Broken-Hearted Cupid

Prologue

"Please, just put it down," Brielle pleaded urgently to the man she no longer recognized. His warm brown eyes had darkened to where they were almost black, and there was a crazed hungry look in them. The face she had once thought was so handsome had turned to one of pure terror. His skin was pale, his features hollowed, and his brown hair was a mess casting shadows on his face. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought he was the pure image of death.

"All you ever had to do was love me!" he screamed causing me to flinch.

"I'm so sorry, Kenneth," Brielle cried as tears rolled down her face. How had things gotten this far? How had she not noticed how close to the edge he was? The freezing surface of the floor Kenneth had basically thrown her on burnt through the fabric around her ankles. It was like death's cold hands were already claiming her body. " I'm sorry I didn't love you as much as you loved me, but you can't do this. Please, we can try again-"

"No!" he said anger causing his body to tremble. " I will not go through the pain again. I will not let you hurt me any further. I have to do this." A sob racked through Brielle's body.

"Please!" she begged as she lifted a hand up as if it would shield her from the revolver in his hand. Brielle saw him start to lose his control.

"You don't understand how much this is killing me inside. I don't ever want to hurt you, but there is no other way. You broke my heart, Brielle, and I can't live without you. I love you, but I won't live life knowing you could be with another man," he ran a hand through his hair. " I just won't do it. I love you far too much." She felt utterly helpless. Maybe if she tried to reason with him...if she told him what he wanted to hear...

" I love you, too---"

" Do not lie to me!" he screamed rage thick in his voice. A blood chilling feeling coursed through her veins as she realized she had sealed her  own fate. " You do not love me," Kenneth yelled. " If you loved me, you wouldn't have ripped out my heart like it was nothing, so do not tell me you love me. You do not have the capacity to love because you are heartless." His eyes took on a distant look, and he smiled. It was a smile that looked feral and completely inhuman. " But I love you, and I am going to end all of this." Kenneth's grip on the gun tightened and any visible signs of emotion left his face.

" Kenneth, no!" Brielle screamed realizing it was all over and raising to her feet to reach him. She saw his finger pull the trigger, but the only sound was the blood rushing to her ears. A blinding pain crashed through her core as her legs gave way beneath her. Brielle  felt strong arms wrap around her waist lowering her to the ground. She stared blankly up into the face of a devil. Blood soaked her gown around the gun shot wound in her side and pooled on the floor. Kenneth reached red-stained hands scorched by gunpowder to her stroking the hair from her face.

" Even with your life slowly fading, you are absolutely breathtaking." Brielle felt her breath grew ragged as it got harder to breathe and stay conscious. He leaned down until his breath mingled with her strangled gasps. " I will always love you, Brielle," he whispered as he kissed her numb lips lightly. She saw darkness begin to ebb around the corners of her vision. Brielle finally heard the gunshot as she slipped into death's grasp.