“What’s hurting us going to achieve?”

He looks at me, his eyes boring into my soul. “I want you and her to suffer like I did. I loved Abby with everything I had in me. I know I wasn’t the perfect man, but I didn’t know any better and she couldn’t even give me a chance.”

Seriously, how is he making me feel sorry for him?

I need to keep calm and try talk him down. His gun still in his hand makes me nervous.

“I know, but really making her suffer like this isn’t the way.”

“What do you know!” he cries out. He rubs his face with his free hand and I move closer to Abby very slowly. “Stop moving towards her! She can die for real for all I care. She made me out to be a murderer and my life went to hell!”

I have no words. He paces in front of me, the gun waving around, and his anger becoming worse by the second. I keep trying to calm him down. I hear Abby groan as she begins to come to and I start to lose him to his anger again. He stalks over to Abby pointing his gun at her again.

“You know, I always loved you. You were everything to me and you left me. I’ve waited and waited for you to show up again. I knew you weren’t dead and it looked like I was the only one who knew that until your little boyfriend showed up in New York. Low and behold, who should show up once I put the pressure on your sister? I just had to wait for the right time.” I struggle to my feet and run at him, shoving him away from Abby. He stumbles and as he does the front door bursts open. I hear three gun shots ring out, so I instantly drop to the ground, screaming and shielding myself.

Chapter Thirty

Abby

I hear an agonising cry out in pain. I don’t know who it was, but there was more than one scream.

Melodi…

Where is she? Was it her?

I try to open my swollen puffy eyes, attempting to get up and get to her, wherever she is. I see Blake standing there with his gun pointed directly at Jacob, who’s now lying on the floor.

“Corban… No! Wake up, please!” Melodi’s scream chills my entire body.

No…

One thing I never wanted to happen has happened. Is he…dead?

“Abby, Abby! Are you okay?” Blake rushes over to me, wrapping me in his arms and instantly safety engulfs me. One place I’ve always felt safe is in his arms as, nothing hurts me here.

“Corban?” I glance over to where Melodi is sitting on the floor with Corban’s head in her lap. His shirt is blood soaked and the emergency services are working on him, lifting him onto a stretcher. My heart aches for Melodi. This is all my fault and I take full responsibility. Reluctantly, I release my hold on Blake. Very slowly, I make my way over to Melodi, but with a bullet in my leg it’s very hard. She looks up at me with her tear stained face and I break. The sturdy wall I’d built up shatters into a million pieces. I collapse down beside her, wrapping her in my arms, tears pouring down our faces.

“Abby…” she sobs. “He can’t die. I need him.”

Clutching her tighter to me as everything breaks apart for her. I’m here and I won’t be going anywhere. We’ll see this through together. Corban is a fighter; I know he’ll pull through.

Looking past Melodi, I see Jacob’s body limp on the ground with a pool of blood surrounding him. Seeing him, I have a sense of relief that it’s finally over and that I can move on with my life, and not have to live in hiding anymore. Emergency Services rush over to Melodi and me. Blake has stepped back and let them in, to care for us.

“Please, go to her first, she’s pregnant,” I demand to the medic who looks at me, then at my leg.

“Just let me wrap this up tightly. It’s a through and through so it will be a quick clean up, then I will go to your friend.”

“She’s my sister! I said go to her first,” I cry out at the man.

“Okay, there’ll be another medic coming soon to look at you, though.”

I nod, accepting his answer. What I’m feeling is nothing compared to what Corban or Melodi are feeling.

“Oh, my goodness, Katie!” I struggle to get up from the ground. I need her in my arms now.

Blake stops me getting up and brings Katie forward, and she rushes into my arms. Emotion pulses through me and I break down once again. I have my family here and now I’m wracked with guilt that Corban was shot and Melodi could possibly lose her babies.

What have I done?

Chapter Thirty-One

Melodi

Three Days Later

All I hear are the beeps from the machines surrounding me and tearing me apart piece by piece like a puzzle. Every sound is another pull at my heart. My world hangs in the life of these machines. It’s a waiting game and one that I’m not enjoying at all. I want him awake, I want him to talk to me and to comfort me in only the way he can. Another tear slides down my cheek as I plead with everything I can for him to hear my pleas and to wake-up. The doctors say he will wake up soon, but that ticking clock is like a time bomb and I’m waiting for it to explode. Corban has been in this coma since they brought him here three days ago. Three days too long I’ve sat, waited and cried many tears for the man I love. They operated on immediately and removed the bullet that was lodged in his chest. I sat in the waiting room staring at the same wall for I can’t remember how many hours but it felt like an eternity at the time.

I don’t know what he was thinking barging into the apartment. When I saw him lying on the ground in a pool of deep red blood, his blood, my world came to a halt. Everything surrounding me faded away and there was nothing I could do. I felt so helpless. He should have left it to Blake and the rest of the police force, but no he had to get in on the hero action and now he’s lying in this bed fighting for his life.

Thankfully though, everything with the babies is perfect. I had a scan as soon as I arrived at the hospital. As painful as it was for me to leave Corban’s side I couldn’t do much but wait. They had my doctor check me out, and anxious didn’t even begin to describe how I was feeling. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was losing Corban, and now, I thought I was going to lose the last little pieces I had that reminded me of him. As soon as he placed the scanner on my tummy, my eyes darted to those little humans. Waiting, holding my breath, I prayed to see the little flickers on the screen and to hear the sound of their heartbeats. I waited for what seemed like an eternity…then I saw them. I released the breath I was holding while watching those little flutters and hearing the rhythm of their hearts. It was a song to my ears and it gave me hope that I could make it through this difficult time.

Abby and Blake have been amazing. Abby has been here every day. I know she feels guilty about everything, but I don’t have it in me to worry about her guilt right now, I can only reassure her so many times before it becomes hard for me to hear her say sorry again. Having her here helps me through this terrible time and I’ve told her that I only need her to be here and support me. Rachel hasn’t left Corban’s side either except to go home and shower then she comes right back. No matter what, there’s always myself, Rachel, or his parents by his side. Neither of us wants to leave him in case something happens.

After the shooting, Athena was taken into custody and charged with kidnapping. She’s one person I never want to see again in my life. The mere thought of her brings my blood temperature to boiling. I had begun to trust her. I thought she was my friend. I was wrong and stupid. I don’t know and don’t really care what’s going to happen with her. I’ve given my statement to the police and they’ll take it to the courts now. Catherine is heartbroken over the whole thing and can’t bring herself to bring it up at this point in time. Paul has organised an attorney for her, but only because of Catherine’s pleading, because he wanted to hang her out to dry. It’s sad that they feel this way but after the crap she pulled I don’t blame them. It’s not an easy situation. Rachel won’t even mention her name as she is dead to her now.