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Madeline hesitated for a moment, and at that moment, I saw my chance. I lunged forward, trying to wrestle the gun from her grip, but she was strong, and she fought back with fury.
We tumbled to the ground, Madeline's weight pressing down on me. I felt the cold barrel of the gun against my temple, and I knew that this was it—the end.
I closed my eyes and prepared myself when the door suddenly sprang open, and a figure emerged from the darkness.
Chapter61
Parker burst into the bedroom with his heart pounding in his ears. He took in the scene before him: Madeleine standing by the window, her face illuminated by moonlight streaming through the glass, her hand tightly gripping a gun. His eyes darted to the finger curled around the trigger.
The scene before him was horrific. On the floor in front of Madeleine sat a woman on her knees, arms over her head to form a protective shield as if she could keep the bullet from hitting her that way. She was shivering as if she were trying to make herself invisible. The man on the floor nearby was on his back, clutching his bloody midsection and groaning in agony. And on the bed, blood pooled around her still body and eyes staring lifelessly into an unseen world, was a young woman with a face twisted in pain.
Kyla!
Parker's feet hit the ground with a thud, and he lunged toward Madeleine, arms outstretched. Before she had time to react, his hands were on her waist—twisting her body around as they tumbled back. The gun slipped from her grasp, and all the breath was knocked out of her lungs. They fought hard for control as Parker tried to pry the weapon away from Madeleine forcefully.
Parker felt Madeleine's weight against him as they spun and rolled across the floor. He could feel her muscles straining against his as they fought for possession of the gun. His heart thundered in his ears as he strained to keep her hands away from it. Every breath she exhaled was hot against his skin.
Parker grasped the gun with both hands, his knuckles turning white as he pulled against her grip. His face was scrunched in determination, and sweat was trickling down the side of his face. With a final effort, he yanked it free and immediately rolled away from her. He spun around, jumping to his feet, raised the gun, and aimed it directly at her.
"P-Parker?" she said. "What the heck are you doing?"
"Stopping you. Ending what I should have years ago."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Madeleine said. "You can't just come in here… all…."
"Oh, yes, I can," he said, moving closer with the gun. Madeleine stopped talking as she stared down the barrel of the gun.
The woman on the floor looked up at him, and he realized she was police when he saw her badge on her belt. That made him nervous. Cops always made him anxious.
"Stay down," he said to her as she tried to get up. He didn't trust her or the guy in the pool of blood.
She obeyed.
"Now, what the heck is going on here?" he asked. He glared at the lifeless body on the bed. He gasped when he saw how deep her stab wounds were. He grabbed her hand.
"Kyla, sweetie. Kyla, it's your daddy. I'm here."
Kyla answered with a deep moan. It barely sounded human. Anger rose in him when he saw this, and he walked to Madeleine and pressed the gun hard against her head.
"I ought to kill you right here and now."
"Please, don't," she pleaded, "please, don't."
"Give me one good reason not to," he said. "Just one!"
"Because of the grandchildren," she said. "Our grandchildren. Who is going to take care of them?"
"Oh, because their mothers are gone because you murdered them, you sick woman! What kind of mother kills all her own daughters? The first one when she was only nine years old, remember her?"
Chapter62
THEN:
The day they were brought home was like a dream come true. Emma and Lily clung to their mother's hand, their hearts overflowing with joy and relief. It had been a difficult few weeks with their mother hospitalized and the girls placed in temporary foster care.
As they walked through the front door of their small house, Emma and Lily breathed in the familiar scent of home. The living room was filled with balloons, flowers, and cards from well-wishers, their mother's smile beaming with gratitude.
"Welcome home, my girls," their mother said, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. "I missed you so much."
