Chapter 28

 

My eyes were still sealed tight, waiting for the pain, waiting for the nothingness to consume me. The concussive sound of the gun firing exploded in my ears. Warm droplets landed on my skin.

I waited.

One heartbeat…

Two heartbeats…

The beating continued on.

The ringing grew louder, making me cringe, then was gone, replaced by the thud of something heavy dropping to the ground in front of me.

My breath was ragged as my heart raced, still waiting for the bullet to hit me. I forced my eyes to open, half expecting to see the nothingness of death or the shiny leather shoes of my killer splattered with my blood.

I saw neither.

Vincent Marconi’s body lay sprawled out in front of me, his eyes open, the light fading from them. Blood seeped out of his chest, pooling beneath him. I wiped my hand against my forehead and found no hole, but thick, sticky, dark red blood instead.

It wasn’t mine.

Everything was silent, or seemed to be. I began to shake, my body trembling and convulsi