Page 34 (1/2)

"I ca between us" Suddenly, one of Joanna’s hands flew up froown She clasped a revolver that looked absurdly large in her small hand She aimed it somewhere in the vicinity of Bloodsworth

He ju! Where did you get that?"

She set her chin at a petulant angle "It’s Papa’s"

Annalise tucked herself behind the bedpost as if that ht protect her from a stray ball Clearly these tere perfect for each other

"Put that thing down Nothing has changed between us I still love you," he assured her, waving his hands and eyeing the revolver nervously

"I don’t believe you," she cried, jabbing the weapon in the air at hiown ripped?" Tears spilled down her cheeks "I thought you lovedfor the crack of the revolver

Bloodsworth backed up several steps "Joanna,hard and fast "I’ the revolver on Annalise "Why did you not just stay dead, you stupid cow? He doesn’t love you He never loved you!"

Panic surged inside her as she stared down the barrel, trying to shrink behind the post Was this it, then? How she would die?

She moistened her lips and spoke quickly, her words a jumbled rush "Wait If you shoot me, you won’t have him The house is full of people They will swarm in here the moment you fire Think, Joanna What will happen to you then? Don’t let hied forward another few steps "You are the one ruining everything!"

Annalise risked a glance at her husband He had ceased to back away In fact, he inched closer to Joanna, a slow s on his face Of course If Joanna killed her, it would be the end of all his problems The end to her

He crooned so low, Annalise had to strain to hear hione, then I would be free to marry"

"He’ll be free to marry," she said, "but it won’t be to you You’ll be in prison!"

Uncertainty flickered across Joanna’s face The revolver wobbled, lowering a fraction in her hand A sob spilled fro"

Annalise’s shoulders sagged in relief, now that the revolver was no longer pointing at her

The door burst open then, and Owen stood there, legs braced, shoulders squared

Her heart leapt to her throat She released her clutch on the bedpost and stepped forward "Owen" His nahtened her He shouldn’t be here And yet he was

Another man’s wife or not, he’d coroo a bloodied nose to ination to deduce as responsible for that

Owen’s gaze swept over the bedcha her state of dishabille His eyes scoured her, taking in herflashed in his eyes then A rage she had never seen Especially from him He’d always been so in control of himself So calaze shot to Bloodsworth, and a moment later he launched himself across the roo into a small side table Glass shattered

Joanna yelped and danced out of the way, brandishing the revolver in a wide arc It was a wonder the thing didn’t go off

Owen’s arh the air His shoulders pulled powerfully at his jacket as his fistss the revolver

"Shoot hi his face away froet the words out

Joanna pointed the revolver at the men

"Joanna, no!" Annalise dove forward, arm stretched out

A loud shot cracked the air

The s at the twoa hand over her ive out beneath her

"Owen?" she croaked The blood rushed to her head, filling her ears with a nuaze locked with hers He shook his head as if he did not quite knohat had happened

Action fired her li her to his side If he was hurt, he’d need assistance i her hands "Did she shoot you?"

"NoIt’s nothis blood-soaked front as if verifying his oords

She released the breath she had been holding

Joanna began to scream then A shrill screech that reverberated off the walls She dropped to her knees beside Bloodsworth, the revolver thudding to the floor She rolled him from his side to his back, which hen Annalise saw the nasty wound in the side of his head

She averted her eyes, her sto

Owen quickly pulled her away They rose to their feet, giving Joanna and the body a wide berth

The groo sound before racing back out of the roo her head in disbelief Bloodsworth was a wretch who had tried to ht of his corpse

Joanna’s screa wail Her hands pounded at the duke as if she could somehow revive hi blurred as people flooded into the room Joanna’s father barreled in and swept her into his hold The watch arrived, no doubt fetched by the zealous groom Soon more uniformed rew louder as she was led away