Page 109 of His Brown-Eyed Girl

Relief stole over her. “The police are here.”

Robbie’s response wasn’t fit for polite company.

“Take the baby and go let the police in. I’ve got this piece of horse dung under control,” Flora said like she was an arresting officer inLaw and Order.

Addy pulled Charlotte out from under the table, cradling the child in her arms. Charlotte locked her arms around Addy’s neck like a vise, her body shaking with her tears. “Shh, shh, Charlotte, it’s okay now. It’s okay.”

Addy was afraid to leave Aunt Flora in case Robbie tried to flee, or even worse, take the gun from Flora. Addy had learned the hard way how easy it was for a perpetrator to take a weapon from a victim and use it on her. So she stood in the doorway of the kitchen, holding Charlotte and waiting on the first officer to arrive on the scene.

She didn’t wait long.

With one eye on Flora, Addy motioned the female officer inside. “He’s in the kitchen. My aunt has a gun.”

“Ma’am, step back, please,” the officer said, gun drawn and her eyes focused on the kitchen doorway. She called into her mic. “Jeter, cover the back.”

Addy scooted to the side, worried sick about Flora, but wanting the officer to be able to do her job. The policewoman entered the kitchen and Addy heard her say, “Okay, ma’am. I want you to step back and lower your weapon.”

Aunt Flora answered, “You put your gun on this piece of scum, and I’ll be happy to step away.”

“Do as I say,” the officer said again and Addy heard the back door burst open.

And that’s when the shaking started. Her whole body shook violently as her legs buckled. Addy sank against the wall, lowering herself to the ground, clutching Charlotte who still clung to her, making mewling sounds like a little kitten.

In the background she heard a male voice reading Robbie his rights and felt Flora’s cool hand against her neck.

“Addy, you’re okay, honey,” Aunt Flora said, but Addy couldn’t stop shaking. “Here, let me take Charlotte.”

Releasing Charlotte, Addy finally lifted her head. Her teeth chattered so she wrapped her arms around herself, looking up at Flora who still looked cool as ice. “Where did you get that gun?”

“I’ve had that thing under my mattress for twenty years. Bought it when we had some gang trouble in the area around the shop, but now I keep in under my mattress.” Flora stroked Charlotte’s hair.

“Dear God, if you hadn’t-” Addy finished off hearing the sound of footsteps coming from the kitchen. Seconds later the other officer marched a cuffed Robbie past them. Robbie turned, looked at her, and sneered.

Addy turned away, unable to look at him one second longer.

In the living area she could hear Aunt Flora soothing Charlotte. Lights from the cruiser bounced intrusively on the wood floor, and the female officer stood in the door calling numbers into a microphone-looking thing on her shoulder. Moths fluttered in seeking light.

And Addy sat alone.

This is what she’d wanted, right? She’d pushed Lucas away, pushed everyone away. She thought she could protect herself, but she hadn’t been able to. She’d nearly died, nearly erased the life she could have had with Lucas all because she’d been afraid. She’d decided standing outside with her nose pressed to the window was better than opening the door and taking a chance on something more. Okay, so she had opened the door and stuck her head in, but when things got too unstable, she’d pulled it back out.

What good was a life unlived worth?

She needed Lucas beside her. She needed to take a chance on something more than what she now had.

“Ma’am, medical assistance is on its way,” the police officer said, looking from Addy to Aunt Flora. “But I also need to ask some questions about what happened.”

Flora nodded, looking down at Addy. “Can you stand up, sweetheart?”

Addy nodded and began to push herself up… and that’s when Lucas arrived.

When Lucas pulled onto Orchard Street, he was met with the flashing blue and red lights of a police car. Behind him, he could see the accompanying lights of an ambulance making its way from the other direction.

His heart hit his churning stomach, and like a man possessed he hurtled toward Addy’s house. With a squeal of tires, he skidded into his brother’s driveway, leaping from the truck and running toward the house next door. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a police officer loading a man in cuffs into the cruiser. Part of Lucas wanted to veer toward the asshole and use him as a punching bag, but the other part needed to get to Addy and Charlotte.

He took the front steps two at a time and burst through the open front door.

“Addy!”

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