“W-what happened to you?” I gasp as I take a step towards him, but stop myself. It’s not just the wounds on his face, but the hateful glare he throws my way that has me stopping in my tracks.
“Do you know what I hate most?” he repeats, taking a single step towards me, his hand going to his ribs and, from the wince on his face, I can tell they hurt.
“You need to go to the hospital. You are hurt,” I whisper grabbing my phone from the counter. “I’ll call an ambulance for you.”
“Put the fucking phone down!” he shouts, and I drop my phone when I look up to find a gun pointed at me. My palms go to my mouth to hold back a scream that threatens to escape. With the way he is looking at me, I have no doubt he has every intention of shooting me.
He hates me, that much is clear in his cold, empty eyes.
“I hate it when women play games with me. I saw the way you looked at me, practically begging to suck my dick, and the second I make my move, you send that animal after me!”
He’s sick. Delusional.
“I did not…”
“Stop lying, Bitch,” he screams, his face morphing into something sinister, and his hand fisting his hair in agitation. “Always with the fucking lies.”
The side of his lip starts bleeding, and I figure he split a wound with the shouting, but I can’t focus on that right now. I need to figure out how to get myself out of this situation.
“Let’s talk about this calmly, okay? I can…”
“There is nothing you can do now. That boyfriend of yours, he said he would kill me. I would like to see him fucking try. I got away from him once, and after I am done with you, I will kill him, too.”
I was hoping to engage him a little more, but I can see he is done talking when he lifts his gun once more and points it at me.
“Mad.”
It’s his name on my lips when I close my eyes. He told me to give him a chance to love me and protect me, and now…
I need him now.
“He is not going to save you. Say your goodbyes, Bitch.”
The shot goes off.
It’s loud and deafening but… nothing.
Does that mean he missed? I mean, I heard the shot, but…
I don’t dare open my eyes to look, and when someone touches my shoulder, I jump back, startled.
“Shh, it’s me, baby,” Mad whispers as his arms draw me into a hug. “It’s okay, baby. You are safe.”
I bury my face in his chest and sob.He’s here.He came.
“He can’t hurt you anymore, no one can.” He runs his fingers over my hair in a soothing manner. “I know you want me to give you time, but I just want you to know that whether or not you chose to accept my love, I will protect you with everything I have, even if it’s from a distance.”
His words only make me sob harder.
“Stay,” I whisper into his chest.
There is an extended silence before he finally speaks. “It might be the adrenaline speaking, my love. It’s okay, I can wait…”
“No, stay,” I mumble into his chest. “The answer will be the same tomorrow and the day after.”
My arms tighten around his waist as I try to get a hold of my emotions, but it’s like a dam that has been opened. I could have died tonight. Mad was there to save me. Twice.
I try to lift my head from his chest once the sobs have died down, but he doesn’t let me, his huge body shielding me from what I imagine is David’s dead body. The sound of sirens approaching has fear bubbling back up, and he must sense this because he assures me that he has everything under control.