Page 56 of Wrecked

Jake is here, along with his team. He calls 911 to report the break-in and subsequent shooting. All in self-defense, of course.

I can tell Beth’s panicking inside.

“Don’t worry, Beth,” I say as I stand at the front window to watch for the police to arrive. “What Shane did is perfectly lawful. Kline committed a felony by breaking into your home, armed. Shane faced the threat of imminent death or great bodily injury. He’s in the clear. They’ll question him, but they won’t charge him with anything.”

At least that’s what I’m hoping happens.

Flashing lights signal the arrival of the cops. “Shane, they’re here.”

Shane kisses Beth’s temple before he stands and asks me, “Cooper, come sit with Beth.”

I open the front door to let three uniformed officers in. Shane meets them in the foyer and gives them a run-down of what happened here tonight.

My job is to reassure Beth. I sit down and put my arm around her. No surprise, but she’s shaking.

“He broke into my girlfriend’s house,” Shane explains to the cops. “He came upstairs to our bedroom and pulled a gun on me. I shot him before he could pull the trigger.”

That’s it. Short and sweet. It was self-defense. End of story, right? God, I hope so.

The next thing I know, Tyler pulls up in front of the townhouse and races inside. He’s mad as hell. “Where is she?”

He’s referring to his sister, of course.Damn.Things just got really complicated. Tyler and Shane are not on good footing. Tyler thinks it’s highly inappropriate for Shane to be romantically involved with his sister. Not only is she much younger than Shane, but Tyler considers Shane’s involvement with her as professionally unethical. Shane was hired to protect Beth, not seduce her—at least that’s how Tyler sees it.

Tyler takes one look at his distraught sister, and then he lunges at Shane, grabbing him by his shirt and slamming him into the foyer wall. “What the fuck were you thinking?” His face darkens with rage as he wraps his hands around Shane’s throat. “You son of a bitch! She could have been killed!”

Beth jumps up from the sofa. “Tyler, stop!”

I haul her back down beside me, holding onto her tightly as Tyler and Shane go at it. Tyler punches Shane, knocking his head against the wall. Beth screams as she watches Shane stagger from the blow, blood streaming from his nose.

The uniformed officers jump in then to break up the fight. One of them throws Shane face first against a wall and begins to cuff him.

Beth struggles to free herself from my grip.

Jake comes thundering down the stairs to see what all the commotion is about. It’s utter chaos.

Tyler tries to catch his breath. “What the fuck were you thinking, Shane?”

Shane glares at Tyler. “I did what had to be done.”

Beth manages to pull free and run to Shane, clinging to his arm. An officer tries to hold her back. “Miss—”

“Get her back, Cooper!” Shane yells, his voice ragged.

“Arrest him,” Tyler orders the officers.

“You have the right to remain silent,” the cop says to Shane. “Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

“No!” Beth cries as she sobs. Suddenly, she’s struggling to breathe. All this stress is throwing her into an asthma attack.

“Get her inhaler!” Shane yells. “It’s in my jacket pocket.”

Tyler goes for the inhaler. He shakes it and holds it to Beth’s mouth. “Breathe in, Beth,” he says as he administers the medication. “It’s okay, kiddo. Just breathe.”

Devastated, Shane looks on as Beth begins to breathe more freely. “Beth, sweetheart, I’m sorry.”

Beth looks her brother in the eye. “Tyler, please. Don’t let them take him.”

Tyler looks away. “Take him to the local precinct,” he orders. “I’ll be along shortly, after I see to my sister.”