It all happens so quickly. Natasha reaches behind her and pulls a gun from the back of her pants. The crowd gasps, then disperses. I swallow hard, guarding Everleigh with my body. If she wants to shoot her, she’ll have to go through me first, but I’m not about to let that happen.
“Natasha…” I say, holding out my hands. “Put the gun down.”
“Move out of the fucking way,” she says between gritted teeth. “This is between me and that whore.”
“You don’t want to do this. Set it down before you hurt someone.”
Natasha moves forward until she’s standing three feet away. I reach behind me, holding Everleigh in place.
“Get out of the goddamn way,” she says at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing off the downtown buildings.
I blink and feel Everleigh slip out from behind me. There’s a noise, and seconds later, Natasha’s legs are buckling from under her. She falls to the ground, and I turn to see Everleigh with nostrils flared, holding a Taser. Her hands are shaking, and I know she’s unsettled by the expression on her face.
Before I can move forward, Tyler rushes over and kicks the gun away. It all happens so quickly that even I’m stunned at how fast Natasha went down.
Tyler wraps his arm around Everleigh. She immediately drops the Taser, and I see the darts buried in Natasha’s skin. The woman is on the ground, hissing out in pain, and when she tries to move, no one moves forward to help her. Sirens blare in the distance, and within a few minutes, the police are on the scene.
A few officers and EMTs surround us. Tyler informs them that Natasha is the one who held us at gunpoint. They help her onto a gurney and let her know she’ll be cuffed as they bring her to the hospital. She’s banged up, but honestly, the woman needs some mental help. She doesn’t say a word as she glares at us.
After they wheel her to the back of an ambulance, I focus on Everleigh and hear Tyler scolding her. “You did a good thing, but you should never tase someone who’s got a finger on the trigger of a gun! She could have shot you guys.”
“I know, but I panicked,” she says with tears in her eyes, the reality of what happened catching up with her. “I didn’t know what else to do. I was so fucking scared. Thank God it worked, and you’re alive.” She meets my eyes, then pulls me into her arms.
Her body shakes, and I kiss her hair, trying to soothe her. “Thank God we both are.”
Officer Proctor walks through the crowd, then over to us. “You’re both very lucky,” he states. “One of the callers said Everleigh almost got run over, and then the driver whipped out a gun. I’m assuming she knows you personally?””
Everleigh nods, and I speak up. “She’s the one who stabbed her too. I recognized her face. She’s also driving the same vehicle that was following us.”
As Everleigh tells him every detail of what happened, the officer jots notes down on his pad.
“What’s going to happen to her?” Everleigh asks once she’s done.
“She’s going to the hospital, then we’ll question her. If she cooperates, we may be able to offer her a lesser sentence. If she doesn’t, she could be charged with attempted murder,” he states. “Amongst other things, depending on what the prosecutor finds.”
Once we’re finished talking to Officer Proctor, Gemma and Katie rush over just as shaken up as the rest of us.
“Oh my God, Everleigh.” Gemma hugs her, and Katie joins in. “We didn’t know what was going on. All of a sudden, we heard the squealing and screaming, then a crowd formed. Once we saw the gun, neither of us knew what to do besides stay put.”
“That’s good,” Everleigh says. “That was the smart thing to do, considering I think Natasha followed me and was waiting for me to come out.”
“I’ve got to go back to work. Dana’s running the shop alone, and I’ve already been gone for two hours.” She watches the tow truck hook up to the SUV.
“You should probably call Lexie and see if she can cover for you,” I suggest, but she doesn’t respond.
“Everleigh. You can’t force yourself to work in this condition. You’re really shaken up,” I finally say, grabbing her car keys.
“She’s already done so much for me over the past few months.”
“And I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to continue to help. Otherwise, close the shop early, but you need to take the rest of the day off.”
“Fine,” she complies.
I take her hand and lead to her car, then guide her into the passenger side. After she buckles in, Everleigh pulls out her phone. Before I get to the driver's side, Tyler comes over and pulls me into a tight hug.