“Yeah? Okay, good.” She took a deep breath. “I’m just worried he tainted everything good in my life. I don’t want his voice in my head when I skate. That was where he… would give me special training and, um, you know, started grooming me.”
I nodded, smiling softly. “It’s going to be hard, but you’re strong, Jill. You can do it. Just remember the steps we practiced, and take it one thing at a time. Maybe if you were to do something completely outside of what you did. What if you skated on an outside rink?”
She thought about it for a second, nodding, the wheels turning. “Yeah, you know what, that might work. There’s the one downtown I could try, but it might be too warm for it. Or maybe even a hockey rink. My dad has some connections with the Ice Devils. I might be able to skate there. It’s definitely worth a shot. Thanks, Loren.”
“Hey, you thought of the idea. I just helped you get there. Don’t dismiss your own work.”
“Okay.” She smiled, the grin covering her whole face. It lit up her entire person, and I saw what had attracted that predator to her. She was a gorgeous girl, but she had a sparkle about her that made you want to know her secret. She’d been vulnerable, and he’d preyed on that.
“I love that you have these two here. It’s the best.” She said, kneeling down to the ground to pet both dogs. They’d both been by her side the whole session. Their uncanny ability to know when someone needed them more was what made them perfect for this. Smiling, I finished up with Jill, and we scheduled for the following week.
Topher poked his head into my door when I was writing her note and asked if I wanted him to take the dogs out real quick. Nodding, I handed him the leashes, taking a deep breath as I relaxed a little to get the notes done. When I had everything finalized, I shut everything off and noticed they weren’t back yet. Closing everything in my office, I figured they had to be in the lobby.
Stepping into the small foyer, I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight before me. Brian was standing there, pointing a gun at Topher, a cruel sneer on his face. The door clicked behind me, and he whipped it around toward me. It was dumb on his part because the second he took his eyes off Topher, he pounced, knocking the gun from his hands, it clattering loudly against the ground, and kicking it toward me.
The dogs had both been on guard and now growled at Brian, who Topher managed to subdue in a matter of seconds. With shaky hands, I picked up the gun and raised it. The metal felt hot in my hands, and I wondered why. Looking up, I met my ex’s eyes, and the darkness in me whispered to pull the trigger. To just end this here and now. He’d be gone, out of our lives.
Topher was saying something to me, his mouth moving, but I couldn’t hear what he said. That was when I realized I couldn’t hear anything. There was no sound. Just the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears. This realization seemed to be what I needed to snap myself out of my mental fog, and everything came rushing forward. I dropped my arm, the gun's weight feeling too heavy now. Slinking to the floor, I wish I could go back to the quiet.
Everything was too loud now—shouts, barks, and a ringing were all around me, and I couldn’t focus on anything.
Barkley whined, pressing her head into me, and I petted her, the motion soothing. The red stickiness there made me stop when I picked my hand up.
“No, no, no.” It was happening again. Everything from the night Wells was shot came crashing into me, and I knew my time of ignoring it was over.
Tears fell down my cheeks, and I pulled Barkley into me, wrapping my arms around her as I sobbed. Fort came to my back, leaning his body weight on me. This was too much. I was losing it. I finally found happiness, and he wanted to take it from me. It wasn’t fair.
“Life wasn’t fair,” my subconscious whispered. “Are you going to sit here and cry or boss up?”
Fuck you, subconscious. I could do both.
Wiping my tears, I felt the blood streak against my cheek as I pulled away from my dogs, my guardians. That eerie silence surrounded me again, and I stood, focused on the asshole who kept trying to take more and more from me. I was tired of being his punching bag. He’d taken enough already.
I held my head high as I walked over to where Topher had him restrained on the ground. He was on the phone, probably talking to Sax or Atticus, but I couldn’t hear any of it. The only one I focused on was Brian.
“You’re such a stupid, bitch,” he spat, the sound returning. I smiled, stepping forward. The tip of my heel pressed into his groin, and I watched as he grimaced.
“The only stupid one here, Brian, is you. Clearly, you don’t understand who you’re up against. You’ll never touch me. I’m fucking Kevlar now. I’m indestructible.”
“You sure about that, Loren?” he snickered, not understanding the danger he was in. I stepped forward more, raising my foot and bringing the heel down right on his ball sack. Or at least where I assumed it was. His cry of pain at least let me know I struck something.
“I’m sorry, you were saying?” He fell over, groaning, his face turning purple. I kicked him again for good measure. “Yeah, that’s what I thought, asshole.”
Topher pulled me back, talking to me, but I couldn’t understand him. He placed a phone against my ear, and I tried to focus on what the person was saying.
“Spitfire? Fucking answer me, dammit.”
“I’m here.”
“Fucking Hell. I was about to murder everyone around me on my way to you. Are you okay?”
“I… I think so. There’s blood, but I don’t know where from.”
“Shit. Give the phone back to Topher.”
“Okay.”
I handed the phone to Topher, who stared at Brian, unsure what to do with him now that he was groaning out in pain. My legs felt heavy, so I sat down in a chair, the room starting to spin now. Fort came to me, licking my hand, and I rested my hands on him.