Page 94 of Needing Your Love
Jaw clenched, I leaned around Davidson, quickly looking through the glass door. The situation was exactly as Davidson had said.
“You treat her like shit!” Kurt screamed, gun trained on Stefen, who faced our way, eyes wide, body trembling. “And shestillchose you last week when I asked her to leave with me!”
Stefen’s mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear him through the glass separating us.
“You’re right,” Kurt continued to holler, “but this misery ends today for both of us!”
“Fuck,” I whispered as puzzle pieces fell into place.
A quick scan of the rest of the interior in my line of sight didn’t allow a glimpse of Jimmy.
He could already be broken and bleeding out. Gasping his final breaths. Would he be whispering my name? Begging for me to save him?
My throat tightened as I read the cards before me. I feared what Kurt planned and expected. Possibly even hoped for.
I had heard about this possible scenario at the academy but never expected to be faced with such a situation. This would be my first time putting a bullet into someone in order to protect my town, but I had to try peace first. Attempt to make sure we all crawled into our beds tonight.
Calm leaked in, who the fuck knew from where, but I clung to the roots settling deep, holding me steady. Upright. Strong in the face of storm.
I would do whatever it took to eliminate the threat. I’d sworn to do so even at the expense of my own mental health.
“I’m going in,” I murmured, praying like hell I read this wrong.
“Chief—” Davidson’s voice cut off as I eased the door open. He kept it from closing with his heel, freeing up both of my hands.
I itched to have my gun held out in front of me, aimed at the man who would dare to bring this kind of drama to our small community. Instead, I made myself as unintimidating as possible, a lesser threat so I might stand a chance of talking him down rather than have things turn violent.
“Kurt?” I called quietly, my voice as friendly as always.
“Chief!” A woman shrieked from inside near the back of the store as I stepped over the threshold, Glock hanging at my side, my free hand up, palm facing Kurt to show him I meant no harm.
Kurt glanced over his shoulder at me, face red, eyes hazed over yet blazing. He swayed on his feet. “It’s about fucking time, Chief! You need to know the truth!”
Stefen tensed as though readying to charge, and Kurt swung around toward him, almost stumbling sideways. “One more step, and I’ll blow yourfuckingbrains out all over the floor, Kaufman!”
A quick glance assured me no one bled?—
Jimmy.
The breath left my lungs in a rush at seeing him unharmed. He huddled to my left, pale face wet with tears, his body trembling as he stared into space as though unaware of my presence even though I stood mere feet away.
My heart ached to see him broken and thrust into the past, reliving the abuse of his father.
If we escaped this situation unscathed, I would see my sweet boy through his healing no matter how that might look. Fuck knew how the outcome of this setup would mess with my head too. We could go to therapy together as I had some shit to learn, or perhapsunlearn, as well.
I wasn’t responsible for everyone. Not even those who came crawling back and begging for forgiveness. Like Jamie had said, people made their own choices, and it was simply my job to clean up the resulting messes.
Not grant restitution.
“Kurt—”
A gun exploded, tearing the words from Stefen’s lips. He spun, red blooming on his shoulder as he flew backward.
Time crawled, shutting down my brain.
My exhale sounded loud above the ringing in my ears.
Jimmy flinched in my periphery, crying out for mercy.
