He Chose the Girl Who Tried to Kill Him novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: Six Cartridges

"Not the heart," Nan said.

She said it so softly that only I heard.

"What?"

"He asked for the heart. Everyone thinks so. But the heart is for the man who sent him."

Her hand under mine had stopped trembling.

I felt it go still.

At the foot of the aisle, Langston stood in the window light with his arms a little out from his sides.

He did not close his eyes.

"Nan," he said. "For Lottie."

"For Lottie," said Nan.

She turned the muzzle a hand's width to the left and fired.

The sound was enormous.

It rolled off the stone walls and the high window shook in its frame.

Langston spun half around and went down on one knee on the chancel step with his hand clamped over his right shoulder.

Blood came between his fingers, dark on the morning coat.

Somebody screamed then, a woman's long scream.

Then a dozen others.

Harriet came out of her pew with her hands over her mouth and a cry that I will never forget.

"Langston!"

She reached him and dropped beside him.

"My son. My darling. Someone get a doctor."

"Mother," said Langston, through his teeth. "Stop."

The Mission women were on their feet.

The thin man from the Plain Dealer was standing on the pew, writing.

Nan had not moved.

Smoke hung over her head, and she stood with the pistol still out in both hands.

I felt her breathe in.

She swung the pistol round.

The whole church saw where it went.

It went down the aisle, past my shoulder, past the pews, to the man in the black coat and white carnation who was backing toward the side door with his hand on the latch.

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