AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And you still had the presence of mind to make it look like an accident and save yourself because you are a lying piece of shit,” Rachel said in a flat tone.
Elisa wanted to push away, not let him touch her, but she needed him right now. “You didn’t call for help after you pushed her, when she was still alive, even though Harris was right there.”
Josh shook his head. “I couldn’t let him know. He thought we got married too soon and...”
“You killed her,” Rachel said. “And ruined my life.”
He was sobbing now. Half pleading and half crying. Hisbody trembled as he shook his head. “I never meant . . . please . . . I loved—”
The word sent a new shock of panic through Elisa. It was almost as if he was daring Rachel to kill him. “Rachel, Nina—whatever you want me to call you—he admitted it. You got what you wanted.”
Rachel shook her head. “I want to destroy him. Dismantle his life. Ruin his reputation. Take everything.”
Elisa blinked, trying to hold on as her body started to shut down. “He’ll confess to the police. This will change everything. I’ll make sure. Josh, tell her you will say it to the police and then tell them where Abby is.”
“Not good enough.” Pure rage showed on Rachel’s face. “He’s going to keep screwing women. Killing them. Rampaging their lives and destroying their confidence and will.”
Elisa lost control of her head. It lolled back, rolling against his shoulder. She fought to stay coherent. “No, that’s not true.”
“After what he just said you still defend him?” Rachel shouted the question.
“There’s been enough damage.” Elisa could hear her words slur. “Please. I need to get to a hospital.”
It happened in one step. Rachel moved in, pushing Elisa to the side, and stabbed Josh. One slice to his stomach. Elisa knew the second it happened because his arms dropped and her body slid.
“No!” The scream echoed in her head. Elisa had no idea if she’d said it out loud.
She was on the floor now. She fell and landed on her injuredarm. Tears ran down her face as the throbbing morphed into a pain that had her gasping. She shifted but couldn’t go anywhere because Josh sprawled next to her on the floor, bleeding with his body moving in time with his short panting breaths.
Rachel crouched down. “If you live, you go to jail. If you die, you die. And as a bonus, I took everything. I married you and took every dime. I had planned to take your house, too, but I had to rush the ending.”
“Rachel...” Elisa whispered the name as the room tilted. “He needs an ambulance.”
“So?” Rachel scoffed. “He’s no longer my problem.”
Elisa closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she tried to look up but couldn’t. Rachel’s shoes tapped against the floor as she walked around their still bodies toward the back door. It opened and she was gone.
They were going to die there.
“Elisa.” Josh’s arms were stretched out in front of him. His bloody palms were open toward the ceiling.
Phone... something about a phone. Elisa strained to remember. “Don’t say anything. Just breathe.”
He’d had a cell. Did she?
“I didn’t mean...” His breathing sounded more like a gurgle now.
“You did. You totally meant it.”
“Elisa!”
“Where are you?”
Elisa was pretty sure she was hallucinating. She tried to separate out the voices yelling in her head. The first, Harris.Strong but panicked. The second . . . Shelby. But that couldn’t be right. She wouldn’t be with Harris. They didn’t know each other.
Footsteps. Running. Then Harris’s voice again. “Call an ambulance.”
“Already did,” Shelby said as she kneeled in front of Elisa.
