Part 2:
Gone
Bill had felt Sookie, had known that she needed him, but he couldn't move. At the time he knew she was in trouble, he was holding a lifeless Jessica in his arms, still under the watchful eyes of Eric, the magistrate, and everyone higher up at the tribumal: he was forbidden to leave.
Then he'd returned to her, only to find her in the arms of Sam Merlotte, the man he'd asked to protect her, the man who was in love with her. Bill felt like a fool. But, what could he have done? Had he left, he'd have faced stricter consequences…then again, they wouldn't have allowed him to.
Sookie Stackhouse didn't fully understand.
She paced back and forth in her bedroom, leaving Sam to stand alone in her trashed living room; she didn't know what to do. Unknown to her, her best friend was homeless, her brother was in jail for murder, a killer was still after her, Bill was gone, and her heart? She didn't know about her heart, let alone anything, at that moment. She threw herself underneath her covers and fell into a deep sleep.
Sam straightened up the living room, tried to be quiet as he swept up the broken glass. His jaw hurt, Bill had nailed him a good one. He checked the shotgun again and sat on the sofa, his mind racing, his heart longing, his guard up. Despite the consequences, Sam vowed to keep Sookie safe, whether she wanted him to or not.