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“Turn and face us, now,” the officer behind me commands.
I can hear Troy’s boots against the floor as he shuffles to face the officers. I’m still standing here, frozen. There isn’t a single part of my body that doesn’t feel like it’s made of stone. When Troy is far enough away, I let out the breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. Jackson motions for me to come to him, but I can’t.
“Now, walk toward us. Keep your hands high, where we can see them.”
From behind, I can hear the shuffling of bodies, and I know it’s over. The emotional dam bursts open, and I collapse to my knees, gasping for air. I don’t even realize the muscular arms holding me as I collapse deeper into his chest. His hand soothes my head as he pulls me into his lap.
I’m alive.
He’s alive.
We’re ok.
Those are the words Jackson repeats as I sit here, broken in his arms. “We’re ok,” he says. Over and over again. His soothing voice is the only thing grounding me to the reality that this ordeal is over. He came for me, as I knew he would.
Jackson
It took everything in me not to fire and end that asshole. Coming up behind them, seeing him use Rory as a human shield; it’s what my heart wanted to do. The internal struggle between the primal urge to protect the woman I love versus the logical part of my brain going through the motions of my training. If Rory wasn’t in the line of fire, logic wouldn’t have won.
Thankfully, once the other officers arrive, the coward surrenders without a fight. As Baucom moves away from Rory, I try to get her to come to me. From where I’m standing, I can see her legs start to shake. But before I can reach her, she collapses to the ground. Kneeling beside her, I wrap her in my arms and stroke her hair. Her cheeks are damp with tears that won’t stop falling and her breathing is labored. Nothing but hiccups as she gasps for air. The adrenaline crash is always difficult to watch, more so when it’s someone you love.
Her hands grip tightly around my Kevlar vest and I feel her sink into me. Without having to say a word, this gesture tells me she knows it’s me. She knows I’ve got her, and I’ll never let go. Scooping her into my lap, I lean my back up against the locker and continue to hold her tight. With Rory’s face buried in my chest, I watch as the officers walk a handcuffed Troy Baucom past us. His eyes meet mine, and for a second I think he’s going to look away, but he doesn’t.
“I wasn’t going to hurt her.”
The officer directly behind Baucom gives him a shove. “Keep moving.”
Skip is now to the right of me, his jaw locked tight as he stares at Baucom. Once he passes us, Skip turns his attention to me.
“Medic is on the way in. Is she hurt?”
“Not physically.”
“Aurora?”
Rory takes in a shaky breath and turns her head toward her father’s voice.
“I’ll be ok,” she manages in between gasps.
Skip kneels and runs his hand over her back. “I thought I was going to lose you.” His confession causes Rory to only sob harder. “Thank you, Jackson.” I give him a nod and watch as he wipes at his eyes. “I’m going to have a medic look you over just to be safe. The deputies are going to take Melody’s statement, and then they’ll need yours. I’m sorry they won’t wait. But, after that, Jackson can take you home.”
Rory doesn’t move, only nods her head. Skip’s warm, pale-blue eyes meet mine, and I try my best to reassure him.
“I’m not leaving her. You do what you have to do. I’ve got her.”
Skip nods and walks back to the front of the school. A minute later, two medics are kneeling down in front of us, checking Rory’s vitals and asking her a series of questions. Most of her answers are short, one-word sentences. She only elaborates if she has to. She keeps a death grip on my hand the entire time.
By the time medics wrap it up, one of our officers comes in and takes Rory’s statement. I watch as she robotically recounts the events as they happened. The officer asks her a few follow-up questions, and then we’re free to leave.
Inside Rory’s office, she grabs her purse and cell phone from her desk drawer.
“I have so many missed calls and texts.”
“You don’t have to worry about any of that right now. It’s mostly me and your dad, I’m sure.”
Rory takes a breath and looks around her office. Her eyes void of all emotion. “Take me home, please.”
“Do you want to go to the townhouse or—”
