his blood on me, Leo. Oh, God, I?—”
I lower my forehead to hers, careful to avoid her cut. “You’re alive, baby. You’re okay. You’re safe now. You did the right thing, but now the only thing you have to do is listen to my instructions. You think you can do that for me, baby? Yeah?”
We both tense when Jack makes another gagging sound. I tighten my hold on her to bring her attention back to me.
“Mina?”
“Y-yes.” Her breathing quickens, and I rub my hand up and down her waist to remind her that I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.
“Yeah? Yeah. Good. Okay. Follow me, baby.” I step backward, and she follows. “Just keep walking. Don’t turn around.” I let go of her just to hit the lights, plunging us into darkness. “You’re doing so well. Keep going. I’ve got you. It’s just you and me.” Once we’re upstairs in our bedroom, I flick the switch so there’s no way she can see back the way we came. “That’s it. Not much further. I’ve got you.”
I steal glances at the rest of her body as I keep walking us until we reach the en suite. I can’t see the state of her bare legs, but I don’t miss the dots of red on her forearm.
She killed him.
Mina killed Jack Norton for me.
A couple weeks from now, I might find satisfaction in that thought. Now the only thing going through my mind is how tofix this. I need to make sure she’s okay, then figure out what to do with Jack.
Mina doesn’t deserve to be dragged into my mess or be subjected to the level of investigation the police will do if I call them. If they look into me, they’ll look into her, and she’s not innocent on any front either.
But I can’t ask her to stay quiet about what she’s done. Thomas was different. This time, she took someone else’s life for me. She saved me—us.
Still touching her waist, I lean back to flick the shower on, and her attention falls from me to the water’s spray. She blinks and sucks in a staggered breath. Something shifts behind her eyes. An awareness of some kind.
The rise and fall of her chest slows, becoming more stable with every second that passes as her stare sharpens on the water swirling into the drain. It’s not coldness I can see, or malicious calculation, but her mind is turning. Quickly. It’s almost a... detachment.
“Shower,” I tell her when she makes no sign that she’s going to move. “I’ll get you clean clothes.”
That kicks her out of her spiraling. “No,” she rushes to say, expression far clearer than it was half a minute ago. “Please don’t leave me.”
I frown. “Never.” I press a kiss to her temple.
“He—he—he was?—”
Cupping her cheek, I force her to look up at me. “But you saved me before he could.”
The tears running down her face might end me. If not, her stuttering will. “I... I...”
“He hurt you, Mina. He was going to try to kill you right after he killed me. You did what you had to.”
Her eyes widen and she tries to pull away. “Leo, oh God, I killed him. I fucking killed?—”
“Hey, hey, look at me. If you didn’t step in, I’d be dead. Okay? The only reason I am alive right now is because you saved me. You did, Mina.You.”
I circle my arms around her and hold her against my chest, hoping she doesn’t notice that Jack’s blood is on me. Violent sobs tear through her frame, and I hug her tighter. None of this should have happened. I should have been here. I should have stopped Jack before he could hurt her.
“I’m sorry, baby. You shouldn’t have had to do that. I’m so sorry.”
“No, don’t apologize. I—I couldn’t let him . . . There was no way . . .”
“I know. But it’s still my fault.”
