Page 15 of Say Yes

Colton

I waituntil Lindsay is asleep, then grab and flashlight and my gun before slipping out the back door of our place. I set up a vigil where I’m can’t be seen, but I have the other side of the duplex clearly in my line of sight.

I’m prepared for a long wait, but when I still haven’t seen anything by three-thirty in the morning, something seems off. My instincts had been screaming at me and I’d followed up on a hunch. Maybe I’m wrong. Dawn will be creeping in soon, and unless this guy is a total idiot, he won’t chance anything during the day.

Softly entering the house through the back door, I flip the lock and slip off my shoes. I smile when I think of how Lindsay is always teasing me about being a ninja, otherwise how else could someone so big be so quiet?

She’s so fucking adorable. I pad down the hall to our bedroom and push the door open, then freeze. Lindsay is slouched against the headboard, terrified eyes staring up at a figure in a black hooded sweatshirt. A figure who’s got a knife pressed to her throat.

If Lindsay sees me, she doesn’t make a single indication. Good girl. I raise it and silently approach the person threatening the love of my life. He clearly has a death wish, and I am more than happy to oblige.

“Why, Vince?” she asks in a small voice. My heart aches to take her in my arms and comfort her, but I’ve got to deal with this lunatic first.

“Paul was my best friend, and he adored you. I wanted him to have what he deserved, so even though I loved you, and you clearly wanted me instead, I stepped aside so he could be with you. Then he died, and it was finally my turn. Don’t you see? We could be together. I’ve even given you time to spread your wings.”

Lindsay’s brow raises and I see her tamp down a smartass remark. “Then you whored yourself out to the jar head next door and got yourself knocked up.”

“How did you even know I was pregnant?” Lindsay snaps. I will her to calm down and not set him off with her sass. I am also relieved that she caught on to my play earlier today and is going with it.

“How could you think I wouldn’t figure it out?” he snarls. “That guy couldn’t stop touching your stomach, looking like a smug bastard.” He sighs. “Now what am I supposed to do with you?” The annoyance in her expression gives way to fear when he presses the knife a little deeper.

I step up and press my gun firmly into the back of his head. “I swear to all that is holy, if you draw even one drop of blood, I’m going to put a bullet in your brain. I suggest you slowly draw back your arm and drop the weapon.”

He hesitates and I apply more pressure on the barrel of the gun. This pistol doesn’t cock like people assume all guns do, so I flick the safety off, making sure it clicks as loudly as possible. He stiffens and finally removes the knife from Lindsay.

“Drop it.”

His hand clenches, but then he flexes and the weapon falls to the carpet. “Turn around,” I demand.

He follows my direction and I sneer, “Jar heads are marines, asshole. I was in the Air Force.” Then I hit him with the butt of my gun and watch him crumple to the ground. Lindsay scrambles from the bed and snatches up the knife while I tap him a couple times to make sure he’s out cold. She silently passes by me, and I follow her to the kitchen, watching as she heads straight to the trash and drops the blade inside. I recognize it in the light—it was from our butcher block, and neither of us would want the daily reminder of this night.

“Are you okay for a minute? I need to get him secured.” I’m torn, wanting to gather her up in my embrace and stay glued to her, but I need to make sure that even if Vince comes to, he’s out of commission until the cops arrive.

She wraps her arms around herself, looking small and fragile, but she nods stoically and goes into the living room to curl up on the couch.

I grab a couple of zip ties from the camping kit in the hall closet and return to my room, giving the police a call on the way. Once he’s tied up, I heft him over my shoulder and walk straight to the front door. I open it and unceremoniously dump him on the porch before slamming the door shut and going straight to the couch.

I lift Lindsay into my arms and take her place, settling her in my lap, cocooned in my arms. She’s tense and a little on edge, restless. When she sniffs, my heart cracks and I dread seeing tears in her eyes. She so rarely cries that it’s terrifying when she does.

Her mumbling reaches my ears and I tug her hair gently to tell her to lift her head. When she does, I’m shocked to see her eyes boiling over with rage, not spilling copious amounts of salty water. “Can you believe that moron? I didn’t even know who the fuck he was until after Paul and I had been together for two months. Vince was off gallivanting in Europe.”

She continues muttering about random things, clearly blowing off steam. I let her do her thing while I sit here confused. Shouldn’t she be crying, shook up? Anything but filled with wrath?

Then again, that about sums up how I’m feeling, checking every impulse I have to go finish off the motherfucker. Lindsay has never been a wilting flower, so perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised. I’m pulled from my musings by a knock on the front door.

It takes several hours to get everything straightened out and by the time we stumble into bed, we don’t even have the energy to do more than reach for each other’s hand before we are dead to the world.

“Hey.” I feel a poke in my back and grunt before scooting away from whatever is interrupting my sleep. “Hey.” Another poke. Recognizing Lindsay’s voice, I pry an eye open and roll to my back so I can see her.

“Hey, honey,” I sigh and gather her up to my chest. “Go back to sleep. You need to rest.”

“About that.” Poke.

“Damn, woman!” I gripe, catching both her hands and locking them in mine. My eyes drift shut. “About what?” I ask absently.

“We’ll come back to that. COLTON!” She shrieks my name and I fly up in bed ready to protect her from whatever the threat is. “Oh, great,” she says calmly. “You’re awake. Now we can talk.”

I turn to face her incredulously. “You scared the shit out of me, Lindsay,” I growl.

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