The Woman at the Docks - Jessica Gadziala Page 0,78

happen," Luca told her with calm certainty.

It happened so fast.

I should have anticipated it.

Celenia always had a fierce and fast temper, never thinking anything through.

But even if I had, I probably wouldn't have been fast enough to act.

Her finger slipped to the trigger.

"No!" I shrieked, moving to step in front of Luca. I guess thinking she was less likely to shoot me. Because I was her sister. Because I was no threat to her.

I should have known better.

The bullet ripped through my upper arm, a searing, burning pain that made my whole arm throb.

But then Luca's hand was grabbing me, shoving me to the ground.

I heard the shots before I even hit the cement.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Luca's body slammed down beside me, red already blooming across his perfect white shirt.

I didn't think.

I didn't consider what was going to happen, if I would be able to do it, if I could live with the aftermath.

I reached inside Luca's coat, grabbing the gun out of the holster I'd seen him strap on before we'd left, a foreign yet oddly comforting sight.

And then I turned, aimed, and emptied it into my sister.

I watched as her body jolted with each impact.

I watched her eyes go wide.

I watched the pain wipe away the shock.

And then I watched her body fall much like Luca's had.

I didn't even realize anyone was screaming, let alone that it was me, or that I was still frantically squeezing the trigger, until someone's hand grabbed mine, pulling the gun away, dropping it on the ground.

"She's gone. She's gone, Romy," Antony's voice consoled me, seeming to break through the terror and shock, making the screaming stop, allowing conscious thoughts to break through my head again.

And my first thought wasn't about killing my sister.

No.

It was Luca.

"Luca," I hissed, turning back to him, pressing my hands into one of the spots where the blood seemed to be pooling the worst, at the side of his chest. "You're going to be okay, okay?" I told him, voice trembling. "It's okay. Someone has already called the ambulance. You're going to be alright."

"You're hit," he mumbled, voice soft. Too soft. Almost like he didn't have the energy to raise it.

I couldn't even feel my arm.

Even when I focused on it, all there was there was numbness.

Shock, I guessed. This was what they called shock.

"I'm fine. Totally fine. And you're going to be fine too, okay?" I told him, pressing harder, getting a small wince. "Just hold on a couple more minutes. I think I already hear the sirens." It was either that or I was hallucinating. Which seemed entirely plausible in this situation.

Why wasn't anyone else helping me comfort him? Where was his father?

Even as I was thinking it, I could hear his voice, barking things off, likely on his phone.

His son was bleeding on the ground, and he was making phone calls?

"Romy..." Luca said, eyes getting a little far-away, a little foggy-looking.

"I'm right here. I'm not leaving you," I assured him.

His words were losing their strength, only half of them audible.

But I was sure I made out two of them.

Right woman.

And then his eyes drifted closed, his body slackened.

"No no no no no!" I shrieked, one of my hands lifting from his chest to frantically slap his cheek, needing his eyes to open again, needing to know he was still with me. "Come on, Luca. Look at me, damnit!"

"The ambulance is right behind me," a woman's voice said to my side, making my head turn to find Officer Greys moving in at Luca's other side, pressing her hands into another bullet wound. "You're shot too."

"I'm fine. They need to take Luca first," I told her, feeling the useless tears streaming down my cheeks, blurring my vision, falling off my chin and onto Luca's shirt, mixing with the blood, making it lighten where it landed.

"They're going to want to take both of you, but Luca will go first," she assured me, voice calm, disarmingly calm, given the situation.

"They can't let him die," I whimpered, looking at Luca, then over at the officer. "I know you look at him and you see someone you want in jail, but he deserves to live, damnit."

"The doctors are going to do everything necessary," she assured me, giving me a firm nod.

"No!" I shrieked when two hands sank in at my waist, yanking me backward, pulling me away from Luca. "Let me go!" I yelled, legs kicking in the air as I was pulled several feet backward.

"Give them space to work," Antony's voice said in