Page 148 of River Wild

He’ll need to punish me. It’s his way. And that will give me time … time for River to get here.

“Answer me!” he barks.

And I snap to attention, like a well-trained dog.

“No.” I swallow the lie, holding his stare. I need him to believe me. “The baby’s not yours.”

Nothing changes in his expression. I expected rage and fury. But there’s just nothing but emptiness and blankness in those cold eyes of his.

And that terrifies me more than any anger he could direct at me.

He starts tapping the barrel against his temple. “You left me, Annie, to have a baby with someone else?”

“Yes,” I say quietly.

He starts shaking his head, chanting, “No. No. No! It wasn’t meant to be that way! You’re mine! You have always been mine! We were meant to spend our lives together! It was my baby that you were supposed to have!” Spit is flying from his mouth. His eyes bulging. He looks manic. Like a rabid dog.

He lifts the gun, aiming it at me.

My heart stops.

“Neil … please … don’t.”

“Oh, you’re pleading now? You want my forgiveness, Annie? You want me to forgive you for being a dirty whore and having a bastard child with some other man!”

The word is hard to say. I have to force it out. “Y-yes.” But I need to do anything to keep him calm right now.

I just need a little more time before River gets here.

“Too late, Annie.” He cocks the gun.

“No! Please!” I cry, defensively holding my hands. “Don’t do this! I-I’ll come home with you. Right now. I’ll make this all better.”

“And the baby?”

I swallow down the disgusting lie I’m about to say. “I’ll leave her with her dad. I’ll leave and come home with you.”

He’s staring at me. My heart is pounding hard in my chest. My pulse roaring in my ears.

Then, he shakes his head, and my heart drops.

“It’s too late. You’re tainted now, in this body.” The gun pointed right at me, he moves it up and down. “You soiled it when you fucked another man and bore his child.”

“Neil … please … I’ll make it better, and we can be together.”

A smile that looks almost sad comes onto his lips. “And we will, Annie. Just not in this life.”

I hear a click and loud popping sound. And then a sensation hits me, like I’ve just been punched in the chest.

No.

God, no.

I look down at my body and see a hole in my shirt. And blood.

There’s blood seeping out of the hole.

He shot me.