His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus) novel Chapter 684

Marilla felt an ominous chill creep down her spine. She wanted to dodge, to flee, but it was already too late. But Aaron wasn't about to give the killer a second chance.

In a split second, he drew the gun holstered at his back. With a swift, long-armed pull, he yanked Marilla into the safety of his embrace and fired. The first bullet slammed into Don's knife-wielding right arm, and the second found its mark in his left knee.

His actions were swift and decisive, like lightning cleaving the sky! If he was thinking of committing a crime, didn’t give Aaron an opening. In the blink of an eye, he could turn the tables!

The man let out a cry of pain and frustration as he crumpled to the ground.

The cops swarmed in, twisting his arm behind his back and snapping handcuffs on his wrists. The madman, driven to the brink by his love for his daughter, was finally in custody.

With the man down and the sniper's line of sight blocked by the rooftop railing, there was nothing left but to retreat. That was why Aaron had made sure to shoot the man in the leg.

Marilla, her ears ringing from the gunfire, was shaking like a leaf in Aaron's arms, her hands covering her ears as she gasped for air, her entire body drenched in cold sweat.

"It's okay; it's okay." Aaron didn’t take her to leave, instead, they two both sitting on the concrete ledge. He held her tight, soothing her with gentle patience, "Ever set off fireworks as a kid? Think of those shots as fireworks. A celebration from me of your life after this close call. Does that make it a bit better?"

Marilla's tear-streaked face was buried in his shirt, her sobs unceasing. Aaron sighed with a tender ache in his chest, his grip on her slender shoulders tightening ever so slightly.

"I thought I was going to die," Marilla's muffled voice finally broke the silence.

"Not a chance, Marilla. You're smart, brave, and tougher than I am." At the thought of her negotiating with the murderer back then, Aaron’s heart heated up with emotion; a smile tugged at his lips as he leaned closer, "And besides, I'm here. I would never let anything happen to you. I have to live up to this badge, to Evadne, and to your brother."

“And to the trust you've placed in me by calling me Aaron”, he thought, but he didn’t voice it out loud.

"I wasn't lying. I really wanted to help that man," Marilla moved her rosy lips.

"Marilla." Aaron's expression suddenly turned serious, "You mentioned earlier that you've been bullied. Is that true?!"

Marilla was startled from her daze, her eyes widened in fear, trembling uncontrollably in his embrace.

"No, I've never been bullied. I was just talking nonsense; I've never been bullied."