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He kept his boot lifted and turned to me. His eyes told me that he was going to stomp Barry’s face no matter what I said. I was about to stand there and witness him murder someone, and I couldn’t stop him. He turned from me just as Countee and two other men rushed in. Countee grabbed El and pushed him back against the wall while El fought to get free.
“El! Calm down!” Countee yelled in his face while using his forearm to contain him. The two men that came in with Countee stood over Barry. One spoke into his phone. While the other one checked Barry’s pulse.
“He’s alive,” the man called over to Countee.
Watching Countee and Samuel tussle for control reminded me of two bulls locked in battle. Countee was larger than Samuel, but Samuel wasn’t backing down.
“Calm your ass down. Your lady is over there, and she needs you,” Countee said through his teeth while still battling with Samuel.
Those words seemed to bring El back around. He lowered his arms and relaxed his stance.
“You calm?” I heard Countee say while I looked around the room taking in the whole scene. I felt a soft touch on my arm. I turned around and rushed into Samuel's chest. He took his jacket off and covered me with it then walked me back into my office.
I held on to Samuel and rested my face on his chest until he finally spoke.
“Are you hurt?”
He tried to let me go so that he could look at me. I wasn’t ready for him to let go. I turned my face to the side and said, “No.” Then I rested my face back on his chest.
“I need to see for myself, Vee,” he said gently.
I reluctantly released him and stepped back so that he could examine me. He gave me a once over and then zipped his jacket that I had on.
“Where did you come from?”
“I was coming up to watch you work since I knew that you weren’t going to leave. I had dinner,” he looked around. “I guess I threw it somewhere when I saw him on you.”
“Was the security guard down there when you came in?”
“No, and the elevators weren’t locked. I was on my way up here to get on you about that.”
“There is supposed to be a guard on duty at all times. If the guard leaves, someone should have been there to replace him.”
“Ms. Patterson,” a police officer stood outside my office.
“Yes?”
“We have a few questions for you if you’re up to it. Mr. Chambers said he would provide us with the footage of the attack, but we still have a few questions.”
“Can it wait until later?” Samuel asked.
“No,” I touched his chest. “It’s fine. Let’s get it over with.”
I sat down and answered the officer’s questions. The paramedics came up and loaded a still unconscious Barry onto the stretcher and took him out.
Another paramedic came into my office and checked me while another spoke with Samuel. I watched the paramedic bandage his hand and say something that Samuel obviously didn’t agree with because he wouldn’t stop shaking his head until the paramedic stopped talking.
Samuel came back over and sat with me while the paramedic took my vitals and asked about my physical condition. I declined to be transported to the hospital in the ambulance even though I knew based on standard protocol in assault cases that I would have to go.
I answered all the questions the police officer asked then Countee provided him with a thumb drive. His team had just recently installed the surveillance cameras throughout my floor. The installation was handled the same way it was at VLG. No one at my firm knew the cameras were there except for me. Countee saw the officers out and then came to my office.
“I was headed home when the silent alarm from the elevator was tripped. I had some guys sitting on someone not too far from here, so they were able to make it here before things got worse,” Countee said. “I want Laila to start shadowing you. You can tell people she is your personal assistant. If you are here, she will be here with you. Also, we will set up a secondary security station on your floor, for visitors to check in when they come off the elevator. The building security is not reliable. I will have a chat with the building owner and the security firm’s owner. We need to get to the bottom of what happened tonight.”
Samuel
I really should have killed him. I really should have taken his life harshly and brutally.
Those words kept playing in my mind as I drove Averie to the hospital. She didn’t want to ride in the ambulance, so I loaded her into my car and drove her.
