Page 142 of Forgive Me Father

Her voice rises in desperate cries, her eyes locked on a young girl being brought in, lifeless and carried by a single woman.

“Fuck all of you!” Eden screams. “Hannah, wake up!” Her voice cracks as she reaches for the young girl, battling whatever they’ve injected into her.

I must act now.

I have to—

“Homeland Security! Everybody get down on the fucking ground!” A commanding voice pierces the chaos as gunshots erupt. Tactical officers storm every exit.

I shove David and his follower aside, allowing them to writhein pain, and sprint toward the altar. Luca, faster than I, is already clutching Eden, trying to drag her away.

We collide with the red chair, my knuckles driving into his face. Anger blinds me as I feel nothing but a surge of red.

Eden’s focus remains on the young girl. In our tangled struggle, Luca seizes my pistol from beneath my shirt. I fight to keep it from him, my grip tightening around his throat. Clawing at my hand, he fights until he gets the opportunity to toss the pistol away from the both of us. Fear encompasses my chest at the sound of the weapon sliding across the floor.

“There will always be more of us,” He hisses through clenched teeth.

“And I will always find you—”

His words are silenced as a burst of blood splatters my face. A perfect hole forms on his forehead, steam rising from the wound.

Shakily, Eden picks up the scattered pistol, her gaze locking onto me with a mix of fear and disbelief. The young girl, still hidden behind her, trembles.

“Roman?” She whispers, her voice breaking as she lowers the weapon, tears streaming down her face.

Rising to my feet, it feels as though God Himself has finally graced me with His presence.

And she stands right before me.

I rush to her, enveloping her in my arms, kissing her with a fervent desperation. Her tears blend with mine as I hold her as close as I can, savoring the moment of our reunion.

Hearing the frantic shouts of Echo’s men, my world narrows to Eden. Her body quakes in fear as her forehead rests against mine.

“You came for me,” She whispers, her voice barely audible.

“It’s all over, baby,” I promise, trying to offer her solace. “It’s all over—”

A gunshot echoes through the room. Eden’s eyes widen, and a choked gasp escapes her throat.

"Eden?" I call out, desperate.

Her gaze drops to her hand, clutching her torso where crimson begins to seep through. Her body tilts backward, supported only by my desperate grip.

“No, no,” I shout, turning my head to see David with a gun, a sinister smile curling his lips.

Echo’s men respond with precision, taking David down with a fatal shot to the head. Others begin extracting children from the hidden spaces of the church.

Gasping, I refocus on Eden, my hands pressing firmly against her wound.

“I need help!” I cry out, watching her eyes flutter as her blood pools beneath her.

“Damnit, I need fucking help!” I shout again, seeing the distant flashing lights of the approaching medical vehicles.

A hand grips my shoulder, and I snap.

“I’m not fucking leaving her—”

“Roman,” Echo’s voice cuts through the chaos. “We’ve got medical services from town. EMTs are coming in,” He hisses, and men and women with medical bags rush toward us.